Thermoelectric wine cooler drying and curing - DIY

[MR.Towellie]

This page is great. Thanks @Hook Daddy for setting this up. I'm in the final stages of my build and I am wondering if there is a post with a step by step guide stating what settings I should have the koolatron set to on the first day and then 2nd and so on. I ask only because there are so many pages already. I appreciate any help you can spare. Thank you in advance. I see now that my dehu is upside down. Did anyone use anything to secure it to the fridge? Also I'd like to see the modified bottom tray @Hook Daddy

Oh what have some of you used to plug the hole? In the cooler?

Yeah, I want the guide as well, because there are couple different methods here to lower the RH. I personally didn’t secure my dehu with anything, it just sit there. As for the hole, mine was a smaller than yours, so I rolled a tape around the cables and shoved it in there. Simple and affective.

 

[esco9ine]

In my case i have a smell problem, my entire room is smelling and that not less... Maybe through the drip hole? Maybe someone can help here

What did you seal the hole with?

 

[esco9ine]

Yeah, I want the guide as well, because there are couple different methods here to lower the RH. I personally didn’t secure my dehu with anything, it just sit there. As for the hole, mine was a smaller than yours, so I rolled a tape around the cables and shoved it in there. Simple and affective.

Ya I went with a 1" / 25mm hole. in retrospect I could have gone smaller. I might just use electric tape although I'm not sure if there's any risk in that.

 

[esco9ine]

Can someone please help understand what could be the issue here.

I did a quick wet trim to ensure I don’t start with very high humidity. I loaded everything and then I let it settle for few hours so the sensor can read the actual humidity in the cooler before I start the process of dehumidifying.
I started with 55f and 78% RH. I lowered only 0.5-2% RH average daily and 1% RH difference value. After almost three days I reached 73% RH. Then, I put the target to 99% RH to see if in fact the humidity in the cooler is 73% or a bit higher, but to my surprise it spiked all the way to 82% RH. I checked inside the cooler to see if any water is pilling up at the bottom that is not draining, but it was dry.

I’m confused! what could be the issue! Or is this normal?

btw I’m using INKBIRD humidity controller.

Hey I'm just about ready to harvest my plants and I'm wondering if you hung your plants to dry for 1.5 days before putting them in the cooler? I read that @Hook Daddy did that for his 2nd harvest.

 

[Hook Daddy]

What did you seal the hole with?

I used a neoprene plug from an old cloner, it fits nicely around the cable and seals tight. Hot glue, electrical tape, anything to seal the hole up is better than nothing. Watch silicone as it tends to stink.

 

[Hook Daddy]

This page is great. Thanks @Hook Daddy for setting this up. I'm in the final stages of my build and I am wondering if there is a post with a step by step guide stating what settings I should have the koolatron set to on the first day and then 2nd and so on. I ask only because there are so many pages already. I appreciate any help you can spare. Thank you in advance. I see now that my dehu is upside down. Did anyone use anything to secure it to the fridge? Also I'd like to see the modified bottom tray @Hook Daddy

Oh what have some of you used to plug the hole? In the cooler?

I did not secure the dehumidifier in the cooler, it just sits with the pointed ends of the fins in the drip channel at the rear of the cooler. Here’s a pic of the bottom tray cut for the dehumidifier.



There are several posts with suggested setttings, but if you are putting freshly harvested bud in, no pre-hang dry, i remove all fan leaves and most larger stems out first, then start at 55f and 78%rh, and drop rh by .5% per day the first few days to a week, then 1% per day until 60% or where I want it. That’s a good place to start, once you see it run a few times you can adjust from there.

 

[esco9ine]

I did not secure the dehumidifier in the cooler, it just sits with the pointed ends of the fins in the drip channel at the rear of the cooler. Here’s a pic of the bottom tray cut for the dehumidifier.

View attachment 5432718

There are several posts with suggested setttings, but if you are putting freshly harvested bud in, no pre-hang dry, i remove all fan leaves and most larger stems out first, then start at 55f and 78%rh, and drop rh by .5% per day the first few days to a week, then 1% per day until 60% or where I want it. That’s a good place to start, once you see it run a few times you can adjust from there.

Awesome, thanks for the reply!!

 

[Douggyfresh420]

Fyi, these 1/2" hydrofarm rubber gromnets work perfectly for running your cables through. Assures your wires wont get cut by the sharp edges. Then you can take hot glue and fully seal the inside hole.

 

[DCcan]

I used a soft rubber boot for a pass thru seal, like these bicycle brake cable boots.
Makes it easy to replace sensors or peletier units.

 

[MR.Towellie]

Hey I'm just about ready to harvest my plants and I'm wondering if you hung your plants to dry for 1.5 days before putting them in the cooler? I read that @Hook Daddy did that for his 2nd harvest.

