Time for a cooler...

...that didn't take long to outrun a 150ct humi. And it's all your fault. NST and some sweet pickups from WTS and vendors. So, now I need your help.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=4807332

70qt cooler, 1 1/2 pounds of 65% RH Beads on the way, and I don't know what else I need to make this happen. Any further guidance would be helpful, but all I can find through searches is pretty much throw everything in the cooler and away you go. What am I missing, or is it really that easy?

[Hippi3Slay3r]

I went with the http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...ndingMethod=rr its full allready.... buy big youre prolly gunna use it all at some point

Originally Posted by Hippi3Slay3r

I went with the http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...ndingMethod=rr its full allready.... buy big youre prolly gunna use it all at some point

but there's not modification to be done? You just put in your cigars and humidification and poof? Sorry, being paranoid.

[NCRadioMan]

Originally Posted by SchizoFilly

but there's not modification to be done? You just put in your cigars and humidification and poof? Sorry, being paranoid.

Nope and yep.

[Barteur]

When I built mine, washed it with light soap and putted Bicarbonate for a couple of days to remove the plastic smell and then I was ready to go. I dont think this is mandatory to have a successfull coolidor.

Frenchie

[bobarian]

You may want to add a digital hygrometer, but its not really necessary with a cooler. Coolers hold humidity amazingly well and with beads you can trust them to maintain Rh. If you add a hygrometer, be sure to calibrate it according to these instructions, http://www.cigarmony.com/calibratinghygrometers.aspx

You also may want to start collecting empty boxes from your local B&M. Wood boxes like Tatuaje and LFD are best but any brand will work for storage of singles.

[Skywalker]

Originally Posted by bobarian

You may want to add a digital hygrometer, but its not really necessary with a cooler. Coolers hold humidity amazingly well and with beads you can trust them to maintain Rh. If you add a hygrometer, be sure to calibrate it according to these instructions, http://www.cigarmony.com/calibratinghygrometers.aspx

You also may want to start collecting empty boxes from your local B&M. Wood boxes like Tatuaje and LFD are best but any brand will work for storage of singles.

This is the best advice!!!

I layer mine with various sized cigar boxes (unvarnished wood)!!! Save sheets of Spanish Cedar from boxes to fill in the sides and layers. This will help keep the cigars smelling and tasting nice!!!

[TripleF]

Some epmty boxes would be good.... The El Baton boxes hold 40 cigars so those are perfect.

I stuffed some cedar sheets obtained from epmpty boxes and have been using a cooler for over a year now and the humidity is perfect all the time

[SLO_Smoke]

I've got six of these exact 70qt coolers.
- Yes, they are full
They work well but you will find that some seal better than others.
I tried the lid/fit on all of them before I bought the ones that had the best fit.
On the lid there is a small groove/recess that will allow you to put a gasket in the groove.
Walmart sells a self-adheasive rubber "D" gasket 3/8" x 5/16" found in the paint supplies dept.
Fits perfect in the groove!

Suggestion-
I used the GIANT Ziploc Big Bags "Large" size inside the coolers.
(The XL and the XXL Ziploc bags are just too big)
You can get a few boxes (3-4 boxes) inside the bags, then put a 1-oz (or 2 1-oz) bead tube(s) in the bag.
Then into the cooler.
This way, when you open the cooler lid you don't lose the RH in the whole storage system.
The cooler keeps the boxes from big temp swings.
The individual bags keep the boxes from big RH swings.
I also installed a Xikar digital hygrometer in the lid of each cooler.
- More to monitor temp rather than RH (trust your beads).

Works great!

I also keep a number of desktop humis for the sticks that I smoke regularly so that I'm not playing Tetris any more than necessary. LOL

[SLO_Smoke]

Another option to consider-
If you don't need the insulation of the cooler, Target has 20qt Sterilite Gasket Top boxes.
The benefit is that they are clear and you can see what's inside without opening the top.
Also, not too much Tetris involved.
Although the lid already has a gasket, they also need the extra "D" gasket to seal well.
I've got 20 of these and they also work well.

Originally Posted by bobarian

You may want to add a digital hygrometer, but its not really necessary with a cooler. Coolers hold humidity amazingly well and with beads you can trust them to maintain Rh. If you add a hygrometer, be sure to calibrate it according to these instructions, http://www.cigarmony.com/calibratinghygrometers.aspx

You also may want to start collecting empty boxes from your local B&M. Wood boxes like Tatuaje and LFD are best but any brand will work for storage of singles.

I have the hygro I've been using in my humi, may need to pick up another one so I can use both for storage, but that's a different issue. Have a few boxes to use.....now to develop a plan for hiding this thing inside the house

[St. Lou Stu]

Here... only $20 more.

[DMK]

I don't even need to keep beads in mine full time.
I just use the hygro to tell me when I need to set the beads in for a day or so every couple of weeks....
I washed mine out with baking soad and set it out in the sun to dry and air out. Then its fill er up time with all the spare boxes and all the cedar sheets I had laying around.

I see a night or two spent sleeping on the couch in my near future.

[cwfrasa]

Joe, I look for coolers that have some sort of slots cut into the sides. Then you can stand it on end and put in shelves to make sorting easier. I made the shelves out of spanish cedar. You can find it in small pieces from www.woodcraft.com.

Never needed to add gaskets and have no issues with humidity but I also keep mine in the basement so the temp and humidity is pretty stable. I'm up to 4 coolers and so far no nights on the couch, #5 might put me on a funeral pyre of cigars though.....

Originally Posted by cwfrasa

Joe, I look for coolers that have some sort of slots cut into the sides. Then you can stand it on end and put in shelves to make sorting easier. I made the shelves out of spanish cedar. You can find it in small pieces from www.woodcraft.com.

Never needed to add gaskets and have no issues with humidity but I also keep mine in the basement so the temp and humidity is pretty stable. I'm up to 4 coolers and so far no nights on the couch, #5 might put me on a funeral pyre of cigars though.....

Thanks for that advice, hadn't really thought about going vertical with shelving. I may wait until Friday to bring home the cooler since I usually spend the night drinking and falling asleep on the couch anyway.