What has been your experience with moldy cigars?

[whylieineedacigar]

I didn't want to hijack the post about the moldy Gloria Cubana box split so I decided to open up this one.

On January of this year, I ordered a sealed box of La Flor de Cano Petit Coronas. Upon opening and inspecting the box I realized that the cigars had mold. This was my very first time receiving a box of moldy cigars from a vendor and I was very disappointed because I have gotten a good deal and they were from 2012.

Here's a pic of the mold:

I contacted the vendor and he said to send them back for a full refund. These particular cigars are really cheap, so my first thought was about how much money I would probably spend sending them back overseas and basically loose about 25% off the price paid for them. I placed them in the back of my cabinet "until I had the chance to ship them" and forgot about these cigars. I didn't wipe them off or anything special, I left them just the way they came in.

About two weeks ago I was moving some boxes around and saw the LFCs and just thought to myself "shit, I forgot to send these back." I opened the box and these things looked shiny and beautiful. Not a single spot of mold. I couldn't believe it, I even took them out to the yard to look at them under the sun light to make sure that I wasn't missing anything. I smoked one right then and there and it smoked nicely. Even thought I didn't see any trace of mold, I did wipe the head of the cigar with whiskey before putting it in my mouth. Do not know if that would actually kill the mold but it sure made me feel better lol. I have smoked a few of them since. I will take a picture of the cigars when I get home.

Have something like this ever happened to you?

Edited to add the new picture:

 

[jbfurdog]

Wow. That’s interesting I figure that the humidity in your storage vessel must have been low enough to stop the mold from spreading but to have it totally disappear? Wild.

 

[Corneighdo]

Bro, that is definitely Plume

 

[BlindedByScience]

Mold never 'goes away' but it can certainly dry out. If you haven't cleaned them, the spores are most certainly still there.

I had a reasonably bad wrapper mold outbreak some time back on a box of Anejo's I have. Their wrapper, for some reason, seems particularly bad for this type of issue. I removed them from their cello and cedar sleeves, and oh so gently wiped them down with some of the distilled water / colloidal silver mix that many of us use in our humidor tanks. I used very clean white cotton rags, and was careful not to soak the wrappers; just a gentle wipe and slight wrapper moisture was what I did. Then I stacked them up like cordwood so they could air out very well, and left them out of the humidor for three or four days, as I recall. Wiped the inside of their box as well, and allowed it to dry. No issues since, seem to have dodged a bullet there.

I got turned 0nto the colloidal silver additive a while back by one of our very well known members;

I use nano-silver mixed with my distilled water, and this eliminates any possibility of contracting mold, and keeps the spores from spreading if there is mold introduced to the environment. It is odorless and tasteless, as well as non-toxic...​

This will work, 2 ounces per gallon of distilled water. I use it with my aristocrats and my set it and forget it systems, as well as my beads. If I see any mold on recently purchased cigars, I used the same solution to gently wipe down the cigar, it kills any trace of mold...

http://www.amazon.com/Nano-Silver-Colloidal-Ounces-Market/dp/B00DQIEDWY

http://www.silversolutionusa.com/silver-sol-16-oz-family-size-patented-silver-solution-10-ppm/​

No such outbreaks since I've been using the silver mixed with my distilled water. Humidifier tank filters stay amazingly clean, too.....

 

[whylieineedacigar]

Mold never 'goes away' but it can certainly dry out. If you haven't cleaned them, the spores are most certainly still there.

I had a reasonably bad wrapper mold outbreak some time back on a box of Anejo's I have. Their wrapper, for some reason, seems particularly bad for this type of issue. I removed them from their cello and cedar sleeves, and oh so gently wiped them down with some of the distilled water / colloidal silver mix that many of us use in our humidor tanks. I used very clean white cotton rags, and was careful not to soak the wrappers; just a gentle wipe and slight wrapper moisture was what I did. Then I stacked them up like cordwood so they could air out very well, and left them out of the humidor for three or four days, as I recall. Wiped the inside of their box as well, and allowed it to dry. No issues since, seem to have dodged a bullet there.

I got turned 0nto the colloidal silver additive a while back by one of our very well known members;

I use nano-silver mixed with my distilled water, and this eliminates any possibility of contracting mold, and keeps the spores from spreading if there is mold introduced to the environment. It is odorless and tasteless, as well as non-toxic...​

This will work, 2 ounces per gallon of distilled water. I use it with my aristocrats and my set it and forget it systems, as well as my beads. If I see any mold on recently purchased cigars, I used the same solution to gently wipe down the cigar, it kills any trace of mold...

http://www.amazon.com/Nano-Silver-Colloidal-Ounces-Market/dp/B00DQIEDWY

http://www.silversolutionusa.com/silver-sol-16-oz-family-size-patented-silver-solution-10-ppm/​

No such outbreaks since I've been using the silver mixed with my distilled water. Humidifier tank filters stay amazingly clean, too.....