No I didn’t hang them to dry. Harvested then straight to cooler. I don’t think Hookdady hung dry all his harvests first, some of his harvests went straight to the cooler without hang drying. He can confirm himself. Ask him

 

[MR.Towellie]

I did not secure the dehumidifier in the cooler, it just sits with the pointed ends of the fins in the drip channel at the rear of the cooler. Here’s a pic of the bottom tray cut for the dehumidifier.

View attachment 5432718

There are several posts with suggested setttings, but if you are putting freshly harvested bud in, no pre-hang dry, i remove all fan leaves and most larger stems out first, then start at 55f and 78%rh, and drop rh by .5% per day the first few days to a week, then 1% per day until 60% or where I want it. That’s a good place to start, once you see it run a few times you can adjust from there.

Why start with 78%? Why this number specifically?

 

[Douggyfresh420]

Why start with 78%? Why this number specifically?

I think upper 70's is a great starting point. Any higher you run a greater chance mold, if you set it too low, your buds will dry out too fast and turn to shit.

 

[Hook Daddy]

Why start with 78%? Why this number specifically?

Only because people are always asking for a defined start schedule and hard numbers, that is a good safe place to start that works well, no other reason. I will usually start somewhat lower myself and keep a close eye on things to make sure the dehumidifier fins don’t freeze up. By starting at 78% that very rarely happens, and everything works smoothly.

Edit: I should add, 78% is an average of what I see the cooler settling at with fresh buds loaded, fan leaves and large stems removed, that works for a standard overall setting that the Koolatron easily gets the job done.

 

[MR.Pool]

I pulled my buds out to get a dry weight. I got just under 5 oz. Put most back in the koolatron to cure. A little in grove bags and some in a jar. Kinda doing a side by side to see what comes out better if any. The outside of the buds were definitely dry and slightly crumbling when squeezed but still had a little squish. I don’t know how dispo bugs get perfectly round and rock like. As long as I get decent smoke and flavor and good high then I’m happy with my grow. Most likely won’t do a grow this winter as my lady made me move to the garage and it’ll be to cold. Thanks for all the help @Hook Daddy

 

[MR.Towellie]

I pulled my buds out to get a dry weight. I got just under 5 oz. Put most back in the koolatron to cure. A little in grove bags and some in a jar. Kinda doing a side by side to see what comes out better if any. The outside of the buds were definitely dry and slightly crumbling when squeezed but still had a little squish. I don’t know how dispo bugs get perfectly round and rock like. As long as I get decent smoke and flavor and good high then I’m happy with my grow. Most likely won’t do a grow this winter as my lady made me move to the garage and it’ll be to cold. Thanks for all the help @Hook Daddy

How long was your dry? And where did u start?

 

[MR.Pool]

How long was your dry? And where did u start?

I did like 60-62f, the humidity was high at first like 78-80rh but I did wet trim and no pre hang dry and stacked the trays but not double stacked. And just did like .5-1rh drop every day or what it would handle. I did open it once a day or other day just to check the buds. It’s been 11 days since I put it in there.

 

[Silvio hernandez]

So i wanted to share my last upgrade. I bought an additional inkbird temp controller and pluged the controller for the dehumidifier in the "heat plug" from the temp controller. I adjusted the temp controller to the temperature which shows me the koolatron and then adjust the heat setting on the temp co troller to 2f higher. Now i can set directly 62% rh with no fear that the fins of the dehumidifier will freeze. If they freeze the tempcontroller will turn of the humidiy controller untill starting temp is reached again... Next step will be to make it more clean, maybe wir home assistant and additional touchscreen controller for mobil useage....

 

[MR.Towellie]

So i wanted to share my last upgrade. I bought an additional inkbird temp controller and pluged the controller for the dehumidifier in the "heat plug" from the temp controller. I adjusted the temp controller to the temperature which shows me the koolatron and then adjust the heat setting on the temp co troller to 2f higher. Now i can set directly 62% rh with no fear that the fins of the dehumidifier will freeze. If they freeze the tempcontroller will turn of the humidiy controller untill starting temp is reached again... Next step will be to make it more clean, maybe wir home assistant and additional touchscreen controller for mobil useage....

U didn’t get the inkbird with wifi?

 

[Silvio hernandez]

Sure i have with wifi, i had the Problem the the dehumidifier freeze often especially in the beginnen of drying and so i have no brain fuck anymore... But i was also thinking that i maybe have to low temperature setting in my fridge, that there is not much moisure in the air and the dehumidifier has to work to much to get it out of the air.

 

[MR.Towellie]

Guys I opened the cooler and I got the hay smell . Is this normal? What could be the reason? And will it ever go away after few days of curing?