Gel vs Beads, any opinions

cholmes8310

Aight, this is simple. I have a 50ct and a 20 ct humi at home. The 20 ct holds close to 70% with the puck and PG. However, the bigger one isn't staying up to RH with the puck. My seal is fine, already checked it (can it be too tight actually?) but these ridiculously dry New England winters are wreaking havoc. My RH in it has been about 52%, and I've been filling the puck at least weekly. I just reseasoned the humi, and it came up to about 60%, but still won't come up enough.

CCOM has the cigar gel for cheap, and I though about just ordering it with some sticks instead of spending more on beads. Opinions? I'm sure most everyone will still say beads, so in that case, how much do I need for one small puck? Heartfelt has the small puck loaded with 65% beads... would that be sufficient?

j0z3r

For a 50 count the gel should be fine, especially if you plan to use it with the puck. When you go bigger, say a 300 count, then you'll want to use beads

turn_key

I had the same issue and switched to a humi-jar with the gel. My puck just wasn't keeping up when my humi was anything over half full. I think the small vials with the beads would be best utilized as an augmentation to a humi-jar in a larger box.

cholmes8310

j0z3r:

For a 50 count the gel should be fine, especially if you plan to use it with the puck. When you go bigger, say a 300 count, then you'll want to use beads

This is what I figured. For the price, just simpler... also, it's only when the 50ct is full. When i don't have it crammed full, it maintains fine. Thanks j0z3r... I'll add some to my next order.

TatuajeVI

The gel jars will work fine for a 50 count. Though I really enjoy the ease of beads. I seem to mess with them less often that with my old gel jars. Heh, I actually emptied out a gel jar and filled it with 70% beads for my 50 count. Course I had left over beads from my larger humidor.

j0z3r

TatuajeVI:

The gel jars will work fine for a 50 count. Though I really enjoy the ease of beads. I seem to mess with them less often that with my old gel jars. Heh, I actually emptied out a gel jar and filled it with 70% beads for my 50 count. Course I had left over beads from my larger humidor.

I've found that the gel jars work nice for a booster. They also work spectacularly when emptied into the cartridge of a cigar oasis, I've got two Oasis XL running with 6 ounces of gel in the cartridge and they are doing awesome...way, way better than the foam block.

xmacro

j0z3r:

TatuajeVI:

The gel jars will work fine for a 50 count. Though I really enjoy the ease of beads. I seem to mess with them less often that with my old gel jars. Heh, I actually emptied out a gel jar and filled it with 70% beads for my 50 count. Course I had left over beads from my larger humidor.

I've found that the gel jars work nice for a booster. They also work spectacularly when emptied into the cartridge of a cigar oasis, I've got two Oasis XL running with 6 ounces of gel in the cartridge and they are doing awesome...way, way better than the foam block.

Any opinion on using a cigar oasis with nothing in it? As in, removing the foam and just filling it with distilled water? That's what I've been doing so far, and it seems to work quite well - the only downside is that if I bump my humidor the water sometimes spills out (rarely though) and I'm totally unsure of whether this will encourage mold growth or retard it

rwheelwright

I think it depends. I have the dome humi that needs to be reseasoned. I have it loaded! I also have 3 jars of jell, about 5 humi pillows and a prometheous humidifier brick. With all of this, I am only around 67%. I have yet to try beads but will probably try them when the summer comes around.

j0z3r

xmacro:

j0z3r:

TatuajeVI:

The gel jars will work fine for a 50 count. Though I really enjoy the ease of beads. I seem to mess with them less often that with my old gel jars. Heh, I actually emptied out a gel jar and filled it with 70% beads for my 50 count. Course I had left over beads from my larger humidor.

I've found that the gel jars work nice for a booster. They also work spectacularly when emptied into the cartridge of a cigar oasis, I've got two Oasis XL running with 6 ounces of gel in the cartridge and they are doing awesome...way, way better than the foam block.

Any opinion on using a cigar oasis with nothing in it? As in, removing the foam and just filling it with distilled water? That's what I've been doing so far, and it seems to work quite well - the only downside is that if I bump my humidor the water sometimes spills out (rarely though) and I'm totally unsure of whether this will encourage mold growth or retard it

I haven't, and wouldn't, use just distilled with an Oasis for that reason, I'd spill it every time. I think if anything it would encourage mold growth unless you put in some sort of additive that would prevent mold growth.

cholmes8310

j0z3r:

For a 50 count the gel should be fine, especially if you plan to use it with the puck. When you go bigger, say a 300 count, then you'll want to use beads

So i got the gel a week ago, and it did nothing to lift the humidity. It said it was shipped pre-loaded, ready to go, so I just put it in. Still around 52%. Went yesterday and bough a digital hygro to check the analog, and while I was there, asked the guy in the B&M what he thought. He told me to add the normal puck I was using in WITH the gel, and I should be good.

