Edgestar 28 bottle & Humidity

[Bill86]

New to the whole Edgestar/Vino thing.

I'm still struggling with the Coolidor to edgestar transition. Basically the edgestar holds temperature good. Not humidity though. It's a 28 bottle and I have 2 pounds of beads in it. More than enough. It's at 56 RH/66 temperature right now.

So I tossed in 2 shotglasses of distilled water, a 8oz rocks glass and 4 69 RH boveda packs placed all around the edgestar. Also I put an Oust fan in there for good measure.

I did just recharge the beads as well. So there's really no reason it shouldn't be 65 RH.

It is still at 56-59 RH. I'm not sure why. Suggestions?

I'm waiting on shelves for it, so right now it's just boxes and the Edgestar. No shelves or drawers.

I see that drip spout in the back does occasionally drip a drop or two of water, do I plug it up? Where will the water go if I plug it?

[kickerb]

I have no experience with these, but I can offer up the first thing that came to my mind.

-Is the door getting a good seal?

[Bill86]

I have no experience with these, but I can offer up the first thing that came to my mind.

-Is the door getting a good seal?

I thought about that too, here's the thing it's holding temperature.

It's in a 74 degree room, the edgestar is at 65 degrees.

I think the temperature will go down too as the days go on because all the cigars are at ~70 degrees. The edgestar is set to about 62-63 degrees. So it is fighting the higher temperature of the cigars. It's full of cigar too, so it's got a lot to fight.

Before anyone mentions the hygro...it's good. I had it in the coolidor reading 65 RH and 70 degrees. Which is correct.

[DPD6030]

Bill check this link out. It has some great info.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=8477&highlight=vino

[Bill86]

So apparently you cannot just store boxes on the bottom? Is this long term or what? I swear I've seen edgestars and vinos without shelves and just boxes. I'll probably still do it till the shelves come in. 7-14 days shouldn't cause any problems.

Still not sure that thread addresses a full issue on humidity....hmmm there's yet another link that says plugging it can solve humidity issues.

[Sherlockholms]

do you have it plugged?

[Bill86]

do you have it plugged?

I was hesitant to do this as there was water in the back tray. I just plugged it now.

I also put in one of the metal shelves to keep the boxes off the floor of the edgestar.

We'll see what happens.

[Sherlockholms]

I think that will help, I assume its thermoelectric. Plugging the hole will help allot with keeping RH. I have read of people storing boxes on the bottom and the condensation builds up and soaks the boxes. If you put a tray of beads or a bag of beads over the hole it will help to catch some of the moisture.

[Bill86]

Yeah I put one metal shelf in it for the time being to elevate all of my boxes. So the bottoms got room and there is a 1 lb bag of beads on the bottom.

There is also a 1 lb bag on the top of all my boxes.

The drains plugged with a piece of scotch tape over the hole.

It should be interesting to see if it holds RH now.

[borndead1]

I have 2 Vinotemp 28s. Plugged the drain holes (no condensation problems ever), made some Spanish Cedar shelves, and I use a Cigar Oasis in both of them. Temp and RH are almost always around 68 degrees and 62-65% RH. I'm not a fan of beads.

It's a fun project, but it does take quite a bit of tweaking and playing around with stuff. But...I guess that's part of the fun. It's like a science fair project for an adult. :D

[Bill86]

Yeah I'm looking to keep mine at 62-64 RH and 64-65 degrees. Hopefully it all works itself out.

[borndead1]

Yeah I'm looking to keep mine at 62-64 RH and 64-65 degrees. Hopefully it all works itself out.

At that temp your unit will run a lot. I tried 65* for a while and the fan hardly ever shut off. Are you trying to prevent beetle eggs from hatching? I wanted the temp low to combat beetles. But now I just freeze every cigar I buy and set the vino to kick on at 70*. Been about 3 yrs now and no beetle problems.

[Bill86]

Never had beetle problems, I don't ever suspect I will. I'm fine with it running all the time.

