Anyone tried Aqua Gems?

[LostAbbott]

How often do people typically recharge actual cigar beads? Or do they even need it? Can you tell I am new yet?

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by LostAbbott

How often do people typically recharge actual cigar beads? Or do they even need it? Can you tell I am new yet?

In my climate (Chicago), more often when during the winter when forced air furnaces are running. Might have to add water here once every 4-6 weeks in the summer, and maybe every 2-4 weeks in the winter...but the climate you live in can have a great effect on how often the beads need distilled water.

[pnoon]

Originally Posted by LostAbbott

How often do people typically recharge actual cigar beads? Or do they even need it? Can you tell I am new yet?

Are you the owner, proprietor, or an employee of Aqua Gems?

[bobarian]

Floral foam + water= Damp sponge. You are not regulating humudity, you are culturing mold. By changing to these "beads" you simply changing the method of delivering moisture. Most of us prefer a source that will absorb as well as release moisture as needed. I am not willing to risk my collection on such a foolhardy attempt to save a few dollars. My Heartfelt beads have kept my Rh steady at 62-65% for the last 3 years and I find them to be excellent investment.

[LostAbbott]

Originally Posted by bobarian

Floral foam + water= Damp sponge. You are not regulating humudity, you are culturing mold. By changing to these "beads" you simply changing the method of delivering moisture. Most of us prefer a source that will absorb as well as release moisture as needed. I am not willing to risk my collection on such a foolhardy attempt to save a few dollars. My Heartfelt beads have kept my Rh steady at 62-65% for the last 3 years and I find them to be excellent investment.

Well what I am trying to get at is I am not sure these are not the same product as what you might find in a cigar specific application just marketed differently, so yes they are a small risk(only if I am not paying attention to my hygrometer), but also an upgrade over floral foam which I suspect most people who have small home humidors use.

[pnoon]

Originally Posted by LostAbbott

Well what I am trying to get at is I am not sure these are not the same product as what you might find in a cigar specific application just marketed differently, so yes they are a small risk(only if I am not paying attention to my hygrometer), but also an upgrade over floral foam which I suspect most people who have small home humidors use.

That would be an erroneous assumption. At least for those here at CA who take this hobby/obsession seriously.

If you are a cigar smoker, you should head on over to the New Inmate forum and introduce yourself.

[neoflex]

Originally Posted by pnoon

That would be an erroneous assumption. At least for those here at CA who take this hobby/obsession seriously.

If you are a cigar smoker, you should head on over to the New Inmate forum and introduce yourself.

What he said. I would say most of us here use beads but beads that will regulate humidity by not only adding moisture into our humidors but also absorbing moisture if it reaches levels above what the beads are set for unlike what your talking about which is just adding moisture and not absorbing it. You have just replaced a wet sponge with wet gel IMHO.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by LostAbbott

so yes they are a small risk(only if I am not paying attention to my hygrometer),

I disagree that the risk is "small", but I also am not even willing to take a small risk with hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of cigars.

[bobarian]

I dont agree that you have "upgraded" All you are doing is storing water in a different container. Kind of like using a glass instead of a plastic cup, water tastes the same either way. Floral sponge with propylene glycol would be an upgrade as you would have mold prevention and absorb moisture above 70%.

[T.G]

Originally Posted by LostAbbott

Well what I am trying to get at is I am not sure these are not the same product as what you might find in a cigar specific application just marketed differently, so yes they are a small risk(only if I am not paying attention to my hygrometer), but also an upgrade over floral foam which I suspect most people who have small home humidors use.

This thread has shades of Kitty Litter vs Beads written all over it...

There are a few different ways to make and post-treat super-absorbent gel polymers, all of which will result in slightly different behaviors, only some of which will be suitable for cigar storage. Just because they are a squishy water absorbent gel thingie, doesn't mean that they will work the same as the squishy water absorbent gel thingies packed into Drymystat tubes or jars of Humi-Care gel.

Without knowing the chemical makeup of these aqua gems, it's really just a guess if they might or might not work as you want them to.

[LostAbbott]

Originally Posted by pnoon

Are you the owner, proprietor, or an employee of Aqua Gems?

uh. no

[pnoon]

Originally Posted by LostAbbott

uh. no

uh. thanks.