Humidors

[pantsBoots]

Just so you know, my beads failed, and when I told my tobacconist this he said to chuck the whole lot, the beads and the hygrometer, figure out how many Boveda packets were needed to humidify the space at the desired humidity, close the top and forget about it.

The bead meister never talked about his beads failing. The hygrometer manufacturer never said that only 1/10 of his hygrometers worked.
Take home is that Boveda works, and since the lid on my humi is snug, I'm still using packets bought in 04/19. The other equipment failed, and it was very confusing to try to work with them.

YMMV.

I wonder what beads you were using. Once upon a time, Heartfelt had the cigar bead market cornered and that's what I use and prefer. HCM beads have received rave reviews, but they are hard to charge as you cannot directly add water to them as they will fracture (and possibly heat up to the point of melting their plastic housing). These days, I am to understand there are more brands of beads available, but since Heartfelt has served me well for more than 10 years, I don't mess with anything else; all humidors are well-seasoned, so I find I'm only adding water once or twice a year.

 

[saltedplug]

What I think is irrelevant, and really only useful to me, but I would never trust a hygrometers/beads again.

The manufacturer doesn't tell you that the beads are only good for two or three iterations. So the humidity goes south though you've hydrated the beads plenty.

You have two hygrometers that were off 5-10 points in the salt test and that do not hold their adjusted value. The corpulent cats at the top could give a f*ck that their product is largely defective because sales are brisk, $20 for what cost them 2 dollars to make.

Greedy as f*ck.

Boveda. Boveda. Boveda. It's worked for me.

 

[saltedplug]

I wonder what beads you were using. Once upon a time, Heartfelt had the cigar bead market cornered and that's what I use and prefer. HCM beads have received rave reviews, but they are hard to charge as you cannot directly add water to them as they will fracture (and possibly heat up to the point of melting their plastic housing). These days, I am to understand there are more brands of beads available, but since Heartfelt has served me well for more than 10 years, I don't mess with anything else; all humidors are well-seasoned, so I find I'm only adding water once or twice a year.

I'm glad beads are working for someone.

 

[ChuckMijo]

I use beads. 65% 1.5 lbs. Never had the slightest issue, and I live in Phoenix, It will fluctuate some based on ambient temperature. But nothing worth worrying about.

 

[SoddenJack]

Humidor my dad made me. Bolivian Rosewood, Wenge, Maple, and Spanish Cedar. Means a lot to me because my dad made it. I’ve thought about asking him making me something larger but less fancy to replace my Tupperdore, but I’ve slowed down on the sticks so I’m not sure it’s worth it.

 

[pantsBoots]

A cooler for all of my long-term aging stock. Mostly Havanas underneath what you see on top - stocked pretty well in Por Larrañaga, Ramon Allones, Upmann PC and some Cuban factory rolls. I aim for 67% RH.


Custom desktop for Cuban farm and factory rolls. Mostly for aging, but only because these are only a couple years old and not ready yet. I aim for 67% RH.


My smoke-now humidor - I keep this around 58-62% RH. It's a cheapo I got from one of the big online vendors, but after 15 years, it performs just as well as any humidor I've ever had.


My NC humidor - a Gentilli mostly filled with Fuente HTF. I aim to keep this in the upper 60s% RH.

 

[KBaz]

I really use to be into cigars prior to my kids being born. Switched to pipes as it’s easier to stop a pipe half way through than a cigar.

Have not had a cigar in 5 years. But I can’t part with my “collection”.

It’s an aristocrat with active humidifier and blue tooth Boveda hygrometers - because I still watch it like a hawk.

 

[saltedplug]

This is one I made for my Father in law for
View attachment 44238
View attachment 44237

and this one I made for myself sometime ago.

View attachment 44240
View attachment 44241

Beautiful work!

 

[saltedplug]

A cooler for all of my long-term aging stock. Mostly Havanas underneath what you see on top - stocked pretty well in Por Larrañaga, Ramon Allones, Upmann PC and some Cuban factory rolls. I aim for 67% RH.
View attachment 81435

Custom desktop for Cuban farm and factory rolls. Mostly for aging, but only because these are only a couple years old and not ready yet. I aim for 67% RH.
View attachment 81434

My smoke-now humidor - I keep this around 58-62% RH. It's a cheapo I got from one of the big online vendors, but after 15 years, it performs just as well as any humidor I've ever had.
View attachment 81433

My NC humidor - a Gentilli mostly filled with Fuente HTF. I aim to keep this in the upper 60s% RH.
View attachment 81432

Salivating!

 

[pantsBoots]

View attachment 106481

I really use to be into cigars prior to my kids being born. Switched to pipes as it’s easier to stop a pipe half way through than a cigar.

Have not had a cigar in 5 years. But I can’t part with my “collection”.

It’s an aristocrat with active humidifier and blue tooth Boveda hygrometers - because I still watch it like a hawk.

Still watching it like a hawk, eh? Found myself in a similar boat - allowing a pipe to go out and then relighting it later? No problem. Allowing a cigar to go out and then relighting it later? It's a big to-do!

It looks to be a lovely collection and will serve you well down the road.

 

[Duck]

I'm in the middle of restoring this brass cigarette box. The lining is mahogany. Not the best for cigars, but perfect for using it as humidor to rehydrate fifty grams or two ounces of pipe tobacco. I'm not a cigar smoker, so it'll be my only humidor.

 

[lightxmyfire]

Beautiful work!

Thank you!