941mick
Well-Known Member
12 packss of the large size for $32 here
http://www.marijuanapackaging.com/large-boveda-62-humidity-pack-12-pack.html
http://www.marijuanapackaging.com/large-boveda-62-humidity-pack-12-pack.html
Boveda 69% pack? (Considering only due to availibility)
- Thread starter GemuGrows
- Start date
SpaaaceCowboy
Well-Known Member
I've heard you can recharge the packs with distilled water or something....something like you pour the water into a bowl, and set the BP next to the bowl, and then cover with a another larger bowl which would create a dome allowing the BP to absorb the moisture and recharge itself.....I burp my jars (with boveda pack inside) once a month, because of where I store my jars. I pull all the jars down and shake them upside down a couple times. Then I open a jar for a minute or two, move the product around a bit, and close it right up for re-storage. Also, you do not have to do anything with the individual packs...just put one into your jar and seal it! When a pack gets hard lumps in it (many months), its done. Peace
I was thinking of perhaps putting the water I into a Tupper ware, setting a BP on something (like a shot glass or something), and then putting the top on to seal it....I shuld try this I have a bunch of BPs laying around from my cigars.
SpaaaceCowboy
Well-Known Member
You're positive ? Because what happens if you put them in an environment with a RH over 62 ? They will absorb it, right ? If that does not recharge them then where does the water go that they absorb ?
bird dog
Well-Known Member
That may well work with BP's, but do you really want to take a chance. There is no way to determine if the pack is recharged and you just spent 90 days or more to get this smoke to a cured and ready stage. I buy boxes (10 packs), which last me over a year. Peace
SpaaaceCowboy
Well-Known Member
hmmm...I have since researched it....Mostly on cigar forums....It appears that it does work, however, it appears that some are saying that the packs won't hold the new charges as if they were new.....
qwizoking
Well-Known Member
It doesn't work at all, and is designed to not be rechargeable, so you gotta buy more.
The dessicant portion of the pack can be recharged through high temps And time in an oven. Their little water pouch however doesn't absorb water and can't be recharged in its current state. But to recharge the pack as a whole, to recharge both portions is impossible
The dessicant portion of the pack can be recharged through high temps And time in an oven. Their little water pouch however doesn't absorb water and can't be recharged in its current state. But to recharge the pack as a whole, to recharge both portions is impossible
Observe & Report
Well-Known Member
A boveda pack contains salt, gelling agent, and water. The envelope is a semipermiable membrane engineered for a specific partial pressure of water vapor and covered with paper. There is no separate dessicant and water pouch. Water vapor can absolutely be absorbed through the membrane, that's one of their selling points.
Observe & Report
Well-Known Member
what moisture holding portion?
qwizoking
Well-Known Member
Is this a serious question?
You yourself said it was water and dessicant basically. How do you propose to add water back in the pouch. Humidity won't fill the pouch. The dessicant will absorb any moisture you try to add. That is all, as it attracts moisture. The portion of this gel mix holding water doesn't attract moisture, this should be obvious as its purpose is to release moisture. even if a homogenous mix there are still several parts to it. Its not just a water gel. Or not just desiccant. 2 parts. In a reverse osmosis membrane.Opposite mechanisms if you want to look at it that way. You can bake it and the salt is dehydrated again. Its recharged in that way. But the portion of this mix that's holding available moisture can't be recharged.
If you think you can recharge this pack and it work properly please explain.
You yourself said it was water and dessicant basically. How do you propose to add water back in the pouch. Humidity won't fill the pouch. The dessicant will absorb any moisture you try to add. That is all, as it attracts moisture. The portion of this gel mix holding water doesn't attract moisture, this should be obvious as its purpose is to release moisture. even if a homogenous mix there are still several parts to it. Its not just a water gel. Or not just desiccant. 2 parts. In a reverse osmosis membrane.Opposite mechanisms if you want to look at it that way. You can bake it and the salt is dehydrated again. Its recharged in that way. But the portion of this mix that's holding available moisture can't be recharged.
If you think you can recharge this pack and it work properly please explain.
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Observe & Report
Well-Known Member
I wasn't sure what you were talking about so I read the patent. That's a link so you can read it too, but the crazy CSS here at RIU doesn't underline links.
A Boveda pack is nothing more than a plastic pouch filled with a gel comprised of salt, water, and a vegetable thickener like xanthan, alginate, pectin, arabic, etc...
I was wrong about the pouch being engineered for a specific humidity. The purpose of the plastic pouch is solely to contain the salt/water/thickener while still allowing water vapor to transfer at a limited rate. The type and thickness of the plastic determine the rate of vapor transmission.
It is the proportion of various salts used in the pack that determines the humidity level. Pure NaCL gives you 75%.
The purpose of the thickener is to prevent seepage.
When a pack is placed in an environment with humidity greater than its rating, water vapor will pass through the film into the pack until and unless no undissolved salt remains or the humidity equillibrates/goes-low. When a pack is placed in an environment with lower humidity than its rating, water will pass through the film out of the pack until and unless no water remains or the humidity equillibrates/goes-high. That's all there is to it. There is no separate dessicant and "water gel" it is just one comprised of salt and thickener.
