Question re: cello's

I know it has been debated long and hard whether to keep cellos on cigars or take them off -- and people have various opinions on it. On the pro side, cello's protect the wrapper, on the con side, people like the natural "look" and some want their cigars to "marry" somewhat.

However, I have noticed something on some cigars I received that made me re-question this. When shipping from places with large climate changes in terms of warm/cold and humid/dry, some of the moisture from the cigars can evaporate from the cigars and onto the cello.

This water buildup in specific places can cause mold to form where condensation drops on the cello touch the cigars. I caught this on an otherwise pristine batch of cigars that I have (thankfully caught it early enough to clean them off, and the cigars are isolated currently, but seem fine).

I'm wondering if anyone else has seen this? It seems like a case for taking the cello's off, at least in cases where there have been large climate changes in the shipping of the cigars.

haven't seen that yet for on any shippings..

Never seen that,

Hell I shipped cigars to Sweden and I didnt hear anything about Moisture on the cello.

THis has been brought up like A million times and I think most folks say it doesnt matter do what you want.

Phil

Most of your fine Havanas don't come with cello :sneaky:

Well, the reason I ask is that I got two boxes of Añejo Sharks. One I de-cello'd and put in my home humidor. The other I put in my corporate cabinet. The latter, with the cello on, developed mold in some places where the cello touched the cigars.

It makes sense in a way. If the cigars come from a warm, humid climate, and then are in a cold climate like it is here, condensation will build up on the inside of the cellophane. with water beading in one concentrated place, mold can form easily.

That *appears* to be what happened here.

I've never heard of that before. For the record the general consensus among the FOG's seems to be to leave the cello on. If nothing else it protects the wrappers. In your case obviously you did the right thing. Mold is not good

Hmmmm, I was thinking "Not this question AGAIN" but moki brought up an interesting point.

I'm with LB, most of my accquisitions lately have been the non-cello'd type of cigars, if'n ya know what I mean

I still leave the cello on for protection purposes.

I've yet to see this, but I'm sticking at 65-67. Maybe you're a bit high on the humidity in that ultra-fancy humidor of yours?

Tony Bones said:

I've yet to see this, but I'm sticking at 65-67. Maybe you're a bit high on the humidity in that ultra-fancy humidor of yours?

Click to expand...

Nope, the cigars in my fancy humidor (the ones I took the cello off of) are fine -- and it's about 70%. This happened to a box that is in my corporate cabinet at my local cigar shop. They monitor that thing like a hawk.

So if it was anything, moisture got into the cellos before it was put in the cabinet. That makes sense, because the moisture and mold was inside the cello, condensed on it. If they were kept in a place where the humidity was too high, the moisture wouldn't be being bled *out* of the cigars and onto the cello on the inside.