A little bit of plume eduction for all

[Isaac]

So thanks to a study by FOH, I have pretty much scientifically come to the conclusion that there is no plume. All plume is a form of mold/fungus. The study is pretty easy to find with the right keywords I have already given above.

For the cigar guys, the rule is a pretty simple one. If the mold hasnt effected the foot, a simple wipe should be sufficient and smoke away. Now if the mold has penetrated the foot, it would be best served to toss the cigar.

My question is to the pipe guys. Now, what i usually see referred to as plume are crystals that cover the entire tobacco structure. This is a bit tricky, as we are basically going to smoke all of it. This leads me to believe that while we arent inhaling the tobacco, I think the tobacco itself is bad enough, and i dont particularly want to be vaporizing mold along with the smoke.

Do we have any Brown Leaf members partaking in both forms of tobacco that may have a bit of insite?

 

[Kentos]

I think there are crystals, though not necessary sugar. Might be salts, oils, etc. Everything else is mold or bacterial I think. I also think as long as it smells ok, it’s ok to smoke. Alarmist point to all kinds of problems with mold, but hell mold is everywhere already. There is probably mold in your pipe as well..

 

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

Hairy mold on pipe tobacco bad. Crystal are tasty.

 

[Mike H]

One possibility is that the crystals are Whewellite, (hydrated calcium oxalate). It is an organic crystal that can grow on tomato and tobacco.

 

[Columbo]

Sorry, but I have to disagree on this one.

Plume or bloom on a cigar is not mold. It is crystallized wrapper oils, and it takes a lot of aging on a better cigar to even bring it out. It takes me 3-5 years of humidor time to bloom out a Padron 64 Anniversary. Other lesser sticks sometimes never bloom out, no matter how long you age them.

And when you do have mold, it typically attacks at the foot. Most of the time it is harmless white mold. Simply shorten the stick. The bad molds are the black ones. If you see black molds, you have a major problem. Every time I’ve had a moldy stick, it was shipped too wet from a vendor that warehoused it wet.

If you don’t want mold, keep your humidor properly conditioned. I’ve always kept mine at 65%, and under 72F. 70/70 is too wet, IMO. And once you get much above 80F, you have bigger threats than mold. Like tobacco beetles. That can wipe out $3,000 in cigars in 48 hours.

I can understand how less experienced smokers might confuse mold and plume. But I have been smoking pipes and cigars for well over 40 years, and know the difference. That hard white crystalline dust on my Padrons isn’t mold. And they smoke sublime.

Pipe tobaccos are an entirely different animal, and are processed very differently from cigars. Processing methods, casings and toppings and the nature of storage make plume almost an impossibility. And as long as you don’t add moisture to it and keep it sealed, I have never experienced mold with pipe bacco, either.

 

[Champion of Capua]

All moldy cigars must be sent to me immediately for further inspection!

 

[Kentos]

There is an archived thread somewhere, not on B&B,where a clinical technician took samples off cigars and pipe tobacco and found nothing other than mold and microbial residues.

In the interests of info:

 

[Kentos]

Study

 

[Mike H]

Very interesting Kent.

Here is a study, although not related specifically to tobacco, on biomineralization.

Cell-Mediated Crystallization of Calcium Oxalate in Plants

Plants make crystals of calcium oxalate in an intriguing variety of defined shapes. Figure 1illustrates a commercial preparation of calcium oxalate, which consi

www.plantcell.org

 

[Columbo]

Study

No offense intended, but not buying it. Read that thread from beginning to end. Members sent in ten moldy cigars for testing, and then spent ten pages congratulating and parroting the OP for telling them they were moldy. Ten sticks does not a statistical study make. I could have told them that was mold and they could have saved the lab fees.

FWIW, mold spores are everywhere and on everything. Everywhere. All they require is food, moisture and moderate warmth to grow. That is why I advocate an optimal humidor RH of 65% max, and not 70% as is popularly advertised. In fact, anything over 58-60% will keep the sticks from drying out. Cellophane is semi-permeable, and better stabilizes the stick against temporary ambient shocks, but will allow moisture and oxygen through over time.

As I said, I can only get the top sticks in my humidor to bloom out their wrapper oils, and it takes a very long time to do so. Most lesser sticks won’t bloom out at all in aging.

