Humidor Facts
Initial Conditioning
Do not spray the interior of any humidor with water or apply a damp sponge or wet rag to any interior Spanish cedar wood surface. This will only cause the wood to expand too rapidly and will raise the grain of the Spanish cedar wood thereby giving it a rough texture. Instead, fill our humidification up using only distilled water and turn your system on for about 3-4 days prior to putting your cigars in your humidor. This will provide the adequate amount of time for the Spanish cedar wood to absorb the moisture and make your system ready for your cigars as intended. Be patient and go slowly while conditioning the humidor to the 70% R.H. level. It is a slow process and needs to be done slowly so the humidor can acclimate to the higher humidity levels. Use this method for cigar cabinets, walk-in humidors and cigar lockers as well.
Spanish Cedar Veneer vs. Solids
Although I do prefer using solid Spanish Cedar and the appearance of tongue and groove linings on my humidors, I have found no real evidence that solid Spanish Cedar linings are superior to Veneer Cedar over plywood Spanish cedar plywood. Be careful, the market is now being filled by inexpensive import Spanish cedar veneer place on a chip board core. I had a customer who placed this in his humidor and within 3 weeks the walls were green with mold. This is becoming a problem with China imports of all kind, especially with sheet rock.
Why Spanish Cedar?
Some say because it is porous wood and can hold moisture, but in my research as to why Spanish cedar was initially used as the wood of choice for cigar companies, I found that it was used due to its taste. That’s right, if anyone has ever sanded a piece of Spanish cedar, you would know that when the saw dust gets in your mouth, the taste is horrific. Spanish-cedar can repel beetles. These pinhead-sized beetles can ruin entire stocks of cigars. They eat your collection and lay eggs, causing further infestation. They can also be discouraged by ensuring the humidor does not get hotter than 70 °F. The beetle eggs usually only hatch at around 77 °F, although there are also instances where they will hatch at cooler temperatures if the humidity is too high. When kiln dried, it is very stable and will not warp or grow much when it reaches 70% moisture content. Its oils inhibit the growth of molds and mildew that destroy cigars. Spanish cedar has a delicate aroma that is complementary, enhancing the cigar’s taste. Spanish Cedar naturally allows moisture to "breathe" out preventing it from rotting. Spanish Cedar is also very similar in coloring and grain pattern to true Honduran Mahogany
