Upgrades: WineCooler/Humidor

[hikari]

Hey guys,

Well getting back into the game,
Re-evaluating my old setup and swapping the old for the new.

Figured I would post some pic's along the way.

What i've been noticing is my hold wine cooler was not holding up any longer and I feel my beads are on the way out.. Time for an upgrade

Old WineCooler / Humidor

[hikari]

Over the weekend I picked up a Magic Cheif wine cooler over at Home depo was on sale save $100

New Wind Cooler

[hikari]

In the works

Ordered
New beads from HCM Cigar Beads
4x 8 Ounce Bag
4x 2 Ounce Bag

Ordered received one waiting on the second
Sensor Push: Smart Sensor HT1

[hikari]

To get the most out of this Wine Cooler I am going to need new Ceder Shelves. This wine cooler is wider them my last and to make use of the space, once again time for an upgrade.

I just placed an order in with Wineadors

This is my mockup (illustrator)


The selves itself will have slots in them resembling the following, This will kinda be how the open front shelves will look


Also will have the back of all the shelves vented as well

[hikari]

May have a few things from my old setup for sale or trade. In a month or so when everything comes together. Like the old cedar trays, an A419 temperature Johnson controller etc.. Will post then

[Chainsaw13]

Nice new setup, Thomas.

[icehog3]

I like it, Thomas!

[NCRadioMan]

Very nice!

[hikari]

Ran two small wires with connectors a the ends through the drain whole, In case I need to hook up a fan.

This humidor is broken up to two sections top and bottom and both have small fans in the back to the AC. So not sure if I will need to add fans as there is one at the top and one at the bottom. But wanted a wire their before I seal up the hole..

I sealed up the hole with a very little bit of Sugru again a very little. It's nice because I can peel it off later easily.

With my last wine cooler, I put beads in the reservoir. I think I will do this time around as well.

But I think I am going to hold off I want to see how much water builds up. Right now I could probably use extra RF for the next month or two. Everything acclimating now then new shelves in a month along with new beads.

[AdamJoshua]

Originally Posted by hikari

Ran two small wires with connectors a the ends through the drain whole, In case I need to hook up a fan.

This humidor is broken up to two sections top and bottom and both have small fans in the back to the AC. So not sure if I will need to add fans as there is one at the top and one at the bottom. But wanted a wire their before I seal up the hole..

I sealed up the hole with a very little bit of Sugru again a very little. It's nice because I can peel it off later easily.

With my last wine cooler, I put beads in the reservoir. I think I will do this time around as well.

But I think I am going to hold off I want to see how much water builds up. Right now I could probably use extra RF for the next month or two. Everything acclimating now then new shelves in a month along with new beads.

Pretty sure beads are only useful when they are in a shallow container, max of about 2-3" in depth, might want to check the site for specifics, but I do recall that, so if you fill the reservoir with beads only the top couple inches are going to be "working".

[hikari]

Originally Posted by AdamJoshua

Pretty sure beads are only useful when they are in a shallow container, max of about 2-3" in depth, might want to check the site for specifics, but I do recall that, so if you fill the reservoir with beads only the top couple inches are going to be "working".

Absolutely it's about flat space for sure.
I said reservoir but maybe thats not the right word for it.
It's the little area where the drain whole is usaly not all that deep. It's meant more like a ramp to the drip whole.

I just wanted to make sure I didn't confuse anyone. It was meant inside the wine cooler where the drip hole is not underneath or inside the back of the unit where the drip whole leads to.

[hikari]

All comments, questions, and suggestions welcome throughout this build.

[hikari]

Images of SensorPush, I received the second one in the mail yesterday.

[Chainsaw13]

My friend uses the sensor push in his freezers. Says they work quite well. He needs something reliable when his livelihood depends upon it.

[hikari]

Originally Posted by Chainsaw13

My friend uses the sensor push in his freezers. Says they work quite well. He needs something reliable when his livelihood depends upon it.

Yea I was using 3 Bluetooth sensors that had to go to a hardware desktop device. It served it purpose I think it was a radioshack product.
I went through batteries way too much with them

I still need to salt test these new sensors I'm not sure how accurate they are but will see here maybe this weekend when I have time.

It''s nice to have an app on your phone that you can see the data and get alerts and it uses a watch battery, that lasts like 2 years or so.

it's a nice step up.

[hikari]

The Battle is good in this one.

Ok, I'm still trying to equalize everything in the new wineador before the new shelves come, and I start this over.

I think things dried out a bit before being my old wineador broke down, and I don't know for how long. It could have been a month or two. I didn't pay attention due to the Pandemic upon us.

With that said I live in Socal / Los Angeles / Burbank
The wineador is sitting at 61F, which is the highest it can go. I didn't release that when I purchased it. I may have considered something else in the price range.

My Humidity keeps dropping to 45-53% ish. I keep adding some more distilled water to sponges I have throughout the humidor.

I have left my old beads in there (I do plan on pulling these) in addition to the new ones (which I doubled the needed amount) in hopes of equalizing everything faster, but I'm still adding water every night.

Not sure if it's the old cedar trays or the cigars absorbing, but it's been almost a week now.

I have new trays coming at the end of the month saying the 30th. I plan on grabbing a 20 pack for Boveda humidity packs and throwing them in their after wetting down the trays with distilled water.

Should I buy 65 or jump to 84% packs to kick start things.

So really was not trying to make a big deal of the ones that are in their now. But getting down to 45 humidity in their get's me worreid about the cigars.

I also still have the Johnson A419, I could hook that up in line and set it to a higher temp like 65 but wanted to try things without it for a while.

What do you guys think? Suggestions, comments, tips are all welcome.

[Wharf Rat]

The Boveda pacs have their uses, but the rate that water evaporates from them is slowed down by having to go through the packaging. If the issue is to rapidly supply moisture, I’d use a clean sponge. I’d wet it with tap water, but a purist would use distilled.

[hikari]

Originally Posted by Wharf Rat

The Boveda pacs have their uses, but the rate that water evaporates from them is slowed down by having to go through the packaging. If the issue is to rapidly supply moisture, I’d use a clean sponge. I’d wet it with tap water, but a purist would use distilled.

Thanks for the feedback.
A wet sponge is what I am using now.
I have like 1.5 cut into pieces through out the humidor
I've been applying more water pretty much every night.

[Wharf Rat]

If your thermostat is set to 61 and your room is in the 70s, the refrigeration will need to constantly cool the interior. He cooling surfaces will condense water out of the air. So, it’s constantly fighting against your urge to add humidity.

[hikari]

Originally Posted by Wharf Rat

If your thermostat is set to 61 and your room is in the 70s, the refrigeration will need to constantly cool the interior. He cooling surfaces will condense water out of the air. So, it’s constantly fighting against your urge to add humidity.

I guess I am thinking backward.
My old wineador. When it would run too much, it would create consideration on the back wall, and I had to much moisture in the air.