Beads or Gel...

e6specialk

Want to get a census of which form of humidification everyone prefers. I currently use Gel and my 100 ct humi has been staying at about 74% RH. I'm thinking of ordering some beads and giving them a shot and hopefully getting my RH down a little bit.

RampMonkey

Beads, only way to go brother. Nice to have the guess work eliminated.

laker1963

e6specialk:

Want to get a census of which form of humidification everyone prefers. I currently use Gel and my 100 ct humi has been staying at about 74% RH. I'm thinking of ordering some beads and giving them a shot and hopefully getting my RH down a little bit.

I use and like the beads. I use the 65% RH beads from Conservagel. I live on the West Coast so it is hunid here most of the time. My set-ups stay at between 64 - 67 with the temps ranging from a low of around 60 and a high of arounds 73 or 74 degrees. Beads rock.

Russ55

I like beads in large coolers, and boveda packs in smaller coolers/actual humidors.

jlmarta

I like the beads. I have the 65% beads in my coolidor and actually prefer it if the RH gets down to about 62%.

JudoChinX

I personally never had great luck with gel. Beads, on the other hand, are pretty much perfect.

Bobbo2009

I say go with the beads. I use the beads in my cooler and gel in my three small 20ct humidors. Since I just ran out of the solution for the gel I am now starting to convert each humidor over to the beads. Beads, for me, just hold the RH better.
Rob

Krieg

I use beads in both my humidors. Love them.

Lasabar

Beads......





Done

kuzi16

i have beads in one humidor and gel in the other two. they both work well.

cooch36

How would beads be in a 2000 ct humi?

JudoChinX

cooch36:

How would beads be in a 2000 ct humi?

You'd probably want air circulation at that point. Beads will work, but you need to keep the moisture evenly distributed.

gmill880

boveda packs . Drop and forget .

cooch36

JudoChinX:

cooch36:

How would beads be in a 2000 ct humi?

You'd probably want air circulation at that point. Beads will work, but you need to keep the moisture evenly distributed.

I have an moist n air and it kind of sucks its in the lower half of my cab with eight drawrs in the middle, with an inch of space between the glass and drawer. the humi runs the lower compartment area at a higher leave then upper I struggled last yr and want a better set up this yr..I have alot more expencive sticks this yr and don't want to loose any.

Rhamlin

I finally got my bead puck and so far I'm very happy with it, it's kept my 50 count humi between 63-65 RH I was using the pillows but I was constantly having to monitor it and and tweaking it to try and keep it at a consistent RH.

Theedge

I have four pucks of beads in my cooler, and a gel jar. If I want a bit more moisture, I just take the lid off of the jar. Mostly I don't ever have to touch it.

Shaun.Harrison87

I use two skinny black foam pieces in the top of my versailled where the large one is supposed to go, 1-2oz bead jar, and 1 bead tube...this keeps it right at 67/68 for me

Hippiebrian

gmill880:

boveda packs . Drop and forget .

+100
I had trouble getting my humi down below 75%. Switched to the 69% Boveda packs and it maintains 67% no problem. I'll never look back.

KingoftheCove

Previously I was using a combination of foam junky pucks, humicare pillows and cigar mechanic pucks = headache and too much work.

Went with the Heartfelt bead tubes - maybe a bit pricey - but worth EVERY penny spent.
I got the 4oz tube for my 150ct smoking humi. That's a slight overkill, but I'm always in that humi, looking at my sticks, deciding what to smoke, adding sticks to that humi......it gets opened a lot. Thus having the extra bead capacity of the 4oz tube gets things back to 65/66rh real fast.
I have the 2oz tube for my 100ct aging humi - it too has been rock solid at 65/66.
I got the 1oz tube for my 20ct travel humi - perfect as well.
The smartest money I've spent on supporting the hobby thus far.
Oh, and spend the $1.49 for that little syringe - well worth it.

laker1963

If you need to buy beads in the future you can check out Conservagel beads. They have a webpage, come with a free mesh bag and are much cheaper then Heartfelt. Lots of us around here use them and have done so for a long time and they work great.

DSWarmack

I say beads are a cigars best friend... Which ones you choose are entirely up to you (they all have the same technology), I personally prefer HeartFelt due to his generosity to the DCCC. But giving Conserv-a-gel credit, they probably didn't know we exist!

