Braveda Humi Packets

[charlie G.]

I'm going to start using the Braveda packs in my humidor and am wondering if anyone using them can give me some incite on them.
I have both a 150 cigar, and also a 100 cigar humidors. Both are about 1/2 to 3/4 full as of now.
I am figuring I need 4 packs per humidor. I was thinking of ordering a 12 pack. I was thinking to start with the 72% packs and use their hygrometer calibrating system on the humidors first. I am starting with those percent packs cause of the low humidity in the house in the winter and it draws down the humidity in the humidors in winter. I'll know better after recalibrating the hygrometers.
Thanks for any info.

 

[Chicken]

Are those the little packets that come in a bag of beef jerky to absorb the humidity...

If so i use them things in my jars that hold my shredded baccy..

 

[Raodwarior]

The Boveda packs work great, what is the humidor for, ie. aging, freshly rolled short tem storage or daily smokers. Each use can be tweaked with a different humidity level. I think you will find that the 72 is a bit much unless its for your daily smokers where you open and close the humidor all the time. The calibration bags are nice but hygrometers unless lab quality move around quite a bit.

 

[Smokin Harley]

http://www.cigarsinternational.com/humidification/38308/large-rectangle-humidifier/#p-8431
I use this in my humi. Since I dont have many sticks in it just yet ,I also have a small dish with distilled water soaked paper towels to add more humidity ..the house humidity generally stays at 50-55% in the winter .Keeping a humi at 70% in this house in winter isnt easy.

 

[DIY Pete]

http://www.cigarsinternational.com/humidification/38335/boveda-humidification-packets/

I use the 65% packs in my desktop Humi and the wineador. I love them! I do use more than they recommend but that's because you can recharge them as long as you don't let them completely dry out. To recharge them put the almost used up packs in a large zip-lock bag with a wet paper towel. Dampen the towel and toss it back in the bag as needed until the packs are recharged.

Pete

 

[charlie G.]

I use the humidors for both, aging and everyday smokes. The smaller one I think I will in the future dedicate to everyday smokes and the larger for aging.
I was thinking that if the humidity level gets to high I can always cut back from 4 to 3 bags in the aging humidor. If still to much I'll switch to the 68%.
Harley that's what I use now.
Pete can you one day posts some pictures of your wineator. I have always wanted to move up to that type of setup.

 

[Gdaddy]

I've come to prefer the lower area of 60% RH. If it drops to 59% I don't get worried. They smoke better at these levels. When it gets near 70% is when I get nervous. Too high is not good for burn or flavor.

 

[HIM]

I've come to prefer the lower area of 60% RH. If it drops to 59% I don't get worried. They smoke better at these levels. When it gets near 70% is when I get nervous. Too high is not good for burn or flavor.

Same here. I use 62% Bovedas and a small bag of KL. My RH stays rock solid all I have to do is recharge the Bovedas every once in a while. Buy em in bulk for cheap on Amazon.

 

[webmost]

I was thinking that if the humidity level gets to high I can always cut back from 4 to 3 bags in the aging humidor.

Yeah --- it does not work that way. Each pack attempts to maintain its enclosure at its rated humidibbiditty. If you have four packs rated at 70% and you remove two to achieve 65%, then your remaining two packs will dry out hard sacrificing themselves to their 70% ideal. Then they are toast.

Forget packs if you want to adjust. Get a block and a hygrometer, then add propylene glycol solution when and as required. You know how to use salt to calibrate the hygro, right? If not, google that. It's easy. You have seasoned the humidors, right?

 

[USHOG]

The boveda packs are great and easily recharged. Once they become hard or close to it put them into a Tupperware container with a shot glass of water and in a few weeks they are back to normal.

 

[Gdaddy]

One other point would be the calibration of the hygrometer.

The reason the hygrometer is calibrated to show 75% is because for years the base line was the salt test. Boveda also makes a calibration salt test but it really makes no sense to buy it. When the salt test is complete you don't use that Boveda pack anymore. Put it away it has no other use. However, thanks to Boveda there is no longer a need to calibrate to 75% using the salt test. It's obsolete. You can be very precise and calibrate straight to your target number.

If your target RH is say...65%. It would be more accurate to put a 65% Boveda in a bag and calibrate it directly to that number. Of course the number displayed on the hygrometer would show 75% but it would really be perfect 65%. (Believe me, it's not that confusing.) If you don't have a calibration button then just mark down the deviation on a sticker. When you're done calibrating you can now use the same Boveda pack directly into your humidor.

The inexpensive hygrometers can be very inaccurate as you lower the number by 10 or more points off the 75%. Some are off by as much as + or - 5%.

It's easier, cheaper and more accurate to do it this way.

 

[DIY Pete]

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/webfeatures/show/id/16741

This is the hygrometer that I use. I just prefer analog sometimes. Once every six months or so I put it in a Tupperware with a 65% pack to make sure it is still reading accurately. I have had it for a few years now and it's still dead accurate.

Pete

 

[dondford]

I have used for years in my cooler'dor's, with great results, home-made humidifiers. I make them by taking a tupperware container, sized for your humidor or cooler'dor, drill a bunch holes in the top, fill it up with green florist foam (get the wet type) and saturate with 50% distilled water/50% propylene glycol. Your drugstore should have or can order the PG. Works great for me.

 

[Knucklehead]

Are those the little packets that come in a bag of beef jerky to absorb the humidity...

If so i use them things in my jars that hold my shredded baccy..

Chickenhawk,
the packs you use just absorb moisture.
The Boveda paks are different. They either absorb or introduce moisture to maintain a steady humidity. It's a two way technology. : http://www.bovedainc.com/technology/

 

[deluxestogie]

Some new parent (or grandparent) should do a trial on unscented baby diaper, to determine at what humidity level it stabilizes.

Bob

 

[DIY Pete]

Here You go Charlie, and anyone else who is interested.

Pete

 

[ArizonaDave]

Nice video, thanks for sharing Pete!

 

[charlie G.]

Great setup Pete.
Thanks for doing the video Pete. One day I hope to have one of those.
What do you use as a humidifier ? Beads or an electric model.

 

[DIY Pete]

I took all the humidity devices out a couple of months ago and it has been sitting at 65% ever since. I wanted to see if I could get it down to 60%-62% so now it is kind of an experiment. We'll see how it goes.

Keep an eye on Craigs list in your area they come up from time to time and you can occasionally get one for a song.

Pete

 

[webmost]

Thing with a coolidor, you have that front opening door, like an upright freezer. Open the door, the air falls out. Thing with a coolidor, you have a top lid, like a chest freezer. Open the door, most nuttin happens.