How I set up my cooler-dor!

[Ginseng]

IMHO adding cedar lining sure looks nice, but it's really not necessary. It just occupies valuable storage space. Keep everything in boxes and there's no need for cedar panels in your cooler. When I had my four coolers up and running, I never lined any of them and the humidity control and storage conditions were perfect. The cedar boxes and beads will provide all the humidity ballast you will need

Tom - Thanks for the advice, I may or may not change it up...it just SMELLS SO GOOD!!!

UPDATE: Came home last night to all of my beads dry and white!!! :0
I am thinking it's the cedar sucking up all the moisture, so I soaked the beads again, and will see when I get home tonight...

Tom's absolutely right. Cedar panels will make an empty cooler smell great but once you are even half full, you'll have all the cedar smell you'll need or want. Seriously, there is such a thing as too much cedar scent. Remember, it's the delicious, drool-inducing scent of well-kept tobacco that's going to send you to cloud nine, not Spanish cedar. That said, I am a bit anal about putting providing some air space on all sides of my boxes and so I use the thin cedar sheets commonly found at the top of a box or in between layers. They are quite thin but provide just a hair of wood buffering goodness between box and plastic cooler wall.

If you didn't condition the wood to 65% before putting in the beads, you're right, it's probably the thick cedar panels that sucked your beads dry.

Nice work. That bowl full of loose beads would make me nervous. I've had to clean up spilled beads in my footlocker once before, it was not fun. Might want to look into a cheap tupperware container and punch some tiny holes in it or use pantyhose just to be on the safe side.

Yup. Once you've spilled a dish of beads or crystals in and amongst a dozen boxes in your cooler, you'll curse and fuss until you get them into pantyhose or a lidded, aerated tupper.

Nice setup there!

Wilkey

 

[flamchop]

Nice setup! That's one big cooler!

 

[souldog]

Tom's absolutely right. Cedar panels will make an empty cooler smell great but once you are even half full, you'll have all the cedar smell you'll need or want. Seriously, there is such a thing as too much cedar scent. Remember, it's the delicious, drool-inducing scent of well-kept tobacco that's going to send you to cloud nine, not Spanish cedar. That said, I am a bit anal about putting providing some air space on all sides of my boxes and so I use the thin cedar sheets commonly found at the top of a box or in between layers. They are quite thin but provide just a hair of wood buffering goodness between box and plastic cooler wall.

If you didn't condition the wood to 65% before putting in the beads, you're right, it's probably the thick cedar panels that sucked your beads dry.

Yup. Once you've spilled a dish of beads or crystals in and amongst a dozen boxes in your cooler, you'll curse and fuss until you get them into pantyhose or a lidded, aerated tupper.

Nice setup there!

Wilkey

Thanks for the advice Wilkey...I checked on it this morning, the humidity's still adjusting as it's too high now...oh well. It'll fix itself eventually.

I might remove a couple panels as I hear what you're saying about too much cedar smell...cause, I'm smelling it alot now. Will the cedar impact the taste the cigars have? I've not heard of this until now...

As far as the open bowl, I've got three mesh bags of beads, I might take the dish out given the feedback I've received.

Everyone has a happy Sunday.

 

[Ginseng]

Will the cedar impact the taste the cigars have? I've not heard of this until now...

In my experience, you can certainly smell the cedar in a cigar while cold...as opposed to cigars in a dressed (paper-wrapped) box. As far as taste on the palate, or when its burning, I don't really think so. I've smoked cigars that have been in cedar for a long, long time and I have yet to taste "cedar" during the smoking. If boxes cycle out of a cedar-lined cabinet over time, I imagine the cedar cold aroma wouldn't get oppressive. But as I remarked before, it is the rich, pent up tobacco aroma from within a cab that is really stunning.

BTW, is the wishlist in your profile up to date?

Wilkey

 

[NullSmurf]

Careful, Jon. If you leave the bagged beads against the cedar, they will pick up some color. It doesn't hurt a thing, but they won't be that nice, pristine white anymore.

 

[souldog]

First off, LOVE THE NEW AVVY PIC Wilkey! :love:

PM sent about my wishlist, I think it's fairly updated, but I will check it again.


Bruce, I'll look into raising those baggies off of the cedar...I likes em pristine white!!! :laugh:







EDITED TO ADD: Had some time, wishlist updated...
Now, to get off of work after 24 hours shifts!! Blugggh...gonna go home and sleep! :thumbs:

 

[vortex]

I like the fact that the cooler has cut-outs for shelves to slide into. Make sure you calibrate your hygros and don't OVER humidify. This is the most common mistake newer collectors make.

