Plume or Mold?

[d_day]

Originally Posted by kansashat

I'm still interested in the possibility of using a UV bulb to kill mold spores & mold growth on a cigar.

Anyone out there with any experience with this? Perhaps just an opinion?

I've not tried this, but I'm not sure it wouldn't harm the cigar. I've seen what light can do to a candela wrapper and I suspect it's the UV part of the spectrum doing the damage.

Like I said though, I have no real experience with it. It might work out great.

[Totemic]

Originally Posted by fuegos puros

What about the occasional medium to dark green spots you will see on a cigar? You know...where it isn't fuzzy or crystalline, but just a small spot or two. The green-ness of it all says mold to me, but is it?

That's not mold.

I recall reading that it may be caused by too much moisture on the wrapper during the curing process.

Aside for the discoloration, they are perfectly safe and should have no impact on the flavor of the cigar.

[Puffin Fresh]

Originally Posted by fuegos puros

What about the occasional medium to dark green spots you will see on a cigar? You know...where it isn't fuzzy or crystalline, but just a small spot or two. The green-ness of it all says mold to me, but is it?

That's something that is almost exclusive to cuban cigars. It's not mold or plume.

[CosmoKCohiba]

Originally Posted by fuegos puros

What about the occasional medium to dark green spots you will see on a cigar? You know...where it isn't fuzzy or crystalline, but just a small spot or two. The green-ness of it all says mold to me, but is it?

nah, those are just water droplet spots, no biggie at all.

[ucla695]

Yes, mold is fuzzy and you can see the spores under a 10x loop. Plume/bloom looks like little crystals on the wrapper and, to some extent, will reflect light. Water spots are just discolorations of the wrapper that are neither fuzzy nor crystalline in nature.