Humidity Beads?

[axmncg]

If you do a search here for 65 you will find really helpful information. Generally, people store non-cubans at 70% and cubans at 65%. I also enjoy smoking cubans at around 61-63. I dry box for a day or two to get the cigar a little drier. Search "dry box" and "dry boxing".

In my experience, the only two things you really need for the beads to work are:

1. an airtight seal,

2. TIME - don't keep opening the lid to check the hygrometer. It won't be hours or days, but weeks. Once your humidor and cigars stabilize, it'll work perfectly and all you do is maintain the beads. If the humidity drops steadily, add a little distilled water until about 60% of the beads are hydrated (clear). If it's getting too high, take the beads out and dry them. A common way to dry them is to pour them into a good sized container and use a hair drier on low setting until the moisture evaporats and the beads turn back to milky white. Give your new set up a few months to stabilize, keep smoking and notice how the flavor and draw change as everything gets down to 65%.

[Blackham]

If I want to lower the humidity of my box (from 71% to 65%) do I blow dry the beads before putting them inside the humidor?

[thechenman]

If they are new beads, there is no need to blow dry them. As long as they are 65%Rh beads they should slowly bring the Rh in your humidor down. It is a slow process, but it works. No need to add any distilled water...but i guess that goes without saying.

[semery74]

Pop them in the oven on 220F. 3 hours in the oven will dry them out completely. I would bring the oven to temp and put them in for 15 minutes at a time. Thoroughly test them overnight for accurate results and stabilization in between oven sessions.

[Domniomaestro]

Howdy all!

I have read over this topic a number of times, and looked through the rest of the forum here for more info on these beads.

So I am going to toss the questions out there and see what you guys say....

The puckifier and RH beads from cigarmony, both release and absorb moisture. I kind of like that particular feature. Do the heartfelt beads do the same? I cannot find any info on whether or not they do.

What are these beads made from? (either source) I stopped by my local tobacconist today and they had these little whitish crystal things, that you are supposed to leave in distilled water for no more than 10 minutes. they swell up and then release humidity. If you let them in water for more than 10 minutes, they swell through the screen, and makes a big mess that has to be cleaned up. Is that what happens with these beads from either company mentioned above?

I dont like to sound like a newb, but I am apparently just missing where to obtain this info on my own.

[Fuzz]

Howdy all!

I have read over this topic a number of times, and looked through the rest of the forum here for more info on these beads.

So I am going to toss the questions out there and see what you guys say....

The puckifier and RH beads from cigarmony, both release and absorb moisture. I kind of like that particular feature. Do the heartfelt beads do the same? I cannot find any info on whether or not they do.

What are these beads made from? (either source) I stopped by my local tobacconist today and they had these little whitish crystal things, that you are supposed to leave in distilled water for no more than 10 minutes. they swell up and then release humidity. If you let them in water for more than 10 minutes, they swell through the screen, and makes a big mess that has to be cleaned up. Is that what happens with these beads from either company mentioned above?

I dont like to sound like a newb, but I am apparently just missing where to obtain this info on my own.

The RH beads do not swell up when you hydrate them. They just change colour from milky white to clear. I either spray them or slowly pour a little bit of distilled water onto them. Some other just let them sit in a bag next to a dish of distlled water to naturally absorb the moisture.

I'd just put them in to your humidor without wetting them and check every week or so. If the humidity is too high, they'll absorb the excess. If they stay milky white, add a little water to turn some clear and then re-check later.

Send a PM to Mark (n2advnture). He'll help you out with any questions you have regarding the RH beads.

[Domniomaestro]

The RH beads do not swell up when you hydrate them. They just change colour from milky white to clear. I either spray them or slowly pour a little bit of distilled water onto them. Some other just let them sit in a bag next to a dish of distlled water to naturally absorb the moisture.

I'd just put them in to your humidor without wetting them and check every week or so. If the humidity is too high, they'll absorb the excess. If they stay milky white, add a little water to turn some clear and then re-check later.

Send a PM to Mark (n2advnture). He'll help you out with any questions you have regarding the RH beads.

Thank you. I will send him a message, just as soon as I figure out what to say, in a coherent way that it makes sense in my questions.

[CanuckSARTech]

I think the ones you are talking about is like the Madelaine crystal humidifiers. They work quite well also. They're a little faster working to evaporative processes than the Heartfelt beads. I used them in my desktop humidor a few years back.