Summer's coming.. heat + a/c = $$ death

M

Mindflux

Lowland Gorilla
Summer's a comin in Texas. With the temps soon to be in the 100s I KNOW I cannot keep the house at a comfortable 72 degrees every single day while I'm at work.

I'm looking for a small wine cooler that I can house my 150ct humidor in. I *CAN* stick my humidor in a wine cooler right? That way the beads can still work for the humidor dimensions, but the wine cooler will regulate the temp of the humi+cigars?

thebeveragefactory.com has several wine coolers, some with small price tags.

Such as this for 100:
http://www.beveragefactory.com/refrigerators/wine/wc191bg.shtml

or this:
http://www.beveragefactory.com/wine/wine/16-24/EWC16B.shtml

or even this for a little more:

http://www.beveragefactory.com/refrigerators/wine/jc-46.shtml

would any of these suffice? Obviously I'll have to get my humidor dimensions and then extrapolate that into how it'll fit in a wine cooler.

But.. what say you?
 
those should be fine,
check ouy a costco or sams club etc and look at their selection.
 
Mindflux said:
Read that thread earlier. Found it a bit cluttered. But whatever..
Click to expand...
Ok...well..Reflex's post might unclutter it for you...

---

It is a wine cooler and here is the break down:

Avanti model EWC28 thermoelectric ( only type to get for better RH control) I got it off ebay from anythingforsale it is a scratch & dent model with only small dents to the lower rear corners for $169.00 delivered, If you get one of these make sure you read the discription of the damage.

Link
http://cgi.ebay.com/Avanti-28Bottle-Thermo...1QQcmdZViewItem

To get the correct temp, mine wouldn't go above 58 deg, I bought a Johnson controler from Williams Brewing for $54.16 delivered.

Link
http://www.williamsbrewing.com/CONTROLLER_P762C100.cfm

I bought Polymers from Watersorm 2lbs for $15.00 delivered. Get the craft stuff it has no dust

Link
http://watersorb.com/prices.htm

You can also buy 65% beads but at a cost of $65.00 for 2 lbs I'll stick with the watersorb ;)

I have 2 Oust Fans I bought at the Grocery store on sale for $5.00 each, don't use the scents just the fans. ;)

Link
http://www.oustodor.com/oust-fan/

I went to Rocker and bought Sp Cedar for about $70.00, I bought too much but will use the rest on the next Coolidor I'm building, you will need 1 pc. 5" x 48" and 1 2" x 48" to make 2 shelves. You don't have to get the Sp Cedar but it really makes the coolidor smell like a humidor ;D ONLY GET SPANISH CEDAR FOR THE SMELL AND IT HELPS CONTROL THE RH

Link to locations
http://www.rockler.com/retail/retail.cfm

I bought from Bargain Humidor 2 Hygrometer, 1 in the top & 1 in the bottom, also from them.(not in Photo)

Link
http://www.bargainhumidors.com/bh/ProductI...id=ACC-CALIBER3
(I also bought cedar storage shelves but they no longer carry them)

So after all this I let it set for 5 days with the polymers in it to season and get the humidity to stabilize. It now sets at 68deg and 65% RH

I did also use a Cigar Oasis to help in the seasoning but it will cause condensation so I removed it once I put the cigars in it
 
Dimension wise if you only are looking to stow your humidor in the smaller one, if it will fit go for it. A few things to look out for though.

1. If you can find some other pictures try to since there is usually a back ledge that can get in the way of storing bigger boxes. Be caresfull of that.

2. Me being who I am and knowing my own patterns would look to either of the 16+ bottle count units. I have a 17 count unit and in it I can comfortably fit 6 full size boxes with shelves. Without shelves I can prolly get 2 or 3 more boxes in.

Please please please do yourself a favor and make sure you will only put in the smaller unit your humidor.

I'll stop yammering now. Bottom line is consider the size carefully and your intentions. More than the humi going in or chance of it? Get the bigger ones.

One other thing. Pay attention to the low temp. You don't wanna get something that as a low temp is too low for cigars. Then you'll end up having to invest further in temperature control.
 
I live in southern louisiana. Will I have this problem also? What do most southerners do to keep their temp in the humi down without a wine cooler?
 
I don't know about you, but Houston's heating up big time already (it's almost 90 today) and I'm gonna need to move my humi's soon. For what it's worth, any place that you can put them that's out of the sun and near an A/C vent will help with maintaining the temp a little.
 
