my cedar chest works fine, hang dry for 4-5 days, then into the chest, every other day I prop open the lid a little and stir up the buds, only takes just over 2 weeks to cure in it, after that I have to wet the insides of the chest or my buds get very crispy. Just look into cigar humidor techniques; also very hard to get mold in a cedar chest, and it certainly does nothing to affect taste either. I would lightly sand down the inside of your chest before use, opens up the wood so it takes water in faster.