Instead of constantly telling folks how to build the cheapest/most effective humidor in dozens of threads, I figured I'd do a writeup for The Humidor so folks can get a step in the right direction.

Supplies:
1. A cooler, preferably one with a good seal.
2. Humidification device.  I prefer Heartfelt 65% beads from www.heartfeltindustries.com.  You'll also want a sock to hold your beads.
3. Empty cigar boxes.  These boxes should be from unflavored cigars and can be found, usually for free, from your local cigar shop.
4. A hydrometer
5. Cigars!

Total Cost: Varies, but this project can be completed for less than $150 with ease.

STEP ONE:  The Cooler





The model I have here is a Coleman Xtreme Cooler, 100qt.  AmyElizabeth purchased it for me from wal-mart for around $70.

In reality, any cooler will work, but the thicker the insulation and the better the seal leads to better temp/humidity control for your cigars.  

So, you've got a cooler...now what?


^Make sure the cooler's drain is closed tightly.

Clean it out with soap and water and let it dry thoroughly.  Even if it's brand new, give it a quick wash.

There, you're done monkeying with the cooler itself, wasn't that easy?

STEP TWO: Cigar Boxes

Go to your local cigar shop, buy a cigar or two, then ask politely if they have any spare cigar boxes you could have to keep your cigars in.  I've yet to be turned down.  If your cigar store says no, ask your cigar smoking buddies, craigslist...wherever.  You should never ever have to pay for cigar boxes or spanish cedar planks.

The reason you're using cigar boxes is because spanish cedar acts as a humidity medium for your cigars.  Not only will the boxes allow you to store your single cigars in, but the material they're made of will soak up humidity, thus regulating the humidity from your humidifying source more evenly throughout the humidor.  

Simply place your cigars in whichever boxes fit them, then place inside your humidor.



^View of my coolerdor.  Note the completely random boxes.  Free's free right?


^Example of a great coolerdor cigar box.  See all that cedar...that's what you want.


^You can also use a ziplock bag to hold your cigars in, tupperware, whatever SO LONG AS you have some cedar boxes in your coolerdor.  Here, you can see a ziplock with random cigars in it.  If you use a ziplock/tupperware/whatnot, simply make sure it's open a little bit so humidity can enter/leave.  A sealed bag will make its own environment which could be bad for your cigars.

STEP THREE: The humidification device

Let me start this by prefacing: I love Heartfelt beads.  Having used 3 different humidification systems (sponges, gels and one active system) I can emphatically say that there is no better method for controlling a humidor's humidity than using HeartFelt beads.  That being said, if you have a different system that works for you, USE IT.  

A Note On Humidity/Temps:  The ideal temperature/humidity numbers are 65DegF and 65%RH.  If your numbers go a bit higher or lower on either of these, don't stress.  If your temperature gets over 70deg and your humidity is at 65% or higher, you may run into cigar beetle or mold issues.  If you follow the steps in this writeup, you likely will never have to face these issues.




^These are Heartfelt 65% Beads which have been placed inside one of the bead socks they sell.  Total cost for 1/2 pound (which will modulate the 100qt cooler perfectly) was right at $30 shipped.

Once your beads arrive, place them in the sock and tie the sock closed tightly.




^Using distilled water, wet 65% of the beads.  There is a huge fudge factor in this technique: I always tend to wet 90+% of my beads and have yet to have an issue with over-humidification



^As you can see, I used very little water.  Don't overdo it, but when you do (and I mean when, not if), don't stress.  Just shake off the excess water, and put the sock in your humi.



^Now place the sock in your humidor.  If you're using the cooler, just place it on the bottom of the cooler.

From time to time, your beads will dry out.  I usually check my RH once a month and if it's dipped below 65%, I'll refill my beads.  Just keep a random eye on the RH and if it's more than 2pts below 65% (with 65% beads) refill your beads with distilled water.

STEP FOUR: The Hydrometer

Though not necessary, a hydrometer will help you determine what the temperature/RH is of your cigar storage device.  They are an inexpensive piece of mind for cigar hounds.



