I am sure that most of you know it takes approx 70-80% humidity to store pu for proper aging. Wes and I have been discussing this topic quite a bit lately. We both have came up with ways to keep the ambient humidity between these two parameters. However, after some thinking lastnight I created this system which has actually boosted my humidity from 66-70% RH to now 70-75%RH. Here is how I did it.
*Update* Ok Wes had mentioned if the braids leak as the water seeps through and I responded by saying that the water evaporates before the braids can accumulate enough water. WRONG! It leaked a bit but luckily I caught it in time. Check last pic to see my perfected system BTW Holding steady at 80% RH
Cut braided cotton rope into strands approx 2 ft.
Tie a knot in the middle.
Insert the knotted end in the jug.
Arrange the strands evenly around the jug and you should have something that looks like this.
And Voila! That simple!
I know that setting an open bowl of water may have the same effect but I find that this method provides more room as it places most of its mass vertically with more or just as much surface area to evaporate. Not to mention you can control for spills much easily.
Actually, you have to wet the strands first before you put them in the jug filled with water. They will act as a wick and continue to suck the water up as the water evaporates from the strands. Of course the amount of humidity is relative to your already ambient humidity, how small your space is etc.
Whatcha think?
May 3rd, '08, 12:34
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Pu humidity "Medusa method!" Thanks Wes!
Last edited by hop_goblin on May 3rd, '08, 21:14, edited 3 times in total.
OMG DON"T LOOK IT"S MEDUSA!
Just kidding! That is actually quite an invention, Bill. Does the wicking drip at all? What'd most imortant is that it holds stead over the next month or two. After a month and a half of my three-part setup, the RH is still on the rise.
Just kidding! That is actually quite an invention, Bill. Does the wicking drip at all? What'd most imortant is that it holds stead over the next month or two. After a month and a half of my three-part setup, the RH is still on the rise.
Last edited by Wesli on May 4th, '08, 01:51, edited 1 time in total.
May 3rd, '08, 12:55
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Wes, actually it causes no drip since it evaporates faster than it builds up. Thanks for the Kuddos. I figure that lots of people buy those hydro packs and the like to add humidity. I went the cheap route and it seems to be working. Best of all, just need to refill it with good ol' tap water!
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May 3rd, '08, 13:21
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yeah.. good question.. Either dump the water out every two weeks and either get new jugs or wash them in a weak bleach solution along with the braids..Wesli wrote:It's a great idea, many props!
The only problem I can foresee is mold. With the cookware I use, it can all be taken out, soaped, and scrubbed down. I don't know what you can do with the rope, besides toss it every once in a while. Have you thought of any fixers yet?
What do you suggest?
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May 3rd, '08, 17:06
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Yes, I agree, so I was thinking that possibly soaking the ropes in brewery wash or unscented oxygen powder. You know, the stuff we use for cleaning beer bottles.Wesli wrote:Yeah, I think a kneading of the ropes in soapy water every few weeks would work. When I wash my trays out, I rinse extremely well to make sure none of the soap aroma follows them back into the enclosure. I imagine it would be possible, but a tedious task, to get all the soap back out of the ropes.
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May 4th, '08, 03:35
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Thought I would throw this idea out to you guys too...
I've collected and smoked cigars for years now and when the collection gets too big for my normal boxes, I've used a Coolerdor on occasion. I don't see why this won't work for tea either. Here's the directions. Maybe you can find something useful in them...
http://www.cigardiary.com/index.php?mod ... PAGE_id=28
I've collected and smoked cigars for years now and when the collection gets too big for my normal boxes, I've used a Coolerdor on occasion. I don't see why this won't work for tea either. Here's the directions. Maybe you can find something useful in them...
http://www.cigardiary.com/index.php?mod ... PAGE_id=28
May 4th, '08, 09:52
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brandon wrote:Hm. But don't the beengs also like freely circulating air?
You guys are all boxing them up.
</uninformedconjecture>
Brandon, a 'continuous' flow of air will ultimately make your pu weak and flimsy. Opening your pu box or container everyday should be suffcient to replenish the oxygen level.
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If mold is your concern, give the ropes a soak in a solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. Soap alone can't kill the mold's spores, so you'd probably get a recurrence soon after the washing. The 1:10 ratio is what mold clean-up companies use. Any less bleach, and you may not kill residual spores. Any more is just overkill and can ruin surfaces and damage fibers.
May 4th, '08, 11:49
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Brandon, we open the areas many times a day to swap out air. What's surprising is that even with all this swapping, the humidity stays high.
Mary, bleach would be fine for cookware, but my fear is that the braids would let off too much odor afterwards. Do you think this is the case? How easy is it to wash bleach out of braids? Where I work, we use thiosodium sulfate to deactivate the bleach, but I'm not sure that kills the odor.
Mary, bleach would be fine for cookware, but my fear is that the braids would let off too much odor afterwards. Do you think this is the case? How easy is it to wash bleach out of braids? Where I work, we use thiosodium sulfate to deactivate the bleach, but I'm not sure that kills the odor.