Another question on mold...

[rbbrock]

Good to hear this got resolved, Greg, even if it did take a "heated" phone call.

I think a FREE, moldy smoke should taste pretty darn good... Wipe them off and smoke'em!

Regards,

BT

While I agree that almost no smoke tastes better than a free smoke, I for one just cannot smoke cigars that have molded. I've tried; once they sprout mold, especially if it's on the foot, I just can't go there. It tastes like smoking old gym socks to me.....eeeccchhh. I hear lots of guys say "....wipe 'em off and smoke 'em..." but I just can't. Not enjoyable, at least to my palate.

YMMV.......B.B.S.

I had a little bit of mold grow on about 4 cigars a few years back. Luckily it was not on the foot or in the bunch, but just beginning to grow on the wrapper. It was pretty sparse, so I just wiped them off, washed out the tupperdor they were in, and kept an eye on them until they were torched. No problem. However, they had barely any mold, just a few scattered spots, none larger than about 1mm in diameter. I'm sure that the more mold there is, the more it will affect the cigar's taste. Try one, and if it tastes like you're smoking you jock strap, pitch them, you've lost nothing. If they turn out to have survived, then you have some free cigars!

 

[DePasta]

What is it with these F'in vendors anyway? Do they think we are idiots or something?

 

[BlindedByScience]

I for one just cannot smoke cigars that have molded. I've tried; once they sprout mold, especially if it's on the foot, I just can't go there. It tastes like smoking old gym socks to me.

So you're saying you can identify a "mold" taste to cigars, eh?? Don't let Moki get wind of this... that'd be an ugly blind taste test...

Well, I didn't mean to throw down throw down the gauntlet, but I think you answered you own question; the only reason it would be "ugly" would be if you could in fact taste a difference. And, I'll be the first to agree that mold isn't a binary function, but does come in degrees. A tiny spot or two that easily wipes off without leaving a mark is one thing; huge blue "pillows" that show up on the foot of the smoke are another. Mold as bad as Greg's sample here are, IMHO, in the latter group.

I can and have tasted the effect of permeating mold, and choose not to smoke cigars that are as moldy as these are. If you can't taste it, more power to you but I can taste it and choose not to partake.

YMMV.....B.B.S.

 

[Kingantz]

Response back on the Vitola.net link I sent...

"Many sites out there with incorrect information. Rudman is a respected cigar author. But if you pick up any other book they will say the same."

 

[Brickhouse]

Now I'm getting angry :angry:

 

[moki]

Response from vendor when I sent in the below:

"This is not mold, mold is never white or gray.
This can simply be wiped off."

From everything I've read in other posts on this subject as well as other areas online, I'm fairly positive this is mold, however I wanted opinions to these specific pics as to "yes, this is mold" or "no, this is plume". Thanks for the help!

That is perhaps the most blatantly obvious picture of mold that I've seen posted here. I'm literally shocked that a vendor would try to say otherwise. Show them this:

http://www.vitolas.net/displayimage.php?pos=-927

...and ask for a refund.

 

[moki]

Response back on the Vitola.net link I sent...

"Many sites out there with incorrect information. Rudman is a respected cigar author. But if you pick up any other book they will say the same."

There are exactly two possibilities:

1) The vendor (or at least your contact at the vendor) is incredibly ignorant

2) The vendor (or at least your contact at the vendor) is lying to you

That's it. There are no other options on the table.

 

[moki]

Just got the below quotes in yet another email...

Hi Greg,

I quote from Rudman´s complete guide to cigars fourth edition page 379

Mould has a blueish tint and will mark the wrapper. It can also be removed like plume, but is a sign that your cigars are being stored in a too hot/andor humid conditions. If you allow mould to remain and do not reduce the humidity in which your cigars are stored, the cigars will begin to smell musty thus seriously affecting your smoking enjoyment.
------------------------------------

If you wipe off what you have you will find no marks

------------------------------------

Page 381
Plume sometimes cigars develop a plume, also called bloom. This is a whitish dust on the surface of the wrapper and arises from the crystalization of oils in the cigar tobacco. Plume which can evolve over a long period in the dark, moist confines of a humidor, is not harmful and can be brushed off with a soft brush, a dry tissue or sponge. Some smoker even believe it is beneficial o a cigar´s taste.

The above is mostly true. Where it is not accurate is in omission. Anyone who believes that mold can only be blueish and never white (or many other colors for that matter) simply isn't that well versed in the subject.

 

[smellysell]

Hey Greg, could you send me a PM of who the vendor was, so I can know NOT to order from them, though I'm guessing I may already know who it is. :angry:

 

[moki]

Hey Greg, could you send me a PM of who the vendor was, so I can know NOT to order from them, though I'm guessing I may already know who it is. :angry:

Ditto, PM me the vendor's name as well... and I'd love to chat with them too actually.

 

[moki]

Two quote the EPA: http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldbasics.html

Molds come in many colors; both white and black molds are shown here

More than you ever wanted to know about mold/fungi:

http://www.doctorfungus.org/

Hell, some molds even vary in color based on their food source.