^This is a hydrometer I purchased for around $20 from HeartFelt industries.  They can be purchased virtually everywhere cigars are sold.  Try to get a digital model as analogue ones aren't quite as accurate.  

It may become necessary to calibrate your digital hydrometer, and if so, simply go to this link to learn how:  http://en.allexperts.com/q/Cigars-2143/2009/5/calibration-digital-hygrometer.htm

After calibration, place your hydrometer somewhere where you can see it when you open your coolerdore and you're set.

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There, that's it, you're done.  You can now relax knowing that for the price of a 200 count cedar humidor, you now have the capacity to store no fewer than a thousand cigars in perfect temperature and relative humidity.
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WHERE TO BUY:

Cooler: http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&q=coleman%20xtreme%20100&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wf
^I heartly recommend the coleman xtreme line.  Don't be afraid to get a large size, you'll fill it up...trust me.

Humidification beads: http://heartfeltindustries.com/proddetail.asp?prod=HB_1_65  Link is for one pound of beads, but you can get 1/2 pounds or less.

Humidification Bead Sock (Mesh bag): http://heartfeltindustries.com/proddetail.asp?prod=DB_2&cat=14  This is recommended to hold your beads for ease of refilling when the RH drops.

Hydrometer: http://www.heartfeltindustries.com/proddetail.asp?prod=DHYG_REC  This is the one I use and the one in the pictures above.

Cigar Boxes:  Your local cigar store for free.

Great deals on cigars: www.cigarbid.com  Sorry about showing you this link, it'll cost you $$$ in the future.  

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Authors Notes:

I keep hearing the mantra, "You have to keep your humidor's lid closed!  If you open it all the time, you'll kill the RH and your cigars!!"

This, frankly is rubbish.  If you have a humidor that has a proper humidification device, you can admire your cigars as long as you want.  Once you close the lid, the humidification device will simply aspirate more humidity and voila, your cigars are back to good.  Cigars are more hearty than people give them credit for.

Case in point:


^Calibrated hydrometer outside.  40% humidity outdoors today in STLMO.


^Dropped to 34% indoors.  This photograph was taken right as I placed the hydrometer in the humidor.  I then closed the lid.


^3 minutes later, humidity has climbed to 50% inside the coolerdore.


^Not two minutes after the 50% mark and we're back to 60% with 65 following a few minutes afterwards.  Now my cigars are back to an environment with proper RH, despite my having the lid open for 25mins or so while taking pictures.
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STICKY IT MAN!!!!!


And also...can we add an insert about the Oust fan part???
Seriously, it made all the difference for my setup...the really full one that is.

Chants.....
sticky,
sticky,
sticky........


Ok enuff of that, gotta go smoke.

I feel the tide turning....

I suppose I'll make a contribution .  Not an original idea, but an idea none the less.  

Lets do a little math.  

________________________________________________________________________________________


ClosetMaid 6 ft. Width x 12 in. Depth SuperSlide Ventilated Wire Shelf

-



÷ 4 =



+


Coleman Xtreme 150 Quart Cooler

+



+


Cedar Cigar Tray with Divider

=


HiRes

Did I miss the math on how much beads or whatever your using?

ETA:  Looks great though...Might be the perfect idea when I have to go up a size.

That is EXACTLY what I had in mind for my coolerdor, except I received it in the mail and opened it up...NO GROOVES!!! So I am stuck with a horizontal humidor. Still beats the heck out of what I was using before.

Spanish Cedar Tray


ON SALE.....$11.00....fits perfectly!

No you didn't miss it.  I left it out since there are several different types of humidification devices out there.  Personally, I don't like beads, though many prefer them.

Great thread guys and lot's of great ideas we can all bounce off of!  Any large cooler will do.  I got this idea from a good buddy of mine!   In order to take the plastic smell out clean it out with bleach, rinse several times, and let air dry for several days.  










