This Happened to My Tobacco After 7 Years In a Mason Jar

[mushjoon]

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9)




Hi everyone. I stopped smoking 7 years ago but now I'm back at it, no special reason.

When I stopped smoking, I put my tobacco into mason jars and stored them away in my cellar for 7 years and this happened when I took it out of the jar.

I've read through the forum to see whether it's plume or moss.

But I would like to ask for your opinion on this.

The tobacco is Samuel Gawith's Full Virginian Flake by the way.

 

[seanv]

Plume for sure

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Well, there was an old thread I read on a cigar forum years ago where people looked at a whole bunch of cigars that had evidence of "plume", and when looked at under a microscope every single sample was actually mold. That being said, pressed flake pipe tobacco is a whole different beast, so who knows this could actually be the elusive "plume". But regardless, there already mold in, on, and around everything already, so unless it smells/tastes off or is covered in a much bigger fungal growth I wouldn't worry at all.

 

[stokesdale]

Its syphilis...yes, definitely syphilis

 

[ray47]

That's Plume and I bet it's going to taste great.

 

[Casual]

Well, there was an old thread I read on a cigar forum years ago where people looked at a whole bunch of cigars that had evidence of "plume", and when looked at under a microscope every single sample was actually mold.

I found that thread to be far less convincing than you did.

Stonehaven: Plume Or Mold? :: Pipe Tobacco Discussion

I have two bags from 2019 that are as of yet unopened. I'm still working on the bag I bought in 2018, and probably won't finish it for another year or so. But out of curiosity I may just open one of the 2019 bags to see if there is that much of a difference. The OP's photograph looks like...

pipesmagazine.com

 

[beezer]

That looks delicious. I have several VA flakes that look like that through the jar.

Nothing to worry about.

 

[saltedplug]

Perhaps plume is the name we use for mold that won't hurt you and mold for mold that will. There is a visual test that allows one to be discerned from the other which I'm sure you could find by searching this and other forums. Using it, no one, apparently, has turned up dead. Someone would have posted an obituary.

 

[greeneyes]

I think posts like this are more frequent now than "what is this growing on my son's skin?" posts on pediatric medicine forums. I think it's time someone created a Wiki of 'things that are growing on my tobacco' with photographs.

 

[BROBS]

I think posts like this are more frequent now than "what is this growing on my son's skin?" posts on pediatric medicine forums. I think it's time someone created a Wiki of 'things that are growing on my tobacco' with photographs.

Or if people are so worried sell me that tobacco and buy new shit.

 

[kcghost]

Looks like plume to me.

 

[mso489]

After seven years, if it isn't mold, it should be excellent.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I'd bet on mold but it seems a lot of SG tobacco develops this light dusting of white stuff. I've had it on mine and just smoked it. I'm still alive so either if it's harmless, plume or has a very long term delayed affect.

 

[sablebrush52]

That looks like plume to me, basically some mineral content that has leached out over the years, that is largely following the contours of the pressed layers. 7 years of mold growth would make for quite wide webbed spread of hairy beard.

 

[sallow]

Yes that looks like plume to me.

If it smells moldy (not musty, some gawith tobaccos have a natural musty smell), then toss it, but most of my gawith stuff looks like that.

 

[Civil War]

Looks fabulous ?. Enjoy.

 

[Worknman]

I hope my FVF looks like that after 7 years.

 

[weezell]

7 years of mold growth would make for quite wide webbed spread of hairy beard.

YEP...

 

[brooklynpiper]

Plume, which is to say, a mythology created by tobacconists to talk customers out of refunds and replacements over molded products.

I'm kidding, I just wanted to make people's blood boil.

 

[karam]

That looks like plume to me, basically some mineral content that has leached out over the years, that is largely following the contours of the pressed layers. 7 years of mold growth would make for quite wide webbed spread of hairy beard.

That, as a biochemist by training I can only talk to how molds and other microorganisms grow: you expect an epicentre of growth, with more growth radiating from it. Also, as fungi (mold) and bacteria are living organisms, you expect to be able to observe it grow in a matter of days to a couple of weeks at most: the growth changes day after day (think molded oranges for example).

P.S. love the bolded language sable, accurate, economic, elegant!