Expert: James Yee - 10/18/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hi James,

I would like to know if it is possible to create a 2-in-1
cigar walk-in humidor and wine cellar.

Both wine and cigars seem to be accommodated by a RH of
around 70 but it's a different story when it comes down to
temperature.

I have a 5 by 7 by 10 room that I would like to convert with
wine rack at the bottom and cigar shelves on top.

Thank you ahead of time for taking the time to answer our
questions.

~ John

ANSWER: Hi John

Yes, it's possible to build a room for both your wine and cigars.  As long as the temperature in your wine cellar/walk-in humidor does not exceed 75 degrees Fahrenheit, your cigars will be fine.  Once the temperature exceeds 75 degrees, tobacco beetle eggs inside your cigars will begin to incubate and eventually hatch.  It's best to keep the temperature between 66-74 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees is considered ideal).

A popular design for wine cellar/walk-in humidors is to build separate thermo-electric humidor cabinets.  This way, you can keep your cigars stored at an ideal environment separate from the wine cellar's storage conditions.

I hope 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

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

QUESTION: Hi again James,

Is it possible to have the wine bottles and cigar in the
same room without creating a separate space for each;
meaning 70/70 conditions for both? I know it would work for
cigars but I am not certain for wine.

Does the room need to have air circulation since it will be
sealed from everywhere?

What kind for humidifier do you recommend for such room? I
am looking to have it hooked to water and have a tripled
filtration reverse osmosis system so I don't have to
constantly refill the distilled water.

I have seen a video where they use some kind of "Walton
humidification" system to diffuse the distilled water in
fine water particles; is that any good?

I am looking to put and use only the best there is.

Thank you  

Answer
Hi John,

Wine storage should not exceed 64 degrees Fahrenheit (55 degrees is considered ideal).  Your room also shouldn't be too cold (ie: anything less than 60 degrees) as it will be harder to keep the cigars humid.  As long as your room does not exceed 75 degrees Fahrenheit, your cigars will be fine.  Storing your cigars at 64 degrees shouldn't be a problem at all.  (I wouldn't suggest storing your wine at 70 degrees.)

It's also important to have air circulation for your room if the room is not naturally cool year round.  For dry and hot summer months, proper ventilation and air-circulation will prevent your cigars from getting too hot and over-humidified.  

Normally a commercial-grade humidifier (that you manually refill with distilled water) is more than enough for a room that size but a reverse osmosis system should work nicely.  

I have not used a Walton fine water particle humidifier before so I can't comment on its performance.  

Regards,
James