Cooler-dor
 

Went shopping for some supplies today; came back with a cooler, electric hydrometer, beads, and a couple cigar boxes (but no sticks :sad ). Plan on getting everything prepped so I can "season" it. It there any specific thing I need to do with the cooler in order to prep it? I've already read through some of the Humidor Seasoning thread, and I didn't see anything about cooler-dors. Do I just season the boxes and go from there?

Some pictures.
http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/x...pse87eebe7.jpg

http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/x...psf179ad3e.jpg

Re: Cooler-dor
 

Great start!!

Re: Cooler-dor
 

Accessories section of the forums has some good stuff for coolidor!
http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=59952

Re: Cooler-dor
 

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=59952

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=61524

the "search" function is your friend..

that should be enough to get you started, if you need more help let us know.

have fun on your new project and get ready for the ride :adam

Re: Cooler-dor
 

Good reads, thanks guys :tu Will be cleaning out the cooler with baking soda/water shortly. Already have the hydrometer being tested, so that should be good to go tomorrow.

I know that this is going to be a very, very long ride for me. I "go all the way" when I get started in new hobbies. :adam

Re: Cooler-dor
 

Put there cooler where I plan on keeping it and took a look at just how big the wood boxes are. I think I'm gonna be buying another cooler in the near future. :adam

Re: Cooler-dor
 

Those aren't beads. They're "gel" (super absorbent polymer treated with propylene glycol if you want to get technical) .

And, they are "meh".

They're great for releasing humidity, but only mediocre at maintaining a set RH and really sluggish to absorb excess humidity out of the air.

My recommendation would be to return them and get actual 2-way beads from either Michael (cigarnut) at HCMbeads.com or HF beads from heartfelt.com

Re: Cooler-dor
 

:tpd:

I have the Coleman 150qt Marine cooler and with the lack of wood in these things, even with a bunch of boxes, there still isn't a lot of wood in them, you really need something that will absorb, as well as release humidity. If you buy a lot of sticks online, they normally arrive very 'wet'. Having beads are the only way to go, as they will stabilize your sticks (IMO) much faster. I use the HF beads in my cooler and in our climate (midwest) only have to add distilled water to them 2 or 3 times a year. The recovery time for a humi with beads in it is impressive. I used the gel in my small humi before upgrading to the cooler and they struggled to keep a stable level. If you do go with beads, go ahead and over estimate what you'll need, since they are 2-way, it'll help keep recovery times down. :tu

Re: Cooler-dor
 

i have a 28-bottle wineador with 3 pounds of HCM Beads and a 48 qt cooler for overflow with two pounds of HCM Beads, both are rock solid at 65% RH.

Re: Cooler-dor
 

I'll be ordering in some HCM beads soon. I just needed something to keep everything near where it should be until then.

Re: Cooler-dor
 

Looks like you're off to a great start man. Enjoy the journey, you'll have that sucker filled up in no time.

Re: Cooler-dor
 

:tu Hydrometer held steady at 65% during the test, which is 10% off, if I have read correctly. Will be adjusting it and putting it into the cooler shortly.

Re: Cooler-dor
 

That's really not uncommon if you bought a cheapie hygrometer. If it's adjustable then it shouldn't be a problem. I've gotta say man, your thread has inspired me to start up a cooler myself!

Re: Cooler-dor
 

You cant be worse than me. I skipped from a 50ct desktop to a 60+ box Aristocrat....

Re: Cooler-dor
 

Ended up buying a less cheap-o hydrometer. The one showed in the picture is a piece of junk. Spent $10 at Lowes and got a much nicer one :tu It's in a bag calibrating right now.

Re: Cooler-dor
 

You got a pic of the one you got from Lowe's? I was looking at the Accurite from Wally World, but from the reviews I've read it's completely hit or miss whether the one you get will be accurate. Some folks were saying that theirs were up to 15% off!

Re: Cooler-dor
 

That's probably the same one I got. You have me worried now!

http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps5be1a844.jpg

Re: Cooler-dor
 

I'm a firm believer in getting what you pay for so I prefer the higher-end of the inexpensive hygrometers -- HygroSet, Xikar or Caliber. All of these can be calibrated and adjusted which is really nice and they can usually be had for $25 or less.

Having said that, many people use these cheap hygrometers or no hygrometer at all with great success. It's all about personal preference.

