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moldy gars...

bass8844bass8844 Posts: 416
in Cigar 101
Do you guys usually throw them out or do you wipe it off and carry on with business? One of my humis must have been running a bit too humid...also it got a little warm over here. I had a ryj 1875 cedro #2 catch a little bit of mold. It wasn't too bad, so I wiped it off and let it burn. The draw was a bit tight, and it did burn unevenly...must have still been too moist. But I did notice that the wrapper did taste salty....anyone have any input?

Comments

  • jlzimmermanjlzimmerman Posts: 282
    I've only had one bout with mold. I just wiped it off and carried on with business. I did, however, inspect the rest of my cigars as well as the humidor to ensure mold was not found anywhere else.

    I did a lot of reading on the mold subject and there is a wide spectrum of advise by the experts. One expert may say toss out the infected cigars immediately and wipe down your humidor while another expert will say wipe off the mold and carry on. I side with the latter if the mold is not too bad. I do so because I have a hard time throwing away a $5-$10 cigar due to a little mold that has no impact on how good/bad it will smoke.

    With that said, I've only had one bout and I've done more inspections and babysit my humidity much more than I did before. If I have another bout of find a cigar with a more serious case of mold I will be more likely to be more strict in how I battle the problem.

    Just my $.02
  • bass8844bass8844 Posts: 416
    Every once in a while during the hotter months out here I find a couple of unwrapped sticks with a little patch of mold. I find that during the summer, it's safer to keep my sticks wrapped, and then in the colder months I can safely take off the cello and let them breathe.
  • kaspera79kaspera79 Posts: 7,257 ✭✭✭
    I never had mold as you may be describing it , but I have had what I have heard called bloom. A kind of white powder on my cigars. I brushed them off and seperated them, adjusted the humidity, and watched all of them for a while. Never threw one away though. It is a bad feeling to discover damaged cigars, sorry to hear about that.
  • carmike22carmike22 Posts: 70 ✭
    I only had one once with just of speck of mold, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to just go ahead and smoke it. But if I saw a spot that was a decent size I would throw it away cause that doesn't sound like a good idea to smoke mold.
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    Woah! Woah! Woah! ... if you can simply wipe it off its not mold. Thats plume(or bloom) and that is a VERY good thing! Plume is white and powdery and when it is found on your cigar it means it is at its peak. Pull that sucker out and smoke it. If its any color but white its mold and if it leaves any residue or does any damage to the cigar then its mold. Never had any mold(knock on wood) so I don't know a good solution. Plume however has occured in my humi once or twice and that cigar was immediately plucked and smoked.
  • bass8844bass8844 Posts: 416
    From experience and from looking around, mold can also come in white. The diff between plume and mold is that plume is usually uniformly spread around the surface of the cigar while mold is splotchy. I would be happy if it was plume, but the white spots that I found where splotchy. Also I've found that mold wipes away easily, while plume is a little harder to get off...does that sound right?
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    I've never seen or heard of white tobacco mold. Doesn't mean it does not exist, just haven't seen it myself or heard of it until now. I've had splotchy plume before, the biggest tell tale is whether it wipes right off. If you can dust it off with your finger its plume not mold.
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    Sorry I missed the last sentence in your post, bass. Its the other way around if it wipes right off its plume, mold is hard to get off and leaves a residue behind.
  • jlzimmermanjlzimmerman Posts: 282
    madurofan:
    Woah! Woah! Woah! ... if you can simply wipe it off its not mold.
    Not true. Some mold is not hard at all to wipe off. And in my case, I'd bet money it was not bloom I wiped off. I only had the cigars for about 1 month.

    cigar.com - Bloom Ploom or Mold
    Vitolas - If it's White, it's Plume? NOT


    From JR Cigars University:
    Q: My cigars have something on them. How can I tell if it is mold or bloom?

    A: Bloom, also called plume, is a grey-white residual powder that is left from the cigar's essential oils drying on its surface, and is considered a very good sign that the proper aging is taking place. Not all cigars develop bloom, but those that are heavy in oils almost always do over time. Mold always has some body to it; it is actually a three dimensional "fuzz." Typically, it grows rather quickly once it occurs. Also, it is commonly green, green/blue, or green/yellow in color. Typically, bloom will cover all the air-exposed sides of a cigar beginning in spots but eventually evenly, whereas mold will typically begin growing on just one part and spread from there. If you still can't tell the difference, I suggest you quarantine the potential problem cigars to their own "Tupperdor" for a couple of weeks, after which you should be able to tell. If it is mold, you will be able to see the three-dimensional fuzz structure by now.

    Q: Okay, it is mold... now what?

    A: You can just brush the mold off and smoke them anyway. I have smoked a bunch of vintage cigars that have had some mold on them. It takes considerable mold and time to impact the flavor of the cigar - the biggest factor being whether they have molded on the interior. If so, they are goners. If not, you can just gently brush the mold off with a soft dry cloth or your fingers. However, you should quarantine them from your other cigars to prevent it from spreading to them.
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    zimmerman, First, it is very possible your cigars got plume after only having them a month. Were they not stored properly before you purchased them? Also what was the humidity in your humidor? It has to be fairly high to grow mold. If you maintained less than 72 it is highly unlikely it was mold. Second, it is a fact that mold will not wipe off easily and leave nothing behind. Now I've heard stories of people getting impurities from using water in their humidifier that is not distilled and that would wipe off easily and leave nothing behind but mold will be a little harder to wipe off and will leave some discoloration behind. As far as JR saying to brush it off and smoke it, thats 50/50 you will find half of the "experts" tell you to toss them and half say you can smoke them. He could be correct about it not affectign the flavor I'm not sure but it will most definetly leave discolored spots. I'm not sure I would be comfortable smoking them personally as there is no way to know whether there is some mold spores on the inside. But thats my opinion.
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    To further my point. I once purchased a cigar at Havana Connection in Richmond, VA that had plume on it when I bought it. This was not a tubo either. Plume forms from being properly stored it doesn't matter how long you have personally had them.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    some may have a reaction to the mold.

