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Old 11-28-2010, 03:02 PM   #1
Graymatter
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Frigidor

I have a fairly new, small fridge (~2' x2 1/2' x 18") that I am using for a large humi. I have been using (4) 50 cigar boxes but have had difficulty keeping them all at the same RH so I decided to use the fridge as a frigidor since it has been out of commission for a while. My questions are:


1. Does the new plastic smell affect the cigars?
2. When I get a new box that I want to just store should I open the box or leave them sealed?
3. I have not lined the walls with Spanish cedar - is this essential?
4. I don't have air circulation in the unit - is this essential?
5. I am using about 1/2 lb of 70% RH humidity beads - is that sufficient?

Any help would be appreciated.
GM
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Old 11-28-2010, 04:22 PM   #2
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1. Does the new plastic smell affect the cigars? Depends on how strong it is, I suppose. I've never worried about that with new coolers, I just start filling 'em up. I don't get any plastic smell in my cigars, even after 2+ years of aging.
2. When I get a new box that I want to just store should I open the box or leave them sealed? That's kind of a cello on/cello off question. Personally, I open and inspect most boxes that I intend to store for a significant amount of time.
3. I have not lined the walls with Spanish cedar - is this essential? No. There is probably enough Spanish cedar in the boxes themselves to do the job.
4. I don't have air circulation in the unit - is this essential? IMO, no. I personally believe less is more where oxygen and aging cigars is concerned. I don't do air circulation and I don't periodically open my coolers "so the cigars can breathe." I'm sure others will chime in with different opinions, but that's mine.
5. I am using about 1/2 lb of 70% RH humidity beads - is that sufficient? By your measurements, your frigidor is about 7.5 cubic feet on the inside. If I'm remembering my bead math properly, a pound is supposed to work with up to 5 cubic feet. IF my memory is right, you may want to bump up the beads a bit. Keep in mind that how often you open the door and what the ambient RH is both have huge impacts on how stable any humidification device will keep the RH, and how often you need to add water.

Any help would be appreciated.
GM
Good questions.
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Old 11-28-2010, 05:45 PM   #3
Graymatter
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MD,
Thanks for your input. Since your counsel is all I have to go on at this point, I am going with it. All of my boxes are already open and I have added more beads and I am holding at 65% RH at 65 degrees. That should do it. I have some Tatuaje's and Padilla's in there that like a less humid environment.
I wiped the entire inside of the fridge down and let it air out for a couple of days and it seems to be fine. Bottom line is there is a more consistent environment for all of my cigars. I think this will work for long term storage and I can pull out a few each week and put them into my desktop for my daily smokes.

Thanks again MD for taking the time to respond.

GM
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Old 11-29-2010, 04:48 AM   #4
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GM - Sounds like you have it nailed down extremely well. I believe that 65/65 is pretty close to optimal for long-term storage...that's what I strive to maintain in my coolers. And to my tastes, yes, that's just about perfect for Tatuaje Miamis and Padilla 1932s, both of which I am aging in multi-box quantities.

The only problem I see you running into is that you're likely to fill that frigidor up in a hurry. At that point, we can talk about coolers and kitty litter beads.
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Old 11-28-2010, 05:45 PM   #5
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Good questions.
Good answers.
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Old 11-28-2010, 05:55 PM   #6
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Good answers.
I second that, especially the answer to #4. IMO "oxidation" is not especially good for long term storage/aging.
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Old 11-29-2010, 10:10 AM   #7
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This works for me...

I have a fridgedor. Has been working great for about 5 years now. I bought a 5.5 cu. ft. refridgerator(all refridge, no freezer), added a Johnson temp control I purchased from Williams Brewing, added silica beads, and put in a digital temp/humi gauge. Then I garnished the inside with all my cigars!

The only problems I've encountered is filling the fridgedor up too fast! I do have a backup 48 qt cooler out in the barn just in case I need it!

And, the room I keep my cigars does not have heat or air conditioning, so when the weather changes from summer to winter or winter to summer, I have to watch the temps and humidity closely until it evens out for that particular season.
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Old 11-29-2010, 10:31 AM   #8
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I used to have a fridgeador back before I bought a cabinet. I kept mine outside, so I used the cooling of the fridge to keep the temps down. I bought a temp controller from a brew store for that. The problem I ran into, with very hot/humid Texas summers was condensation forming inside the fridge. A friend of mine has a PhD in chemistry and we tried everything to keep the humidity down. He said it had to do with the amount of moisture in the air and it hitting the cooling coils in the fridge. The moist/hot air hits the cold coil and causes condensation to fall out. If yours won't be in triple digit heat, then I don't think you have anything to worry about.
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