Mold Expansion in the Cellar?

[Tharkûn]

Title edited for caps.
Don't throw it out! Likely to be bloom, a good thing.


Hello folks,

I have read countless things about mold in this forum, but I could not find this question in question through the search engine, so if it is repeated I am sorry but here it goes. Just yesterday I opened 5 cans of "Red Virginia Crumble Kake" and they arrived... I would say all 5 of them arrived moldy. I try to attach some images.

As I have the doubt, I put most of it in a jar that I have in another room where I have the cellar, and I see how it evolves. The subject and the doubt that I have here, yesterday I opened 5 cans with supposed mold next to my cellar, and that worries me, how long do mold spores last in the environment? I'm afraid of cross-contamination... so far I haven't opened any more cans in the cellar, if I want to take tobacco out of a can to make a pipe, I go to another room, and besides, I've left the cellar room all night ventilating at night with the windows open, here the climate is dry and the temperature is pleasant, how long must I wait for it to be a "safe zone"? I usually smoke in this room.

Add that I do not speak English and I am using a translator, there may be some error.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[captpat]

I believe that mold could only migrate to other tins/jars only if the tin/jar seal were compromised. So the risk of cross-contamination seems low to me. I've had a moldy tin or so over the years and have never had a case of cross-contamination. If you wanted to be 100% sure that there were no mold spores remaining wipe down all surfaces with a mild solution of bleach.

Seems unusual to get 5 tins that are moldy, to review mold looks fuzzy under magnification, plume looks like small crystals reflecting light. If it's confirmed as mold you should return those tins for a refund/replacement from the cellar.

 

[monty55]

That doesn't look like mold to me. You need to get a magnifying loop. You will see that these are crystals, not fuzzy mold.

If it was mold, it would be everywhere in the tin of tobacco, not just in a few spots. I'm pretty sure this is NOT mold.

And since it's not mold, it won't cross contaminate anything.

Furthermore, the chances of 5 tins of the same unopened tobacco all having mold in them is astronomical.

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

I worried about this after finding some rust on different Sutliff tins. I hate to see it. Mine are now in jars after talking with others about these tins.
Sorry to see that. Though I am interested in the answer to your question about cross contamination

 

[simong]

Mould spores get everywhere. On the occasions I’ve encountered it in jarred tobacco, both jar & tobacco get thrown out.

 

[sablebrush52]

Mold spores are ever present, everywhere, including in the tobacco that we buy. It's just that they're not activated by sufficient humidity and warmth.
Keep an eye on it, but never smoke moldy tobacco, and that includes the non moldy bits of a tin that has activated mold. Tobacco molds are highly toxic.

 

[Tharkûn]

thank you all for your answers
At the moment I have a bottle with a large amount of this tobacco out of the cellar and in quarantine, what happens in a week or two.
However, I continue with my main question, I opened 5 cans with possible mold in my cellar, it has been ventilated all day today, but what would be the time that I would have to spend for precaution to open other cans or cans in that room? What I fear most is cross-contamination by spores.

 

[sablebrush52]

thank you all for your answers
At the moment I have a bottle with a large amount of this tobacco out of the cellar and in quarantine, what happens in a week or two.
However, I continue with my main question, I opened 5 cans with possible mold in my cellar, it has been ventilated all day today, but what would be the time that I would have to spend for precaution to open other cans or cans in that room? What I fear most is cross-contamination by spores.

Unless you're storing everything in an ultraviolet HEPA filtered clean room, the answer is you'll wait forever. Mold is always present in the air and on surfaces. It doesn't always activate, but it's there. About the only precautions I take when transferring tobacco to mylar bags or jars is to first clean and disinfect any nearby surfaces. But mold is still in the air.
Since I live in a warm dry climate, mold hasn't been much of an issue for me.

 

[MattRVA]

I would use a mild bleach solution to wipe down the area and some Lysol on the surfaces just to be on the safe side but it looks like plume to me.

 

[fireground_piper]

Sutliff has been telling people it’s those black puck inserts deteriorating in the tin when people have been asking the same question on the 2022 crinkle flake.

 

[kcghost]

Just to be sure if you think you have mold you must throw away the entire container and its contents. All of it, no "okay, this part still looks good".

 

[Tharkûn]

Well, as I have already commented and I have the doubt if it is mold or not, what I have done is put it in a jar and put it in a different room of the warehouse in quarantine, if it is mold it will be seen in a matter of one or two weeks

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

Sutliff has been telling people it’s those black puck inserts deteriorating in the tin when people have been asking the same question on the 2022 crinkle flake.

I noticed this recently when I put all my tins in Mylar and jars. I bought Red VA and VaPer Crumble Kake in batches on 3 occasions. Only one of those batches had smooth paper. The tins from the other two batches all had deteriorating paper. I also noticed different color lids between batches. All bar codes are the exact same too.
Anyways, I feel much better with these out of the tins - as much as I hate it.

 

[bullet08]

It's hard to tell if those are mold from the pictures. If you have determined they are mold, I wouldn't smoke them. Usually, opening a moldy tin doesn't automatically cross contaminate everything. Like mentioned, mold is everywhere. It's just a luck of draw which batch will provide just the right condition for mold to start spreading and "bloom". They need heat and humidity. Keep things relatively dry can sometimes help. Believe it or not opening windows to air out won't help much. There are bunch of stuff in air for other problems along with mold, like yeast.

 

[monty55]

get a loupe! get a loupe! GET A LOUPE!

Guessing at this is absurd.

Somebody needs to make a pipe tamper with a loupe on one end! @cosmicfolklore

 

[MattRVA]

Seems like they need to drop the paper inserts they are using and go with a more conventional cardboard insert, also maybe they can drop those 1.5 ounce tins and bump them up to 2 ounces… just saying

 

[didimauw]

That looks like plume to me. Mold looks like what you'd expect on food that's been in a bad Tupperware container in the fridge for months. (Don't ask)

The worst case of mold I'd ever seen, happened to....me. I'll post pics soon of a comparison. In the mean time if it were me, I'd smoke that.

 

[Tharkûn]

I'm going to give it 15 days in an airtight container away from the cellar, then I'll upload photos again and compare, if it's mold it should already be noticeable

 

[didimauw]

This is mold. Clearly fuzzy.


This is plume. Crystally. Delicious (sorry pic is kinda blurry)

 

[anotherbob]

Mold spores are ever present, everywhere, including in the tobacco that we buy. It's just that they're not activated by sufficient humidity and warmth.
Keep an eye on it, but never smoke moldy tobacco, and that includes the non moldy bits of a tin that has activated mold. Tobacco molds are highly toxic.

and their roots (I know it's called something else) aren't visible but can run deep in whatever the visible fruit is on. And the runners or roots (I know I have google but I don't want people to get confused and think I am smart) are as dangerous as the visible part.