Steve

 

[Breedy]

Lots of good info here, add that KHL threads and I think I am on my way to my first coolidor. Thanks to the entire community for sharing your knowledge.

 

[BIG AL74]

good job , nice humi :thumbs: If u ever run out of room ,I can hold a few boxes for ya. :whistling:

 

[NullSmurf]

First off, LOVE THE NEW AVVY PIC Wilkey! :love:

PM sent about my wishlist, I think it's fairly updated, but I will check it again.


Bruce, I'll look into raising those baggies off of the cedar...I likes em pristine white!!! :laugh:







EDITED TO ADD: Had some time, wishlist updated...
Now, to get off of work after 24 hours shifts!! Blugggh...gonna go home and sleep! :thumbs:

I made cedar shelves for my kitchen cabinet humidor because I could. IMHO, you don't need the planks on the sides and bottom because you have sufficient mass in the boxes themselves.

You don't need those Olivas either. Send em to me!

 

[souldog]

You don't need those Olivas either. Send em to me!

:laugh: :laugh: I got them on your recommendation, honestly! They've only been aging for a couple months, wait till Christmas Mr. Bruce.


And here's some updated pictures for BSneed51, since he asked so sweetly:

I haven't taken the cedar off the sides, because I haven't really screwed with the cooler since I built it, except to drill aerating holes in the shelving, and play the occasional "Cooler Tetris."

I don't know if you see em, but I put down clear ziploc bags under the beads, so no staining... :thumbs:

 

[vortex]

Nice design! I hope the Wally Hygro works better than the same model I got - off by 10 RH! I use it for ambient readings. I think it was $5 or so.

 

[beatnik]

Wow Looks Great!! Wish I had something like that But I already told you my coolidor story. It looks to me you should start building another soon, lol. Like what was said before was about the bowl of beads I would be scared but they are on the bottom so if they do spill it wont a problem and you wont be the first to spill the beads anyway lol. Ohh yeah I got some more oust fans if you want but you already got 2 so I don't know its up to you really. Or like I said when you make your second you can have the fans with my extra cooler.

 

[souldog]

Nice design! I hope the Wally Hygro works better than the same model I got - off by 10 RH! I use it for ambient readings. I think it was $5 or so.

Yeah, tell me about it. I salt tested both, and one was only 4 off, so I wrote "+4" on the back so I know to add 4 to the RH total. THe OTHER one was 9 off...nightmare sometimes.


But hey, if I have to do a little math each time I crack her open and save some bucks, I'll be good with that! :thumbs:

 

[Bsneed51]

But hey, if I have to do a little math each time I crack her open and save some bucks, I'll be good with that! :thumbs:

Aren't you afraid of your cigars drying out while you hold the door open for hours trying to add +4 to the RH reading? You'll throw away money on a bottle of Baileys, but you won't sack up and buy an adjustable hygro? You damn cheapskate. :laugh:




Jon, you know I love you. :love:

 

[proraptor]

nice coolerdoor.....I might have to make one for myself when I have enough cigars

 

[TheVitaleMob]

~~SNIP~~

And, here she is filled up so far:

-Jonathan

What are the black boxes on the bottom right? I don't recognize those? They look very interesting though.

 

[souldog]

What are the black boxes on the bottom right? I don't recognize those? They look very interesting though.

These guys, on NullSmurf's special recommendations... I've yet to smoke one, but theyre relatively cheap, and he says they'll be amazing in a year. If not, I'll just send them to him! :sign:

Angel 100 O.T.C.:

Without a doubt, Angel Oliva is one of the biggest names in the cigar industry. Born into the industry in 1907, Angel and his family have been providing the entire industry with premium-quality tobacco leaf, leaves used by the majority of today’s top cigar makers. Before you ask, this is not the Oliva family that makes the Serie ‘O’. Rather, this is the Oliva family that has built an empire as one of the largest tobacco growers in the world.

Angel 100 was created to celebrate the life’s work of Angel Oliva. Bold and full of character, just like the man himself. These cigars are smooth and oily in appearance, presenting a medium-bodied strength and rich bouquet of flavor. As the cigar burns, the flavor becomes more complex, picking up a nice sweetness on the aftertaste, while becoming stronger in body. A flavorful Nicaraguan that’s smooth and satisfying.

 

[bully1875]

ok so lets say I wanted to make shelves in my coolidor, what other type of wood is recommended other than spanish cedar??

 

[MadMonk]

Jon,
Update us on the Angel 100s? Did you like them?