Making a small closet into a pumidor
So I have a built in oak hall closet that is pretty shallow and compartmentalized. I recently converted the top half to a pumidor by making it almost airtight by treating the door with insulation tape and adding a tight latch. I put a cup of distilled water at the bottom. Problem is it’s only raising ambient humidity by about 5% with an average of about 50% . I’ve read that humidity needs to be at least 70% for good aging. Some say that lower humidity just keeps tea the same. Some say it ruins it. I have a few cakes that are kinda dry and dusty so I’m in agreement with the latter. Is there anything practical I can do to get the humidity in the zone or should I make a proper pumidor and be done? My collection is getting to the point where I need to shoe it more respect I think.
Have you tried adding a larger bowel of water? I have no experience with closets but with my crock I kept adding more soaked clay pot shards until I got to 70% RH.
Some people use Cigar Humidor Humidity Beads. I think that’s the route I’m going to try. I’m still experimenting myself. You might also be able to utilize a small humidifier, if there’s power to/in your closet…
Like a boveda? I heard something about them causing ammonia flavors.
I was thinking of something like:
http://www.cheaphumidors.com/cigar-humidor-beads.html
Which might be the same as boveda. No clue about the ammonia flavors but I’d think cigar smokers wouldn’t like that either.
This is something I’m going to try. It’s sodium polyacrylate:
https://www.amazon.com/Pound-Bag-Water-Beads-Clear/dp/B0050ZNWYG
Figure the wood could be sucking some of the humid or potentially (and why we tend to like fridges) not keeping its own microclimate.
To throw a wrench in your plan, humidity isn’t also a concern, it is also temperature. You can jack humidity high, but if it is too cold you’ll just get mold.
I did something similar, I have a closet pumidor as well. I use a cigar oasis humidifier and it works well. Sometimes it struggles to keep the humidity up if I have the AC on, but I wasn’t able to seal my closet up very tight. If you want a larger capacity humidifier, Aristocrat offers some good options.
If you are aging, and not just storing, that is you expect 10-20 years holding and caring for puerh, you will need to invest in something. Check Craigslist for non working mini fridges. Or just take your best teas and get a stoneware crock with a lid, store the rest in ziploc bags.
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