RH bead question

[drunkentester]

Hi everyone,

I have a noobie question regarding heartfelt RH beads. I've bought about 1 and 1/2 pounds worth of 65% beads for my 100 qt coolerdor. Based on the RH bead calculator, I only really need over a full pound of the beads for the cubic space I have.

My question is this: Do the 65% RH beads come and stay at the RH level of 65% if I don't add any water to it whatsoever, or will it continue absorbing moisture below the 65% RH point? I ask this because I notice that when the beads arrive, not all the beads are 100% milky white, some are already clear. So will the beads continue getting drier if left unmoisturized, or is it somehow set to get only as low as 65% RH?

Bottom line is: Are 65% RH beads perfectly 65% in it's natural state without any water added?

Since I read that you can have more Rh beads that you need, I was planning on adding water to the 1 lb of beads, but aslo throw in the other 1/2 pound in two little mesh baggies at its shipped neutral state without adding water to the 1/2 pound bags. Will this method work out?

I just worry about over-humidifying the cooler since it doesn't absorb any moisture.

Thanks for any help.

--Dennis

[icehog3]

http://www.heartfeltindustries.com/Bead_Set_Up.asp

That should help.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by drunkentester

Hi everyone,

I have a noobie question regarding heartfelt RH beads. I've bought about 1 and 1/2 pounds worth of 65% beads for my 100 qt coolerdor. Based on the RH bead calculator, I only really need over a full pound of the beads for the cubic space I have.

My question is this: Do the 65% RH beads come and stay at the RH level of 65% if I don't add any water to it whatsoever, or will it continue absorbing moisture below the 65% RH point? I ask this because I notice that when the beads arrive, not all the beads are 100% milky white, some are already clear. So will the beads continue getting drier if left unmoisturized, or is it somehow set to get only as low as 65% RH?

Bottom line is: Are 65% RH beads perfectly 65% in it's natural state without any water added?


No.....they will fluctuate depending on your individual conditions, so you will need to add distilled water to them from time to time. Best way is to spritz it on using a spritzer bottle so as to not crack the beads.
Since I read that you can have more Rh beads that you need, I was planning on adding water to the 1 lb of beads, but aslo throw in the other 1/2 pound in two little mesh baggies at its shipped neutral state without adding water to the 1/2 pound bags. Will this method work out?

I just worry about over-humidifying the cooler since it doesn't absorb any moisture.

The beads will absorb moisture over 65%, they both release and absorb, depending on the current humidity in your humidor.

Thanks for any help.

--Dennis

Added a bit more detail.

[drunkentester]

Thanks Icehog.

I guess to further clarify my question: I notice that some of boxes of cigars that come from CBid/CI come in at about 70% RH. If I just remove the plastic wrap around the box and drop it into the cooler, I tend to notice a slight rise in RH.

I'm expecting about 2-3 boxes coming from CBid this week. So should I consider it safe to to drop in 65% RH beads into my coolerdor (without adding moisture) with the hope that it'll absorb the excess moisture from the boxes that are coming in at 70% and maintain a steady 65% (since the cooler itself doesn't breathe).

--Dennis

[kenstogie]

Like Tom Said.
The Clear beads RELEASE moisture when the RH falls below 65%
The White beads ABSORB moisture when the RH rises above 65%

So you really don't want them to be all clear or all white but a mix of 70% Clear and 30% white is the recommended mix. If your in an especially dry climate you would need to check your beads more frequently. If your in a wet (high RH) area (tropical rain forest), you may want to consider having more of them be white. 99.9% of the time your AOK with 70/30 percentages though.

[MrOneEyedBoh]

Not to hijack but say they are in the mesh bag sitting in the bottom of the humidor.. do you just spritz the bag sitting on the cedar? OR should the bag be placed outside of the humidor spritzed and then put back in.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by MrOneEyedBoh

Not to hijack but say they are in the mesh bag sitting in the bottom of the humidor.. do you just spritz the bag sitting on the cedar? OR should the bag be placed outside of the humidor spritzed and then put back in.

I take them out and spritz them, and dry the excess....you don't eant to get excess water sitting on the cedar in the humi.

[icehog3]

Yessiree, Dennis, if the beads are not completely saturated, they will absorb the excess humidity from the 70% cigars...it will take a short while for everything to stabilize.

[MrOneEyedBoh]

Thats what I thought. Thanks.

[kenstogie]

It's pretty easy to over spray/over saturate so be careful. Not that I would ever do that.

[MrOneEyedBoh]

Haha.