Bart's New Vinotemp Project

[Bartolomeo]

Just got a new Vinotemp delivered today from meijer.com. Seasoning it right now and will keep everybody updated with some pics as its happening, nothing too exciting so far.

BTW, I want to get this right and do it the proper way from the start so I am a little anal about doing things. For example, I have purchased 8 Hygrometers, all of the same brand to salt test them and see which 3 I will keep, just want to keep the three with the 75% RH levels. Too bad the success rate is not pretty good right now.

Seasoning with Distilled H2O, cedar under the bowls and 2.5lbs of beads currently. I had cardboard originally holding the H2O but it started to smell like cardboard and replaced with cedar. I have Spanish Cedar trays in there right now that will hold my singles until my drawers/trays get done.

Put a cork to plug up the drainage hole and have left off the power to the Vinotemp to start with. Once up to speed after seasoning, will turn on unit and go from there.

Thanks,

Bart

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino002.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino005.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino009.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino010.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino011.jpg

[DPD6030]

Nice looking setup Bart. Good photos :tu Enjoy filling it up until you need to get another one or a cooler :D

[Smokin Gator]

Brother... I hope this doesn't offend... but you have a Vino. It will hold rock solid temps and, with the beads, RH. You don't need to do all of that. Just put your sticks in there and enjoy smoking them!!!

[DPD6030]

Brother... I hope this doesn't offend... but you have a Vino. It will hold rock solid temps and, with the beads, RH. You don't need to do all of that. Just put your sticks in there and enjoy smoking them!!!

Brent is right on that. Maybe you want to season the cedar so it doesn't take the humidity out of the beads?

[Bartolomeo]

Brent is right on that. Maybe you want to season the cedar so it doesn't take the humidity out of the beads?

Your right, I meant to say I was seasoning the trays, not the actual Vino :)

Thanks,

Bart

[Bartolomeo]

Update tonight on project, had to start over for different reasons and back to seasoning the Cedar trays using the new Ranco system, so far so good

Bart

Electricians Putty

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Cigs001.jpg

Ranco Temperature Control

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Cigs002.jpg

Second hole drilled through the bottom using the drain hole inside

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Cigs005.jpg

Left overs after tearing drain out

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Cigs007.jpg

[Bartolomeo]

New line of cigars I am starting, Vinotemp Robustos :D

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Cigs008.jpg

Inside look, tried to keep it as clean looking as possible

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Cigs013.jpg

Putty that sealed where the Ranco temperature cord came in through original drain hole

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Cigs018.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Cigs020.jpg

[bvilchez]

I can't wait to see the outcome of this thing. Good job on the updates

[bleedingshrimp]

Quit playing with it and stick it in already!!! The sticks that is.

BTW...do those vinos come in Belicoso?

[nofeardiver]

this thing looks badass, how is the temp control working, i have an edgestar and it stays at 60% all the time i would prefer it to be higher like 67 or 68, feel a little cold while smoking. Does the controller just shut the unit off and then it kicks back on when the temp drops?

Good luck,

[Bartolomeo]

this thing looks badass, how is the temp control working, i have an edgestar and it stays at 60% all the time i would prefer it to be higher like 67 or 68, feel a little cold while smoking. Does the controller just shut the unit off and then it kicks back on when the temp drops?

Good luck,

Ranco basically is now the brains behind the operation, you tell it what temp is ideal and allow a variance and it does its thing by controlling the Vinotemp power and settings. Temp control is getting there, so far so good

Bart

[shilala]

I'm glad you found that putty, Bart. :)
She's lookin good!!!

[BORIStheBLADE]

Very nice. Where did you get the info on where to hook up the wires that connect to the vino? Did the Ranco people tell you?

[Bartolomeo]

Very nice. Where did you get the info on where to hook up the wires that connect to the vino? Did the Ranco people tell you?

