Peter is 100% correct.
I can make KL beads work. Thing is, I can achieve the same results with clay cat litter and it's cheaper. I don't know why anyone would pay $8.00 a bag for silica kitty litter when clay litter is under 2 bucks at the dollar store.
That's not a tongue-in-cheek comment, either. I just need a few hours with some tupperware, hygrometers, a calculator, and a clock.
Adam is correct, too. Quite frankly I'd rather work with a wet brick than either type of Kitty Litter.
Bob is right on the money, too. Kinda.
Kitty Litter will gather and release humidity. If you use enough, it'll even regulate to a setpoint via equilibrium.
Problem there is the math. KL needs about twice the surface area in a perfectly sealed environment to do the same thing as HCM beads. Notice I said SURFACE AREA.
In order for KL beads to work as fast and with the same efficiency as HCM beads, it'd take 9 times the surface area as HCM beads.
Now, if you calculate density per volume by weight, you'll find KL beads are much lighter per volume than HCM beads. In order to hold the same amount of water in KL beads as you can hold in HCM beads, I'm guessing you'd need somewhere near a pickup bed full compared to a pound of HCM beads.
I'm being facetious, and can't remember the volumes to do the math, but it's a LOT.
Clay KL would do much, much better per volume in that arena.
I guess what I'm trying to point out is that there are a lot of points to consider when you pit one type of beads against another. Far more than meets the eye.
Regardless, there's not a type of cigar humidification product that you can get on the cheap that's a value over Micheal's HCM (shilala) beads or Heartfelt beads, Cigarmony's beads.
I know how this sh1t works. If I could use a brick with greater efficiency, you can be certain there'd be bricks in my humidors because I'm cheap.
I learned every lesson I've ever learned straight through my pocketbook, and you KL guys are welcome to do the same. It's how we learn.
Do be aware that you can easily end up with moldy, soggy, or dried out cigars if you aren't careful. Be vigilant and you'll probably be okay. Don't get too confident though.