I have been using the nano-silver ever since Bill told us about it. Perhaps this had something to do with the mold drying out the way it did? Also, my understanding was that for health reasons, we aren't "supposed" to smoke moldy cigars, specially if the mold has reached the binder and filler. And I also did not know that mold could "dry out" and basically leave no visual traces of it to the naked eye. If this is the case, and the spores are still present, how do we truly know that a cigar didn't have mold at some point and perhaps even reached the binder and filler? I usually pay attention to the wrapper and then if I see anything on it, I'll inspect the filler by looking at the foot of the cigar. Unless the "dormant" spores aren't as bad for your health or not bad at all?

Thank you for telling me about the Anejos, I have had a sealed box aging for about 4 years and will open them today to make sure that everything is fine.

**Updated the original post with a current picture of the cigars.

 

[Scap]

I've been running silver in my aristocrat; the tanks and wicks stay clean, and the cigars look great.

On the silver bandwagon.....I had a sinus infection earlier this year. Silver knocked it out.

Wife got a sinus infection, a few months back, soI had her try it. She's good as new, and does a daily maintenance squirt of it up her nose to keep the beasties at bay.

We've been making a push to avoid antibiotics, except as a last resort, because of how quick the doctors are to hand out the high-power stuff like it's Halloween candy.

 

[jfields]

I have been using the nano-silver ever since Bill told us about it. Perhaps this had something to do with the mold drying out the way it did? Also, my understanding was that for health reasons, we aren't "supposed" to smoke moldy cigars, specially if the mold has reached the binder and filler. And I also did not know that mold could "dry out" and basically leave no visual traces of it to the naked eye. If this is the case, and the spores are still present, how do we truly know that a cigar didn't have mold at some point and perhaps even reached the binder and filler? I usually pay attention to the wrapper and then if I see anything on it, I'll inspect the filler by looking at the foot of the cigar. Unless the "dormant" spores aren't as bad for your health or not bad at all?

Thank you for telling me about the Anejos, I have had a sealed box aging for about 4 years and will open them today to make sure that everything is fine.

**Updated the original post with a current picture of the cigars.

Current release Anejo's don't seem to be prone to Mold. I want to say it was somewhere between 2006 and 2009 they used to place a packet inside the boxes of their cigars similar to what we now know as the Boveda packets. It was most likely the culprit. Especially ones like the 55's with the cedar sleeve. Sharks were also very prone.

 

[BlindedByScience]

Also, my understanding was that for health reasons, we aren't "supposed" to smoke moldy cigars, specially if the mold has reached the binder and filler.

Well....I'll wipe off some spaced out, small (2-3mm) surface spots on the wrapper, dry them out, and smoke them. If the spots are bigger or if large areas of the cigar are covered, they go in the garbage. Mold on the foot is an instant throw away. JMHO, no real 'rules' here that I'm aware of.

I do recall that in my early days of smoking cigars, some 'sage' told me to just smoke 'em, they are fine. I recall lighting up on that had been damaged a bit, and for the love of all things holy it tasted like burning old, used, really bad gym socks. That baby hit the trash can instantly. Only took 1/2 a bottle of Wild Turkey to get the taste out of my mouth.....

 

[Scap]

. Only took 1/2 a bottle of Wild Turkey to get the taste out of my mouth.....

At least you didn't waste good whiskey on mouth wash.....

 

[whylieineedacigar]

Current release Anejo's don't seem to be prone to Mold. I want to say it was somewhere between 2006 and 2009 they used to place a packet inside the boxes of their cigars similar to what we now know as the Boveda packets. It was most likely the culprit. Especially ones like the 55's with the cedar sleeve. Sharks were also very prone.

Thanks for the history lesson! I didn't know they did that back then.

Well....I'll wipe off some spaced out, small (2-3mm) surface spots on the wrapper, dry them out, and smoke them. If the spots are bigger or if large areas of the cigar are covered, they go in the garbage. Mold on the foot is an instant throw away. JMHO, no real 'rules' here that I'm aware of.

I do recall that in my early days of smoking cigars, some 'sage' told me to just smoke 'em, they are fine. I recall lighting up on that had been damaged a bit, and for the love of all things holy it tasted like burning old, used, really bad gym socks. That baby hit the trash can instantly. Only took 1/2 a bottle of Wild Turkey to get the taste out of my mouth.....