Cedar smells great so use pieces from boxes of cigars.  Thicker planks are for the doors.  Wood glue works best as it sticks well and its orderless!



















Also take thicker pieces of cedar and glue them together so they are rigid.  As you can see they are cut to fit quite well inside the indentations in this particular cooler!  Thin pieces are for extra lining.











Be sure to let the glue set up and dry well.  Give it a couple of days!  Add beads and hydrometers!












As you can see it makes for a great stand up coolerdor!

And it's unnecessary.  Pipe tobacco isn't as sensitive as cigars.  Just get some Ball or Mason Jars in the grocery store for long time airtight storage and aging.

As for my coolerdoor.  I have the Spanish cedar trays on one side, and boxes on the other.  I have  1.5lb of 65% HF beads and an Oust fan.  Good stuff.

question about the humi beads.

if i were to get 1lb of beads but didnt need all of them for this particular coolerdor, would putting more beads than needed in this setup be a bad thing? for example, would it cause too little or too much humidification?

They don't work like that...I overload the beads.
They create a static environment and maintain a set humidity.

so, no matter how much water or how many beads you have in the bag, the beads will continue to humidify the environment until it cannot sustain the percent humidity and will start to drop humidity based on how much water they are holding?

OK....let's take a step back here.

The reason you add beads, gel, foam pucks...is to regulate the RH inside the storage container.
We will all tell you to pitch the green floral foam puck or rectangular humidifier that come with a lot of humis.
They are unreliable and will leak on you at some point.

Many of us started out with the gel type cans...take the Xikar clear plastic jar...I have at least five laying around somewhere...
They are easy to manage...look at the side of the jar, there are lines...gel down to this level is dry...add PG solution....gel at this level = good...drop it in the humi and you are done.
When the gel shrinks to that lower line or below...time to refill.
REFILL with PG solution...what is that?
That is propylene glycol...a little more stable than distilled water and is pre-mixed...most include an anti-fungal agent and maintain a 70% RH.

Read the directions that come with the humidifier...gel likes this...others will say to only use distilled water.....DISTILLED...not tap, not spring...DISTILLED.
Distilled water has most of the minerals and other contaminants removed. Because of that, fungus doesn't grow as easily.
HumiCare humidifiers are like this out of the box....shake them and you hear "rice" inside...follow the direction and hydrate the media...it takes up to four hours the first time...watch your meter and when you see it start to waver, check the humidifier...they are not as easy to see...not like the jar or the color of the beads but still not rocket science.

Beads...
Beads are another form of humidification.
They come "empty" and need to be "started" right out of the package.
The rule of thumb is that you wet half of them with distilled water, give them a good shake and drop them into the humi...and that is that.
The beads will be white...wetting half will give them a clear-like color.
The directions that came with mine were to create two half pound bags. It was very clear and told me how much distilled water to pour onto the bag of beads.
Beads are nice as they work two ways for a LONG time but they will require some maintenance eventually....they will need some distilled water sometime.
They work two ways in that they introduce humidity to the environment and they attract extra humidity as well...remember, we only wet half of the beads...the "dry" ones will absorb moisture if it is to high...this is how they regulate the RH in the container to maintain the set RH level that you select. The beads are ordered in the percentage of RH you want....I like 65% for my beads.

AND...replace that dial hygrometer with a digital one...or in my case just add it inside...I have a desktop humi that has one built into the side...remove it and I have a gaping hole in the side...bad for regulating and keeping cigars! The brand does not matter. They are all over the net...Radio Shack, CI, Monster...they all have them.
That will be the next lesson....calibration.


I hope this helps...if not, shoot me an IM or email  and I will work with you!

That's helps immensely. Thanks for helping me understand exactly how the beads work. Now I just need to find the time build one of these!

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

A few have asked to see my setups....so.....










I have beads and an Oust fan in each...you can only see the fan in one cooler.
Beads on top and on the bottom.
As you can see....top open and 69%...temp cooled off while I had to open but it stays around 65 degrees...
I would have added pics of the fridge but my daughter attacked it with Little PetShop and Hello Kitty stickers....and I will not post those as I know where you sick bastards will take the path....no way!!! You just have to use your imagination....

