Homemade inexpensive humidor
Commonly referred to as tupperdors, igloodors, and colemandors, these storage devices have been used by many cigar smokers, to store more cigars than one can fancy, wooden humidors.
Equipment Needed:
- Igloo cooler, or any good, brand-name of a size to your liking. The lid should close snugly. A word of advice here… buy the next bigger size than the one you think you need (the voice of experience). I got a 54-quart model at Costco for $19.00. It holds hundreds of cigars. Then I filled it and got another. And another. You get the picture.
- Florist’s oasis. You can usually find this at an arts and crafts shop stocked with the floral arrangement stuff. There are two kinds, wet which absorbs water and dry which doesn’t. You want the wet kind. It costs around $2.00 for more than you’ll ever need. Perhaps you can host a little build-a-thon with some friends?
- Propelyne Glycol (PG). The easiest way I know to get this is from a pharmacist. It costs about $7.00 for 500ml (again, more than you’ll ever need). I got mine at Walgreens, but they had to order it. Be sure and talk to the pharmacist. A pharmacy tech or a clerk will usually have no clue what PG is or how to procure it. The pharmacist may be suspicious or curious about what you want this for. Tell them the truth.
- Why do you need PG?
To put it more simply, PG is a hydroscopic substance - It absorbs moisture from the environment (like a salt shaker does in humid weather). The distilled water evaporates until the ambient humidity approaches 70%. At that point the PG won’t allow any more moisture in the air. Conversely, if there is too much moisture in the air, the PG solution absorbs the excess, bringing the system down to 70% as well.
- Why do you need PG?
- The Radio Shack Model 63-1032 digital thermometer/hygrometer. A bargain at $25.
- A sandwich-sized tupperware container. Or a soap holder (2-piece). About $3.00 anywhere.
- Distilled water. Can you use water from the tap? Probably. However, your tap water may very well contain spores and other microorganisms. Do you want to chance it?
- A drill or some kind of punch to poke a lot of holes in the sandwich-sized tupperware container.
- Optional: Some boxes from your cigar shop made from Spanish cedar (not all are… if in doubt, ask). Usually free, though some sell them for a couple bucks each.
How to make:
- Using your drill or punch, take the sandwich-sized tupperware container and make lots and lots of holes in the top and sides. Do not put holes in the bottom and leave a little space along the sides of the bottom unpierced too. This is so moisture has a place to go just in case you overfill your oasis slightly.
- Cut a piece of the florist’s oasis to a size a little smaller than the tupperware container. It should rattle around a little inside when you put the lid on and shake it. There is no need to be fussy here.
- Mix 1/4 cup of PG and 1/4 cup of water together to make a solution to make 1/2 cup of solution. PG is a food additive, so tell your wife/SO not to worry about ruining a good bowl.
- Dampen the cut piece of oasis with the PG solution. (If it doesn’t absorb the solution like a sponge, you bought the wrong kind of florist’s oasis. Stop here. Throw away your oasis and go back to the store and get the wet stuff.) Don’t soak the oasis, just get it thoroughly damp. It should be wet, but not dripping. It’s OK to have a few dry spots, but most of it should be dampened. You might need to make more solution depending on the size of your oasis.
- Put the oasis in the tupperware container and put the lid on. This is your humidifying device. Over time (months, in most cases), it will dry out and you’ll have to add more distilled water. Your hygrometer will tell you when it needs more water. Your humidity will start to drop and remain reading low over a period of many consecutive days.
- Test your hygrometer’s accuracy and calibrate, if needed. The calibration directions are a bit long. My hygrometer was off by 8%, so this part’s important.
- If you wanna be really fancy/schmancy you can break up the cigar boxes and use a non-odorous glue to attach then to the sides of your cooler. Personally, I just put/leave the cigars in the wooden boxes.
Note: If you are storing cigars in the box they came in, it’s best to remove the lid from the box. - Put your cigars, boxes, tupperware with oasis, and hygrometer in the cooler and put the lid on. It may take several days to achieve 70% humidity. Be patient and don’t freak. It won’t hurt your cigars to be a little under-humidified for a few days. Also, if you add a box or two of under-humidified cigars to your humidor, expect the relative humidity to drop for a week or so while things reach equilibrium. Cigars take a while to absorb moisture. It can take as long as 3 weeks for severely over/under-humidified cigars to reach 70% again.
Humidor information links
- metlife annuity | Ireland free classifieds Ireland free business <b>…</b>
http://rentacaristanbul.nl/include/06/non-electric-hand-pumps.html non-electric hand pumps, 631096, http://freshparentinglive.com/cgi-bin/63/cigar-humidor.html. … 782, http://agnewlandscapes.com/cp/23/georgia-department-of-agriculture. html georgia department of agriculture, 41201, http://portento…- How to smoke a <b>cigar</b> Pt. 16: Dark and light <b>cigar</b> wrappers <b>…</b>
when you do open up a cigar, dont forget you can always add those leaves with your regular pipe tobacco for a little homemade key largo. SmokeRingsPipeDreams: November 13, 2009 at 4:25 pm. Thank you, that’s a hell of an idea, I am going to do a video soon where I open … Will your cutter always be …- Metroland: Best Of Goods & Services 2010
In addition to carrying all the quality cigars, pipes, tobaccos and accoutrements of quality you’ve come to expect from Habana, the new space boasts one of the largest humidors in the Northeast, a sexy smoking lounge, a fine selection of gentleman’s … But there is an expert and friendly staff and …