Expert: James Yee - 10/1/2009

Question
QUESTION: HI James, I have a 120ct desktop humi. that i want to keep at a constant temp. I was thinking about getting a thermo-electric wine cooler (28 bottle or so). I was wondering if i could just stick my humidor inside it and not have to worrie about outfiting the inside of the cooler with ceader. Can i just use it factory out of the box plug it in put my humi in it and be done.(i will have my humidifacation in side the humidor not the fridge is this ok?). Also the highest temp i could find on one is up to 66 degrees is this ok... and can i store my cigars for long periods of time in this condition..66 degrees/ 70% rh    Thank you Chris

ANSWER: Hi Chris,

Yes, it's safe to store your cigars at 66 degrees Fahrenheit and 70% humidity.  You can also store your humidor inside the wine cooler but I would advise that you monitor your humidor daily as any trapped moisture between the wine cooler and the humidor could eventually damage your humidor's exterior.  As a better alternative, it's very easy to modify a wine fridge by removing the shelving racks and adding full Spanish cedar lining walls and Spanish cedar shelving/drawers and storing your cigars freely in it without your humidor.  Another great feature with wine coolers is that they're large enough to allow you to store whole boxes as well.

Another option you can consider is purchasing a thermo-electric humidor instead of a wine cooler.  Many thermo-electric humidors are about the size of a cabinet but desktop thermo-electric humidors do exist.  (One brand that comes to mind is Vinotemp.)

Hopes this helps. If you have anymore questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: i have seen that vinotemp but have not been able to find reviews on it. do you know if this one is any good. i would get it tomorrow if i knew it would last a good couple of  years with out crapin out. i would rather go this route then the big wine cooler. thank you again

ANSWER: Hi Chris,

I don't have any reviews for the Vinotemp thermo-electric humidor yet but there are many positive reviews for other Vinotemp thermo-electric products available on the Internet as well as positive feedback about their customer service so I can assume that the quality of their thermo-electric desktop humidor is quite good.  I'm currently working on gathering more infomation on their thermo-electric humidor and will post it here soon.

If you're in the need for immediate thermo-electric cigar storage, it would be better to invest in a wine cooler as you originally mentioned.

Regards,
James

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hey james one more question i want to go with the wine cooler(28 ct. or so) and was wondering if i put a large bowl of heartfelt beeds in the bottom of the cooler would that take care of the extra moisture that you said might dammage the out side of my humidor. i will also have some beeds in the humidor as well dose this sound like a good idea. and what if i wanted to store wine above the humidor on like the top racks would that be ok. thank you chris

Answer
Hi Chris,

Yes, placing humidity beads/crystals in your humidor and wine fridge should work but you'll need to monitor the humidity closely for the first month or so to make sure that everything is working properly.  With beads, crystals and Propylene Glycol, there's always a trial-and-error stage where you need to find the right amount to fine-tune your humidor's performance and this could take time.  

It's also fine to store wine with your cigars but you need to remember that the wine-fridge temperature and humidity levels must be configured to fit the need of your cigars, not the wine.  If your wine is sensitive to 66-70 degrees Fahrenheit and 70% humidity, it's best to store the wine in a separate wine-cooler.

Hopes this helps.  As always, if you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James