When I was looking through my old pictures, I actually found one of a moldy Punch Serie d’Oro No. 2 that I wiped off and smoked. I had forgotten about that one cigar. I really don't have an issue with wiping off the mold but this whole thing just got me thinking about the possibility that a cigar can have mold spores outside and inside and we wouldn't even be able to tell. The SLR's that I smoked from this moldy box, I didn't even use anything to wipe the wrapper.

 

[Not A Nice Person]

Current release Anejo's don't seem to be prone to Mold. I want to say it was somewhere between 2006 and 2009 they used to place a packet inside the boxes of their cigars similar to what we now know as the Boveda packets. It was most likely the culprit. Especially ones like the 55's with the cedar sleeve. Sharks were also very prone.

I had a box of '07 Anejo Sharks go moldy on me back then. It had started to get into the foot, too, but I just couldn't bring myself to pitch them. Would've broken my heart, first box of #77s!

Cut the moldy feet off and smoked 'em all over the course of a couple of weeks, lol.

~Boar

 

[thinde]

I've been running silver in my aristocrat; the tanks and wicks stay clean, and the cigars look great.

On the silver bandwagon.....I had a sinus infection earlier this year. Silver knocked it out.

Wife got a sinus infection, a few months back, soI had her try it. She's good as new, and does a daily maintenance squirt of it up her nose to keep the beasties at bay.

We've been making a push to avoid antibiotics, except as a last resort, because of how quick the doctors are to hand out the high-power stuff like it's Halloween candy.

Do you use the same ratio as suggested by BBS? 2 ounces per gallon?

 

[Scap]

Do you use the same ratio as suggested by BBS? 2 ounces per gallon?

Yes, at minimum. I may have gone a bit over as I was doing droppers full in a smaller batch.

 

[BlindedByScience]

At least you didn't waste good whiskey on mouth wash.....

...ouch. Noted.....

 

[Neal]

From the picture and description from whylieineedacigar, I agree with corneighdo. That is NOT mold. It is plume-and that is an indication of a very well cared for cigar

 

[Undegreed]

From the picture and description from whylieineedacigar, I agree with corneighdo. That is NOT mold. It is plume-and that is an indication of a very well cared for cigar

This could get interesting. Neal you're too new for any of us to know if your tongue in cheek or serious. If you're tongue in cheek then all is good. If you're serious then I suggest you search for some "plume or mold" threads and do some reading.

For the record, it was not so long ago that I would have called it plume too, but the wisdom in this forum has convinced me otherwise.

 

[BlindedByScience]

From the picture and description from whylieineedacigar, I agree with corneighdo. That is NOT mold. It is plume-and that is an indication of a very well cared for cigar

If you're being sarcastic, that's one thing. But, bloom or plume or whatever you want to call it doesn't show up as fuzzy little white spots. Period.

 

[JackImpact]

10 of 10, would not smoke.

 

[BlindedByScience]

I have been using the nano-silver ever since Bill told us about it. Perhaps this had something to do with the mold drying out the way it did? Also, my understanding was that for health reasons, we aren't "supposed" to smoke moldy cigars, specially if the mold has reached the binder and filler. And I also did not know that mold could "dry out" and basically leave no visual traces of it to the naked eye. If this is the case, and the spores are still present, how do we truly know that a cigar didn't have mold at some point and perhaps even reached the binder and filler? I usually pay attention to the wrapper and then if I see anything on it, I'll inspect the filler by looking at the foot of the cigar. Unless the "dormant" spores aren't as bad for your health or not bad at all?

Thank you for telling me about the Anejos, I have had a sealed box aging for about 4 years and will open them today to make sure that everything is fine.

**Updated the original post with a current picture of the cigars.

Could be the nano silver environment killed the mold, didn't consider that. I'd still give 'em a light wipe, pull the cedar tubes, and let them sit in ambient conditions for a day or two.....just to be safe.

 

[BlindedByScience]

Current release Anejo's don't seem to be prone to Mold. I want to say it was somewhere between 2006 and 2009 they used to place a packet inside the boxes of their cigars similar to what we now know as the Boveda packets. It was most likely the culprit. Especially ones like the 55's with the cedar sleeve. Sharks were also very prone.

John, I respectfully disagree. I do think that Anejo wrappers are more prone to mold than most. You are correct that Fuente had a couple batches over a few years come over very moist, and the addition of Bovida's really didn't do them any good. That didn't help their rep, but Anejo's are the only sticks I've ever had 'blue hair' problems with. I've pulled the cedar sleeves and wiped the few that gave me problems, and I get into them every couple of months and give them a close look. Current stock seems much better, but I wouldn't store them at 69-70% on a dare.

As they say, one man's opinion.......