Plume or Mold?

[VoteKinky06]

So whatcha think?

[VoteKinky06]

[Puffin Fresh]

Mold, hands down.

Sorry.

If it's not on the foot, you can just wipe it off and smoke it though.

[madurolover]

Originally Posted by Sauer Grapes

Mold, hands down.

Sorry.

If it's not on the foot, you can just wipe it off and smoke it though.

[PaleRider]

Yes, unfortunately that is mold. Sorry.

From Ask about cigars.com

Definition: Plume or bloom is a fine white powder or dust which forms on cigars when oils exude from the tobacco as a result of aging. Plume is a good sign that a cigar has been properly aged, and it can easily be brushed off. Not to be confused with mold, which is a bluish fungus that stains the wrapper.
Also Known As: Bloom

[VoteKinky06]

Ok, so if it's mold, do I have to throw the whole box away, or do i only have to throw away the smokes with mold on them? or can i wipe the mold off and forget about it?

[Andyman]

wipe them down and keep an eye on them. keep them away the happy cigars

[VoteKinky06]

Originally Posted by Andyman

wipe them down and keep an eye on them. keep them away the happy cigars

cool, thanks

[Snake Hips]

Originally Posted by VoteKinky06

Ok, so if it's mold, do I have to throw the whole box away, or do i only have to throw away the smokes with mold on them? or can i wipe the mold off and forget about it?

Never throw away a perfectly good cigar.

[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?

[Andyman]

I too am interested in shuch experiments!

[fuegos puros]

Does your head explode if you smoke a cigar that has mold on the foot and possibly inside? (ever seen Scanners?) Doesn't fire "cleanse" things. I am sure it is a stupid question, but, really, what is the answer? Why can't you smoke a moldy cigar other than being a self-respecting ape with high standards?

[kansashat]

Originally Posted by fuegos puros

Does your head explode if you smoke a cigar that has mold on the foot and possibly inside? (ever seen Scanners?) Doesn't fire "cleanse" things. I am sure it is a stupid question, but, really, what is the answer? Why can't you smoke a moldy cigar other than being a self-respecting ape with high standards?

I'm certain fire does destroy mold, but I don't think I'd want to smoke a cigar that had mold on the inside, although I'm also certain I've done it without knowing it.

It seems to me that when you light a cigar with mold on the inside, then mold spores & mold toxins would probably be sucked out of the cigar before immolation occurs. When you don't inhale, that doesn't seem like much of a risk, but....

Another kind of mold is mildew, which causes a musty, moldy, dirty wet socks left in the basement kind of damage to a cigar. Recently, on FNSH (Friday Night Skype Herf) a herfer told me that you can eliminate this by zapping the cigar for about 15 seconds in the microwave. I had a couple of musty cigars & tried it, & it worked! The mustiness was gone on prelight flavor testing. Problem was I couldn't bring myself to smoke the damn things because I knew what had been in there...perhaps it was destroyed, but it's nuked little corpse(s) were still in the cigar.

Regular old mold on the outside of the cigar, I don't worry about...just brush it off & torch away. I've actually seen this type of mold recede & disappear when stored in a humidor that has pg in the media.

[CosmoKCohiba]

Sadly that looks like mold bro. Bloom has a crystalline appearance, what you've got there looks fuzzy...which makes it mold. I've been told that if caught in the intiial stages it can be wiped down w/alcohol (sticks and humi) and adding PG to the humidor will decrease the molds ability to spread.

[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?