Science of Plume/Bloom/Crystals on Tobacco

[Val]

Title corrected for capitals. See Rule 9.

Hey all, I’ve been researching in an attempt to get to the bottom of plume/bloom/crystals/white powdery substance on tobacco. There may be many opinions but what is the science behind it? I came across this statement and am wonder if it is scientifically factual?

“It’s actually not sugar crystals as commonly believed—taste it and you’ll see it’s not sweet at all. It’s primarily potassium nitrate and ammonium chloride—which are salts. Aged tobacco tastes sweeter and loses those raw volatile ammonia flavors young tobacco has. It’s partly because of those things precipitating out/breaking down and also some continued fermentation.”

 

[NomadOrb]

I'm not gonna touch this one.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Probably. I've been knocked down by the ammonia smell in tobacco barns as the hanging tobacco is off gassing it.

 

[Val]

I'm not gonna touch this one.

Understandable, many opinions. Truth is there is a science to this and I’m wondering if anyone has the facts.

 

[Buffalo]

Understandable, many opinions. Truth is there is a science to this and I’m wondering if anyone has the facts.

I am sure that there must be some science behind whether it is mold, ploom, salt, whatever. I would also assume you are a resourceful person and that your time would be better spent on actually tracking the aforementioned scientific information down over posting anything here. This is a hotly debated topic amongst pipe and cigar enthusiasts and you are not going to get any kind of information that could be considered unbiased here.

 

[Val]

I am sure that there must be some science behind whether it is mold, ploom, salt, whatever. I would also assume you are a resourceful person and that your time would be better spent on actually tracking the aforementioned scientific information down over posting anything here. This is a hotly debated topic amongst pipe and cigar enthusiasts and you are not going to get any kind of information that could be considered unbiased here.

Or someone here possibly has the data or link to the data to share the science which saves me time researching. Takes me seconds to post this. If you don’t like seeing the topic feel free to move on.

 

[Buffalo]

Or someone here possibly has the data or link to the data to share the science which saves me time researching. Takes me seconds to post this. If you don’t like seeing the topic feel free to move on.

Why all the hostility? And why assume I don't like the topic? I just pointed out that you are asking a biased group of individuals to give you the information that you want to either prove or disprove your topic.

 

[bullet08]

Everything would be great until proving what you have on your tobacco is plume or mold. Some test kit would be nice. I can tell mold from plume, but how can we be sure? Recently seen number of post on mold ID. I like most smokers avoid smoking mold.

 

[mingc]

Or someone here possibly has the data or link to the data to share the science which saves me time researching. Takes me seconds to post this. If you don’t like seeing the topic feel free to move on.

In my 3 decades on line, I've not seen anything remotely authoritative or detailed. The closest is a Friends of Habanos forum thread that discusses some studies for which they paid a lab in Australia. Their samples included pipe tobacco. Supposedly, they found only mold and bacteria. For whatever reason, they chose not to post or link the actual reports from the lab. FOH Mould Study - https://www.fohcigars.com/forum/topic/131757-foh-mould-study/. Or maybe I just can't find it. If you can, please link it.

Everything else is guesswork, some more informed than others.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Why don’t you trust the answer? Are you claiming it is mutually exclusive of mold?

 

[AJL67]

Let's just go with it's all mold. Issue solved.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Everything else is guesswork, some more informed than others.

The very definition of "modern science".

 

[burleybreath]

Hey all, I’ve been researching in an attempt to get to the bottom of plume/bloom/crystals/white powdery substance on tobacco. There may be many opinions but what is the science behind it? I came across this statement and am wonder if it is scientifically factual?

“It’s actually not sugar crystals as commonly believed—taste it and you’ll see it’s not sweet at all. It’s primarily potassium nitrate and ammonium chloride—which are salts. Aged tobacco tastes sweeter and loses those raw volatile ammonia flavors young tobacco has. It’s partly because of those things precipitating out/breaking down and also some continued fermentation.”

Source? If this is true, the proof ain't exactly rocket science. (I speak as an expert, having taken chemistry in high school.)

 

[anotherbob]

Probably. I've been knocked down by the ammonia smell in tobacco barns as the hanging tobacco is off gassing it.

yeah. I never experienced that but freshly ground nasal snuff does the same thing. It's the best and worst when you get that. You know it's fresh and you know you want to air it out first. On snuff forums the newbie question that comes up too often is did someones cat piss in my snuff.

 

[canucklehead]

Source? If this is true, the proof ain't exactly rocket science. (I speak as an expert, having taken chemistry in high school.)

 

[yanoJL]

The crystals that appear on aging tobaccos are more likely something that is soluble within a narrow pH range. These crystals are not very soluble in water. As the tobacco ages, the pH changes, and some things that had previously been in solution may, and apparently do, precipitate out. But, from some very preliminary testing, it is almost certainly not sugar.

G.L. Pease, 2003-10-01

The Pipe Tobacco Aging, Storage and Cellaring FAQ: Aging

A compendium of knowledge intended for the pipe-smoking enthusiast interested in the aging, storage and cellaring of pipe tobacco.

pipe-club.com

 

[kcghost]

Hopefully, we have put this issue to bed.

 

[blackpowderpiper]

Hopefully, we have put this issue to bed.

It will never end.

 

[jpmcwjr]

This thread can go on and on if folks are gentlemen.

 

[Briar Tuck]

I'm not gonna touch this one.

Me either, except to say...

I'd smoke it.