Can Wine Coolers Be Used As Humidors?

Cigars can be enjoyed alone or with friends. To ensure that cigars remain in top quality, many people use small-sized humidors.

However, most cigar-loving people have become connoisseurs while having several limited edition cigars like Don Collins cigars and Dominican cigars in their storage - which must be stored appropriately to ensure it ages well.

With a poor storage system, cigars can become dry or grow mould - resulting in a colossal waste of investment and time. However, storing cigars has been made more accessible and much more fulfilling with humidors. Some Humidors also have spaces to house your cigar cutters and lighters.

If you have a wine fridge, you may be wondering whether you can use it as a humidor. Well, this is what we are going to explore today. Read on to learn more about humidors, wine coolers, ad whether you can use a wine cooler as a humidor.

 

What is A Humidor?

A humidor is a box infused with the appropriate humidity to store cigars, cigarettes, pipe tobacco, or cannabis. Usually, the humidity required for storing cigars is between 65 F- 70F. The humidor is specially designed to maintain the appropriate humidity level, which is of great essence to cigars because the tobacco leaves in the cigars will contract or expand based on the humidity level they are exposed to.

Hence, when a cigar is introduced to a humidity level that is way too low and becomes dry, it will shrivel up and lose its flavour and aroma. Similarly, when the humidity level is higher than required, there is a risk of causing moulds and rot, essentially a risk to human health. It can also cause the cigar to be infested with tobacco beetles. You don’t want that for your favourite Don Collins cigars and Dominican cigars.

 

Why Convert A Wine Cooler To A Humidor?

Firstly, you should note that wine coolers converted to humidors are usually referred to as ‘wineadors’. You may be wondering why people convert their wine coolers to be able to store cigars when they can just purchase a humidor.

The first thing to note is that humidors are usually small. Therefore, when you need large storage for your cigars, a regular humidor will fall short of your needed storage. You may now be wondering, why not go for a bigger storage capacity. Well, this is easier said and done. After all, you need to consider the price.

If you want to opt for a bigger humidor, such as a walk-in humidor for your cigars and pipes, you should be ready to spend a lot. However, when you convert a wine cooler into a humidor, you're saving costs whether you're a cigar enthusiast or have a cigar bar. It is a great choice.

 

Equipment To Convert A Wine Cooler Into A Humidor

Here are some of the pieces of equipment that you can utilise to convert a wine cooler into a humidor.

 

A Wine Cooler

Your first purchase should be a wine cooler if you don’t already have the appropriate wine cooler for a wineador. The best wine cooler suitable for a wineador is a thermoelectric wine cooler. Why is that? This is because thermoelectric wine coolers use the Peltier effect to balance out the humidity of the cooler, unlike the compressor wine coolers, which dehumidify as they cool.

Another perk of a thermoelectric cooler is that the Peltier plate can be removed and replaced inexpensively if it becomes defective. You can purchase your thermoelectric wine cooler from us at Enofaber for a reasonable price. Make sure to air out and clean the cooler if it’s a new purchase.

 

A Hygrometer

A hygrometer is always found in a cigar humidor as they are responsible for measuring the humidity level in the humidor. There are primarily two types of hygrometers: the analogue and the digital. It is usually better to opt for the digital hygrometer for more accurate measurements. Ensure you calibrate your hygrometer before use.

 

Cigar Humidifier

Cigar humidifiers are the principal source of humidity in a cigar humidor since they emit moisture into the air. Foam, crystals, beads, salt packs (humidipaks), and electronic humidifiers are the five basic types of cigar humidifiers, each with its own set of benefits.

Foam humidifiers are the most affordable and widely used, but they pose the most significant risk of over-humidification. The most expensive are electronic humidifiers, but they pose the least risk. Humidifiers with beads and humidipaks reabsorb water to avoid over-humidification.

Remember that most electronic humidifiers include built-in digital hygrometers, so you won't need to buy one separately if you decide to get one. Please use only distilled water with your humidifier to prevent mould from developing from particles.

 

Spanish Cedar Shelves

For your cigars to age well and remain in perfect condition, you need to construct cedar shelves for your cigars. Humidors are made with Spanish cedar shelves or Spanish cedar lining. This is why you must replace the metal or plastic shelves with Spanish cedar ones. If you're a DIY person, this should not pose any problem.

However, if you think this is a Herculean task, you don't have to do this alone. You can always reach out to our technicians, who can assist you in the entire conversation of your wine cooler to a wineador.

The benefits of using Spanish cedar shelves are not far-fetched. It is remarkable for absorbing water, thus helpful in ensuring stable humidity in your wineador. Please ensure you season your cedar shelves before installing them.

 

Fan

Every wine cooler comes equipped with a fan at the back. However, it has been found that it does not provide consistent circulation, which cigars require.

To check if your wine cooler needs an extra fan, buy another hydrometer and place one hygrometer on the top and the other on the bottom. If the humidity is consistent after two days, you needn’t purchase another fan. However, if the reverse is the case, you must install another fan unit.

To install another fan unit, purchase the type used for computers, home theatres, or cabinets. Remember that your fan needs to plug into an AC outlet to function. If your connecting cable is thin, you can run it past the door to your wine cooler. If not, you may need to drill a hike through the back of your wine cooler. Just make sure you use a sealant to seal the hole and prevent humidity escape.

 

Conclusion

If you love your wine and enjoy your cigars, then why not double your wine cooler up as a humidor? Our expert wine storage solutions are the best way of storing your wine, but can also store your cigars in the perfect environment. Check out our quality collection of wine coolers today - as well as our beer fridges.