Wwyd

[logan37]

I just got back from the smoke shop and I showed the owner what I found on the Partagas. He thank me for showing him and encouraged me to tell him about anything else that seems "off" if I should find anything.

His explanation was that they had just changed the filters in his humidifiers so the humidity spiked the past couple of days. He showed me where his hydrometer is located and it read 78%Rh. He then assured me over the next few days it would drop some more and stabilize. He said the white spots were plume, which happens in high humidity and that it won't damage the stick or cause inferior quality. My naiveness still makes me skeptical about the Partagas, but the rest of his stock looks good, so I bought a RP "the edge" maduro that I'm going to fire up in about 10 mins.

Does the explanation that it was plume sound right to the guys who know? The owner's reaction scored him more points with me so I hope there is nothing for me to worry about.

FYI other newbs. I found this site with some great info that may answer some questions. http://cigarhumidors.vigilantinc.com...dors-101.asp#6

From the above web site about this topic:

14. What is bloom and what is mold?

Bloom (often called plume) is the slow rising of essential oils to the surface of the cigar. It first appears as tiny crystals and will eventually make the cigar appear dusty. A more advance bloom gives an opaque white look to the entire cigar. Bloom isn't harmful to cigars. It's an indication that the cigar has been maintained at a 70+% RH for a long period of time. Many smokers prefer a cigar in the bloom state.

Mold is a fungus. It appears on the surface of cigars when the relative humidity in your humidor exceeds 80%. It looks like blue/gray fuzzy patches on the surface of the wrapper and will spread by producing spores. If mold appears, you should remove the affected cigars and check for any mold on the wood of your humidor. It's important to separate the affected cigars immediately and to wipe down the interior lining of your humidor with isopropyl or denatured alcohol. This will kill mold and may leave slight stains on your humidor's interior wood. Click here to see photos of mold.

Gently wipe the mold off of your cigars and leave them at room humidity for 36 hours, then place them back into your humidor (obviously after addressing the moisture problem that caused the mold in the first place). Check these cigars every few days to ensure that mold growth has stopped. Some people recommend more drastic measures such as placing your cigars in the freezer to kill the mold. Try our method first before going to such extremes. If your problem continues, you may need a new humidor.
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15. My cigars have whites spots on them. Is that Okay?

The white spots on your cigars may be a very good sign that things are going well. Not all cigars need to be at 70 degrees F. White powder on cigars is called “bloom” and it is a sign of a well-aged cigar. Bloom is what happens when the oils in the tobacco disperse throughout and reach the wrapper. The oils then dry to create a white power on the outside of the cigar. Some avid cigar smokers prefer to smoke only cigars that have aged to bloom.

[chefchris]

He said the white spots were plume, which happens in high humidity and that it won't damage the stick or cause inferior quality.

That doesn't sound right. Plume, from what I understand, is the crystalization of the oils on the cigar. I've never heard of it being connnected to high humidity. Usually plume means it's been kept in a stable atmosphere.

[logan37]

Unfortunately, I don't know if it was there a month ago. Yesterday was the first time I even looked at those sticks. The spot could've been there for a while. Other then the spot, the sticks felt and smelt fine. Maybe I'll just stay away from those ones as I didn't find any spots anywhere else so far.

[WOXOF]

From my experience and reading the stories of others, It's allways "plume" according to the cigar shop owner/worker. I haven't heard of one yet admitting that they had mold on a cigar.

[debo08080]

why would they though? they never want to expose the fact that they screwed up in storing their cigars. That would mean that all the sticks have the possibility of being screwed up, adn there they go, lost all the customers in the store at that time.

That said, I dont know much about cigars, but isnt plume from being stored at the right humidity? and he showed you the humidity was at almost 80%...doesnt sound right to me. I'd probably say its mold.

EDIT: For anyone who knows, about how long does it take for plume to form if the sticks are stored properly? and this might be a dumb question, but is plume that worth waiting for?

[Shelby07]

...For anyone who knows, about how long does it take for plume to form if the sticks are stored properly? and this might be a dumb question, but is plume that worth waiting for?

Plume can form very quickly, it may take years, or it may never form at all. 2 sticks in the same box can plume at different times, or 1 may plume right away and the other never.

Plume does not change the flavor or characteristic of the cigar. It is only an indication that it has been stored correctly, but having a cigar never plume does not necessarily indicate that it was stored incorrectly.

[guado]

Also keep in mind that not all blame falls on the store owner for moldy tubes.

Heck, even fuentes are known for getting mold under the ceder sleeves-stored properly.

Sometimes they are just packed to wet and then the tube is sealed. I don't know many shop owners that open each individual tube...unless it is a small shop with a very slow turn around. I told one of my B&M owners locally about mold on some montecristo tubos. He apologized and then checked EVERY one...about 400 or so. Scored me some freebies too.

You would be surprised how mold trends with certain cigars. It is scary.