An Expert Guide To Cigar Mold
Where there is moisture, mold can grow. And the last place a cigar lover wants to notice mold is on their favorite cigars.
Since cigars are made of dried organic material (leaves), they need relatively high levels of moisture in the air — humidity — in order to stay “fresh” and in peak smoking condition.
This combination of moisture and organic material can lead to mold, which can spread quickly in a humidor and destroy your cigar collection.
The good news is you can take action to prevent cigar mold in the first place. Here’s your expert guide for dealing with cigar mold — now with new updates!
What does cigar mold look like?
Cigar mold typically appears as white and fuzzy blotches on a cigar. Mold may also occur in spots as well as in a range of colors, such as blue, yellow, or green.
Note that cigar mold can be mistaken for plume, which is a white, powdery substance that can appear on cigars after long storage. Plume occurs when the oils from a cigar make their way to the surface of the wrapper and crystallize. Simply put, plume is the sign of a well-aged cigar. If your cigars are showing any of this white powder, just brush it off before you cut and light. Keep in mind that cigars made from oily tobacco, like Maduros, are more likely to develop plume when stored in humidors for long periods.
What’s the difference between cigar mold and cigar plume?
Both cigar mold and cigar plume can appear as white discoloration on a cigar. The difference? Plume is only ever white, whereas mold can manifest in different ways. Also, if you’re able to merely brush the powder off, it’s plume. Mold will stick to cigars.
What to do if your cigars have mold on them?
Short answer: throw away any cigars that have mold on them.
The long answer is that sometimes you can “get away” with smoking a cigar with a bit of mold on it, but it’s still a gamble we don’t endorse.
Even just a little mold on a cigar can ruin it, rendering it unsmokable. Remember, mold is a fungus; it can be toxic, and it’s not safe to put in your mouth.
We realize this can be a tough pill to swallow — particularly if mold develops on cigars with sentimental value. You might see some sites recommend using alcohol to wipe down cigars or freezing them before smoking. And while these methods may work in an isolated incident, we can’t advise smoking cigars with mold on them on a regular basis.
How to deal with cigar mold in your humidor?
Here’s how to deal with mold on your cigars:
Examine your collection closely. Determine which cigars have mold on them and which ones are unaffected. If a cigar has no signs of mold, it’s probably safe to smoke, and you should immediately remove it from your humidor. Find another place to store it for the time being. Toss any moldy cigars.
Next, it’s time to address your humidor. You have a few choices here. If you have a relatively cheap humidor, it may simply be best to get a new one and start fresh. Otherwise, here’s what you’ll want to do:
- Take your humidor outside and brush any growing mold from it, avoiding stains on the interior wood surface.
- Wipe down your humidor’s inside surfaces with a mix of water and isopropyl alcohol.
- Leave your humidor open while the alcohol dries.
Your goal in doing this is to kill all the mold spores. Repeat the above steps as many times as necessary. Also, you may still notice that musty smell. If so, try setting a paper plate of baking soda in your humidor to absorb the smell.
How to prevent cigar mold in the first place?
Tap water is one of the most common causes of cigar mold. If you’re using a humidifier, make sure to only fill it with distilled water or a propylene glycol solution. Simply adding tap water to your humidor is a recipe for mold.
The other reason why your cigars may develop mold is an over-humidified environment. Here’s how to know if that’s happening and what you can do to amend it:
- Invest in a digital hygrometer. You want your humidor’s humidity level to be around 70%. Much higher than that, and you risk mold.
- Check your cigars periodically. Make sure to open up your humidor and inspect your cigars every few weeks. Doing so can help you spot mold or other signs of overhumidification. Cigars that are overhumidified are also likely to be “squishy” to the touch.
- Rotate your cigars. Don’t let cigars stay in the same place for too long. Instead, rotate them to reduce the chance of mold.
We hope you found this article helpful! For more useful tips, tricks, and news on your favorite cigar brands, sign up for Cigar World today. (It’s free!)
Comments
2 Git Dat
(5 years ago)That was very helpful
1 RadRacer
(5 years ago)Put it under a microscope and you'll be surprised. Friends of Habanos did a study a few years back with several different samplings of what was considered "Plum" quality cigars. Every one of them came back positive as mold infestation. Take that information as you wish; I'm not going to say that It's necessarily bad; there are some molds like which processors that are very beneficial and contribute to product quality and long aging for food products. Perhaps that also holds true for cigars.
With that being said; anyone who's actually done proper cigar rolling knows that this is an organic product and dried bales come with all sorts of interesting things: mold, spiderwebs, critters, et cetera. It's the responsibility of the cigar roller to ensure these things do not make it into the end product and it's all part of the cleaning and casing process. If you keep your RH at 60-65% you will seldom ever have mold issues.
1 Mattster
(5 years ago)One thing folks don't often realize is mold is a toxin for our bodies but if you have a normal immune system it's not an issue. If you have an immune system issue such as being on immuno suppressent drugs after an organ transplant or an allergy, mold can be deadly +especiallyor make one very sick) when it is aerosolized in smoke.
23 YeshKai
(5 years ago)Actually it’s true f the plume and that is perfect as stated and the cigars do taste way different in a better positive way it’s when they’ve been in sitting as they say for a long LONG time I’m humidors I experienced it many times Phoenix Arizona a few years ago ver light over the whole cigars and I actually looked for them every time and got some of the top and best named cigars on the market. Very very tasty ?
2 Mrmessy
(5 years ago)unfortunately, there has been zero evidence of the existence of the myth of plume. it has always been mold. some mold you can wipe off, some not so much. but, always mold.
1 Cody
(5 years ago)Thanks Mrmessy, someone beat me to it. I love seeing this posted everywhere on the internet. For the love of cigars, if your cigar has anything on it, it's either mold or bacteria. Don't smoke them and better yet, if you see them in a shop, don't buy them. Stop playing into this crap from the industry. Cigar World, I thought ya'll were legit. Time to rethink. There's too many cigars out there in good condition to be smoked, don't smoke moldy(plume) cigars.
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