BigT06

cooch36:

How would beads be in a 2000 ct humi?

typically at that point you'll be buying by the pound. Whatever website/brand you choose will usually have some sort of bead weight/cigar count ratio table to reference when you buy.

Rhamlin

I just bought a cigar mechanic puck myself. It seems like it dries out fast I had to add more water sooner than what I had expected are heartfelt actually better or are they pretty much the same?

laker1963

Rhamlin:

I just bought a cigar mechanic puck myself. It seems like it dries out fast I had to add more water sooner than what I had expected are heartfelt actually better or are they pretty much the same?

The beads, either Heartfelt or Conservagel are better.

granneja

I have the gel, but will definitely look at getting some beads soon. No complaints with the gel however.

laker1963

granneja:

I have the gel, but will definitely look at getting some beads soon. No complaints with the gel however.

If you live in an area where the gel works then stay with it. In some very humid climates where there are large swings in Humidity the beads seem to work better.

CAcigarguy007

I use wet floral foam and PG solution  in the center, along with some water pillows in each corner. I prefer my cigars to be stored at 70% RH as a compromise between aging and being smoke ready. Ideally 72%-73% would be better for long tern aging but is too moist to smoke so 70% is the happy medium that protects the precious oils with minimal breakdown over time (leaving the cello on helps slow oil loss too) yet remains smokable. I know a lot of fellas like low 60's-65RH but that is just too low for storage conditions and many will notice some unwanted changes over time.

Many of the characteristics that folks describe as "aging" are really two things. First is that the cigars have been fully and evenly humidified (which can take up to 3 weeks in some instances, especially with the cello on) this serves to smooth out the rough corners. The second is slowly drying out a cigar and evaporating the oils, thus changing the profile enough to be noticeable (milder). True aging takes at min 3-5 years and that is at optimal conditions. At 73-75RH the cigars will loose oily very slowly and that is pretty much all that plume/bloom is, oxidized oil on the surface of the cigar. If it is slowly dried out you can forget about plume/bloom.

I became concerned about beads after I experienced some naked cigars that just seemed to go bland on me. I also read a report from a silica bead maker that said beads were not ideal for long-term storage of cigars. I think that that yellow stuff that ends up in the beads over time is cigar oil (hydrocarbons) being absorbed by the beads. If you're not doing any long-term aging beads will work well. I'd keep the cellos on as extra protection. If your storing for long term then electric or PG/DW is the way to go IMO and from my experience.

Rhamlin

Good info CAcigarguy

kuzi16

Rhamlin:

Good info CAcigarguy

the only added note is that the oils will break down over time regardless of what RH you have your cigars. the tobacco that is used is a natural product with no preservatives. its the way of nature.
the longer it ages, the more oils break down. sometimes this ends up good... sometimes not so much.

CAcigarguy007

kuzi16:

Rhamlin:

Good info CAcigarguy

the only added note is that the oils will break down over time regardless of what RH you have your cigars. the tobacco that is used is a natural product with no preservatives. its the way of nature.
the longer it ages, the more oils break down. sometimes this ends up good... sometimes not so much.

//////I absolutely concur with your assessment, we ought not exacerbate or expedite the loss of those precious oils is all I'm saying. I love my oil sheen and am very over protective of it because that is where all the flavor is and once it's gone the uniqueness of the blend has been lost.

laker1963

CAcigarguy007:

kuzi16:

Rhamlin:

Good info CAcigarguy

the only added note is that the oils will break down over time regardless of what RH you have your cigars. the tobacco that is used is a natural product with no preservatives. its the way of nature.
the longer it ages, the more oils break down. sometimes this ends up good... sometimes not so much.

//////I absolutely concur with your assessment, we ought not exacerbate or expedite the loss of those precious oils is all I'm saying. I love my oil sheen and am very over protective of it because that is where all the flavor is and once it's gone the uniqueness of the blend has been lost.

I guess we all have our preferences, because at 72 or 73% RH I think my sticks are bitter and tar up much more. I'll stick with 65%RH beads as I don't have to worry about mold and they work both ways. Floral foam only gives off moisture, but at the RH you are talking about I guess the extra moisture is a good thing?