12stones said:
I don't know about you, but Houston's heating up big time already (it's almost 90 today) and I'm gonna need to move my humi's soon. For what it's worth, any place that you can put them that's out of the sun and near an A/C vent will help with maintaining the temp a little.
Click to expand...

I'll get right on mounting my humi on the ceiling ;)

The one I'm looking at allows temps up to 62F (I see some folks keep their smokes at 65*/65RH) ?
 
Mindflux said:
I'll get right on mounting my humi on the ceiling ;)

The one I'm looking at allows temps up to 62F (I see some folks keep their smokes at 65*/65RH) ?
Click to expand...

yeah, you will need to get a johnsons controller for that..

not sure the website where i got mine, but someone will post it.......help, someone!
 
What's the lowest temp you can store your sticks at?

I know all about those temp controllers, I'm a brewer.
 
Mindflux said:
What's the lowest temp you can store your sticks at?

I know all about those temp controllers, I'm a brewer.
Click to expand...


anything above freezing but below 75 is good to me for regular storage.

65-70 being ideal.

below 65, they wont really develop their flavors, blend, or bloom but they will be fine.
 
Depending on how many cigars you've got, and how many boxes you buy, I'd look for a larger one. I've got the 20-bottle Haier. I can keep probably 15-16 boxes in there. I got mine at Target, on sale, for about $130. It's the digital model that holds pretty close to 64° with no adjustment. BTW, here's the controller most goes with...

Johnson Controller

Mel
 
I'm from Tx too and the wine cooler is def worth the investment to keep the temp down. I would stay away from Costco/Sams as their coolers are on the high side ($400+). Try Target, Home Depot, even Best Buy. Should run you less than $200 for a sizeable one.
 
Well I just bought a nice small compact home in Fort Bend County, with very few windows, lots of big shade trees. We just reinsulated the entire house. So I plan to put the cigars into my closet, nice and dark with no exterior walls. And will keep the A/C targeted on 74-75 and I think they will be just fine. If that fails I will consider the wine cooler route.
 
Can someone please help me out here, I'm a little confused with one thing. I don't fully grasp the rationale for why one needs a controller. I thought the point in having the cooler is that it will keep the temp. at the desired level. What am I missing here?
 
a wine fridge does not hold a temperature of 65=70 degrees, alone.. so the controller has a probe that goes in the fridge and cuts power off to the wine fridge once the temperature reaches the desired temp.. the fridge will continue to run, until the temp is like 40 degrees. the controller cuts power to the fridge off, once the probe reaches the temp..

i am building my wine fridge now, this controller is fool-proof!

here is my best description, starting with the plug.. the plug for the controller has an outlet on the back of the plug.. you plug the wine fridge into the back of the controller plug. the wire runs to a controller (thermostat) that you can adjust the temperature with a dial.. then there is a thin little metal thread that runs to a probe... the probe goes into the wine fridge and communicates with the controller (thermostat) and obviously tell the temperature.. depending on the temperature desired, when the probe reaches that temp, it tells the controller to shut down all power to wine fridge. (no light, nothing. it is almost as if it is unplugged) once temperature rises in the fridge the controller then allows the fridge power again, and consequently the fridge begins to cool again..

Remember, this is necessary b/c (while it isnt all that bad) a cigar should not be kept at temps that a wine fridge alone is designed to cool at.. the controller allows the wine fridges temperature variance to rise and fall to levels that the fridge itself could never maintain!
 
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Justin - you the man, I have now seen the light! :D

I just wish there was another option because one wine cooler won't be big enough for my stash and I don't want to spend the money on buying two or three.

What are my other options?

1. Turn the ac down in my house to 72 or so - not going to work because our bills would be WAY TO HIGH and we would be too damn cold.

2. Get a window ac unit for just that room. I'm not sure about this option but I tend to think that this might be an expensive option as well.

3. One of those $70-$90 stand-alone units that are supposed to cool a room by about 5 degrees. Apparently you put water in them and they operate like a fan. My concern is that won't this create more humidity in my room then? Has anyone looked into one of these units?

I'm just searching for an option that will enable me to keep all my humis in place (which are in one room). The best option would be to just cool that one room, but I'm not so sure that is really a feasible option. Any thoughts?
 
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