Runaway Humidor Humidity and Mold on Cigars

[OldRocko]

Hello Friends - I know there are quite a few cigar smokers in the forums, so I hope you don't mind me asking for cigar advice:

I have a cigar collection in a 300-cigar electrical cooler-type humidor, which I keep at 69F. A Cigar Oasis device kept humidity stable at 70%. Had this setup of a about a year and worked great. Recently went away a few weeks, and upon arrival found the humidity at +75%. I don't know if the humidity increase was due to the addition of 24 new cigars before leaving, or due to thick ambient dust from recent home renovations. To reduce humidor humidity I removed all sources, including the Cigar Oasis, yet moisture remains stubbornly high. Room humidity levels are only around 55%. I could leave the humidor open to drop the humidity, but I'm afraid to shock (damage) the cigars. Half a dozen cigars show mold; should I remove them from the humidor? Are they garbage? Are the other cigars (that don't show mold) also affected? Should I keep the humidor door open a couple of days so it dries up a bit? Your comments or ideas would be greatly appreciated ...!

 

[btp79]

Toss the cigar oasis and get the Boveda packages. They are better for regulating as they will expel and absorb humidity depending on their rating. As long as you have a reasonable air tight container, you shouldn't need anything else. I used to use the cigar oasis, but for Longterm storage it just isn't efficient. To each his own, but I keep all of my cigars at 65% +/- a few.

 

[warren]

A humidor, for me is short term storage. I usually never have more cigars than I can smoke in month's time. I'm not retailing them so I do not require a big inventory. Best advice I can give is keep fewer cigars around the house and purchase more often, as needed.

It sounds as though your current humidor has been overworked and is failing.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I am no help. My humidor is really to keep my cigars below ambient humidity, because of my location. They seem to stay at about 65%, whatever that means. At first I was trying to get it more moist in there, because ambient humidity can be 80-90+, but I just gave up. Even filling the damned thing with water, the next day it would be dry and 65%. I just put my cigars in there, or leave them in the box they came in, and I don't worry. In three years I have had no problems.

Some forms of cigar mold are good, right? I thought that plume on cigars was both mold and made them taste better? As you can tell, I am no cigar expert.

 

[DanWil84]

As long as the mold is not on the foot of the cigar you can wipe them gently. I never had a cigar oasis or an active cooler, but I never had problems with boveda packs in tupperware.

I don't know how much cigars you have, but I would move the cigars to a airtight plastic container(s), they are now moist enough to keep the humidity up in the container. Remove the oasis, let the cooler run without any humification and watch the humidity drop on a hygrometer. If you have some dry and crispy packs you can also add them to the moist humidor and get them charged again with the RH from the humidor. Get boveda packs in according to boveda specs and get the humidity back up. Now add the cigars carefully to the humidor and watch the humidity again. This might take a while, but I think its the best option to not force the humidity in or out the cooler. I also think a running humidity of 70% is to high, I prefer 65-67% and for CC's even lower for my smoking stock.

 

[jaytex1969]

Cosmic is off his meds today, so please disregard his input...

I'm far from a cigar expert, but you should discard anything with mold on it.

The last thing you want is a fungal based respiratory impairment, especially right now, when all available medical resources are taxed by the stubbornly un-vaccinated.

 

[jerseysam]

.1. Get the cigars with mold out of your humidor. Mold carries by spore. If the mold brushes off with your finger/was just on the wrapper....meh, probably OK. When it gets mossy/funk in the foot/inside the wrapper...I don't mess with it personally.

2. You can put your non-moldy cigars in a cooler/etc. for a couple hours while you crack open the door on your humidor. I'm assuming you've got a Spanish cedar lining....that's what absorbed water/is keeping your PH high. It will come down in 12-24 hours assuming your ambient room PH isn't crazy high.

3. Cigars are by no means as fragile as popular legend, Even if you cracked open your humidor door with the non-moldy cigars in their....PH would stabilize long before they dried out. If humidity was high....a day without extra humidification is probably a net-positive

4. I like Cigar Oasis fine. Two things can happen....occasionally the sensor gets "stuck" on a value and I have to reset (unplug/replug....two seconds). If it gets "stuck" on a value below the PH setting....it will stay on until you catch. The second is if the reservoir is running dry it can stay on....the air reading coming out wouldn't be high enough to trip the register but it still is humid air overall.....so it runs constantly and has the effect of raising total PH in the cabinet but right at the sensor the airflow will keep it from showing a high PH. I haven't found a cost sensible Boveda option for small cabinet-sized humidors or above. I've used higher-end active units....but for most folks the cost beyond a Cigar Oasis isn't warranted given you can keep an occasional eye on the unit. And I've had pricey units futz up as well.

 

[pantsBoots]

70% is far too high of a RH value, unless you live in a very dry climate. Mold activates just above 70%. I keep my Havanas in the higher 50s to lower 60s RH, and my Dominicans around 65-67% max. They age and store well for years under these conditions. Might as well throw it out there that tobacco beetle eggs begin hatching at around 75 degrees F.

I've had very little mold issues, typically a few small white fuzzy spots in a tubo or underneath a cedar sleeve. Those can be wiped off and barring any moist residue, they are safe to smoke. When in doubt, throw it out.

 

[Hampshire Pipes & Cigars]

remove the moldy cigars and sling them. CLEAN the humidor out - the mold is airborne and can sit in your humidor unnoticed until it clings to another stick. don’t smoke them. the mold is not good for you ?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Cosmic is off his meds today, so please disregard his input...

I'm far from a cigar expert, but you should discard anything with mold on it.

The last thing you want is a fungal based respiratory impairment, especially right now, when all available medical resources are taxed by the stubbornly un-vaccinated.



View attachment 120593

On the cigar forum someone had posted some cigars sent off to a lab, and what we call plume on tobacco is actually a mold. So, yes, some mold is ok…. some even prefer it.

If it smells moldy, then No…. I don’t imagine that would be enjoyable. Common sense.

 

[jaytex1969]

But, you ARE off your meds again, aren't you?? ?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

But, you ARE off your meds again, aren't you?? ?



View attachment 120680

No worries, I’m a doctor.

 

[SmokeClouds]

I would discard all the moldy cigars and the cigar oasis. Would wipe the plastic interior of the humidor with vinegar. Dry and air it out.
Never used active humidification, only passive. Heartfelt beads served me very well for 10+ years in multiple humidors.