So, I put the puck back in, and added more water to the gel, and put in the digital hygro last night. Woke up this morning, the gel was about to overflow, and the humidity was up to 68%, right where I want it. Guess it just needed some more moisture after all to raise the humidity. I removed the gel now to let it dry out a little, since it was about to run over. But, it worked, so thanks joz3r for the advice.

edit*** oh yeah, and the stupid analog was 8% low. it was showing 50%, but it was actually 58% according to the digital before I added the puck back and it came up to 68% overnight. Everyone who has an analog still (i know, it's oldschool, and I'm prob the only one) should trash it. Only reason I was using mine was it is built into the front of the humidor.

Russ55

Edit: Never mind, looks like you already solved your problem!

laker1963

j0z3r:

For a 50 count the gel should be fine, especially if you plan to use it with the puck. When you go bigger, say a 300 count, then you'll want to use beads

+1

Fourtotheflush

just go get some beads.

ljl

Fourtotheflush:

just go get some beads.

I kept finding myself in spots like this with my smaller humis. Starting a bead switch now just because of the hassle factor.

cholmes8310

Fourtotheflush:

just go get some beads.

i'll just steal yours from your secondary stash, hah.

Fourtotheflush

Ill know it was you!

minibeezy

j0z3r:

For a 50 count the gel should be fine, especially if you plan to use it with the puck. When you go bigger, say a 300 count, then you'll want to use beads

I'm going to somewhat hijack this thread. I started with a 50 count humi, but thanks to this site, I just ordered a 250-300ct humi. In my little humidor, I had just been using the puck and distilled water, but stopped using that when I noticed a little bit of mold growing on the puck (I check my humi daily and caught it early). I was going to buy some beads, but got the gel instead, because it says it's anti-fungal.

My question is, knowing I may have mold issues (I live on the coast, very humid), should I stick with gel for my larger humi or still go with beads? I was considering using both, but I would like to use 65% beads and I'm not sure how that would do with gel that maintains 70%.

Help please.

cholmes8310

minibeezy:

j0z3r:

For a 50 count the gel should be fine, especially if you plan to use it with the puck. When you go bigger, say a 300 count, then you'll want to use beads

I'm going to somewhat hijack this thread. I started with a 50 count humi, but thanks to this site, I just ordered a 250-300ct humi. In my little humidor, I had just been using the puck and distilled water, but stopped using that when I noticed a little bit of mold growing on the puck (I check my humi daily and caught it early). I was going to buy some beads, but got the gel instead, because it says it's anti-fungal.

My question is, knowing I may have mold issues (I live on the coast, very humid), should I stick with gel for my larger humi or still go with beads? I was considering using both, but I would like to use 65% beads and I'm not sure how that would do with gel that maintains 70%.

Help please.

Hijack away. I had my answer. Everything i have read from these guys here recommend beads for over 100ct humis, and I would agree with them. I was told by multiple people the gel is an "extra" layer to add to raise or lower humi if you are having a problem. I still have to use my puck and the gel in just a 50ct. I think you'lll have less maintenance and problems with the beads in a humidor that large.

minibeezy

cholmes8310:

minibeezy:

j0z3r:

For a 50 count the gel should be fine, especially if you plan to use it with the puck. When you go bigger, say a 300 count, then you'll want to use beads

I'm going to somewhat hijack this thread. I started with a 50 count humi, but thanks to this site, I just ordered a 250-300ct humi. In my little humidor, I had just been using the puck and distilled water, but stopped using that when I noticed a little bit of mold growing on the puck (I check my humi daily and caught it early). I was going to buy some beads, but got the gel instead, because it says it's anti-fungal.

My question is, knowing I may have mold issues (I live on the coast, very humid), should I stick with gel for my larger humi or still go with beads? I was considering using both, but I would like to use 65% beads and I'm not sure how that would do with gel that maintains 70%.

Help please.

Hijack away. I had my answer. Everything i have read from these guys here recommend beads for over 100ct humis, and I would agree with them. I was told by multiple people the gel is an "extra" layer to add to raise or lower humi if you are having a problem. I still have to use my puck and the gel in just a 50ct. I think you'lll have less maintenance and problems with the beads in a humidor that large.

Ya, I almost pulled the trigger on the beads. I was just concerned about the fact that I've already had mold with a humidifier that only uses distilled water. I just want to make sure I'm not going to run into the same problem with mold on the beads.