Thing is it won't be plugged in for probably 6-8 months out of the year. Just the 4-6 months when it's warm.

[borndead1]

Ahh, I see. Well, have fun with it man. It's definitely a trial and error project. :D

[Bill86]

Ahh, I see. Well, have fun with it man. It's definitely a trial and error project. :D

I've already noticed :D I'm about to rip my hair out already. Coolidors are so much simpler, if only there was an easy way to control temperature in them.

[DPD6030]

Just send your cigars to me, I'll keep them in my vinotemp. My basement is usually around 62-67 degrees. :D

[big a]

I've already noticed :D I'm about to rip my hair out already. Coolidors are so much simpler, if only there was an easy way to control temperature in them.

I didn't have any problem with mine as i just did what the thread said. I just used tape to close up the plug and let it go. What % of it is filled up with boxes? Mine did get much easier to maintain the more shelves, boxes and cigars i had in it. The bottom gap i filled up with boxes that i broke and threw under there for some extra cedar to help with the humidity. I did use a sponge when seasoning it rather than a shoot glass as i find that works better.

[Drez]

Bill like i told you. Mine with the drain plug taped up would not rise above 58%. After I removed the tape it and added some water it has gone up to 65% and holding steady.

Like mentioned it trial and error.

[Bill86]

I didn't have any problem with mine as i just did what the thread said. I just used tape to close up the plug and let it go. What % of it is filled up with boxes? Mine did get much easier to maintain the more shelves, boxes and cigars i had in it. The bottom gap i filled up with boxes that i broke and threw under there for some extra cedar to help with the humidity. I did use a sponge when seasoning it rather than a shoot glass as i find that works better.

100% filled with boxes.


Yes I figured it out, Frank took a bit.


Seems plugging the drain was all I had to do, my question is will there be water now inside the unit?

Plugged in at 62-65 degrees.

[Drez]

Run a piece of clear tape down to a little container to collect the water.

That's how I had it so that it doesn't collect on the bottom of the unit.

[Bill86]

Run a piece of clear tape down to a little container to collect the water.

That's how I had it so that it doesn't collect on the bottom of the unit.

Ugh I'll have to do that sometime tomorrow...

62/63 right now. I hope it stays that way.

[Drez]

Ugh I'll have to do that sometime tomorrow...

62/63 right now. I hope it stays that way.

Remember too bill that I live in Miami where the humidity is always like 99%

Hell I could prob leave my sticks out on my coffee table for weeks without them drying out lol.

[Bill86]

Remember too bill that I live in Miami where the humidity is always like 99%

Hell I could prob leave my sticks out on my coffee table for weeks without them drying out lol.

It's 63RH/62 in the Edgestar. 40RH/70temp in my room where it's at.

[Drez]

It's 63RH/62 in the Edgestar. 40RH/70temp in my room where it's at.

Just give it a few days. Should all balance out...

[kydsid]

What I did to counter the water running down the back of my Edgestars was to add a strip of humidity bead paper from heartfelt down the back of the unit..

[Bill86]

What I did to counter the water running down the back of my Edgestars was to add a strip of humidity bead paper from heartfelt down the back of the unit..

Interesting.....Never looked at the bead paper.

I suppose those last forever, but how do they hold up there?

[Bill86]

So I looked this morning and my edgestar was at 58 :bh

It held 62 for at least 10 hours yesterday.

What gives, it's plugged.

[Drez]

So I looked this morning and my edgestar was at 58 :bh

It held 62 for at least 10 hours yesterday.

What gives, it's plugged.

dont know mine is UNPLUGGED and holding solid at 65% and 63 degrees.

i just put it on a timer (15 minutes on 45 off) just so the units not running 24/7

ill check back in the am to see what the high / lows are.

[CigarNut]

Plugged drains are the way to go. Any wooden humidor is a sealed box, and you would not drill a hole in your wooden humidor to allow airflow. Same for coolerdors. They are all sealed. If your ambient RH around the Wine Fridge is OK then you can get away with not plugging you drain, but that will vary seasonally. So, plug the drain.