When the pack has given up all its water, there is no reason why water can't be reintroduced through the film. When water vapor reenters the pack, it dissolves the salt and dried thickener and becomes a concentrated salt solution ready to maintain humidity again. Maybe the thickener might not dissolve back into the water, depending on what they use.
In fact, the patent says "Glucose and fructose work well for disposable pouches. These two sugar solutions work for five to ten cycles." No mention of how many cycles any of the other pouches are good for.
The best and fastest way to recharge a Boveda pack is to drop it into a bowl of water, as described in the patent. Water vapor will enter the pouch and dissolve the salts until no undissolved salts remain or you take it out. Then it is ready to use again though it wont lower humidity if all of the salt is dissolved until some of the salt precipates out of solution from water vapor exiting the pack. Also, the paper covering may come off but its only purpose is cosmetic. Using the "put it in a box with a bowl of water" technique described in other threads will preserve the paper but takes a long time and not work at all depending on the temperature/RH inside the box. I'm not sure that technique is capable of fully recharging the pack.
This thread was the first time I have heard of Boveda packs not working as well after being recharged. I can think of some reasons, but it's all just speculation. Most people don't drop them into water to recharge, maybe just putting them into a box with a bowl of water doesn't work as well. Maybe the pack has developed a hole. Maybe the thickener didn't redissolve and the fluid is seeping out. Maybe people are simply imagining that they don't work as well. That kind of thing is a lot more common than you might think.
A Boveda pack is nothing more than a plastic pouch filled with a gel comprised of salt, water, and a vegetable thickener like xanthan, alginate, pectin, arabic, etc...
I was wrong about the pouch being engineered for a specific humidity. The purpose of the plastic pouch is solely to contain the salt/water/thickener while still allowing water vapor to transfer at a limited rate. The type and thickness of the plastic determine the rate of vapor transmission.
It is the proportion of various salts used in the pack that determines the humidity level. Pure NaCL gives you 75%.
The purpose of the thickener is to prevent seepage.
When a pack is placed in an environment with humidity greater than its rating, water vapor will pass through the film into the pack until and unless no undissolved salt remains or the humidity equillibrates/goes-low. When a pack is placed in an environment with lower humidity than its rating, water will pass through the film out of the pack until and unless no water remains or the humidity equillibrates/goes-high. That's all there is to it. There is no separate dessicant and "water gel" it is just one comprised of salt and thickener.
When the pack has given up all its water, there is no reason why water can't be reintroduced through the film. When water vapor reenters the pack, it dissolves the salt and dried thickener and becomes a concentrated salt solution ready to maintain humidity again. Maybe the thickener might not dissolve back into the water, depending on what they use.
In fact, the patent says "Glucose and fructose work well for disposable pouches. These two sugar solutions work for five to ten cycles." No mention of how many cycles any of the other pouches are good for.
The best and fastest way to recharge a Boveda pack is to drop it into a bowl of water, as described in the patent. Water vapor will enter the pouch and dissolve the salts until no undissolved salts remain or you take it out. Then it is ready to use again though it wont lower humidity if all of the salt is dissolved until some of the salt precipates out of solution from water vapor exiting the pack. Also, the paper covering may come off but its only purpose is cosmetic. Using the "put it in a box with a bowl of water" technique described in other threads will preserve the paper but takes a long time and not work at all depending on the temperature/RH inside the box. I'm not sure that technique is capable of fully recharging the pack.
This thread was the first time I have heard of Boveda packs not working as well after being recharged. I can think of some reasons, but it's all just speculation. Most people don't drop them into water to recharge, maybe just putting them into a box with a bowl of water doesn't work as well. Maybe the pack has developed a hole. Maybe the thickener didn't redissolve and the fluid is seeping out. Maybe people are simply imagining that they don't work as well. That kind of thing is a lot more common than you might think.
I use Boveda 62% paks, and have three Caliber III/IV Hygrometers. I use the hygrometers in a few of the jars so I can monitor accurately for the mid-term before long term storage, and whether I need to burp more often, or add another pak or not.
The paks are an addition to the hygrometers; not a replacement.
-spek
harris hawk
Well-Known Member
So your recomend the 62%, they must work any tips in using - going with the one's that lats for a month (small packs cost $1.00 a piece
I throw two of them into each quart jar. With the hygrometers, I can tell exactly when I need to burp the jars. If you don't have any hygrometers, I'd burp once per day for a few minutes for the first week, then every 2-3 days after that.
-spek
ps. it is the $1 ones I use.
harris hawk
Well-Known Member
Thanks you answered all my questions OH - without an hydrometer how long does it take for the product to get 62%? Thanks again!!!
Well, all the hygrometer does is measure the humidity... it doesn't help in the curing process at all.
The length of time really depends on how dry the buds are before you put them in the jar, and how fat/dense they are. I find mine are perfect at about three weeks, but we use it after just a week or so. I feel safe doing long-term storage at the end of three weeks. During the last week, I'm only checking them once or twice.
Everyone's (and every grow) is different though. I'd recommend buying a hygrometer for one of the jars if you can. I bought mine for ~$20 each on eBay (Caliber IV hygrometer).
-spek
harris hawk
Well-Known Member
Your right each strain is different; yea seen the e-bay one
BobBitchen
Well-Known Member
Hygrometer lid
found on ebay a couple of years ago...$7, I believe
I don't have link though
s/b easy enough to DIY
bob