I bought the prewired version, which makes it easier

Vino plugs into Ranco, Ranco plugged into wall and your done

I didnt want to run any cords thru my door and tried to keep a clean look as possible, hence running temp cord thru drain and sealing it

Ranco turns complete power on/off to Vino to meet what ever temperature you set on Ranco.........Its a no-brainer for someone like me who doesnt want to deal with checking Vino every day

My goal here is to build a good home for my cigars and so I can then concentrate on figuring out what cigars I want to buy next

Now I am just currently buying singles from across the world and deciding on what cigars I like and what sources to buy from........Its tough to narrow it down to 2-3 sources but its fun trying :)

Bart

[poriggity]

Lookin good! I am about ready to take the plunge to a vino myself!
Scott

[Savor the Stick]

Lookin good! I am about ready to take the plunge to a vino myself!
Scott

Pm on the way

[BORIStheBLADE]

I bought the prewired version, which makes it easier

Vino plugs into Ranco, Ranco plugged into wall and your done

I didnt want to run any cords thru my door and tried to keep a clean look as possible, hence running temp cord thru drain and sealing it

Ranco turns complete power on/off to Vino to meet what ever temperature you set on Ranco.........Its a no-brainer for someone like me who doesnt want to deal with checking Vino every day

My goal here is to build a good home for my cigars and so I can then concentrate on figuring out what cigars I want to buy next

Now I am just currently buying singles from across the world and deciding on what cigars I like and what sources to buy from........Its tough to narrow it down to 2-3 sources but its fun trying :)

Bart



I see I see, thanks for the info.

[Bartolomeo]

Got some CPU fans and an Oasis.........trying to decide best place to mount fans and Oasis in the Vino

Hopefully have some pics later today

Bart

[Bartolomeo]

Maybe the 3rd time really is the charm......This is the 3rd time me messing with this Vinotemp.......Something was just not right so I decided to add an Oasis XL and a CPU fan to pimp this Vinotemp out.........I know its overkill but if I get my ideal RH levels, its worth every penny to me

Enjoy!

Bart

Me rigging the wires together for the CPU fan

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a003.jpg

Taped them together b/c I am not an Electrician :)

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a004.jpg

Adaptor needed between fan and AC plug

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a005.jpg

Me trying out some LT cooling fans but they didnt blow enough air for my taste

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a007.jpg

[Bartolomeo]

3 different types of fans to see what works best, decided to go with the Red one

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a011-1.jpg

I put two rubber washers underneath the screws to dampen any noise and give the fan a little more clearance

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a015-1.jpg

The infamous "S" drain valve in the Vino

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a017-1.jpg

Tried to keep everything clean looking with some ties and new Electricians putty applied

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a018-1.jpg

I put velcro on the bottom of the fan so I can move it anytime but yet sturdy enough not to vibrate or make noise when running

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a021-2.jpg

[Bartolomeo]

Pic of the Oasis and fan

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a023.jpg

Bottom view of the set up

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a024-1.jpg

Starting the whole process over again

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a025.jpg

Threw some beads in to start the process but the rest of the beads are in the Tupperware with the smokes, resting until Vino is up and fully functional

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a026-1.jpg

Last picture for now, will post more soon after I throw the smokes in there

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a028.jpg

[bvilchez]

Looking good, lookin good

[Mirrorlure7m]

Please keep Us updated ....

[Bartolomeo]

Update on Humidor:

Had the RH and Temp levels where I wanted them but had a issue with the condensation occuring, so I wanted to fix that issue and move forward. Here are some random pics and comments

-My goal is to have all of my crap on the floor to be below the second notch up, so I can put my shelves in when they are ready, so basically nothing above that height is my plan, so far so good

-I have about 3.5 lbs of beads in the humi spread out in bags, Overkill I know, but it will keep the RH more stable when opening/closing the humi

-I have 4 different brands of Hygrometers but all are accurate so I cant complain

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a021-3.jpg

I use to get that fine dust from the beads so I came up with a solution that works for me. I take the beads and put them in a strainer to shake out the excess small particles which helps reduce the fine dust you some time see in your humidor. You lose about 1-2% but not a big deal when you have no more dust