I did not see if you are running the cooler. If you are that will affect the RH. The cooler units usually remove moisture from the air, which is why most people have a catch tray or the like in the bottom of their wine fridge to save that "excess" moisture and recycle into the air. If the RH is where you want then you can empty the moisture tray.

If your RH is low, saturate some more of your beads and go from there. Remember, you want to change the RH slowly so as not to affect your cigars -- we have all seen the results of rapid RH changes, like when you take a cigar from a warm room to very cold outdoors - split wrappers. Because of this I am not an advocate of adding any kind of raw moisture source (sponge, water dish, etc.) in your humidor -- but that's just my :2. (The catch tray from the cooler unit is OK).

The bottom line is be patient: our cigars are much more tolerant than we think, and it takes a while for any change in our humidor to "soak" into the cigars...

[Drez]

Plugged drains are the way to go. Any wooden humidor is a sealed box, and you would not drill a hole in your wooden humidor to allow airflow. Same for coolerdors. They are all sealed. If your ambient RH around the Wine Fridge is OK then you can get away with not plugging you drain, but that will vary seasonally. So, plug the drain.

I did not see if you are running the cooler. If you are that will affect the RH. The cooler units usually remove moisture from the air, which is why most people have a catch tray or the like in the bottom of their wine fridge to save that "excess" moisture and recycle into the air. If the RH is where you want then you can empty the moisture tray.

If your RH is low, saturate some more of your beads and go from there. Remember, you want to change the RH slowly so as not to affect your cigars -- we have all seen the results of rapid RH changes, like when you take a cigar from a warm room to very cold outdoors - split wrappers. Because of this I am not an advocate of adding any kind of raw moisture source (sponge, water dish, etc.) in your humidor -- but that's just my :2. (The catch tray from the cooler unit is OK).

The bottom line is be patient: our cigars are much more tolerant than we think, and it takes a while for any change in our humidor to "soak" into the cigars...

lots of good info but the biggest thing is to find out what works for you.

my last wine fridge wasn't thermo so it never ran. it was however a sealed vino and didn't have a drain plug. my new edgestar (same as bills) does have a plug and like bill i was having the low humidity issue.

i added a water dish because that is how i recharge my beads. i spray them now and then but i rather let them absorb what they need over about a weeks time and not worry about over saturation or spikes.

being that the fridge is running even thermo it will still pull some moisture out of the air. biggest thing like it has been mentioned was to give it time.

once you get the drawers in remember that the cedar there will also hold moisture and help out along with all the boxes you put in there.


if i were you bill leave the drain plugged / tapped up for a bit. take out your smokes and see where its at. then why not start adding them say box at a time after its been holding humidity where you want it. that way it slowly brings all the sticks to the humidity/temp of the fridge.

hope this helps bro :banger

[kydsid]

Interesting.....Never looked at the bead paper.

I suppose those last forever, but how do they hold up there?


Held up fine over the last year. Newest mod I did after moving. I would say it will last a few years at least. It cuts maintenance down to nothing as it allows the water to go back into the air.

[klipsch]

