Question regarding beads

I want to start using beads but am unsure which % to use. I like my humidor around 67% humidity. I live in So. Cal so the weather is mostly arid. Would I use 65% or 70% beads?

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j0z3r

I'm in socal too, I would recommend using the 70% beads. Those are what I use and they keep my humidor right around 68%. And definitely use more than what is recommended, I would say double the minimum amount and try to have a couple different locations as beads are a passive humidifier, so a couple locations will help stabilize your humidity better... at least, that's what I do and it works for me, so YMMV.

Joe

kuzi16

personally i would go with the 65% beads because if you "over charge" them a bit, you will have a bit higher humidity.

CastleCrest

kuzi16:
personally i would go with the 65% beads .

I agree - I think my cigars smoke better at 65%

pilot711

I travel a lot obviously due to work so I like the 70% because my cigars stay humidified in travel humidors better. Even when I smoke one right from the humi I have never had an issue.

j0z3r

Based on the input received, I stand by my original recommendation but i will amend it slightly.

Perhaps you should give the 70% beads a shot for a few weeks and see what they do for you. If you are not satisfied, for example they keep your RH too high, then I would suggest mixing some 65% and 70% beads and see if that gets things where you want them. Like I said in a previous thread, this is somewhat of a trial and error situation, so you'll have to start somewhere and adjust accordingly.

Of course, I wish you the best in finding what works for you, as nothing is more gratifying than having things exactly how you want them.

Joe

leonard

Thanks guys for all the advice. I think I will try 65% beads and "over charge" them a hair.

leonard

Just wanted to give an update on my beads. I have used 65% beads in both my humi's for about two months. They are great. Both my humi's stay at 66%-67% humitity.

Lasabar

I've just re-adjusted my room and seal on my humi and the thing I'm seeing is that the AMOUNT of beads have allot to do with the Humidity. I've got DOUBLE what I'm supposed to and the beads are about 50% charged

From the new place and space the humi is ALWAYS within two percent from 70% and that's okay with me.

I think though that depending if you have more or less of the recommended beads then you can be closer to the suggested humidity

Smoke=Fire

kuzi16:
personally i would go with the 65% beads because if you "over charge" them a bit, you will have a bit higher humidity.

You know, I've seen this statement before on these forums, and I don't understand how that can be. The beads are designed to release or absorb moisture to 65% RH. If you make more than 70% of the beads wet, it will not release more moisture, only as much is needed to maintain the 65%. Overcharging as I see it will only reduce the amount of mositure you will be able to absorb, as once they are full they are full.

laker1963

Smoke=Fire:
kuzi16:
personally i would go with the 65% beads because if you "over charge" them a bit, you will have a bit higher humidity.
You know, I've seen this statement before on these forums, and I don't understand how that can be. The beads are designed to release or absorb moisture to 65% RH. If you make more than 70% of the beads wet, it will not release more moisture, only as much is needed to maintain the 65%. Overcharging as I see it will only reduce the amount of mositure you will be able to absorb, as once they are full they are full.

I was under the same impression... you put the % of beads in your humi to maintain THAT % of RH within the Humi. If your beads are putting out more moisture then that... I would be concerned. The beads are supposed to take care of an enthusiast having to constantly worry about the RH of their Humi. Otherwise why would they be graded to certain RH in the first place?

To be honest, I still use the pillows and the integral humidifier in my humi. I have no problem at all with checking on my babies a couple of times a week to gauge their comfort level

As for my smoking Humi... well it gets opened at the very least once a day. Twice on a good day!

madurofan

Where is our chemist? Has he dissapeared?

rusirius

laker1963:
I was under the same impression... you put the % of beads in your humi to maintain THAT % of RH within the Humi. If your beads are putting out more moisture then that... I would be concerned. The beads are supposed to take care of an enthusiast having to constantly worry about the RH of their Humi. Otherwise why would they be graded to certain RH in the first place?

To be honest, I still use the pillows and the integral humidifier in my humi. I have no problem at all with checking on my babies a couple of times a week to gauge their comfort level As for my smoking Humi... well it gets opened at the very least once a day. Twice on a good day!

Agreed... The HF beads are "locked" (most likely using salt) to a specific humidity level... It shouldn't matter if you have 2oz or 2lbs.... provided it's enough volume for your size humi, it should maintain the same level, just for a much longer period of time... i.e. 2lbs of beads will keep a 100ct humi good for years most likely, versus 2oz which will just cover a 100ct humi, and therefore with repeated openings will need charged much more frequently...

