The Half Ashed Cigar Forum

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I am working on my 1st coolidor to start aging boxes and I have a few questions if anyone has experience with these.  I've read this thread and I've read several other threads on other sites but I'm hoping to get some specific responses to contradictory things I've read.

Setup:  I went ahead and bought the 150qt Coleman Xtreme cooler that everyone is using for these. I'm going to set it up right and I'll be putting 3 wire closet shelves evenly spaced in the slots to help with organization.  I plan on mostly storing everything in the box but I got 2 cedar trays just in case there are any singles/5 packs I want to put in there.  I bought solid wood Spanish cedar planks (about 1/2" thick) that I am going to attach to the top and bottom in an even layer and if I have any left over I may put some on the sides here and there.  I'm going to mount two 320g 72% Boveda bags to the lid- one at the top and one at the bottom.  I've gotten a wireless Hygrometer that will transmit to my phone when I'm at the house so I dont have to open the door to check on the humidity. The coolidor will be stored in my finished basement, in a closet with heat/AC so temperature fluctuations wont be a concern.

With that background here are my questions:
-Do I need a 2nd Hygrometer- 1 at the top and 1 at the bottom- or if i put it on the middle shelf will these give me an accurate reading for the whole thing?
-Do I need to put a fan in the coolidor to circulate the air? I was looking at the Camco Fridge Airator and just take out the charcoal packs.  Due to not having to open it to check the temperature/RH I figure I'll be opening it just once a month to replace the batteries.
-Can I put small puck lights in it to help with lighting if I'm looking for something or will the humidity corrode the puck lights?

Thanks!

No hygrometer, the boveda packs just need to be checked once and a awhile for charge. Fan or now fan, there are recommendations for both. I did not in the cooler but I did rig one up for the converted fridge. I would just use a flashlight if you need a light to find something.

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Thanks for the info. Just out of curiosity why did you decide to put one in the fridge after not putting it in the cooler? I plan on sticking as many boxes as I can in there and not touching them for a couple years. With out opening it at all I was just worried about the air circulation.

1- why so high with humidity ? I wouldn't recommend anything over 69%.

2- I wouldn't worry about the fan as your interior volume is all width and not verticle. When you start getting a taller cabinet, you will notice a difference in humididty top to bottom. Your set up, laying down as it was designed, will not be as high as wide, and thus very little difference in humididty.

3- The bovedas will keep the humidity very consistent. Wherever you put the hygrometer, you should be good.
I would suggest possibly getting the 12 pack and placing them all around. This way, when you need to recharge one or two, you still have more in there to compensate.
I keep around 10-12 in my winedor at all times so that I can recharge without worrying about loss of capacity.

Thanks Zedman!

1- with the seal being tighter on the cooler than my actual humidor will the bags be more true to actual number? I have 72s in my humidor now and they keep the RH between 68-69%

2- the cooler is going to stand vertically so I can take advantage of the shelf slots. The interior height is around 40". Does that change your mind about the fan?

3- That's an even better idea. Thanks!

I put a single computer fan on the top shelf of an old full size Fridge because the total volume became 3-4 coolers worth. I have 6 or 7 boveda packs stuck throughout the fridge along with a few pounds of clay humidity beads so it stay pretty stable as long as the bovedas are charged. Why the battery died on the digital meter I didn't worry about replacing it.

I’ve seen coolidors that look like organized and ones that look like a mess lol — the mess that comes to mind is Glynn from Cigar Obsession. Would it be possible for y’all to share some pictures of your setups?

Would love to get a picture to go with the text. Thanks!



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f.sinagra wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 18, 2018 12:47 pm

I’ve seen coolidors that look like organized and ones that look like a mess lol — the mess that comes to mind is Glynn from Cigar Obsession. Would it be possible for y’all to share some pictures of your setups?

Would love to get a picture to go with the text. Thanks!



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Pretty sure I fall on the 'mess' side of the coolidor discussion. Here is the little Igloo Ice Cube I keep most of my cigars in. I use 2 Boveda packs that seem to stay fresh forever in the thing and supplement those with 2 corner 'pie' jars of some crystals to help a bit come the thick of winter. I generally know what is new, what isn't, and what I want to hold on to in there. I then play 'cigar jenga' when it is time to get something or reorganize. A small cooler is nice in that it works as a bit of a 'governor' on my purchasing -so I guess it helps me save money.

That looks like a good thick cooler and I'm sure it's easier to stick away somewhere. I'm having to move some stuff to the garage from a basement closet and it's a pain.