Yeah...I have a problem....so I see a 150 qt cooler in my future...swore I wouldn't do it....no, keep the two....right!!!

Echo

Tag.

Since the topic is back up again.......TTT

echo: what size/model coolers are in the pics you have up? also how many trays do you have in there stacked up?  been really thinking of doing a coolerador and trying to get an understanding on what sizes can hold what with trays as i like how it can be organized.


also i know your not suppose to mix flavored and non flavored cigars.  but in a coolerador can you put a cigar jar humidor with flavored smokes in your cooler or should it still remain separate?

The only reason why I even thought about it was for temperature control.


Lol, its hard to think about building a cooler as I just started smoking cigars a few months ago.

That ain't so bad... I started to seriously get back into it a little over a month ago.



I currently have a filled to capacity 100 count and 2 tupperdors. Waiting on some cedar drawers for a wineador. Spent somewhere around $600 or so.



This place has a slippery slope, and it doesn't take long to start sliding down fast.

I suggest always keeping an empty cooler on hand for those "oops ran out of room" moments or the BOMBS that may come your way. Them big ones fill up just as fast as the others it seems.

I need a second cooler .

Well, the fine folks behind Spec's here in Texas are going to finally force me to get a cooler for this project.  They are opening a new one 10 miles away!!

I know one of you crazy bastids has a Yeti cooler that you have made a coolerdor so that if a tornado rips through your house your babies will be safe.  So, let's see it.

The only one that would have worked for me would be a Tundra 250 but for that price, I could build three fridges and two marine colemans.....but it sure would look REALLY cool huh....

Shockey would surely approve!!!

For sure, but just think about the security it would add!  Just picture yourself at a large herf in the middle of the woods and all of the sudden a bear comes out of the woods.  It goes straight for the cooler because it smells Slavacs watermelon blunts that he stored in your cooler.  With the coleman you are going to lose all of your cigars and your coolerdor.  With the yeti you are going to film it, wait for the bear to leave, finish the herf and the next day you will sell the clip to yeti so that they can use it in an advertisement.  It would make you money...you have to think two steps ahead

HRM........three boxes of ISOM heaven.......one cooler........scale is tipping towards ISOM.....besides....if a bear ever showed up at camp....well.....what goes to camp, stays at camp...the pelt would look GREAT on the floor anyway.

Well, I broke my own rule.  I broke multiple of my own rules.

Instead of sticking with one humidor, I won another 100ct humidor last night.  By this time next summer, I fully expect to own a populated coolerdor.

Oops.

A bump to the top for the new guys......

You guys remind me of me, circa 1998.

I discovered cigars.  Then expensive ones.  Then Cigars that looked and tasted expensive but could be purchased in bulk!

Then I made a humidor, then another, then I needed to store them in bags.

Then I got bored and stopped cigars all together for almost 10 years.

Now, I smoke cheap cigars, long fill, in boxes of 25 for 1.85 ea.  And I seldom even smoke those.

I still look at my handmade humidor at times, and know there are a couple of treasures buried inside  ... just waiting for the right time to pull them out and rehydrate them.

Enjoy the hobby fellas, but, just like BRD, don't go TAPCO too early in the hobby.

TRG

Will a 1/2 pound of heartfelt beads keep a 48qt cooler in check?

Point well taken. That's one of the reasons that, for beginners, I recommend a humidor BEFORE a coolerdor––- so you don't wind up with a ton of cigars that you've lost interest in, and are not kept properly, and are ruined, or need to be "rehydrated"

 




 

And the good part about a coolerdor with bio beads is that it can keep for one month+ without touching it, for when you're not feeling like smoking cigars.

Don't let your cigars lose their moisture and you can smoke them ten years later, no problem.

It is indeed a beautiful thing when you get to the almost zero maintenance point.



I have not touched my setup in 2-3 months and it hasn't changed a single %.