This is my homemade
coolador. It is a 54 quart cooler lined with Spanish cedar and shelving made of
Spanish cedar. Holes have been cut to allow for circulation of air. This is
mainly used for aging high quality cigars. In order to protect against the dreaded
cigar beetle, a ubiquitous pest (strangely this is also a description of me by many
people) the cigars are frozen for three days in a air tight plastic bag. After three
days the cigars are placed in the refrigerator for one day and finally gently place in the
coolador for aging.
The
main humidifier for the coolador is constructed from a VCR film box. In the cover I
have drilled exactly 100 holes. (ok so I am anal) Inside the VCR case is a block of flower
oasis (the green kind, not the white) impregnated with 50% propylene glycol and 50%
distilled water. The solution should not saturate the oasis but just dampen the
perimeter. To keep watch on temperature and humidity a calibrated radio shack
digital gauge is mounted on the door.