    plume looks very different than mold. mold has structure to it. it looks fuzzy. plume has a sparkle to it. its flat.

    i do agree that it is unlikely that mold would be there at 72% rh. usually there arent problems till about 75%-80%.
    Kuzi's Forum Links Page
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    Yea that'd be my fear, with all my d@mn allergies I'd end up dying from smoking a moldy cigar, lol.
  • jlzimmermanjlzimmerman Posts: 282
    madurofan:
    zimmerman, First, it is very possible your cigars got plume after only having them a month. Were they not stored properly before you purchased them? Also what was the humidity in your humidor? It has to be fairly high to grow mold. If you maintained less than 72 it is highly unlikely it was mold. Second, it is a fact that mold will not wipe off easily and leave nothing behind. Now I've heard stories of people getting impurities from using water in their humidifier that is not distilled and that would wipe off easily and leave nothing behind but mold will be a little harder to wipe off and will leave some discoloration behind. As far as JR saying to brush it off and smoke it, thats 50/50 you will find half of the "experts" tell you to toss them and half say you can smoke them. He could be correct about it not affectign the flavor I'm not sure but it will most definetly leave discolored spots. I'm not sure I would be comfortable smoking them personally as there is no way to know whether there is some mold spores on the inside. But thats my opinion.
    The humidity in mine was too high, around 80%, and where I had the humidor was in the warmest room of the house. The mold was grayish in color, fuzzy, and three dimensional.

    It was only after I filled the humidor with more sticks (and unwrapped the others) did the humidity drop. I haven't had a problem since then.

    It's been a few months and there's been no signs of either mold or plume, and that's just fine with me, although plume would be a very nice touch : )
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    Glad to hear you are mold free. I know this sounds dumb but next time it shoots up like that just stick a match or something in the lid so that it can not close completely. Nothing big just enough so it doesn't make a tight seal this will knock your humidity down a few notches. Of course thats assuming the humidity is lower in your house than 72% which I sure as hell hope it is, lol.
  • NAustinNAustin Posts: 1
    About a year ago, just before leaving on vacation, I filled my lid mounted rectangular humidifier in a large humidor and went on my way. I came home 2 weeks later to find that it had come loose and landed sqarely across 5 Fuente God Of Fire Churchills. All five were mold covered and damaged. A total loss. Needless to say I was not a happy camper. I now stick to floor standing gel systems. : /
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    Thats sickening NAustin. Was it one of the green sponge style?
  • gott.des.feuergott.des.feuer Posts: 136
    I had a little mold start forming on the foot of one of my Cusano Double 18 Connecticuts a few weeks back... I just took my double-guillotine and lopped the moldy part and a little extra off (the extra as insurance that the remainder was as mold free as possible), checked the floor of the humi and  made sure to smoke that one ASAP so that even if there was one or two mold spores left it wouldn't be able to spread. It weirds me out to smoke a cigar that had started to mold, but honestly, I'd rather not waste a cigar that can be salvaged, and if it gets me sick (I have mild allergies, but moreso to fur/pollen that mold) then oh well... as long as the cigar was good I can endure.
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    gott, I wouldn't recommend lopping of the foot of a cigar again as it will likely change the taste of the cigar a lot. Cigars are designed to be a certain length and need that length to properly heat up and acheive their potential flavor.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    madurofan:
    gott, I wouldn't recommend lopping of the foot of a cigar again as it will likely change the taste of the cigar a lot. Cigars are designed to be a certain length and need that length to properly heat up and acheive their potential flavor.
    true, but id do that rather than throwing it out.
    Kuzi's Forum Links Page
  • gott.des.feuergott.des.feuer Posts: 136
    kuzi16:
    madurofan:
    gott, I wouldn't recommend lopping of the foot of a cigar again as it will likely change the taste of the cigar a lot. Cigars are designed to be a certain length and need that length to properly heat up and acheive their potential flavor.
    true, but id do that rather than throwing it out.


    I can see that being true, but in this case it turned out fine. It was a toro so it's got a lot of length to begin with. Besides, like Kuzi said, I'd rather risk it tasting a little different than waste it entirely.
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    Good point I guess it is better than wasting but I wouldn't base ur opinion of a cigar on one you lopped the foot off of.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    madurofan:
    I wouldn't base ur opinion of a cigar on one you lopped the foot off of.
    agreed!! when i do a review of a cigar for my catalog i make sure it is in top condition... even if it is a buck-a-stick. every cigar is rolled for that size and shape. to do anything but smoke it as it is intended is uncivalized...





    or at least not as fun.
    Kuzi's Forum Links Page
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    kuzi16:
    madurofan:
    I wouldn't base ur opinion of a cigar on one you lopped the foot off of.
    agreed!! when i do a review of a cigar for my catalog i make sure it is in top condition... even if it is a buck-a-stick. every cigar is rolled for that size and shape. to do anything but smoke it as it is intended is uncivalized...





    or at least not as fun.
    I try to make sure its my 2nd or 3rd of that cigar before I review it as well.
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