Generic Beads vs Heartfelt?

thebody52

    Hey guys,

Question for all... I had purchased some generic 70% humidity beads for the humidor since that seemed to be the consensus from all on how to best maintain humidity without either using Cigar Oasis or Boveda... my question is, did I make a mistake not buying Heartfelt Humidity beads?  Some of the... storage options that heartfelt offers look sweet, but I was just going to order the mesh drawstring bags they offer and use them for the generic beads...

Thanks for any input you can offer...

Vidarien

Is it a mistake? I doubt it. Humidity beads intended for humidor usage are usually crafted from the same type of dessicant material for both smell and proper RH range purposes. Bottom line, you basically got the same stuff.

phobicsquirrel

I dunno, I got mine from them. Haven't used any others..

Rob1110

Actually, you can use cat litter and save yourself some money. Not just any cat litter. Make absolutely sure it's unscented silica - no fresh scent crystals - that's basically the exact same thing as heartfelt beads.

It's not the easiest stuff to find, especially the unscented, pure silica, but if you do find it, it's very cheap (I think I paid about $13 for a four pound bag).

Vidarien

I would be careful regarding Robs approach, silica gel is not one in the same. It is factory produced in different densities to allow for different moisture buffer levels. (IE...some grades of silica gel will allow for wide swings in RH levels based on their mass adsoprtion value per 1% RH especially at high required RH levels). The hygroscopic properties of silica gel are not identical among each grade. (Thats how heartfelt industries puts out 70% beads and 65% beads.)


I so rarely get to apply my engineering knowledge on these boards...

Rob1110

True - I tried it as an experiment. Tried them in 1 humi as extra humidification when I couldn't get my RH to 70 but I knew I'd have to monitor it very closely for a while until I figured out how or even if they'd work. So far, not bad, but I'd bet the heartfelt are a bit more consistent and less maintenance.

brsmith21

The Heartfelts are very consistent in my coolerdor, but they vary quite a bit in my desktop. When newly charged (65% beads), they spike up to about 72%, and when they're about half white (most of the time), they hover around 63%.