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a022-2.jpg
Pic of the leftovers in the sink

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a023-1.jpg
Some humidity sheets I got from Heartfelt, I was originally going to use it to suck the excess condensation but dont like that idea now b/c of possible mildew/mold problems down the road

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a031.jpg
Bought a thin, rubber cutting board @ Walmart to shape a funnel to drain the excess condensation down the middle of the exisitng channel, used Black duct tape to help. Its important when you do this, to keep the original ridges along the side of the channel so the condensation doesnt spill on either side. The White cutting board was an exact shape of the channel to help out.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a032.jpg
Bought a butter dish to collect the condensation as an experiement. I dried my 65% beads completely White so they could suck up all of the moisture. The cutting board drains into the butter dish, I use a stick or a pen to move the beads around once in a while to make sure all moisture in the dish is equal. I then moved my fan to blow on the channel and bead dish to help dry it out, this has helped immensely. I like this dish b/c its clear and I can see whats going on, I have a bigger one but its White.

[Bartolomeo]

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a035.jpg
Fan on top of beads blowing down on bead dish, I need to rework this to clean it up a little bit

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a029.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a030.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a034.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a028-1.jpg

[Bartolomeo]

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a027.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a024-2.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a039.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a040.jpg
Cutting board I used b/c I couldnt find any of the binder page dividers others here use

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a041.jpg
Dymo Letra Label maker I use to band all of my singles along with the Heartfelt bands

[Bartolomeo]

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a043.jpg
Waiting for their new mansion to be ready :)

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a038.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/a036.jpg
Beads before I put the fan on them

[reefkeep]

Looks great, when are you adding the sticks?

[kelmac07]

Waiting to see it full of sticks!!

[Bartolomeo]

Here is an update on my humi:

-My Vino ideal range is 62-65%RH and 65-67* Temp, currently I am achieving this since 95% of my smokes are CC and I have found they like a lower RH than the NC

-I have a fan blowing up @ the front glass of the Vino and a fan on the top shelf blowing towards the front glass for great airflow, I have found the added airflow benefits my Vino rather than just using the original fan the Vino came with

-I have farted around with this Vino the last couple of weeks and definitely overanalyzed everything :lol: but got it where I want/need it for my evergrowing stash

-I put a board in front of the Vino fan to help spread the air out a little more and really like this idea, this will allow me to put boxes directly in front/top/bottom of the fan and not have to worry about it. There is enough room between the board and fan as well. The middle section of the fan sucks air in where the four sides blow the cool air out, learned that as well. Also with the board, I am able to push the Vino metal shelf all of the way back, so I am not eliminating any room using the board

-I took the Heartfelt beads out of my condensation tray b/c it would be non distilled water accumulating in there and making a mess, this way I just dump it every couple of days/weeks depending on how much is in there

-The fans and Vino are plugged into an surge protector, which is plugged into the Ranco temp controller, so all three run at the same time and no need for a timer for the two fans

-I am waiting on shelves/drawers so will use boxes and cedar trays for now

-I replaced my Oasis sponge with water beads

-I will post pics of the smokes very soon

-I tried the following scenarios with no luck......unplugged w/ no fan, unplugged w/ fan, plugged w/ no fan, plugged w/ fan.........This is located in my office on the second floor in my NC home, it does get hot here but the room temp avg is about 73* during day and 71* at night in the Summer

-I left the hole at the bottom of the Vino open, to let the Vino "breathe" if you will

-It looks messy right now but it will be cleaned up when the shelves/drawers get here

-Again, I overanalyzed everything but it works correctly and thats what was most important to me

Thanks,

Bart

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/PIG001.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/PIG002.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/PIG007.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/PIG010.jpg

[Bartolomeo]

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/PIG013.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/PIG012.jpg
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http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/b023.jpg

[Bartolomeo]

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/b022.jpg

[captain53]

Welcome to the vino-sicko club with the rest of us!:tf

[Ferrari5180]

Nice job! Keep up the good work. It is looking really nice.

