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Humi-care pillows in the humidor

Hi,

I just made my first purchase form this site, and it came with 5 of those humi-care pillows (it was a large order!).

I was hoping I could use the pillow I got in my new humidor, which I am now seasoning. Anybody has experience with them?
-Do they work weell as a humidification device?
-How often do you need to add more water to them?
-How many times can you add more water to them?
-Do they work stand alone, or I should use them toguether with the hokey puck / green foam humidity element that came with the humidor?
-Does it control humidity both ways (i.e. releases and absorbs), or do I have to control with a hygrometer?

Thanks,


Comments

  • urbinourbino Posts: 4,517
    Hi. Actually, your cigars will be fine for a week or so in the bags they came in, with the humi-care pillows. That way you can finish seasoning your new humi (yay!) and get it all squared away before putting your new stogies (yay!) in it.

    The green foam dealie should be thrown away, sad to say. Google Heartfelt Industries and buy some of their beads. They're cheap and effective. Get twice as many as their site says; you'll need them.
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    What he said ^.

    The water pillows work fine for temporary storage but I wouldn't use them for long term storage.
  • rusiriusrusirius Posts: 565 ✭✭
    The general consensus with the water pillows is that they will over-humidify... On the other side, as far as I know this has only been tested in tupperware and plastic bags, not a humi... However, even though the spanish cedar might suck up the excess moisture, eventually it won't be able to absorb anymore and one could still construde that eventually an over-humid situation will develop....

    I personally have had pretty good luck with the green foam humidifiers... PROVIDED you use a good PG solution so you don't get mold or fungus growing in it...

    With that said, the beads are a little easier, and if you're looking for a lower humidity (i.e. 65%) they're about the only way to go... PG solution with the green foam will give you 70%...
  • dutyjedutyje Posts: 2,263
    Hey Shirley ... let me give a brief update on the pillows as a humidification device.

    I have two small tupperdors (15-18 cigars in each). One of these has beads, and the other has a water pillow. Both tupperdors are mostly full. If I close the tupperdors tightly (seal the lid on), the humidity continues to rise. If I set the lid on top of the tupperdor so that it is properly aligned, just not sealed, the humidity stays pegged perfectly in the 65-67% range for a (very) long time.

    I haven't done enough testing and given this enough time, but so far (about 2-3 months) these tupperdors seem to hold their humidity much better (even when they were only about one quarter full). I've had no issues with spiking humidity, and the pillow seems to alst forever.

    Somebody posted on here once that they use a water pillow in the humi. With the good luck I've had, I may consider piloting that for a while. Vague observations of the performance thus far has suggested that the pillows may work better than beads for small numbers of cigars.

    Again, I haven't taken the time to fully research this. The only formal test I conducted was on the water pillow with the fully-sealed tupperdor, and that was a disaster.
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    Very, very interesting stuff.
  • urbinourbino Posts: 4,517
    dutyje:
    The only formal test I conducted was on the water pillow with the fully-sealed tupperdor, and that was a disaster.
    Ran out of air, did she?
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    LMAO!!!!! Holy crap I laughed until I cried!
  • dutyjedutyje Posts: 2,263
    urbino:
    dutyje:
    The only formal test I conducted was on the water pillow with the fully-sealed tupperdor, and that was a disaster.
    Ran out of air, did she?
    LOL! I wasn't even thinking about that... don't tell the authorities :)
  • hey i have a 50 cigar humi and a 30, and one of them the 50 i have a couple pillows and a drymistat tube and it says consistent at 70% so they work for me, i have like 12 loosys and a box on the 50. so i would say they work fine for me, the drymistat tube even though it says it"ll work for fifty just doesnt cut it.
  • KingoftheCoveKingoftheCove Posts: 937 ✭✭✭
    rather than start a new thread on a these - figured I'd just add my 2 cents/experience.....

    So my main desktop humi currently has 109 sticks in it, with room for maybe 10 more - so it's probably considered a 125-150 count.
    It's pretty dang packed.

    I was using a cigar mechanic puck, as well as two different sizes of travel humi sticks - the dreaded green foam units (but no mold for me thus far) to control rh in this humi.

    I had been having minor issues in maintaining stable rh with these devices, it would climb (I'd remove the travel humi stick) then it would dip a bit (put the travel stick back in), etc., etc.

    I was on the verge of buying Heartfelt beads

    The just for the heck of it, I tossed three humi-care pillows in my humi, along with the Cigar Mechanic puck.

    Freaking magic! Humi is rock solid at 67, and has been for 10 days.
    I'm sure I'll end up with beads once my Cigar Mechanic gets tired, but those pillows are pretty sweet - and thanks to Ccom, I have a nice collection of them!

  • LasabarLasabar Posts: 4,472 ✭✭✭
    GAH!!! I almost had a heart attack when I saw Urbino, Duty and sirius on a thread!!!
    And then I looked at the dates.... Bleh...
  • kaspera79kaspera79 Posts: 7,257 ✭✭✭
    Hey Lassie, those were the days when there were just the ten of us.. Fricken great time wasn't it. I miss those guys a ton.
  • LasabarLasabar Posts: 4,472 ✭✭✭
    kaspera79:
    Hey Lassie, those were the days when there were just the ten of us.. Fricken great time wasn't it. I miss those guys a ton.
    HA! I do love how the forums have changed... Back then the new guys would say hello and unless the really made the effort they usually didn't stick around, Nowadays the new guys come in by the dozens, and it is great to see all the people coming in and sharing, enjoying!

    Although, the old luster has since worn off... Don't know if a "Forum Blend" could be pulled off anymore... Too many cooks in the kitchen... I still love this place though! (But Urbino.... He was the only other one that could match/surpass my crazy-ace brain as far as wit and dementia!)
  • RhamlinRhamlin Posts: 9,010 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I use em in my humi and haven't had any problems. But I do plan on getting the beads sometime.
  • JudoChinXJudoChinX Posts: 775
    I once tried using the pillows and a puck in my humidors. Turned out to be more frustration than it was worth. Definitely take these guys' advice and go with beads. You'll thank them later.
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