Continued:

Warning: Before making a decision about what type of media to use in your humidor, please conduct research on your own before making a decision on how to control the rH. They are your cigars and it’s only right to look at all the options before settling on what media to use. This is only for basic information purposes and does not encompass and in-depth comparison between different media types. Think of this as a basic starting point.


Kitty Litter

I’m not sure when kittly litter (KL) was first tried out or by whom, but it’s rapidly caught on as a cheap alternative to beads, especially for larger humidor setups like a winedor. Of course we’re talking about unscented kitty litter that is silica based, not the perfumed brands.

Kitty litter works on a similar principle as other silica media in that it will absorb and release moisture from the surrounding environment. It is slightly better at holding on to moisture than releasing but when used in a controlled environment will regulate the rH quite well.

Putting KL in shallow pans to increase surface area increases the rH control within your cigar storage device. It is recommended to place the KL in its dry state first to see how it effects the rH over a 24-48 hour period. As with HF beads it is recommended to spray the beads lightly if the rH needs to increase and then wait 24 hours to observe the effect. Additional light sprays, each at 24 hours apart, will slowly bring the rH up to your preferred humidity. Once it has stabilized it is only a matter of checking on a routine basis to see if addition sprays are necessary.

The other advantage of KL is if the rH starts to increase over time you have two options. You can either place some dry KL into the humidor and see if that helps decrease the rH or you can pull the KL from the humidor, spread it out on a cookie sheet, and bake it in the oven to dry it out. A 200 degree oven and 15-20 minutes should dry out the KL enough to place it back in the humidor and monitor the results over 24 hours.

Two minor drawbacks with KL seems to be the silica dust and the amount of KL needed compared to other systems. While some brands are better than others in reducing the amount of silica dust there will be some. Pouring the KL through some type of strainer appears to help reduce dust as well as wiping down the container, periodically, that holds the KL in the humidor. As far as the amount of KL needed, you need more KL for it to be effective versus other systems such as HF or HCM. So while KL may be cheap to buy you are losing a bit more space in your humidor by using it.

Pro’s: cheap, can be trained to an rH
Con’s: dust, greater quantity needed to control rH than other systems


HCM beads (formerly called Shilala beads)

A relative new comer to the rH control arena is HCM beads. Developed by Scott Shilala and marketed in 2008, about the only thing in common with the other “bead” products is the name. HCM beads are made of an entirely different material than silica. According to the HCM website they have an 800% faster recovery and hold 500% more water by volume than other types of media.

The more water by volume and the faster recovery time increase the length of time you need before recharging the beads. In a good, sealed system like a tuppordor or winedor the HCM beads can go for years without needing to be recharged.

HCM beads do come “preset” from the company at 65%, so if your preferred rH is different extra steps must be followed to train your beads to your desired rH. If you want a lower rH, then you place them in a refrigerator for 1 hour (no longer than 1 hour!). If you wish to raise the rH, then you take a small water soaked sponge place it on a dish and put it in your humidor with the HCM beads overnight. Then remove the sponge and monitor your rH for the next 24 hours. Repeat the process if the rH has not risen to your preferred set point.

Two items of note with HCM beads. First is you cannot spray, pour or otherwise wet the beads directly. Doing so causing a catalytic event that generates enough heat that it can melt the bag or container the HCM beads are in. The second item of note is that compared to other media type systems HCM beads are relatively expensive.


Pro’s: no salts to wash away, hold more water, faster recovery time
Con’s: expensive, careful manipulation to increase or decrease rH set point