does size matter?

[kuzi16]

get your minds out of the gutter.

im talking about a humidor.

will a larger humidor inherently keep humidity better than a smaller one even if the same type of humidification device is used in both?

 

[Travismaine]

Who cares? It will hold more cigars! LOL

I use the same Oasis XL plus in my big one as I had in my 300ct and works fine. I have to refill the tank more with the big one of course. Now I have built the bigger talk and am using the polymers I will have to see how long they last but they are doing very good so far.

 

[phisherman]

Yes and No. It will have a greater stability of Rh whne you open and close it, but it needs to be filled to work properly. A near empty large humidor will not work as good as a full small one.

 

[kuzi16]

im guessing that this has to do with air flow/exchange with outside air?

 

[badhangover]

It is a combination of both Phisherman's and your own answer.

It is not the size of the humidor that matters, but rather the available volume inside, that affects the humidity regulaton. A full, or nearly full, humidor is a lot easier to maintain humidity in. I only rarely glance at the humidity of my full humidors. They don't experience spikes in humidity. Conversely, I obsess over any humidors that are half full or less.

Cigars are hygroscopic. Meaning, they both emit and absorb humidity (moisture). If your humidor has significant empty space, it is filled with air that is taking up humidity that is released and lost whenever you open your humidor. Or, if you live in a humid area, your humidor is inundated with humidity each time you open it and expose it to the outside air. A full humidor has cigars to displace that harmful air and the moist cigars work in conjunction with the cedar and humidification device of your choice to regulate your humidor's humidity level.

 

[kuzi16]

on that note wouldnt a larger humidor exchange a smaller percentage of air when opend?

 

[badhangover]

That is entirely dependent upon the available volume of air (empty space) within that humidor.

The cigars themselves, by their hygroscopic nature, help regulate humidity. How well they are able to do that is based upon their percentage of volume (filled space) within a humidor. Please keep in mind, I only say they help regulate humidity. Again, it is a concerted effort between the hygroscopic material (Which includes cigars, but may not include cedar. Not all humidors are made of wood construction.) and the humidification device you have employed.

 

[kuzi16]

i think you are missing what i am asking. i am 100% aware of how a humidor works. I have heard of coolerdors so i know that wood isnt keeping the humidity. I have long known that cigars help regulate humidity.
I am aware of how humidity works.

i am asking is if a larger humidor will hold humidity better than a smaller one give all other criteria are the same.

if there is a difference is it because of the percentage of air that is exchanged when the lid/door/drawer is opened?

in other words would a larger humidor lose less humidity when opened than a smaller one assuming that both humidors are 80% full and both are left open for 30 seconds and the doors/lid are (percentage wise) the same size?

excuse me if i came off as asking about how to controll humidity. I did not mean to cause any confusion.

 

[badhangover]

i am asking is if a larger humidor will hold humidity better than a smaller one give all other criteria are the same.

if there is a difference is it because of the percentage of air that is exchanged when the lid/door/drawer is opened?

in other words would a larger humidor lose less humidity when opened than a smaller one assuming that both humidors are 80% full and both are left open for 30 seconds and the doors/lid are (percentage wise) the same size?

Yes and no.

Yes, if you properly minimize the ratio from all aspects of the larger humidor to the smaller humidor. In the scenario you exemplified, you are exposing the smaller humidor's contents to the same time exposure of ambient air. The smaller volume of humidified air, cigars and humidity device cannot withstand the same exact exposure of its larger brethren without a more significant suffering of humidity loss.

Minimize the exposure time for the smaller humidor to its proper ratio of the larger humidor and I will agree that the conditions should be the same and the humidors will react the same upon being accessed.

Simply put, a larger humidor can remain open longer without suffering the same loss of humidity as a smaller humidor would experience.

Did this answer your question? I am not being quarralsome, but am I still confused to what you are asking? I am not trying to "give you an elementary lesson". Just trying to give you a proper answer to your question.

 

[kuzi16]

Simply put, a larger humidor can remain open longer without suffering the same loss of humidity as a smaller humidor would experience.

i think thats what i was looking for. I didnt mean to come off as getting angry.

i was just getting frustrated that i couldnt word what i was trying to ask.

nothing worse than having an idea and being unable to voice it.

thank you again for putting up with my loss of words for a minute.

 

[Bikeman]

Well done brothers, an excellent lesson for all of us who maintain a number of small humidors as opposed to one large one.

Therefore, smaller containers will lose a larger percentage of humidity when opened for a fixed period of time, and that is what matters - the air exchange that occurs when you open your humi, and the rate of recovery afterward.