Cigar Geeks

It seems a lot of people are surprised to learn that Boveda packs can be recharged.  Thought I'd share my method...

Tupperware makes a marinade piece that locks a lid and base together so you can flip it over every few hours making sure each side of whatever your marinating gets tasty.  It includes a removable grate in the middle as well.  This works great for me, as I can fill the bottom with distilled water and lay a bunch of packs on the grate above the water.  Snap on the lid for a water tight seal and let the packs recharge!  Can comfortably fit about a dozen packs in there, although I'm usually only doing 4 to 8 at a time.

Mine usually take about 3-5 days, but I never let them get too far gone.  When I'm done, I just store them in my coolidor before using them in my desktop humidors.

I'm sure there are other, cheaper solutions.  Just thought I'd share mine.

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-J6d67-rLF7Q/Uo1OZD4erPI/AAAAAAAAIhw/mEYIR9gzbXA/s640/IMG_20131120_170054.JPG)

What happens if you let them get to far gone? Does it just take longer?

Quotekxthor911 - 11/20/2013  5:53 PM  What happens if you let them get to far gone? Does it just take longer?

Yeah.  They get kind of...crunchy inside.  The gel becomes a solid, and can "break" into smaller pieces.  I saw a warning a while back that these smaller pieces could be sharp enough to cut the pack open if mishandled.  Figured no reason to let 'em get that far.  I usually rotate monthly, and by that time they are about 60% gel, 40% hard pebble like pieces.

This is pretty much spot on. Iv read and heard of many different ways and theories but this is what I have done, been doing and know to work. Boveda pk's will charge. The Fuente packs will too, but what you dont know is they will actually mold and the sides to the packs will split letting out the insides so I dont recommend charging them. I use a spray bottle and spray the packs just like I do my Heartfelt beads. I soak the packs, usually a good 5 large and 10 small at a time and Ill spray about every other day for a week. They are nice and fat by then. You know they are good when your Tupperware is dry. I've charged even the bone dry, hard crispy, flat packs. Same thing, soak them bad boys and give them time in a air tight container. It will take longer and it helps to massage the pack allowing the substance inside that became hard to break up.
Once they are charged, store them in a zip lock bag until you are ready to use. Iv been using the same packs for years! I bought two boxes of the big and two boxes of the mini's. Between then and my beads, no issues!

I have been recharging mine when they get low however I have let some go to long and they get "crunchy", its hard to get these loosened up. I am going to from this month forward do the rotation very month. Great idea

Thanks for the tip on the Fuente packs!  I had no idea and will dump those sucker.  I know they are Boveda, but it makes sense that they are cheaper products intended as a one time use option since Fuente adds them to all their boxes.

EDIT:

I also wasn't sure if you could actually get them wet directly.  Maybe I'll start giving the marinader a shake every now and then when recharging!

I've been using Boveda for about a year and a half.  IMHO, recharging works only to a certain extent.  Like old NiCad batteries, I think they start to lose their "memory" after a couple of recharges.  If I find one that's gotten really crusty, I toss it.  If I catch them before that point, I toss them in tupperware with a shot glass of distilled water.  One thing I have noticed is that the "active" humidification life-span of a recharged pack is significantly less (50%) than that of a brand new pack, meaning I have to swap them out every 4-6 weeks as opposed to the 2-3 months with fresh packs.  Also, the actual level of humidity decreases.  I use the 69% packs, and my hygrometers give me readings between 65% and 69% in my various humidors with new packs.  If I put in a set of "re-charged" packs, the humidity drops to between 60% and 65%.  YMMV.  

Thanks for the info.  Only been doing this for a few months, so haven't noticed any degradation yet.  Will keep my eye out for it.

Excellent tip.  I thought I would share my simple way as well.  I keep mine in a small tupperware container with a bowl of distilled water in it.  I also have a block of spanish cedar that came in a cigar box.  I read somewhere this helps keep the PH level inside the container, but who knows, It doesn't hurt and I keep these in there until I'm ready.  Now I need to hurry my rotation of the packs up a bit, because I usually have hard as rock dried up pouches which I should stop doing.  

 (http://www.cigargeeks.com/%3Ca%20xhref=)(http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j130/lesner77/cigars/IMG_3427_zps1e9905e8.jpg)

Great tips everyone!! Just started to use the Boveda so this will be good to know. Hoping if I rotate monthly, then I'll keep the RH up to where it's supposed to be for longer.

QuoteKmanNoob - 11/20/2013  10:55 PM  Great tips everyone!! Just started to use the Boveda so this will be good to know. Hoping if I rotate monthly, then I'll keep the RH up to where it's supposed to be for longer.

 They keep my humidors perfect since I starting using them.  Great to see post like this for BOTL's new to the packs.  Up until about a year ago I had no idea you could recharge them myself.  I would buy another batch and toss the hard ones in the trash which was getting pricey.