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/hortcrop/pp899w.htm

White mold or Sclerotinia disease caused by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causes a wilt, rot and blight of over 374 ornamentals, field crops, weeds and vegetables in 64 plant families (Table 1). Susceptibility to the white mold fungus varies considerably among these plants from a hardly noticeable infection to complete destruction. Unfortunately, those plants which are only slightly susceptible may build up the fungus in the soil. Then when a very susceptible crop such as cabbage or petunia is planted and conditions are favorable, severe disease losses result

White mold, the bane of gardeners (tobacco is after all, a crop plant):

http://www.gardeners.com/White+Mold/5365,default,pg.html

...I could go on and on...

Okay one more -- a nice scholarly PDF that you can send along to this vendor... even has purty pictures in it:

http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/UL209.pdf

 

[Brickhouse]

Andrew I think that vendor is saying you have no idea what you're talking about. I'd take that as an insult if I were you

 

[moki]

Okay, now that I know what "express" vendor it is... I will say that I have heard numerous complaints from people who have gotten the same run-around on cigars that are clearly covered in mold.

Given that many of these people complained, I can only surmise that they are either:

1) Incredibly dense
2) Knowingly lying

I resolved to never use them again myself some time ago. Send them a link to this thread, I'd love to see them try to state in public that what is displayed in those pictures is "plume"

 

[Irish]

A quick question with regards to all of the "it's plume not mold" vendor problems that have been popping up on the boards recently. Has anyone tried to use one of those mold tester kits on the infected sticks or even have it sent out to a lab? Some of the quick home kits aren't too expensive (I recall seeing one of the air testers at home depot for around $10), although I have no idea if one of those would be accurate for the small amount of mold on a cigar. Maybe sealing the cigar in a small tupperware container with the air test kits would work, or try to find one of the tube testers.

Note I'm certainly not questioning whether this case is actually mold or not (seems pretty obvious from the pictures), but I thought that if a certain vendor has been pegged with this problem, that test might be some more ammunition to show the cigar community that they're either ignorant or just blowing smoke up everyone's you know whats...

Just a thought

 

[moki]

A quick question with regards to all of the "it's plume not mold" vendor problems that have been popping up on the boards recently. Has anyone tried to use one of those mold tester kits on the infected sticks or even have it sent out to a lab? Some of the quick home kits aren't too expensive (I recall seeing one of the air testers at home depot for around $10), although I have no idea if one of those would be accurate for the small amount of mold on a cigar. Maybe sealing the cigar in a small tupperware container with the air test kits would work, or try to find one of the tube testers.

Note I'm certainly not questioning whether this case is actually mold or not (seems pretty obvious from the pictures), but I thought that if a certain vendor has been pegged with this problem, that test might be some more ammunition to show the cigar community that they're either ignorant or just blowing smoke up everyone's you know whats...

Just a thought

You could do that... I'd love to walk into a store that tried to tell me what was in those pictures was "plume" and whip out a home mold test kit, and go to town in front of them.

You could also take some macro pictures of the mold... even in the pictures in this thread, it is very easy to see the stalks and the spores... no plume looks like that. A magnifying glass will make it painfully clear too, if you have any doubt.

 

[Brickhouse]

snip....
Given that many of these people complained, I can only surmise that they are either:

1) Incredibly dense
2) Knowingly lying
...snip

It's like Andrew is saying. There are only two conclusions one can draw from this vendor.

As a cigar lover, I'm not sure which one I hope it is.

 

[Kingantz]

Here is what I just sent the vendor...

http://www.cigarpass.com/forumsipb/index.php?s=&showtopic=42269&view=findpost&p=614550

This is a link to one of the forums I participate on. I posted the pictures and posed the question, "Is it mold or is it plume?" You can read all of the responses for yourself. Moki, who is by far more knowledgeable than most in the realm of the cigar, posted several informative quotes as well as links to information regarding mold. I would request that you visit this forum and have direct discussion with these fellows regarding the cigars/pictures and express your opinion of, "It's not mold, it's plume".

Thanks.

 

[cozy]

Thanks for the heads up. I was just about to change to this vendor from the last I got mold from with the same response. Moki you told me to find a new one then and I almost made another mistake choosing this one. Is there a bad vendor list out there....somewhere?

 

[rramstad]

Wow, wow, wow. Clearly mold.

As others have noted, either the vendor is incredibly dense ignorant and stupid OR they are trying to pull a fast one.

Regardless, buyer beware! Bad vendor!

 

[iioiooioo]

Thanks for the heads up. I was just about to change to this vendor from the last I got mold from with the same response. Moki you told me to find a new one then and I almost made another mistake choosing this one. Is there a bad vendor list out there....somewhere?

There is a list at http://www.cigarcyclopedia.com/webapp/content/view/944/48/. The Cigar Spider now allows for user submitted retailer rankings. If I bought a box and it looked like that I'd flip out. There is no excuse for that quality of merchandise, even if they did eventually correct the situation. I urge you to post the name of this vendor in the interest of protecting your fellow BOTL. There is no reason to protect them if that's how they treat their customers. And sure, you could be from Joe's Tobacco Store or whatever and this could just be some elaborate plot to smear Hank's Tobacco Store, but I doubt it. So please, post the retailers name. At the very least, rank them at The Cigar Spider. I wonder what would happen if you actually did smoke those? I bet you'd get one hell of a buzz...

Thanks,
Brad