Expert: M J Robbins - 2/9/2009

Question
Hi,

Seeing that you seem to have an expertise in cigar humidification, what are your thought on the Madelaine Crystal Humidifiers? and how they compare to the Boveda packs you seem to frequently recommend.

I live in an area where the winters are cold and dry and its tough keeping the humidity up. Would it be possible to use both?


Answer
Boveda
In a sealed environment my tests show that Boveda is a necessity.
In a humidor it is different but Boveda helps make perfection easy without a daily commitment by the owner.
The Madeline crystals are just a different type of sponge to absorb water however I contacted them and they do not have info on how much water each device will hold. If the device has a specific water weight I can relate the info to my tests. Then by comparing the water weight of the sponge to the dimensions of the box and the construction quality I could make a better guess.
BUT
In an area where humidity is low and you have a problem, I definitely suggest using both the Madeline and the Boveda to pick up humidity without overdoing it.
Remember also that Propylene Gloycol reduces humidity so use it sparingly and the Boveda has a mold inhibitor built in.
Soak the Madeline device in distilled water according to their instructions and
Lay a Boveda 72% right on top of your cigars, add 2 Boveda without worry if you like. If you went to 2 Madeline devices there could be a problem with over humidification and you would have to experiment with Chemical and water to come to an uneven equalibrium. In 30 years experience that is why I like the Boveda, it takes out the human equation and leaves it to science.
The Boveda device is used By Arturo Fuente, Carlos Torano and profesional musicians to keep the wood of their Guitars or million dollar Stradivarius violins in perfect tone and mold free.
MJR