Lowering RH with Heartfelt beads

[ManInBlack]

I have searched extensively for an answer to this question without any success. However, it seems very likely to me that the question has been asked before.

Anyway, here is my situation: humidity has been running between about 80%-100% for weeks now in my area. I have taken the humidifiers out of my two desktops, have kept my humidors in a cool dark place, and have opened them as rarely as possible (once every day or two). Still, I have been unable to get the RH below 70% in the one humi and below about 73% in the other. Today, I received my 65% beads from Heartfelt. My plan is to put the beads into the humis dry (following the instructions for lowering RH), and then to charge the beads normally once I have gotten the RH in the two humis down to 65% or so. Is there a danger here of lowering the RH in the humis too quickly? Would I be better off charging the beads normally and waiting for them to bring down the RH more gradually? Thanks for your input.


Edit for spelling.

 

[Rural Guy]

I had the same issue (seeing as how I'm only 30 minutes down the road) I moved my humidors to areas with less humidity (took out my hygrometer to find them) and put my beads in with just 1/3 wet. It's kept the humidity at about 65% now and the beads are 2/3 wet. It helps that part of my basement stays about 65% when the humidity is high so once I got the beads dry and the humidity brought down to 65% I was set.

 

[badhangover]

No, no danger. It'll take some time for your cigars to stabilize from the RH yo-yo. If the humidity beads can't get the job done (not enough beads to draw in the excess humidity), I think I'd simply toss in some plain kitty litter (which is simply silica gel - a great desiccant) until things are under control and the humidity beads can then take over their function of a humidity stabilizer. I sure wouldn't purchase more humidity beads unless you are using less than is acceptable for your storage volume. The kitty litter/silica gel is far far cheaper and is ideal for your need of ridding excess humidity.

 

[{tpc}]

I think you will be fine, the beads will help. But don't be surprised if you see a jump in humidity when you get the humis down to 65% and then charge the beads. It may take some playing around with. I have 65% beads in mine, and lately with the change of weather here, I've actually had to move my humi up from the basement into the bedroom. Downstairs I was running about 70% humidity, and my beads almost looked dry. When I would charge them up, my humi would jump up to around 74% and no amount of opening and closing helped lower it.

I salt tested my hydrometers and replaced the batterys, and they came back ok. Not trusting myself to do anything right, I then bought a boveda calibration bag and checked them again. Still ok. Only after the humi got upstairs was I able to get it down to 67% currently and its been a week. Its a little warmer up there than I prefer, but there was something about where I was keeping it before...just too humid or damp or something.


My plan is to wait until it falls below 65, and then slooowly charge up the beads and see if it spikes again or not. But during the winter I had no issues at all, and had to charge them just a few times if that.