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beads not eating humidity

groucho898

Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2014
Messages
80
I purchased beads a few years ago, also the "socks" they go in. The manufacturer (Heartfelt?) said just put them in your humidor and they will absorb when over 70%.

They do not. So I thought they needed to be be soaked and absorb water, then dried out in order to "season" and get them going. Put them back and they do not absorb. It would make sense that they should.

Am I wrong in thinking that I should be able to put these beads in a +70% environment and that they should absorb humidity?
 
I purchased beads a few years ago, also the "socks" they go in. The manufacturer (Heartfelt?) said just put them in your humidor and they will absorb when over 70%.

They do not. So I thought they needed to be be soaked and absorb water, then dried out in order to "season" and get them going. Put them back and they do not absorb. It would make sense that they should.

Am I wrong in thinking that I should be able to put these beads in a +70% environment and that they should absorb humidity?
They will but it takes them a lot longer to absorb then to release.
 
You could try putting the beads in your refrigerator for a few days (low RH) and then try again. What's the ambient RH in your environment? If its far over 70% you're probably going to be better off with a dessicator.

Biggest thing to remember is things don't happen fast. Beads take time to work, and cigars don't absorb moisture or dry out in a day or two. If your cigars are smoking well, you're probably not far off. Good luck..!!
 
if the humidity is to high the beads should be put in mostly white or dry. If you wet most of them it can’t absorb any more moisture
This. If you wet them before putting them in, then they will not absorb moisture. Also, when you wet them, did you soak the entire bag of beads? IIRC, it's supposed to be about a 50/50 proportion between wet (clear) and dry (white) beads so that it can both absorb and release moisture. If you soaked the entire contents, then we are back to the first sentence.

And, most importantly, as BBS said -- things take time.
 
I purchased beads a few years ago, also the "socks" they go in. The manufacturer (Heartfelt?) said just put them in your humidor and they will absorb when over 70%.

They do not. So I thought they needed to be be soaked and absorb water, then dried out in order to "season" and get them going. Put them back and they do not absorb. It would make sense that they should.

Am I wrong in thinking that I should be able to put these beads in a +70% environment and that they should absorb humidity?
As others have said, the beads don't absorb, or release instantly, they take time. The goal of the beads is to maintain a consistent RH. Think of it this way, if you put a box of cigars in a 70% humidor, which is 75%, the beads will absorb the excess and get you back to 70%. If you're asking the beads to bring an entire 80% environment down, it's not going to happen.

And if you have dunked your beads in water, they most likely cracked into something resembling course ground salt, and the original RH is long gone. They will probably needed to be totally reprogrammed.
 
if the humidity is to high the beads should be put in mostly white or dry. If you wet most of them it can’t absorb any more moisture
Agreed.

After a few months of them not absorbing anything I wet them and then let them dry for a few weeks in the open air. When they originally went into the humidor they were fresh, white, dry, hard as a rock and not containing any moisture having just arrived. Exactly what I wanted.

But they never absorbed anything being in a 73% closed humidor for a week or two the humidity was always 73% and I was using three TempSticks and one Zikar inside to monitor the humidity. The active humidification never turned on as it's set for 67% and id usually unplugged anyway. There were 4 big "socks" worth of beads. Each sock weighing about 2-3lbs filled with the beads.

It is a cabinet humidor, not a tiny desktop but it's kinda full, not a lot of free space/air inside, about 5'x3.5'x3.5'. I did expect after a while for the beads after having absorbed moisture after two weeks to change in size and feel and be a bit bloated. These looked and felt exactly the same as when I put them in.

Then I soaked them in distilled water for a few days then let them dry out and tried again, no dice. Isn't soaking them what everyone does, charge them up so they humidify? These are humidification beads used instead of that green foam/sponge. They make little humidifiers that have these beads already in there, you're supposed to soak them with distilled water, no?

Obviously where this humidor is located humidity is a constant problem all year round. I'd rather have something inside absorbing @ >70% rather than having to humidity control the entire room.

that being said they have been inside this humidor which is constantly 73% and when removing them after a few months (I travel a lot) the humidity is still 73%.

I have 4 hygrometers all calibrated together in tupperware using Bovada packs.

Maybe I got a bad batch? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
This. If you wet them before putting them in, then they will not absorb moisture. Also, when you wet them, did you soak the entire bag of beads? IIRC, it's supposed to be about a 50/50 proportion between wet (clear) and dry (white) beads so that it can both absorb and release moisture. If you soaked the entire contents, then we are back to the first sentence.

And, most importantly, as BBS said -- things take time.
Gents

I put them in dry from the get go. After a few months of not absorbing anything I thought they needed to be seasoned or activated - you know like those super tiny Oasis beads that grow 50X when they are soaked. I know those are different than Heartfelt but the principle...
 
Unfortunately, beads are not exact… They are +/- @ 3 points. (@5%)

So, I would try to get some 65 percent beads and hope they could bring the humidity down to 67 to 68 percent.
 
I’ve never had issues with high humidity. Just low in the wintertime. I use 65% beads and when the humidity drops, I just take the beads out and spritz them directly with a spray bottle of distilled water. They have never cracked as far as I can tell and my humidity is typically around 67 - 69%. Works for me.
 
What did all of the old skool cigar smokers do for humidification for their humidors, many decades ago, even centuries ago?

Brian G @CO.com says $9 is "expensive" for a bag of 'beads' when he spends $$$$$ on cigars? Just LMFAO 🤣

I really would like to know, why in Hell is everyone over thinking the entire cigar humidification thing?

Me? I've tried just about everything over 14 years that everyone else has tried for cigar humidification needs BUT what actually works, as a humectant, and/or desiccant? I mean really; fucking think about it but DON"T over think it lad.
 
My beads in the wineador have held steady all summer. like John I'll spritz them in the winter months if I need to.
 
I use two cigar oasis electric humidifiers in my humidor. Over the years, the florist sponge/foam that it comes with disintegrates.
So as others I replaced it with beads I purchased on Amazon and as Groucho898 had with his. My beads never absorbed any of the distilled water. It was an excellent device in the water so while moving it to refill I never spilled and water. They were just tiny plastic beads.


Just the other week by coincidence, I decided to replace the beads with the correct ones after 3 years. It is amazing a teaspoon of the beads fills
the whole oasis tank device….after they fully absorb the water. There is enough beads for $ 8.00 to last 100 years.
 
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I use two cigar oasis electric humidifiers in my humidor. Over the years, the florist sponge/foam that it comes with disintegrates.
So as others I replaced it with beads I purchased on Amazon and as Groucho898 had with his. My beads never absorbed any of the distilled water. It was an excellent device in the water so while moving it to refill I never spilled and water. They were just tiny plastic beads.

Just the other week by coincidence, I decided to replace the beads with the correct ones after 3 years. It is amazing a teaspoon of the beads fills
the whole oasis tank device….after they fully absorb the water. There is enough beads for $ 8.00 to last 100 years.
I have one too in another humi. I think we’re talking about the same thing here but I replaced the foam with those floral beads that absorb water. Called deco beads or water beads. Works pretty great.
 
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