[s15driftking]

while i can appreciate the "want" to do something new... i fail to see why you are going through such a hassle/process to perfect a system that is nearly flawless from the get-go. I bought a vino, got soem trays from Chasen, and stuck a cigar oasis in it... And its worked PERFECTLY without any issues... again, im nto here to criticize... im just wondering why you would spend all that time and money chopping up and modifying your vino so that at the end of the say it humidifies cigars.... like mine does.

[gettysburgfreak]

man that is one high tech vino. I just put simple cedar shelves in mine with half a pound of beads and its a rock at 70% in my basement.

[Bartolomeo]

I tried the simple and regular routes, they didnt work thus is why i had to alter the Vino a little bit to get the ideal conditions. Not everybody can plug and play and it works out of the box, it all depends on your conditions. I appreciate all of the feedback :)

Bart

[Bartolomeo]

These are some pics from a "friend" and some cigars he has in his Vino......

Bart

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/b024.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/b025.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/b028.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/b029.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/b031.jpg

[Bartolomeo]

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/b034.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/b035.jpg

[Bartolomeo]

Well, its been a long journey but here are some pics of my Vino with new Chasden shelves and drawers along with my new cigars. There is a glass top to these cedar lined drawers that maintains the temp and RH nicely and prevents sudden spikes when opening and closing the Vinotemp

Enjoy!

Bart

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino060.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino055.jpg

Singles Drawer with HDM, Monte and Boli

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino051.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino049.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino045.jpg

[Bartolomeo]

Singles drawer with Partagas, Punch and Dip #4

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino024.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino025.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino029.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino030.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino031.jpg

[Bartolomeo]

Doubles drawer with Punch, Partagas and Dip .........I re-arranged some cigars between drawers

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino032.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino033.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino036.jpg

[Bartolomeo]

Double drawer with various CC

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino039.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino043.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino044.jpg

[Bartolomeo]

Well, its been a long journey but here are some pics of my Vino with new Chasden shelves and drawers along with my new cigars. There is a glass top to these cedar lined drawers that maintains the temp and RH nicely and prevents sudden spikes when opening and closing the Vinotemp.

I bought 3 single and 2 double drawers with extra dividers. I like them b/c I dont have a lot of room in the Vino for my smokes.

I use about 3 lbs of 65% beads spread around and have two CPU fans running.........overkill, yes, but my results are perfect so I am content

My Vino is between 62-64* and 61-65%RH every day year round here in NC, I finally have it where I want it after farting around with it for weeks :)

Enjoy!

Bart

Single drawer with random Coronas, PC and Robustos waiting to be tested :)

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino064.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino065.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Vino066.jpg

[jaymz]

Wow - those drawers look fantastic ... thanks for posting your experiences with the vino, i was thinking of getting a vino/edgestar sometime soon.

[acarr]

Everything looks so amazingly organized. What happens when you take a smoke out and smoke it? Do you have to reorganize the whole thing?

[Bartolomeo]

Everything looks so amazingly organized. What happens when you take a smoke out and smoke it? Do you have to reorganize the whole thing?

I hope not, a lot of those boxes have just arrived from overseas so they are resting for a while and more boxes are coming, I am out of room basically

I wanted the pics to look good for you guys but in truth, it will be a mess come next week when I am back messing with it :r

Bart

[timatraw]

Hey Bart-
Just bought a vino-28.
Im looking to get settled.
What are the black cylindrical- looking things in the drawers?
What hygrometers did you end up using?
Thanks.
Tim

[1badhog07]

nice set up bart!

[Bartolomeo]

I ended up getting another Vino, putting most of the smokes back in their boxes as they rest better that way rather in the drawers.

