looks like mold to me. though it is fairly evenly on the surface it looks like it is over the wrapper and has structure to it.
there is also no sparkle.
That's what I was afraid of.. Didn't want to throw them out since they are my last two Cubans.. Atleast its only two I guess. Thanks for your advice I appreciate it!
this is another good reason to leave the cello on so no other sticks get affected
Thankfully these were the only two sticks in the case.. But this brings me to another question. What are the pros and cons to leaving the cello on vs taking it off... Fairly new to the cigar world so just trying to gain some knowledge. I'm sure I could search the forum and find my answer lol
mold can still grow with cello on.
every cigar already has spores on them. weather the spores grow into full on mold or not depends on the conditions the cigars are in and the species of mold.
cellophane on or off is all about personal opinion. search "cellophane" or "cello" in this forum for MANY threads about it. lets keep this thread about mold and plume
I'm here seeking some advice. I have a box of Oliva V Melanios that's been in my cooler for the last 8 months or so. My brother was in town for the holidays, and I wanted to send him home with a couple. I opened the box to discover a decent sized mold spot (about 2x5mm) on one of the caps. It was definitely mold, but I think I caught it fairly early. I couldn't spot anything serious on the other cigars in the box, but after looking them over for a while, even lint from the table cloth starts to look like mold.
Here is what I've done. 1. Removed the box from the cooler. 2. Separated the cigars from the affected box using plastic bags (one for those closest to the affected stick, another for those farther away). 3. I cut the affected cigar to determine whether the mold was coming from inside or just on the surface. It was just surface mold.
I've got a couple questions. 1. Do I need to take more steps to protect the rest of the cooler? The box was closed the entire time it was in there except when I opened it to smoke one a couple months back. I checked the rest of the cooler and found no issues. (50qts, so I'm hoping I don't have to). 2. Should I attempt to salvage the remaining 8 sticks from the box? If so, are there any steps to take other than storing them in separate, sealed bags? Can I reasonably throw those bags back in the cooler? 3. It's not really a question, but I'm not sure how this happened. The cooler never gets over 70% (usually ~66% at the top and ~68% at the bottom). Beyond that, the Melanio box has a false bottom the conceals a 69% Boveda pack. That should definitely prevent this, right?
I'm here seeking some advice. I have a box of Oliva V Melanios that's been in my cooler for the last 8 months or so. My brother was in town for the holidays, and I wanted to send him home with a couple. I opened the box to discover a decent sized mold spot (about 2x5mm) on one of the caps. It was definitely mold, but I think I caught it fairly early. I couldn't spot anything serious on the other cigars in the box, but after looking them over for a while, even lint from the table cloth starts to look like mold.
Here is what I've done. 1. Removed the box from the cooler. 2. Separated the cigars from the affected box using plastic bags (one for those closest to the affected stick, another for those farther away). 3. I cut the affected cigar to determine whether the mold was coming from inside or just on the surface. It was just surface mold.
I've got a couple questions. 1. Do I need to take more steps to protect the rest of the cooler? The box was closed the entire time it was in there except when I opened it to smoke one a couple months back. I checked the rest of the cooler and found no issues. (50qts, so I'm hoping I don't have to). 2. Should I attempt to salvage the remaining 8 sticks from the box? If so, are there any steps to take other than storing them in separate, sealed bags? Can I reasonably throw those bags back in the cooler? 3. It's not really a question, but I'm not sure how this happened. The cooler never gets over 70% (usually ~66% at the top and ~68% at the bottom). Beyond that, the Melanio box has a false bottom the conceals a 69% Boveda pack. That should definitely prevent this, right?
I appreciate any sage advice you all can give.
Thanks.
I think your ok on the cooler, being that it was in a sealed box an just a surface spot. Yes salvage the remaining sticks. You can wipe down the box that ther were in, curious was the mold spot on top bottom side of the cigar? Not sure how it happened either usually happens with cigars in cedar sleeves, was there cedar or paper lining the cigar box? Yea id also probably take the boveda pack out. Hope this helps
This could be another good one to have stickied at the top.
Team O'Donnell FTW!
"I've got a great cigar collection - it's actually not a collection, because that would imply I wasn't going to smoke ever last one of 'em." - Ron White
The B&M that I usually go to in the Quad Cities, IA/IL needs to have a look at this thread. It isn't plume guys. There is no way that you have got plume on 35% of your sticks in your cases, even those sticks with a wrapper on them. I walked out after 5 minutes of looking over their whole selection. Every case had at least two boxes with cigars that had plume, according to them. Sorry, I don't believe you. Not going to "infect" my home humis with your mold spores. No buying from me anymore.
this is hands down the best thread I have found about mold versus plume. awesome presentation! very informative. ive been wondering about this for a long time
A group of us, (unnamed c.com members & a few others) were having this conversation in nicaragua over the past few days. What was very interesting to me during the conversation, was that 2 very informed, connected non c.com guys..but extremely connected gentlemen with very deep roots and a lifetime of experiences inthe cigar world, had no idea what we were talking about with the term 'plume'. However, they were very interested in the discussion, and promised to ask around nicaRAGua to see what others had to say.
