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Unattended Cigar Storage

Josh

Chronically Misinformed
Joined
Feb 25, 2004
Messages
1,174
Okay, I'm going to set this situation up hypothetically, I'm just looking for ideas and suggestions. AVB sounded doubtful, but I still think there's potential here... but maybe I'm just stubborn. :D

Anyway, I want to set up a couple of cooliders for long-term, maintance free cigar storage. Ideally it'd be self sufficient for a year.

Using Vern's beads, I could easily set up a waterbalance to keep the beads' container filled to the brim at all times. So there are only three problems, mold, beetles, and airflow as I see it.

So if having someone take care of your 'gars in your absence wasn't a possibility, what measures would you take to insure their safety?
 
Set up a similar system (a larger resevoir of water) with a Cigar Oasis systemm - It self-regulates the humidity level.

Pretty sure that would work long term :thumbs:

I only have to refill mine about one every couple months because I open it up all the time :D

Cheers,
Dixie
 
Been thinking about doing that, but I've never owned an Oasis, and am weary about buying one only to find out it won't suit my needs.
 
I use a Cigar Oasis Plus in my humidor, and it will last several months at 65% - 70% humidity in my humidor with around 400 or so cigars between refills. Keep the temp below 78 degrees and you should be OK. The Cigar Oasis Plus has a fan that circulates air also, so you don't get a stale smell.

Haven't tried the beads yet, but I hear good things about them also.
 
If the container is airtight and the cigars are already at or closed to the desired humidity, you should not need much water, just add enough to get the beads wet, leave for a few days, check humidity. If the humidity is where you want it leave well enough alone. You shoould be neither gaining nor losing humidity if the container is airtight.
 
That's quite true, but sometimes trapping air traps ammonia, doesn't it?
 
Wildcard said:
That's quite true, but sometimes trapping air traps ammonia, doesn't it?
You may also think about leaving the plug open on the coolerdor....wont have much effect on the humidity level and set the cooler in your basement away from your furnace to keep the temp below 78 and the dreded beetle should never show its ugly head.
 
The problem with leaving the plug open is that more humidification is required to maintain stability. I think I have some rubber test-tube corks around here that have a small hole all the way through, I might see if that will suffice.

Beetles shouldn't be a problem, I don't think, but the mold worries me.
 
If you can get the humidity right.....no worries about the mold. And if your basement is like mine you should not need to worry about adding to much moisture to often. Though you might wont to close the plug in the winter months.
 
Wildcard said:
Been thinking about doing that, but I've never owned an Oasis, and am weary about buying one only to find out it won't suit my needs.
I'm not saying the Oasis is the best solution here, particularly from a price standpoint, but don't rule it out due to questions about its performance - they work beautifully as far as I've seen and I've never heard a negative review about them except in regards to the price.

Cheers,

- Oak
 
WTH is with the hypothetical situation? Ask the question. Locking cigars away in an air tight container will not work. You have to have fresh air. Haven't heard of a humidifying device that will supply humidity for the period of time you're shooting for without some kind of monitoring/refilling.

End of Hypothesizing! :lookup: ;)
 
Well, I put it in such a manner because when I asked the question, I was told just to find someone to take care of them. And that's what would have happened again, I'm sure.

I think if I had enough beads, and enough water in my reservoir, it'd last plenty long. I'm just worried about other potential problems. Honestly though, I think I can pull this off.
 
Wildcard said:
Well, I put it in such a manner because when I asked the question, I was told just to find someone to take care of them. And that's what would have happened again, I'm sure.

I think if I had enough beads, and enough water in my reservoir, it'd last plenty long. I'm just worried about other potential problems. Honestly though, I think I can pull this off.
I have a very simple solution to your very simple problem:

Find a better (reliable) friend to take care of your sticks while you are gone.

Another option is to go to your local cigar shop and ask if they will store them for the time period you're gone.

Leaving them in a sealed container for a yr. is asking for trouble, in my humble opinion.
 
I found a tupperware container once with a few cigars in it that I had forgotten about. The cigars had been in there for 3-4 months and were covered in mold. :(

Having someone look after them sounds like sound advice but hey, what do we know, have at it. They're your cigars and you seem to have your mind made up. :)
 
Besides the great information Ken has bestowed on this topic, one thing has not been mentioned! YOU CAN NOT JUST SOAK THE BEADS IN WATER!! They will not work! You must use the "amount of water" prescribed to the "amount of beads" or you will be wasting your time.
 
EDIT - Seems like a three mile run made me pretty incoherent. :) I guess I really don't have a point after all.
 
Wildcard said:
Okay, I'm going to set this situation up hypothetically, I'm just looking for ideas and suggestions. AVB sounded doubtful, but I still think there's potential here... but maybe I'm just stubborn. :D

Anyway, I want to set up a couple of cooliders for long-term, maintance free cigar storage. Ideally it'd be self sufficient for a year.

Using Vern's beads, I could easily set up a waterbalance to keep the beads' container filled to the brim at all times. So there are only three problems, mold, beetles, and airflow as I see it.

So if having someone take care of your 'gars in your absence wasn't a possibility, what measures would you take to insure their safety?
Im a newbie here, but if as you say the water question is sloved, then airflow is what you need to address. As some here (I think) have said, the coolidor doesnt have to be airtight, so why not leave the latches unlatched, and hook up a small gearmotor to the lid?

You will need to set some sort of limit switch to turn the motor off when the lid reaches the open and closed positions.

Set the gearmotor to a 7 day repeating timer (you may have to go to something digital, as most mechanical timers will have minimum on times of 30 mins or so). Set the timer to open the box once or twice a week for a few minutes each time.

The gearmotor will have enough torque to keep the lid tightly closed.

This could work. A small 1/250 hp gearmotor, 4 rpms, (You can get it at Graingers for $35 pn 3M098), a couple small sewing machine pullys, a belt or maybe a couple sprokets and a chain drive.

For instructions, contact Rube Goldberg.. no wait, he's dead. Nevermind :)
 
It's possible, though the timer would be a pain in the butt unless ran through a computer. And one power failure at any time and it's toast. Plus, something like that couldn't be guaranteed reliable, and I cringe at the thought of all those cigars having the lid left up on 'em.

So really I've given up this inane quest. Too many variables, too much at stake.
 
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