Air circulation is not the best route, especially if you are aging cigars. Air circulation creates more fermentation which speeds up aging, but the cigars do not age as beautifully. This is why dress boxes aged faster than SLB/cab's, but cigars in cab's aged much better in the long run - less air circulation, less air flow. This isn't a problem if you are smoking NC's, and not aging the NC's either. But this, in my opinion, is not a good route for aging sticks.

But you should look back at passive humidification, many people on these forums use it and there's a good reason why.

To answer your question specificly though, yes the RH should balance out if you use fans. It doesn't matter which way you point (up or down, high or low) the fans either because within a few hours there would be enough air circulation to cover the Vino. Make sure that your drain is plugged though.
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School me on why the drain must be plugged? thanks
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http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=8235
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You were quicker than I was lol... that was the thread I was looking for. :-)
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LOL I started to type out an explanation, but then thought wait.. let me just find Shilala's thread :-)
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Well, if you didn't have it plugged, I'm fairly certain that's the reason. I'd check the pan too on the bottom; my guess it has water in it.
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mine isnt a vino, its an edgestar so there is a pan out back. with a little bung that loosk like a hollowed out bolt... i think im just going to put a foot long tube (that fits nice and snug) over the drain spout (note- its outside the vino) so that i can plug the drain (in a sense) and still let it capture water without having to rig a run-off system.
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You don't want to capture water though because there should be no water; that's why you have a humidifier. If there is enough moisture, the humidifier shouldn't do anything, if there's not enough it should add some. If you have a pool of water on the bottom of your Vino and you have it sealed, you are doing something wrong. If it's draining, it's because the ambient outside is sucking out that moisture. Both of these are bad for a humidor. This is why beads are so good - they have the ability to both release and absorb water, and you can easily recharge or discharge moisture from them. Read shilala's post because he makes a very good description of what the drainage hole is,

"First off, the vino drain is a hole. It's a hole in my humidor.
If I had a half inch hole in the front of my desktop it'd make keeping the humidity stable a real challenge. Being as I know it's not supposed to be there, I'd plug that sucker up.
Now if I choose to leave it there, I can use lots of beads, a hydra, sponges, voodoo, and lots of effort and manage to keep the humidity where I want it. If that's okay by me and I have the time or enjoy doing it, by all means I should keep my hole and go along being happy."
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Don't people put rags or cups on the bottom of their vinos because they want to catch and hold the water? So if there should be no water than shouldnt they drain it?

I understand hte importance of taking the rag/cup out to pour it out as often as possible. I am going to experiment with it and post results.
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After having a hard time trying to figure this out a couple of weeks ago, I went to one of the PHD's here in the lab and asked for an explanation for this very problem. And here is what he came up with.
"The temp of the confined space plays a roll as well as the density of the space (how packed is it with cigars) & CFM of air flow around the booty stashed in the confined space."

Take it for what it's worth, I don't usually put a lot of weight in a PHD's response to most questions for they are mostly "THEORY" types I work with but his explanation seems to make sense to me.........
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You don't need 'respectively' in that sentence. :-)
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You are right. I should have said....

"the top half and bottom half are at 74% and 64%, respectively."

i believe that would be correct, sorry!
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Love my VT
if your looking for the most realible place to keep your stash this is it

Beads, set it and forget it.
Mine stays at 65 Deg and 68-70 Hum.

I did plug my drain and recycle the the water back into the beads
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I have a question I just ordered 70%RH beads will I be alright with 2 pounds of the 70% beads ? Or are the 65% better for the Vinotemp 28?
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The % Doesn't really matter for which type of storage you are using, it is the amount of beads that matters. You want to have enough for what ever size storage you have.

The % Is more so a matter of WHAT you are storing. If Non-Cuban some like using the higher 70% beads. For Cubans the 65% beads seem to be favored. Although personal preference is important to.
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The vino is roughly 4400 cubic inches.

Based on the Heartfelt site you only need 8 oz of beads.

Past experience tells me to always double that number.

To be safe I then double it for a wine cooler since the RH jumps up and down when it cycles.

As for 65 vs 70, it depends on what you like. I started with 70% and switched to 65%.
I like my cigars a little dryer. They tend to burn better for my smoking style at 65%

Chas
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Bob,
I have my computer fan pointed on an angle at a 45 degree or so upward so it blows from the bottom of the vino and off the glass door up to the top. I'm always within 1-2 % from top to bottom. Oh and I have beads. :-)
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Thanks guys. I ordered the 70% I got 2 pounds and 2 oust fans from Heartfelt. I am hoping it will not go over 72% and no lower then 68% then I will be happy. This Vinotemp 28 I am setting up with be for my rare and hard to get cigars I want to age. I will get another Vinotemp for me everyday smokes later on. But my main focus is on the aging vinotemp now.
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Thansk for the info,

I should update all of you... it seems like the only reason i had higher humidity on top was due to a bad "tetris" situation. i moved some stuff around after i recieved chas' trays and im good all throughout.

BTW, i might add:

i never plugged my drain and i have experienced zero problems thus far... BUT, the edgestar is a bit different since the drain route starts halfway up the back instead of the bottom so any excess "water" will route itself out without being able to damage anything.
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Does anyone know if Vinos are still available at Target? I can only find them for about 400 online but none at Target.
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