We just moved recently and my daughter basically staying at my parents..It is basement and been having a bit of problem with humidity.....Setup. Daniel Marshall humi 100 ct...3 black ice pie pieces in 3 corners...Now for last year no problems at all.70/70...Now it is dropped rh to 60 ish which is not caused problems but prefer higher...Should I add 4th pie piece and try that and go from there?

My second humi 100_125 count. Cheaper box though both keep locked seals good etc...this has 4piece black ice pie beads...this one seems to be same ticket dropped humidity..though it almost full and have noticed slighly dry wrappers..So should I just keep upstairs. Which is my thoughts. Add a bit more beads,check water more or what?

Again setup been flawless with black ice...honestly only add water every cpl months ans the large pie jars are supposed to be over adequate......

Any suggestions helps


ONE MORE TWO SMALL 20_30 stick humis. Would you bother with beads or bovedas..if bovedas how long they last?I know the beads or black ice last awhile..so could buy small black ice pie does both and only a few bucks?
Once I get back to parents for more time..I will setup 300 count humi to consolidate just not enough time...back on road next week....

Thx for help
Cb

I've used nothing but heartfelt beads in my humi and they've never led me astray. You can buy in bulk amounts too if you ever set up a coolerdor or something bigger.

Once I do bigger humi I plan on that..The black ice is basically very similar and I like em for humidor,but not available in bulk like hf...I'm gonna set upstairs tomorrow and I'm sure that shall fix



On smaller humidor boveda packs vs beads????

Mid to low 60's is fine bro.

Excess humidity = mold

I've heard that taking the cello off all your sticks can help in situations like yours. ;)

The back ice humidifier is nothing at all like HF beads. The black ice humidifier is a super absorbent polymer (SAP) gel humidifier. Totally different compound with different behavior/characteristics. The manufacturer has been using the term "beads" as a misnomer for some time now.

What temperature is the 60% at? I am happy with 60% at 70-74F.

I did know there are differences though they do work well.Do the hf beads regulate rh better..?In other words absorb humidity as well as produce?..thank you
Yes zr said 60 percent is good..Most of wat I have heard is 65_70. ..I will try like this as I'm sure you guys know...Just worried about all these super sticks I been getting lately......

Thanks for the info8-[

Yes they're two way like DrafterX.

Totally puts in perspective...Hf beads=Drafter x= bi beads=charlie gets it...
Thanks z

HF, and HCM for that matter, beads are both 2-way; they can both release and absorb moisture from the air. They both very quickly too. I've found the HCM beads to be more stable and needing less maintenance (I believe they have a greater storage capacity than the HF) in my humidors and multiple large storage tubs than HF beads, but I will also say that HF beads are quality product too and that they work well for many people. The HCM beads just work better for me.

The SAP gel is much better at releasing moisture than it is at absorbing it from the ambient air. It will absorb moisture, but it's not very quick about it. I don't really view the SAP gel products as 2-way, they are really not much better than a sponge with some PG solution.

Besides HF and HCM beads, Boveda packs are the only other real 2-way product that I am aware of. They work well, and they can be recharged easily, but they have a flaw. They are based on a salt solution inside a semi-permeable membrane. The concentration of the salt solution determines the humidity they operate at. Their flaw is that they can, and will, absorb more water than the solution is calibrated for. When this happens, they eventually equalize with the surrounding atmosphere and as soon as the rh of the atmosphere around them drops they begin releasing humidity at an uncontrolled rate. I've tested overcharged packs and found them to maintain rh's up in the 80's until they have released enough water for the salt solution ratios (weight of the pack) to be back in the design range.

Hope that helps some.

don't sweat the difference to much Charlie. As the others have stated 60's is good. Higher has mold issues. Robert makes a good point as temperature can have an influence as well since we're talking RH.

And yes they're premium cigars, but they aren't so sensitive at a 2% difference is going to be a big deal. Don't sweat it too much.

Thats pretty much the "rest of the story"and answers questions perfectly...I have seen with the black ice in summer as you said does not absorb humidity much at all..
Much appreciated Thunder .I definetly will change over since hobby is now an obsession....lol

Yes illini thx also as all the premiums that you,zr,stinger,fiddler,buckwheat,gary,and all have sent I was worried.

60-66 is best in my book switch to beads and it is a temp problem lower temp it makes it hard to keep a 70 I run at 62 in the winter 65 in summer so I drop a couple boliva packs in to kick it back up to 65 they last all winter so it's a small cost but I use beads as my main source

I like mine at 60%. Don't understand the obsession with 70.

Most places, a basement would lead to higher RH, not lower. Are your humidors near a source of heat, or is the basement itself a bit warmer than the humidors' former location?

I recently switched to 65% heartfelt beads in my three desktop humidors, and the beads work much better than my former foam humidifiers and gel-jars. With the ambient RH at around 35 percent, the humidors themselves stay at 64 to 66 percent. I actually need a few more beads for my 100-stick humidor, so I've also added a 65% Boveda pack for insurance. Both beads and Bovedas work well, and using more than the recommended minimum won't hurt; it will just help the humidors recover quickly from moisture loss every time they're opened. Contrary to some information I've read, Bovedas can be recharged a few times by simply sealing them into a micro-environment with a water-vapor source at their rated RH or higher for two or three days.

It's possible that your hygrometers are simply reading a bit too low; I've found this happens when the batteries in my Caliber IV digitals need to be changed. (Just changed batteries in all four of mine, recalibrating them now.)

Regarding the lower RH itself, I found that running around 65% versus 70% results in better burning characteristics -- and in some sticks, a better draw too. Even 60% won't hurt, although I'd certainly try to get the RH closer to 65%.

I tried several methods before settling on a combination of HF beads and Bovedas.

In my desktop humidor I have a nylon sleeve with a half pound of HF beads, and 2 or 3 Bovedas. All 65%. When the hygrometer reads in the 50s, ill splash the beads with distilled water. The beads get over saturated, the Bovedas absorb the excess and keep things stable. The Bovedas get recharged as well as the beads.

I do the same in my large hybrid humidors, just on a larger scale. 1lb beads and 6 Bovedas.

Typically charge two or three times during the winter, and that's all. Summer the ambient humidity and temperature leads to excess, but the dual setup takes care of it.

You can get a 12 pack of Bovedas for about $35 and a pound of beads for the same.

To protect my investment, $70 is nothing. And considering what you've received recently, it would be wise to invest in better methods than the SAP.

Another big plus for proper 2 way humidification is that you can store airtight, I.e. tupperdors and coolers.

Yes im gonna switch to beads on larger stand for sure when I set up...So I will do the same on bigger humis as well.I like the absorb expell aspect and know you guys know your chit..Ill use the black ice in my smaller humis which are for infused sticks...tabak,naturals...which I like around 70/70....

Thanks for all great responces.....Very helpful

Charlie Barr🇨🇮


Yep agreed on monetary end Dan.Since all the great cigars everyone been sending .I wanna make sure safe...I never expected to have so many great ccs as well as sticks in general..Its just become serious not just hobby anymore..I'm hooked for sure

Just a quick note. I went to Wal Mart a few days back and found some large watertight tupperdors for 11 dollars for a 18 x 24 x 10. With the watertight seal these are great. They have 3 sizes. They are made by of all people Zip Lock. They are large enough to put the foam cigar holders from the traveldors in them. They are strong enough to stack and they have twice the locking tabs as normal ones. They look great for people who live in houses and apartments. 🌫

Whenever anyone is ready to make an order of heartfelt or the other beads let me know.