Can Mouldy Cigars be saved?

Blisterman

Just got back after christmas to find the Hygrometer reading in the high 70's. checked my cigars, and to my horror, about 20 of them are beginning to grow mould.
A very thin layer of white fuzz on the outside and tips. Don't think it's plume, as from what I've read, plume only affects the outer leaf.

I'm able to wipe the mould off the the outside leaves.

Have seperated the mould ones from the good ones, and left the lid of the humidor open to let them dry out a bit.

So just wondering if there's anything I can do to save the remaining ones? Are mouldy cigars dangerous to smoke?

I tried chopping the top half inch off one of them, and there doesn't appear to be any mould inside it. Would it be a bad idea to do this to all of the cigars to try and save them?

el_greco

Plume is fine, shiny dust; mould is patchy, white and looks like its hairy!

Don't worry, you don't need to throw them out! Once the mould can be wiped off from the wrappers, your cigars are fine.
Things to check & keep in mind.
1) See if the wrappers have marks after you wipe the mould. If they do, then the mould has just started penetrating the leaf. Still smokable...
2) Make sure there is no mould in the filler. If it is, then your cigars have been like this for a good while and I wouldn't recommend to smoke them.
3) Mould near the top of the head of the cigar is almost harmless. Mould on the foot (open end) can get inside the cigar easier.
4) Dont leave your cigars in a dry environment for a long period of time. Sudden changes in their environment dont do any good to them and can potentially do more damage than the mould.
5) If the mould is green and persistent, dont throw them out. Keep them in your greenhouse and after a few days you will get a nice crop of mushrooms

There is no need to worry about mould, as long as you catch it early before it spreads. I have often opened boxes that have been aging to find them covered in it! Wipe it off gently with a clean brush or cloth and they are back to normal! I hope you haven't severed them all by now...

Blisterman

Thanks El Greco. There is some mould in the foot, but like I said, once I cut about half an inch, there's none inside. Even sacrificed one, and cut it open to check the inside. Other than the outer wrapper, and the very end of the foot, there's no mould inside.

OldGoat

Smoke the sacrificed one in a pipe.

Lust4Life

Do you really want mold in your lungs? Ewwwwwwwwwww!

OldGoat

Mold is part and parcel of smoking tobacco just as mold is part and parcel of eating cheese.

johnnyskeleton

Lust4Life wrote: »

Do you really want mold in your lungs? Ewwwwwwwwwww!

Maybe its got penicillin in it.

Besides, you shouldn't really inhale cigar smoke (although a small amount will inevitably get in to your lungs).

Blisterman

You those wondering what I did,
I split them into three piles
Those with no mould.
Those with a little bit of mould.
Those with lots of mould.

The ones with mould, I wiped the mould off them, and wiped them in a cloth dipped in brandy, hoping it would kill any mould spores. I put the one with none or a little mould back in the humidor (but seperated).
The ones with a lot of mould, which was only about 7, I Kept out. These have dried out quite a lot, and slightly split, but no more mould has grown on them, so I put them back in the humidor.

Haven't had a chance to smoke any yet, but they seem fine. No mould on any of them, and they don't smell of brandy.

el_greco

Wiping the cigars or your humidor with whiskey/brandy or any other spirit/liquid is generally not recommended. It wont do any harm to them, but it will affect their flavours. Now, if you have put them along with the rest of your cigars in your humidor, expect all your cigars to get some of the brandy scents.