RH for storing paint

[Jonnydread]

Hey all,

What's the best relative humidity to store paintballs in? I have mine around 55%.

Thoughts?

[Siress]

I only have thoughts... no data.

We're talking about two-piece, hard gelatin capsules. While it's tempting to store it the same way you'd store such medications, the use case is very different.

• Hermetically sealed containers with at least some transparent sections to put desiccant. I use desiccant that changes color if it becomes saturated, so having a transparent part of the container with that desiccant behind it provides the ability to verify RH without opening the container and exposing it to more humidity.
• Rotate it often. Don't just flip the container and walk away. Give it a gentle shake. Rest it in as many unique positions as you can imagine. Typically that means a box; 6 sides that can each be 'bottom' for a while. Tell it to have an open mind, and assure it that you'll be gentle.
• I imagine that light refrigeration is best; 40±5deg F. I just keep it in my basement; 50-72 deg F. The colder it's stored, the longer I think you can go between rotations because the shell will be slightly stiffer. The purpose of rotations is to prevent plastic deformation of the gelatin capsule. The paintballs on 'bottom' will be most susceptible, so it's best to limit how much weight any particular 'bottom' ball is supporting. This, too, will allow you go longer between rotations.
• ~2-4 hours before you intend to use the paint, open the container up and expose it to comfortable indoor environmental conditions for your area. This will cause the gelatin to absorb some humidity until it reaches equilibrium in your home, and the PEG fill will come up to temperature as well - slightly expanding as it does so. This same process happens when you go outside. I recommend filling all of your pods while you're still inside as the humidity outdoors when playing will cause the paint to similarly swell. If it's hot out then the added moisture makes it easier for the gelatin to soften and become tacky - leading to breaks.

When to rotate? Try it and see what works for your storage method and brand/model of paint. If you have dimples and deformations - rotate more often. If you don't see any such defects, you're on my team for the next game.