Kitty litter (the pearl stuff which is basically the same as the HF stuff just not "locked" to a specific RH) is more volume centric... If you found the RH averaging slightly lower than you'd like, you could add a bit more KL and raise the RH point... Far as I know anyway...

kuzi16

i use more beads than i need so i have to recharge less often, thats true. but i also make sure that i have a ton of surface area because what good are they if they arent exposed to the air i want to humidify/dehumidify. the containers my beads are in are wide (ish) and flat(ish) and long (ish) they are in the spirit of a cigar coffin box. In fact, i have used a coffin box for suplimental RH controll before. they dont take up but 3 - 4 cigars worth of space... and one of them is holding about 1/2lb of beads.

at least thats what works for me. 65% beads. 65% RH.

always

Big Dan

can sumbody explain beads and its proper uses please thank you in advance

rusirius

Big Dan:
can sumbody explain beads and its proper uses please thank you in advance

Beads are just another type of humidification... The only thing that's unique about beads is that they're bi-directional... They can both absorb or expel moisture... In theory if you have 65% humidity beads and the humidity gets above 65% the beads should absorb the excess to get it back down to 65%... Likewise if it drops below 65% the beads should give off moisture to get it back up... In practice as you can see from above it doesn't work exactly that way for whatever reason... Still though they work pretty damn good...

kuzi16

rusirius:
In practice as you can see from above it doesn't work exactly that way for whatever reason...

i have about one pound in my 150ct humi. this is over kill. but i also seem to be the only person here that can keep their 65% beads as 65%.

rusirius

kuzi16:
rusirius:
In practice as you can see from above it doesn't work exactly that way for whatever reason...
i have about one pound in my 150ct humi. this is over kill. but i also seem to be the only person here that can keep their 65% beads as 65%.

LOL, indeed... I wonder if the fact that others seem to get higher results does have to do with the amount of beads... I know technically the amount of beads shouldn't make any difference, but I'm wondering about the interaction between the cedar and beads... Technically cedar somewhat "bi-directional" just like the beads, but closer to 70%... With that amount of beads I wonder if it can overcome the effects of the cedar whereas those trying smaller amounts just can't???

Big Dan

that seems like it would make sense the more beads you have the more it will soak up the excess water and over power any of the other factors affecting the change in humidity. also thank you for explaining the beads. i have a small humidor a 20 ct right now i dnt think beads would be worth it for this humidor but i would definiatly get them for a larger humidor like a 100ct or 300 ct. do they sell beads at most local shops? or on ccom?

kuzi16

when i had a 20ct i had a few beads in a shot glass in the corner. it worked out well.

kuzi16

Big Dan:
do they sell beads at most local shops? or on ccom?

http://www.heartfeltindustries.com/

cigar.com does not sell this product or any product that i think is the same concept. Cigar.com DOES sell humi care jars that may work out better for you in the 20ct. i think that these are temporary things though. the beads are a permanent humidification device.

BigDan.

hmm sounds good idk if my humi can fit a shotglass in it even a small one ill see. and does it matter how many you put in?

kuzi16

it does. one bead isnt doing much. if you have an old metal tube from a cigar just take a thicker safety pin and punch a bunch of holes in it and fill it with beads. thatll fit in that humi.

that site i listed above also sells beads in tubes already. one of those could work.

dutyje

I pulled the foam out of the humidifier on the top of my small (15-20 ct) humi, and replaced the contents with beads. This has been working great. I used to just have a tube of beads in there with the cigars, and that worked well also.

pilot711

dutyje:
I pulled the foam out of the humidifier on the top of my small (15-20 ct) humi, and replaced the contents with beads. This has been working great. I used to just have a tube of beads in there with the cigars, and that worked well also.

I did the same thing with all my cheap humidifiers that came with various humidors and it has worked great. I also have them in tubes so they are in several areas of the humi. The beads rock!

BigDan.

*runs to order beads* , do the help raise humidity at all or just lower it? i like the temp my humi is at now tho , will this change the temp or hum?

rmccloud

The beads will raise and lower the humidity based on what is needed. You can be 60%, 65%, or 70% beads depending on what you prefer the humidity to be. The beads will not affect the temp in your humidor at all. I would recommend buying more beads than the website says you need.

kuzi16

rmccloud:
I would recommend buying more beads than the website says you need.

2 times as much i find works well.

BigDan.

ooh really no way thts like perfect they take all the stress away from constantly trying to find ways to control my rh and wat not. thnx for the help guys

vankleekkw

I just got beads yesterday, and now all of my humidors are exactly 65%. Those things work awesome, got way more than needed in case I need more room.

Lasabar

vankleekkw:
I just got beads yesterday, and now all of my humidors are exactly 65%. Those things work awesome, got way more than needed in case I need more room.

Always smart... Don't want to have too little and I use the 70% beads and keep them about 10% white and the humi is around 67%... Poifect!