Chas made some shelves for my 21 ct Vino I will post pics of soon

Bart

[Bartolomeo]

Hey Bart-
Just bought a vino-28.
Im looking to get settled.
What are the black cylindrical- looking things in the drawers?
What hygrometers did you end up using?
Thanks.
Tim

Use all sorts of hygrometers once I had them dialed in, start with the ones from Walmart IMHO

The Black device is a wireless hygrometer that is great if you dont want to open your humi/cooler all of the time and is about the size of a Robusto

Bart

[Bartolomeo]

Here is a picture comparing Chuck's 28 ct shelf to the 21 ct shelf

Bart

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Chas.jpg

[BigAsh]

Use all sorts of hygrometers once I had them dialed in, start with the ones from Walmart IMHO

The Black device is a wireless hygrometer that is great if you dont want to open your humi/cooler all of the time and is about the size of a Robusto

Bart

Bart, any add'l info on the wireless hydro?

[PLUSH]

Here is a picture comparing Chuck's 28 ct shelf to the 21 ct shelf

Bart

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/bartolomeo1/Chas.jpg



Where did you get those shelves and would they work on the 28 bottle Avanti? Also, where did you get the temperature regulator the you plug in?

[SmokeyJoe]

Quite the operation!

Disregard my question via PM earlier... you obviously havew a Vinotemp. :D

Nice work, bro. :tu

[Taylor61]

Bart, any add'l info on the wireless hydro?

I was interested too and was able to find this. Can't seem to find it anywhere else on the web.

http://www.2ndstreet-cigars.com/fm-wirelesshygro.html

[BigAsh]

I was interested too and was able to find this. Can't seem to find it anywhere else on the web.

http://www.2ndstreet-cigars.com/fm-wirelesshygro.html

Sweet....thanks Ryan :tu

[Bartolomeo]

Sweet....thanks Ryan :tu

Yep, only place that has them

Bart

[Bartolomeo]

Where did you get those shelves and would they work on the 28 bottle Avanti? Also, where did you get the temperature regulator the you plug in?

Chas makes all of the shelves, see the WTS thread here for his last run of goodies

External control device is Ranco, best money I have spent

Bart

[marge796]

Looks awesome Bart!


:tu


Chris.....

[MrOneEyedBoh]

Whats the theory in not keeping them in drawers and putting them in their boxes instead?

[RazzBarlow]

Whats the theory in not keeping them in drawers and putting them in their boxes instead?

They get lonely when their sisters aren't laying next to them!

[Bartolomeo]

Whats the theory in not keeping them in drawers and putting them in their boxes instead?

They will age better in their boxes than in the drawers, especially since I dont plan on touching some of the cigars for a couple of years. The drawers are perfect for everyday smokes but not for long term aging

Bart

[MrOneEyedBoh]

I thought they they dont age all that well in dress boxes. So if they were in DBs then I guess putting them in drawers would be good. If they are in cabs then ok. I think its all theory anyway right? Like aging and all? I could see cabs being better as they are pretty much sealed up good, DBs not so much.

[Bartolomeo]

I thought they they dont age all that well in dress boxes. So if they were in DBs then I guess putting them in drawers would be good. If they are in cabs then ok. I think its all theory anyway right? Like aging and all? I could see cabs being better as they are pretty much sealed up good, DBs not so much.

Its all theory but here is my two cents on aging potential

1. Cabs
2. DB
3. Drawers

Again, not a complete science

Bart

[PLUSH]

Chas makes all of the shelves, see the WTS thread here for his last run of goodies

External control device is Ranco, best money I have spent

Bart


Thanks I will have to look for one of those.

[timatraw]

hey bart-
you must be running out of space by now.
are you looking for a third vinotemp? (lol)

[Bartolomeo]

hey bart-
you must be running out of space by now.
are you looking for a third vinotemp? (lol)

I am pretty packed right now but have smoked/traded/sold some boxes as well

Always looking for the next best thing, the quest never ends :)

Bart

[chenvt]

wow you held out longer than I did.. I got two vinos then caved and got the aristo