Yeah. Stop using anything other than beads or gel humidification and stop using distilled water to charge your humidification devices. Use distilled water for the wipedown, but use Propylene Glycol solution to charge your humidifiers.
Hey Jacob I only use the 50/50 solution because I too had mold on my puck the other day... the weird thing is about 3 days before that is when I started using the 50/50. I think the mold came because I only used distilled before I started with the 50/50. So mold is gone for now in mine... If this helps
Is there something about the 50/50 solution that helps prevent mold? There should not be any problems with the distilled water...right? The distilled water should be pure.
Suspect what do you "charge" your beads with? Also doesn't the gel hunidification require either 50/50 or distilled water?
Personally, I use two Gel jars. One for my upper shelf and one on my lower. As the fluid levels in the gel decrease, the gel shrinks. There's a line on the jar to let you know when to add fluid. I only us Propylene Glycol solution to charge my humidifiers. It says to use this on the side of the jar. I had some really bad mold issues back when I first started collecting. I was using the sponge humidifiers that came with the humidor and distilled water. I had every kinda mold you could think of. It was either Kuzi or Jozer who gave me some great advice for cleaning my humidor with a distilled water/ white vinegar mixture and allowing it to dry in direct sunlight. That got rid of my multicolored mold. The Propylene Glycol solution, or 50/50 solution as you'll commonly hear it called, has done a great job of keeping the mold away. It is a flavorless, odorless anti-bacterial. It cost about $12 a year in solution to keep my humidor up and going. Hope this helps.
The heartfelt beads say use distilled water. Will 50/50 solution damage them or is it ok to use? Also, where are you getting yours that cheap? Thanks for the info.
Thanx Suspect...have not had the mold problem yet and def don't need it!!! Too many stiks to risk ruin. It sounds like and I believe the 50/50 solution is the mold retardant and needs to be used someplace in each humidor to combat the mold.
The heartfelt beads say use distilled water. Will 50/50 solution damage them or is it ok to use? Also, where are you getting yours that cheap? Thanks for the info.
Use just distilled water with your Heartfelt beads. I think PG solution can keep them from working properly.
Also, how much water are you going through. You mention several gallons of distilled water. This seems like an awful lot. I have a coolidor with a pound of beads that maintains perfect humidity and I have went through much less than half a gallon since sept.
I don't have any input on using solution with beads as I don't use beads. If I were using beads, I'd add another humidifier that I can use 50/50 in just to have that solution in there working for me. I've been doing this for about 6 months now. The first 3 months I had mold problems. Constantly had to pull my cigars out, clean, and reseason. I haven't had one sign of mold in the last 3 months since I've been using the solution. I have a couple of tuppadors also that I use the humipillows as humidifiers. I always charge them with 50/50 since they have gel in them also.
It seems that starting with a "clean" humidor it is important to use 50/50 as a portion of the humidification system for the humidor or tupperdor. It is quite possible that the solution is the safeguard against mold. I hate to say this but the mold may be introduced by the cigar and high hunidity? Look at the make-up of the 50/50 solution. Some of the Gels require distilled and some require 50/50 solution. It is specified on the bottles.
I have to say this..after being so profusely admonished for re-using my distilled water...(bold type), Water should not have a "smelll'.... That should have been an indication not to use that particular water. something may have fallen into it and generated the mold. But like you say to each his own.
I only have 1 gallon of distilled water and been using it the last six months. I use it to clean my hardwood floors with a steam mop too. Never noticed an odor until I wiped down the humi which I won't do again. Beads are on the way. Will get a new gallon of distilled water just to be safe. Luckily this is a cheap 20 count humi. I just have run out of room and don't want to ruin something my wife gave me for Christmas. Thanks for all the input guys.
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