I use Tupperware and a small bowl of distilled water. I put the bowl in the middle of the Tupperware, and the Boveda packs circled around the bowl. Then I place the Tupperware on a windowsill that gets some sunlight during the day. I check em once a week, and after about 3 weeks, they are nice and puffy. I bought a 12pk box over a year ago, and still have 7 of the packs going strong. Eventually I will have to buy some more packs, but the money is well spent protecting my collection. Easy to use, rechargeable, and no mess. I love my Boveda packs!!  :biggrin:  :bigthumbs:

:biggrin:

Another tip:

The devil site regularly sells single Boveda packs in lots of 20+.  Find the auctions early, and max bid $2 a piece on 10 of them.  I usually end up walking away with half the ones I bid on.  That's the cheapest I've ever found them.  Even the bulk 12 pack units are usually $35 or more.

I like the cedar tip!  I used to use chunks of cedar as a tray to keep my Boveda packs above the water in an old disposable gladware thing.  Didn't know there was a good reason to!

I've been using the setup with the dish of water inside of a larger tupperware and it seems to be working fine for me.  I like the spanish cedar tip so I might have to add some to mine as well.

Great read and tips

Hey, great idea Ted!   I do the same as Nirab but it seems more surface area available from the water might help. Depends on the absorption rate from the Boveda packs, but nice thinking

QuoteTed - 11/20/2013  11:30 PM

:biggrin:

Another tip:

The devil site regularly sells single Boveda packs in lots of 20+.  Find the auctions early, and max bid $2 a piece on 10 of them.  I usually end up walking away with half the ones I bid on.  That's the cheapest I've ever found them.  Even the bulk 12 pack units are usually $35 or more.

$2 a piece is really $3 a piece. But still a good technique. I've done the same with butane.

QuoteThe Burn Ward - 11/21/2013  7:32 AM  

QuoteTed - 11/20/2013  11:30 PM  :biggrin:   Another tip:  The devil site regularly sells single Boveda packs in lots of 20+.  Find the auctions early, and max bid $2 a piece on 10 of them.  I usually end up walking away with half the ones I bid on.  That's the cheapest I've ever found them.  Even the bulk 12 pack units are usually $35 or more.

$2 a piece is really $3 a piece. But still a good technique. I've done the same with butane.

I know on most items that additional shipping per win comes into play, but I've won lots of 4 and 6 (bidding on 10 each time) and they've only charged me $1 shipping for all of them.

Great idea.  I use a tupper with a small water container inside.  I love the idea of using a rack.  Need to find one of these marinade setups.

Sorry to bring up older post as I know some of you don't like that.  But after seeing this a few months ago, I have been on the hunt for one of these tupperware marinade systems.  I finally got one the other day, cost about $25 with shipping and well worth it.  I can get over 1 cup of water on the bottom under the tray, and as you can see in the pictures I have 14 Boveda packs sitting there and can fit more.  I think I'm gonna like this, just thought i would share this...  Cudos to Ted for the great find.

 

Edited......Sorry you got the pictures up as soon as I posted my smart A$$ remark

Quotecavenbk - 2/25/2014  9:13 PM  

Edited......Sorry you got the pictures up as soon as I posted my smart A$$ remark

did it have anything to do with the fact I forgot to include the pictures after I said take a look at my pictures.  Sorry I was having a moment

Quotebmac7754 - 2/25/2014 9:20 PM

Quotecavenbk - 2/25/2014 9:13 PM

Edited......Sorry you got the pictures up as soon as I posted my smart A$$ remark

did it have anything to do with the fact I forgot to include the pictures after I said take a look at my pictures.  Sorry I was having a moment

Sure did :biggrin: .

Thanks for resurrecting this thread. This is all new to me.

Yes very interesting! Thanks guys!

I've also found that if you put some distilled water on the Boveda packs, not a lot, but enough to get the pack wet, they seem to last a lot longer and recharge a lot quicker.  :-)

Quotenirab - 2/25/2014  9:58 PM

I've also found that if you put some distilled water on the Boveda packs, not a lot, but enough to get the pack wet, they seem to last a lot longer and recharge a lot quicker.  :-)

I throw them in a ziplock with some distilled water, after a day or so I put them in a dry box over night and they're good to go.

Anybody know a good place to stock up on some Bovedas?

Quotegitfiddl - 11/20/2013  8:43 PM

I've been using Boveda for about a year and a half.  IMHO, recharging works only to a certain extent.  Like old NiCad batteries, I think they start to lose their "memory" after a couple of recharges.  If I find one that's gotten really crusty, I toss it.  If I catch them before that point, I toss them in tupperware with a shot glass of distilled water.  One thing I have noticed is that the "active" humidification life-span of a recharged pack is significantly less (50%) than that of a brand new pack, meaning I have to swap them out every 4-6 weeks as opposed to the 2-3 months with fresh packs.  Also, the actual level of humidity decreases.  I use the 69% packs, and my hygrometers give me readings between 65% and 69% in my various humidors with new packs.  If I put in a set of "re-charged" packs, the humidity drops to between 60% and 65%.  YMMV.  

This is my experience.   Any sealed container works.  I put in a shot glass of water.  I don't get the packs wet.  Like Dave, I find that the effectiveness diminishes with time but I've never tried to measure it.

I use the Ziplock food container that are divided into 2 sections and put the Bovedas in the larger side and distilled water in the smaller. The lid seals the top but not the compartments and allows for circulation between the two compartments and it seems to work great.

Interesting stuff

QuoteconditionZero - 2/25/2014  8:41 PM

Thanks for resurrecting this thread. This is all new to me.

x2