Hey all!
I just put together my first coolidor, and I thought that I'd share my experience. Feel free to share any thoughts or suggestions on how I could improve my setup. I'm here to learn!
I started by buying a full pound of RH beads and a Xikar digital hygrometer, and according to their website, that quantity of beads should be able to supply a 150 quart cooler or 5.0 cu ft. Originally, I wanted to build a ~75 quart coolidor, but I also wanted to use the beads in my standard humidor as well. I thought that a little overkill would be good here!
After getting my beads and hygrometer, I visited my local Wally World and found a 45 quart cooler. I wanted a bigger one, but at this late in the season, they were sold out of bigger ones. After getting the cooler home, I washed the inside with a mild detergent, rinsed it thoroughly, and set it outside to dry in the sunlight.
Moving inside, I opened the beads and dug out the mesh bag inside. Using a kitchen funnel, I CAREFULLY poured about 3/4 of the beads into the bag, and per the directions, I added about 3 tbls of distilled water to the beads. I could actually hear the beads crackle as they soaked up some of the water, and the beads turned clear as they soaked up the water. After the soaking process, I hung the bag using the plastic strap in the cooler that keeps the lid from flying wide open. It was perfect to keep the bag of beads hanging in the cooler to give maximum surface area to absorb/emit moisture as needed.
***Although I didn't show it here, I also calibrated my hygrometer using using the salt and water calibration method.***
After I got the cooler washed and ready with the beads, I loaded the cooler with a few empty boxes that I picked up from my local B&M shop. They sell empty boxes for $2/$3 each, and I thought that they would be perfect to keep my extra sticks in. Finally, I added the hygrometer on top and shut the lid. Since I have a regular humidor for my daily smoking needs, I'm going to use the coolidor for my long term storage, so I'm not going to be opening it very often. The beads are nice to load it there and forget all of your humidification worries.
Honestly, this was a pretty easy project. I figure that it cost about $75, including the coolier, hygrometer, and the full pound of beads. I'm glad that I have plenty of space....for now!