Humidor Help?

[waybomb]

Well hell.
I have a nice "150" cigar humidor. I actually keep 50 to 75 in there.
It came with two plastic blocks that water must be added to occasionally.

I opened up the humidor today and it smelled of mold. Come to discover one of these stupid things leaked. Ruined the bottom layer of cigars in the vicinity. There were some nice ones there, but luckily no cubans.

What are my options? I want nothing to do with these cheap plastic things.

Was on the cigar websites and there are jars with black crystals, jars that split into four with crystals, little bags rated at their humidity level, etc.

What is the very best to use in such a small humidor? Maybe one day I'll turn a closet into humidor and get a real humidifier, but that's in the future, if at all. Wife would be roadblock......

 

[jimbo]

Well hell.
I have a nice "150" cigar humidor. I actually keep 50 to 75 in there.
It came with two plastic blocks that water must be added to occasionally.

I opened up the humidor today and it smelled of mold. Come to discover one of these stupid things leaked. Ruined the bottom layer of cigars in the vicinity. There were some nice ones there, but luckily no cubans.

What are my options? I want nothing to do with these cheap plastic things.

Was on the cigar websites and there are jars with black crystals, jars that split into four with crystals, little bags rated at their humidity level, etc.

What is the very best to use in such a small humidor? Maybe one day I'll turn a closet into humidor and get a real humidifier, but that's in the future, if at all. Wife would be roadblock......

I've had good luck with these:

http://www.cigarsinternational.com/humidification/38312/drymistat-crystal-humidification/

Unless you overfill them, they do not leak. In a 150 humidor I'd use 2. 1 on each level. Fill with tap water although I use distilled.

Those moldy cigars might not be as ruined as you think. Dry the cigar, brush off the mold. If it's just surface, you're good to go.

FWIW, I am thinking of turning a non functioning under counter wine cooler into a humidor. It should work very well.

 

[Melensdad]

I also like the gel blobs and crystals. Either work and are 10x better than water logged foam blocks inside a plastic box.

But I really think the humidity packets might be the safest/easiest option, not the long term cheapest because you have to replace them more frequently than the gel or crystals. With the packets you pick the humidity level, by the corresponding packet(s) and leave them in your box. They just work.

Cigars International is one of the mail order houses that I consider to be very legitimate with great service.

 

[waybomb]

Been reading up on all of this.
I ended up buying a dozen 60g packets.

Took the inner parts of the humidor apart, sanded, bleached, and dried it all out. Leaving it open until next weekend. No smell of any sort left and looks like new now.

 

[waybomb]

And I.finally found a non-cuban that I enjoy.
Perdomo Cabinet series.
I guess they are old not made anymore. I had tried one, then bought a bunch more and today I bought a box.
Even the box is nice!
Thats all he has of this size. He has another box, but of shorter sticks. I bought one of those sticks to try. If good I'll buy those as well.