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Wallbright,

Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you.

I watched the video and it was helpful. I take it the yellowish beans are those that are opaque and hydrated; the clear the non-hydrated?
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No problem at all.

Well the smaller tube contains fresh (just a week ago) beads whereas the bigger tube is a year old or so. After the cigars have been in your humidor for a long time they start to change color from the cedar, ammonia, etc. It is perfectly normal and the only thing that changes is the color. When a bead is wet it turns clear and when it is dry it is a white color.
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Tyler,

Last week I opened my bead cylinders as you advocated and poured the beads into a bowl and found that 20% were clear, hydrated, and 80% were opaque, or dry. I spritzed them with distilled water until I'd reversed those percentages, one stick at a time. After doing this my digital hygrometers' readings were much closer to 65%, the rH that my sticks are supposed to afford, but as I want my readings to be as accurate as possible, I'm now testing them using the Boveda test kit.

The owner? of the Heartfelt Beads told me that there are too many uncontrolled variables with the salt test and recommended the Boveda Test Kit.

With my beads properly hydrated and my hydrometers properly tested for what, if any, margin of error, I'm hoping that my humidors consistently run at 65%.

Question for you. How long until I need to rehydrate the beads; I'm guessing when my hygrometers' readings fall off two points, and having done so, are about 60% hydrated?

Thank you for your help with this!
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From what I have read this is the best sign of needing to rehydrate your beads. Just pay attention to your meters and when they fall check it out.

Also on another note, Tyler has been banned.
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I guess that's why it says "Banned" under his image;-). What on earth for? (you don't have to tell me). He seemed helpful and low-key.
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I don't really know but I trust the ToE.
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