But every stick will eventually get moldy in a wet humidor. Many folks just keep their sticks too wet. Invest in some 65% heartfelt beads to tame it down.

But I can appreciate how others will be spooked by mold and ad-hoc studies like the one in that impressive sounding thread. By all means, believe the caution. I certainly don’t want anyone smoking moldy cigars.

I offer a free analysis service for anyone who wants to send me their cigars for testing. My test method is destructive, so the cigars unfortunately cannot be returned.

 

[never-stop-learning]

Sorry, but I have to disagree on this one.

Plume or bloom on a cigar is not mold. It is crystallized wrapper oils, and it takes a lot of aging on a better cigar to even bring it out. It takes me 3-5 years of humidor time to bloom out a Padron 64 Anniversary. Other lesser sticks sometimes never bloom out, no matter how long you age them.

And when you do have mold, it typically attacks at the foot. Most of the time it is harmless white mold. Simply shorten the stick. The bad molds are the black ones. If you see black molds, you have a major problem. Every time I’ve had a moldy stick, it was shipped too wet from a vendor that warehoused it wet.

If you don’t want mold, keep your humidor properly conditioned. I’ve always kept mine at 65%, and under 72F. 70/70 is too wet, IMO. And once you get much above 80F, you have bigger threats than mold. Like tobacco beetles. That can wipe out $3,000 in cigars in 48 hours.

I can understand how less experienced smokers might confuse mold and plume. But I have been smoking pipes and cigars for well over 40 years, and know the difference. That hard white crystalline dust on my Padrons isn’t mold. And they smoke sublime.

Pipe tobaccos are an entirely different animal, and are processed very differently from cigars. Processing methods, casings and toppings and the nature of storage make plume almost an impossibility. And as long as you don’t add moisture to it and keep it sealed, I have never experienced mold with pipe bacco, either.

+1 Well said.

I keep my cigars in 150qt Igloo "Coolerdors" at 65% RH and <50° F (in the wine cellar). There are cigars in there going back to the late 1980s. Lots of my cigars have crystals (plume) on the wrappers.

Still smoke wonderfully and are utterly delicious.

YMMV

 

[Columbo]

+1 Well said.

I keep my cigars in 150qt Igloo "Coolerdors" at 65% RH and <50° F (in the wine cellar). There are cigars in there going back to the late 1980s. Lots of my cigars have crystals (plume) on the wrappers.

Still smoke wonderfully and are utterly delicious.

YMMV

Those could be moldy. For your protection, please send them to me for immediate analysis.

 

[never-stop-learning]

Those could be moldy. For your protection, please send them to me for immediate analysis.

Thank you for offering to take one for the team.

 

[Kentos]

Not trying to change anyone’s mind, just putting it out there.

 

[Kentos]

+1 Well said.

I keep my cigars in 150qt Igloo "Coolerdors" at 65% RH and <50° F (in the wine cellar). There are cigars in there going back to the late 1980s. Lots of my cigars have crystals (plume) on the wrappers.

Still smoke wonderfully and are utterly delicious.

YMMV

I have a few as well. The question is what plume is, not whether it’s good or bad.

 

[Isaac]

Quite a heated debate. There is still an offer of $1,000 gift certificate if you can send something in that isn’t mold related.

 

[never-stop-learning]

I have a few as well. The question is what plume is, not whether it’s good or bad.

The plume on my cigars sure doesn't look or taste like mold.

The appearance is like crystals.

There is no foul, moldy taste - quite the contrary.

Whatever the chemical structure happens to be, if it hasn't killed me in 47 years of cigar smoking, I doubt if plume will be the cause of my eventual demise.

YMMV

 

[Alacrity59]

I was just sorting through my humidor. A few Tabernacle cigars have some bloom on them. Not green, not blue, and I run my humidor at 65% so I feel pretty confident it is bloom. I'm looking forward to having these.

 

[Kentos]

I was just sorting through my humidor. A few Tabernacle cigars have some bloom on them. Not green, not blue, and I run my humidor at 65% so I feel pretty confident it is bloom. I'm looking forward to having these.
View attachment 1326613

Might want to wipe off the plume
a bit .

 

[Alacrity59]

Falls right off. Even if it is mold it must be good mold as in blue cheese or such. Has no taste to me.

And no . . . . I'm not sending these styx to any of you who want to help out with analysis