Re: Cooler-dor
 

I use the older version of that cheap hygro. I've calibrated it a couple times, and its usually around 10% off. I don't really care what the precise humidity is, I just know that I have more beads than I probably should have, and that when that cheap number thing has a 52 on it they smoke great :ss

Re: Cooler-dor
 

Don't worry too much Eli, if it's a bit off just figure the difference between what it reads and 75%. If it bugs you too much just take it back and get a new one.

I ordered a pound of Heartfelt beads this morning. Think I'm gonna clean out my cooler this evening then head to the local tomorrow for some empty boxes.

Re: Cooler-dor
 

i ended up getting a couple of pounds of 65% beads and got rid of the hygrometer all together...unless your super anal about the RH and feel you need one. i go by the way my cigars smoke. :2

Re: Cooler-dor
 

I bought the cheap Walmart hygros for my big coolers. I tested them both. One was fine, the other was 6% lower. I just slapped some masking tape on it and wrote +6% on it to help me with the math.

Re: Cooler-dor
 

Grabbed 7 Casa Magna Gran Toros, 5 Belicosos, and 2 Camacho Connecticuts. Plan on taking one of each and letting them age for a while.

http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps340fb181.jpg

http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps14829282.jpg



I'm gonna need a bigger cooler.....

Re: Cooler-dor
 

always go bigger then what you think you will "need", and instead of one you should of bought 2 :adam

:r :r

Re: Cooler-dor
 

true statement :tu

Re: Cooler-dor
 

I didn't think I'd need anything bigger. I was obviously WAYYY wrong :r

I'll be getting 2 100+qt coolers much sooner that previously expected. :adam :adam

Re: Cooler-dor
 

You have learned well :noon

Re: Cooler-dor
 

Wow Eli, that was fast!

Re: Cooler-dor
 

That's why I went from a 50ct desktop humidor to a 150qt cooler. Been good on room for over a year now. I think I'm close to 600 sticks and still have room in the cooler for more. Oh, make no mistake....I'll need another one before another year passes :r

Re: Cooler-dor
 

I kinda go crazy when I get involved in new things. :noon

Re: Cooler-dor
 

That's how lots of us started out thinking. I went from two 100-ct humidors to a wineador in a year.

Re: Cooler-dor
 

Nice grab man. You might as well start clearing space for your Aristrocrat now.

Re: Cooler-dor
 

Eli Day 1 as an inmate.

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5e87a39f.jpg

Eli Day 10 as an inmate.

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/...psb763842e.jpg

Re: Cooler-dor
 

Accurate :r:r But it's not like I just ordered the 24ct 5 Vegas Mega-Sampler from CI!!





Okay, maybe I did. :adam

Re: Cooler-dor
 

(stoopid question) When those sticks I ordered get here, can I just leave them in their box (closed) in the cooler, or should I have it open for a while?

Re: Cooler-dor
 

I generally inspect everything that comes in, before freezing them. After that, I ususally let them sit in the cooler for at least a week. In my experience, sometimes they are too wet to smoke right away. I guess leaving the box open for awhile might help with getting them to your desired RH quicker.

Re: Cooler-dor
 

So how's the cooler working out for you man?

Re: Cooler-dor
 

Really well! It's holding steady at 70% RH and 65 degrees and doesn't leak at all. I plan on getting another (larger one) somewhat soon, seeing as this one is already a bit full with only three boxes in it.

Re: Cooler-dor
 

If I knew then what I know now - 65% HF beads and that's it. Not debunking any other product, but those things hold 65% dead-on. Buy them and I promise you won't need to worry about a hygrometer. Ever. They turn white, you spritz just a little 'til 1/4 are clear and they're set for another however many months.

Re: Cooler-dor
 

From my experience, CI and the evil site ship everything wet. So let them rest for a bit before enjoying. I also picked out a couple sticks each Monday for the week and dry box them in my cigar caddy with no humidification. By mid/end of week I get a real nice burn across the board.

Re: Cooler-dor
 

That's what I heard and plan on doing. I may let them sit out for a day or two before I put them into the cooler, and then I'll wait an additional week before I light 'em up.

Re: Cooler-dor
 

CI order came in today, as did Camo's trade (check out the NST)

http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps465af5a5.jpg

Re: Cooler-dor
 

Are those your first 5 Vegas besides the cask strength?

Re: Cooler-dor
 

Yea. Jeff sent one (Series A, I believe) in his package as well.