I've had my EdgeStar for a couple of years now. The more the fan runs, the more the RH fluctuates. It's been getting warm here, so I saw the RH drop as low as 60% in the past week or so. I left my drain open. I don't want the chance of water accumulating on the bottom of the unit and soaking some coffins sitting down there. Like some others have stated...it's time more than anything for the drawers, boxes, cigars...etc to acclimate to the environment, and stabilize the RH . In the winter months...the RH with sit at 64-65% and never needs any water to be added. I've got about a pound and a half of beads or more in the cooler. They're spread out from top to bottom, but there's a Tupperware cover holding close to a pound on the floor of the unit. That's where I add water, and leave the rest of the beads to stabilize.
The reason for having a wine-o-dor is to keep the temp down and limit the chance of beetles. ALL of my CC's are in there...and at the moment the interior is 66/62% in the "one spot" that the hygrometer is sitting at the "very moment" I looked at it. RH changes top to bottom, and swings happen over a period of time, whether minutes, hours or days. I had a ***** of a time getting my desktop to stabilize when I first set it up as well. Since it's a closed lid and I can't see the RH by just walking by it...I trust everything is ok. If it's low when I do check...I add some water and trust it'll take care of itself, because every cigar I pull out of there smokes perfect. That's what really matters most...the cigars smoke well because they've been kept in an environment that was favorable to them doing so. Cooling just adds a measure of comfort that something isn't going to manifest itself and eat the cigars you intended to smoke. It'll all work out...I promise. If it didn't...people would have stopped using wine coolers as humi's along time ago.
Funny thing to add. I typically only go into my humi's maybe twice a month now. I take out a couple/few sticks that I want to smoke and keep them in my travelers until I smoke them. I use 65% Boveda's in the travelers because that's what works best for me. But...I won't keep any CC's in the travelers knowing that they might sit in the sun for hours and get well above 75 degrees. An ounce of prevention...ya know?

[big a]

That is very strange, do you still have the shootglasses in there? When i started mine up I started with shootglasses and switched to sponges. They seemed to bring up the RH faster. I went with 3- bottom, middle, and top.

[AtlantaDave]

Hey, Bill, are the temp and RH close to where you want it now?
Posted via Mobile Device

[bobarian]

Hey, Bill, are the temp and RH close to where you want it now?
Posted via Mobile Device

The more important question is "How are your cigars smoking?" If they are fine then leave things the hell alone! Quality of smoke is much more important than any number. :sh

[Bill86]

Hey, Bill, are the temp and RH close to where you want it now?
Posted via Mobile Device


It's weird.

Coolidors = always rock solid for me, 65 every minute of the week.

The Edgestar fluctuates from 61-64.

I gave up giving a $hit. Once the drain is plugged it's now ALWAYS higher than 60RH. So screw it.

[Sherlockholms]

It's weird.

Coolidors = always rock solid for me, 65 every minute of the week.

The Edgestar fluctuates from 61-64.

I gave up giving a $hit. Once the drain is plugged it's now ALWAYS higher than 60RH. So screw it.


I know this has probably already been answered Bill, but is it thermoelectric?

[GolfNut]

I gave up giving a $hit. Once the drain is plugged it's now ALWAYS higher than 60RH. So screw it.

:r :tu

[Drez]

Once the drawers come In and I season them then I'll seal my drain plug. Mines been holding between 60-62% and 63 degrees.

[Bill86]

I know this has probably already been answered Bill, but is it thermoelectric?

Yes, someone bumped this topic not me.....the cigars smoke great and I stopped caring....in fact I might "recalibrate" this hygro. :D


I think only T.G will get that joke.

[Bill86]

Once the drawers come In and I season them then I'll seal my drain plug. Mines been holding between 60-62% and 63 degrees.

Yeah, drawers will help with your humidity. I just got shelves as I'm rocking all boxes.

I don't expect them to make much of a difference, frankly I hope they don't as I'd be very happy with 61-64 RH.

I just didn't get the fluctuation.

[Drez]

Well after the move I'm going to order a Johnson control so I can keep the temp at 66.

[Bill86]

Well after the move I'm going to order a Johnson control so I can keep the temp at 66.

The temperature in mine is 63 right now :banger

Temperature control kicks @$$

[Drez]

The temperature in mine is 63 right now :banger

Temperature control kicks @$$

I may run my non thermo vino but with the sticks in air tight Tupperware (for aging)

[GolfNut]

Well after the move I'm going to order a Johnson control so I can keep the temp at 66.

Good luck with that. Having your Johnson in control is VERY important!

[Drez]

Good luck with that. Having your Johnson in control is VERY important!
:r I try and control my johnson hahaha