If if anyone has a prime example of a cigar with wonderful plume, please post it here. Thnx
My rule of thumb. It's mold, it's always mold. I thought I saw Bigfoot the other day but it was just a lady wearing a fur coat.
Yes. We talked about this on the vherf recently. I would always assume it's mold. Plume is rare. And if it's splotchy and looks like mold and many members of the forum tell you it's mold, then don't smoke it.
If it wipes off pretty easily, you might choose to smoke it.
(Don't wipe it off while standing over your open humidor!!!! Take them somewhere else. And, wash your hands before going back into the humidor.)
I had some cigars start developing mold just on the foot. White fuzzy mold. Since I couldn't wipe it off because it was intertwined in the tobacco at the foot, I chose to amputate the feet. Took off about an inch. Kept my eye on them. Smoked them occasionally.
The main thing is to get the mold to stop spreading. Separate moldy sticks from good sticks when you find mold. And, prevent mold from starting in the first place by not letting your humidor get too humid.
Naked sticks seem to get mold quicker than cello protected sticks. I've never had it on any with cello. Another good reason to keep the cellophane on. But, if you do prefer a naked stash. Wash your hands before handling your naked cigars. If you have been cleaning up your basement and you decide to grab a stick for a well deserved break, could you be introducing mold spores? I'm guessing the answer is yes.
So leaving cellophane on which I do should help prevent a moldy cigar from spreading to others cause I know mold only needs 2 things (food and moisture). My humidor usually registers between 65-68%. I found the mold on a Cohiba red dot that was still in the tube it came in on the cap. Had been in the humidor about 3 months.
The trouble with tubes is, (and this is just my theory,) when you move a tubo through a warmer temp environment they can sweat on the inside (just like a cold can of beer does when you set it out) and because of that concentration of moisture, it promotes better conditions for mold. I think it's best not to keep them in metal tubes.
In my findings so far a nice maduro wrapper that is very toothy is the key to plume. It does take years but damn it is worth it! I believe it is because the filler in most maduros are higher in strength and that just means more oils. I do have a bunch of padron thousand series with a ton of plume on them. I'll post pics when I can but it seems as IMO padron maduros and la aurora maduros seem to release oils pretty well
Comments
every cigar already has spores on them. weather the spores grow into full on mold or not depends on the conditions the cigars are in and the species of mold.
cellophane on or off is all about personal opinion. search "cellophane" or "cello" in this forum for MANY threads about it. lets keep this thread about mold and plume
Here is what I've done.
1. Removed the box from the cooler.
2. Separated the cigars from the affected box using plastic bags (one for those closest to the affected stick, another for those farther away).
3. I cut the affected cigar to determine whether the mold was coming from inside or just on the surface. It was just surface mold.
I've got a couple questions.
1. Do I need to take more steps to protect the rest of the cooler? The box was closed the entire time it was in there except when I opened it to smoke one a couple months back. I checked the rest of the cooler and found no issues. (50qts, so I'm hoping I don't have to).
2. Should I attempt to salvage the remaining 8 sticks from the box? If so, are there any steps to take other than storing them in separate, sealed bags? Can I reasonably throw those bags back in the cooler?
3. It's not really a question, but I'm not sure how this happened. The cooler never gets over 70% (usually ~66% at the top and ~68% at the bottom). Beyond that, the Melanio box has a false bottom the conceals a 69% Boveda pack. That should definitely prevent this, right?
I appreciate any sage advice you all can give.
Thanks.
"I've got a great cigar collection - it's actually not a collection, because that would imply I wasn't going to smoke ever last one of 'em." - Ron White
If if anyone has a prime example of a cigar with wonderful plume, please post it here. Thnx
(Don't wipe it off while standing over your open humidor!!!! Take them somewhere else. And, wash your hands before going back into the humidor.)
I had some cigars start developing mold just on the foot. White fuzzy mold. Since I couldn't wipe it off because it was intertwined in the tobacco at the foot, I chose to amputate the feet. Took off about an inch. Kept my eye on them. Smoked them occasionally.
The main thing is to get the mold to stop spreading. Separate moldy sticks from good sticks when you find mold. And, prevent mold from starting in the first place by not letting your humidor get too humid.
Naked sticks seem to get mold quicker than cello protected sticks. I've never had it on any with cello. Another good reason to keep the cellophane on. But, if you do prefer a naked stash. Wash your hands before handling your naked cigars. If you have been cleaning up your basement and you decide to grab a stick for a well deserved break, could you be introducing mold spores? I'm guessing the answer is yes.
"I ain't got no Opus's"
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