Could I Have Prevented Mold from Forming?

[forsooth]

I recently bought several tins of Virginia and Vaper flake tobaccos, one of which was C&D Manhattan Afternoon.
About a full month after initially opening the tin (which then seemed to be perfectly fine), I discovered gray mold throughout one side of the tin contents.
The tin was about three-quarters full, and it had been about 10 days since I last had a bowl of it.
The tin was kept on a shelf in my living room, along with other open tins.
This is the first time I've experienced mold. Did I do something to cause it? Is it just something that happens occasionally, no matter what? What can I do to prevent it?
My other open tins (e.g., Fire Dance Flake, Honeydew, Sam's Flake, Dunhill Flake, etc.) -- purchased at the same time as Manhattan Afternoon -- do not seem to have been affected (yet).
Thanks

 

[smokeyweb]

Do you wash your hands after taking a crap? Perhaps some brown bogie accidentally tainted your tin?

 

[woodsroad]

Talk to C&D, they will replace it. Mold should not grow in their tobacco.

 

[forsooth]

Talk to C&D, they will replace it. Mold should not grow in their tobacco

Thanks, but I've already disposed of the tin's contents. It seemed fine upon opening, so I figured since the mold occurred "on my watch," there was nothing to do except try to prevent it from happening again.

 

[woodsroad]

C&D (like most other tobacco manufacturers) treats their products with a food-grade fungi suppressant. Same stuff used bakeries. Seems they had some sort of slip up and let a lot of tins go with insufficient treatment. They are replacing those tins without question. I'd still call them and talk with them, if I were you.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Yep, had a C&D mold issue last year, and they fixed the problem with no questions asked.

 

[jacks6]

It's not you, it's me. I mean, them.

 

[lestrout]

Yo fo
What's the date code on that MA? Last year, June-July or so, C&D tried out a different anti-fungal treatment. It didn't work so well on some blends - probably a function of the chemistry, pH, etc. of certain leafs.
hp

les

 

[deathmetal]

Did I do something to cause it? Is it just something that happens occasionally, no matter what? What can I do to prevent it?

No victim blaming!
C&D tried to reduce the amount of non-tobacco additives, and it backfired in the case of their Virginias.
Send a note, and they'll make it right.
Then wash your hands and eat no mushrooms, and your tobacco is safe.

 

[forsooth]

C&D (like most other tobacco manufacturers) treats their products with a food-grade fungi suppressant. Same stuff used bakeries. Seems they had some sort of slip up and let a lot of tins go with insufficient treatment. They are replacing those tins without question. I'd still call them and talk with them, if I were you.

Yep, had a C&D mold issue last year, and they fixed the problem with no questions asked

Last year, June-July or so, C&D tried out a different anti-fungal treatment. It didn't work so well on some blends - probably a function of the chemistry, pH, etc. of certain leafs.

C&D tried to reduce the amount of non-tobacco additives, and it backfired in the case of their Virginias.

OK, thanks everyone. I appreciate the information and advice and I'm glad to learn about the mold issue. I had heard about mold in some sealed tins, but did not know that mold could "bloom" after opening a seemingly unaffected tin. Live, smoke a pipe, and learn.

 

[hawky454]

Do you wash your hands after taking a crap? Perhaps some brown bogie accidentally tainted your tin?

:rofl: Hehe.

 

[forsooth]

Send a note, and...[C&D will]...make it right.

Actually, I didn't have to reach out to C&D -- C&D reached out to me. A gentleman from C&D (Adam) sent a DM to me and now a replacement tin of Manhattan Afternoon is on the way. Pretty nice, I'd say.
I forgot to mention in all this that Manhattan Afternoon is a blend that I liked very much, so I'm looking forward to continuing the enjoyment.

 

[davet]

I didn't have to reach out to C&D -- C&D reached out to me.

Now that's service :clap:

 

[jndyer]

I have had the dreaded mold issue; however, as stated here, C&D went above and beyond to fix the issue with absolutely no hassle. You have to admire a company who solves their issues quickly.

 

[josephcross]

I found my first moldy tobacco tonight. A jarred up plug of Temple Bar was growing some fuzz. I opened the jar, took a sniff and knew that it had turned. I'm a little sad, but feel like I've crossed a piping milestone. Not my most favourite milestone, but at least it didn't get my 2015. I'd be real sad then.

 

[unkleyoda]

It's not you, it's me.

 

[perdurabo]

I Wash my hands and dry them. Then I take a bit of rubbing alcohol and rub my hands together and let them air dry before I dig into a jar of tobacco. I know that alcohol kills mold. So my logic is it will kill any spores that may be on my hands. As far as spores in the air, I can't help that. This may or may not be a great idea. It just has become a practice that I use. Mold that was already on the tobacco from the manufacturer is the manufacturers problem. Smoking pipes.com has always delivered when mold has cropped up in a fresh tin.

 

[woodsroad]

Alcohol doesn't kill mold.

 

[deathmetal]

This outfit suggests using alcohol to clean mold off of furniture:
http://eden.lsu.edu/topics/humanhealth/mold/Pages/default.aspx
No idea how that analogizes to tobacco, unless your cube cuts are big enough to sit on.

 

[woodsroad]

I have a love seat made entirely of Dark Fired.

I'll have to try that.