Need some advice

[Deleted User]

I stored my cooler up in my bedroom for the last 4-6 weeks. Noticed my beads turned yellow and they stank like perfume when hydrating last week. Turns out it was the body gel from my wife being soaked up by the beads after every shower in the humid air. However, my cooler has that same perfume smell, although it's a little less noticeable once I tossed out the beads.

Is there any way I can salvage these sticks? I have no beads so I'm just using distilled water in a cup until new beads arrive and tossed in all the cedar I could find. Am I hosed? I'm wondering if I add a small amount of beads and hope they suck up more from the sticks and then keep doing that until they remain clear will work....Thanks for the help.

ENFIDL

I'd wait on putting more beads in. I'd get some fresh step cat litter crystals to absorb the smell. Then after it's gone I'd put the beads in. That way you are throwing out less money since it's cat litter going in the trash instead of more beads. I'd take the sticks out and wipe down the humi really well and then do the cat litter and then put the sticks back in after the smell is gone. I think they're salvageable but that's only my opinion. It depends on how much they absorbed. Sorry to hear it brother and good luck.

[Deleted User]

Thanks for the tips sir. Good ideas there.

boydmcgowan

james40:

I stored my cooler up in my bedroom for the last 4-6 weeks. Noticed my beads turned yellow and they stank like perfume when hydrating last week. Turns out it was the body gel from my wife being soaked up by the beads after every shower in the humid air. However, my cooler has that same perfume smell, although it's a little less noticeable once I tossed out the beads.

Is there any way I can salvage these sticks? I have no beads so I'm just using distilled water in a cup until new beads arrive and tossed in all the cedar I could find. Am I hosed? I'm wondering if I add a small amount of beads and hope they suck up more from the sticks and then keep doing that until they remain clear will work....Thanks for the help.

Well first and foremost your cigars are probably fine. Sounds like the 2 way humidification worked in your favor at this point if you only noticed the smell when you we're hydrating them. That probably means they spent most of the time absorbing excess moisture/scents.

I agree with Enfidl here on finding something that will absorb any extra scents if you have any, maybe try baking soda too if you don't have cat litter handy? I don't know.

Honestly what I'd do is this

1. toss the beads
2. move the cooler,
3. buy more beads, don't stress too much about the water in the meantime if your using a cooler. I'd imaging the seal is pretty good so they won't dry out too much without, just leave your hygro in there to monitor till more beads arrive. My thought on that, is that . . . . Open dish of Water + fussing with a humi = spillage.
4. smoke one to check
5. Deal with the smell issue in the cigars only after you know you have one. You might not if you only noticed the smell when recharging the beads.

Roberto99

My 2 cents is that it may take some time for the smell to leave the cigars if it has been absorbed. Open the humidor daily to exchange the air and give it a month or two.