MOLD!!!

[JamesY]

Damn it! Last week, I bought a box (4 of the Olivia Serie G Special Gs and smoked one a few days ago. It was a bit dry and harsh so I put it out and let the remaining cigars in the box rest in the coolerdor. Today, I took a look at one and found little patches of mold on it!

My question is, should I assume the rest also have mold on them? Should I be concerned about the other cigars in the coolerdor? The other cigars are in separate "empty" cigar boxes. My RH stays between 63-65 and my temp is about 73*F.

Shoud I discard the whole box of Olivias? Should I return them? Any other way to get the mold out?

[Stench]

Are you sure it's mold and not plume? Will it wipe off easily?

[JamesY]

Originally Posted by Stench

Are you sure it's mold and not plume? Will it wipe off easily?

Just looked through the box of 48. 4 have this white powdery spots on them while one is even worse. it has this white moldy looking stuff on the base of it. I tried wiping it off with my finger and it doesn't come off. Is it mold or plume?

Also, I took the whole box out of the coolerdor and stuck them in a ziplock with some humi packs. BTW, they are all DRY as a bone. Starting to wish I hadn't bought this box now. Hope whatever it is doesn't affect the test of my stogies as I have 6 boxes full of cigars.

[smelvis]

Isolate them to be safe from the rest of your cigars, White is usually good on the wrapper, generally means it it just right. But you mentions on the end and won't wipe off, so that would worry me a bit. lets let some others with more experience chime in, but certainly isolate until you know for sure.

Good Luck

[Hermit]

What do you mean by "white powdery spots?"
Are they evenly distributed and sparkly in the light
or are they patchy and fuzzy?

[e-man]

Another argument for Cello-ON. Helps contain the mold to the infected cigars, and helps keep the spores from reaching your other sticks.

Virtually everything has mold spores on it, including you. However, the spores need the right conditions to grow, so they usually remain dormant. But, an outbreak can spread billions of new spores throughout your humidor, so it's best to get them out ASAP.

Sounds like the sticks were moist when you bought them. Did you get them at a B&M or online? Most online vendors have great customer service and will take them back (minus shipping).

If you bought them at a B&M, then they'll probably try to give you the "It's just plume" story. If so, then tell them that they shouldn't have any reason NOT to exchange them for something else since they claim there is nothing wrong with them.

Plume looks kinda like glitter and is fairly evenly distributed all over the wrapper. If it looks fuzzy or is concentrated in one area, then it's mold. Mold can grow overnight, while plume takes a long time to develop. So if it is plume, you would expect to see a similar amount on all the sticks from the same box.

Also, if you wipe it off and the wrapper is discolored, it is definitely mold.

[jadeg001]

If you go to the store to return them (which you should), act as if you KNOW its mold. Don't give them an impression that you might not be sure. Demand a refund, if they don't give it to you take an exchange, but of course inspect the new box before you leave. Make sure you let them know that no other cigars in your cooler were infected, so they are not able to make an argument that they got infected from your cigars.

[AlohaStyle]

Can you post pictures?

[DaReallyPoGigolo]

Is it so bad that you can't wipe it off? I thought that as long as the mold didn't reach the foot, the stick was still smokable? If it's ruined, then yeah, let the B&M have it right back.

[fiddlegrin]

I agree that you should return them in a respectful yet firm manner.

Best wishes,

[Anthony]

Is it on the filler at all?

[MrJerry]

Mold will smell like mold and if you wipe it it'll smear.
plume will brush right off.

[JamesY]

I bought them from an online retailer. When I first got them, the box was still sealed by the sticker and when I opened it, I noticed the cigars were all dry. I let them rest in the coolerdor for about a week and smoked one but didn't notice any mold. I took another one out to smoke two days ago and that's when I noticed the white spots of mold. These spots are not glittery. They are slightly hairy (I'll try to take a pic tonight). One of them even had the mold all over the base. Right now, they're all in a separate ziplock bag with humidity packs and are far away from my coolerdor.

Probably too late to send them back as I read you can just wipe off the mold and smoke it. I found a few that didn't seem to have any mold on it so I smoked another one. Funny thing is this tastes bad after the first few puffs. I smoked a Serie G rlbusto size before and fell in love with it. With these, they seem to taste like sh*t. Maybe it's the small size or something but I always thought they'd taste the same as their bigger brothers...

Anyway, I'll try to get some pics tonight.

[Stogie McStogerson]

I'm leaning toward a diagnosis of plume...which is not harmful and actually a sign your cigars are in good condition. The fact that you thought the cigars were a bit dry also points to plume.

[Hermit]

Originally Posted by Stogie McStogerson

I'm leaning toward a diagnosis of plume...which is not harmful and actually a sign your cigars are in good condition. The fact that you thought the cigars were a bit dry also points to plume.

I don' thin so.
He said it was "hairy."
Plume ain't hairy!