Thread: sap in a humidor

anyone have any ideas for how to clean sap out of a humidor?

What kind of sap?

The cedar lining has some sap running

Originally Posted by Doc

anyone have any ideas for how to clean sap out of a humidor?

Ouch! There are a couple different types of cedar and it appears your humidor was made with the version that's not really suitable for humidor use...not only does the "sappy" type make a mess it can REALLY change the flavor as cigars are like sponges and will absorb odors.

I'm not sure I'd put my best stogies in a humidor that was running sap but if it's the only thing you have I'd try lightly sanding and use a lint free cloth dampened with distilled water for the cleanup. If it still runs I'd consider replacing it or at the very least getting some cedar from a cigar box and relining your humidor.

actually it is Spanish cedar which is what is recommended for humidors. it is a hand built box I have seen on some of the woodworking sites where they recommend denatured alchohol for this but want to do that as last resort. From what I read this is fairly common.

Originally Posted by Doc

actually it is Spanish cedar which is what is recommended for humidors. it is a hand built box I have seen on some of the woodworking sites where they recommend denatured alchohol for this but want to do that as last resort. From what I read this is fairly common.

Poor choice of words on my part. While most humidors are made of Spanish Cedar there are different grades/classes/types or whatever they call it...and some are more "sappy" than others.

I discussed this with a woodworker friend of mine and he told me the higher the temperature the worse the sap would seep. His suggestion was to gently heat the area with a hair dryer to get as much sap out as possible and clean it with denatured alcohol...and if the grain is raised by doing this maybe a light sanding being VERY careful if it is a veneer rather than solid piece. After the excess sap is removed and the humidor properly conditioned humidity wise it shouldn't weep as much. He also said if it was the sappy type it might not be possible to fully correct and suggested creating a new veneer to cover the bad spot. Most cigar stores will give you some of the cedar pieces that come with a box of cigars...my brother built a humidor that way by lining a non-cedar box and it works great.

Good luck!

Spanish Cedar Wood:Cigar Humidor Wood Of Choice..
Not entirely without risk, but if the bleeding really gets excessive, you can try provoking it to bleed out in an oven.
Put the box in the oven and then slowly heat it to 70°C (160°F) Start cold. Leave it there for about 24 hours and wipe the bleeding stuff away every once in a while. (Careful, the dry air in the oven won't feel all that warm, but the 70°C sap will burn you). Leave the box into the oven while cooling down again.
After this treatment, the wood will not tend to bleed anymore as long as below this temperature.
The sap itself is not disastrous for cigars. in fact, the sap is what gives Spanish Cedars its typical aroma.

Hope this helps,
Bart.