Not the same as moldy rye bread, huh? So, if it tastes sweet, it is good and it you see purple elephants flying around the room after tasting, it isn't great? Might be valuable though.
What Is This White Stuff?
- Thread starter olkofri
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If all of the discussion a year back from the Carolina Red Flake mold outbreak taught us nothing ...
It’s mold. Toss it, unless you want to roll the dice. Scraping off the white parts still leaves microscopic spores that could be inhaled before th tobacco combusts. Jiminks wrote a few good posts about this.
It’s mold. Toss it, unless you want to roll the dice. Scraping off the white parts still leaves microscopic spores that could be inhaled before th tobacco combusts. Jiminks wrote a few good posts about this.
Just tried that. Didn't use a flashlight, but the kitchen overhead light and a 10x magnifier. I saw individual, sugar-like crystals that sparkled.
A few years back, a member here took so microscopic images of crystals that had formed on Stonehaven. I found these through a link from an article on the Dutch Pipe Smoker blog:
http://postimg.cc/gallery/lfffkepm/
http://postimg.cc/gallery/lfffkepm/
Very cool! I wish I had a microscope.
I was able once to take photos of individual snowflakes with my macro lens and tubes, but these crystals are just too tiny, methinks.
I used the 10x jeweller's magnifier to inspect other tobaccos I have here. A fresh tin of EMP that came in last Friday from 4noggins, and a house blend from my B&M. Interestingly, they all have sparkling crystals on them leaves: they're just too tiny to notice with the naked eye, unless they're clustered as bloom.
You learn new stuff every day...
I was able once to take photos of individual snowflakes with my macro lens and tubes, but these crystals are just too tiny, methinks.
I used the 10x jeweller's magnifier to inspect other tobaccos I have here. A fresh tin of EMP that came in last Friday from 4noggins, and a house blend from my B&M. Interestingly, they all have sparkling crystals on them leaves: they're just too tiny to notice with the naked eye, unless they're clustered as bloom.
You learn new stuff every day...
Trying to keep up...are sparkling crystals assumed to be some sort of mold or fungus as well, or is there no conclusion as of yet?
My thoughts are that if it is sparkly or crystalline, it's potassium nitrate, ammonium chloride, organic oils, or a combination thereof. Definitely not "sugar".
See an actual published scientific paper on cigar bloom.
If it stinks, it's mold. If it doesn't stink, but isn't crystalline, it's probably still mold (or maybe yeast).
See an actual published scientific paper on cigar bloom.
If it stinks, it's mold. If it doesn't stink, but isn't crystalline, it's probably still mold (or maybe yeast).
Lab results aren’t opinions. No one needs to “buy” anything. Researching the subject is easy and copious amounts of info are a keystroke away.
Many of the samples provided to the lab in the link above were heavy with what looked like sugar crystals. When analyzed none of the crystals contained sugars. The question isn’t which white substance is sugar, it’s which species of mold is least likely to cause harm.
Many of the samples provided to the lab in the link above were heavy with what looked like sugar crystals. When analyzed none of the crystals contained sugars. The question isn’t which white substance is sugar, it’s which species of mold is least likely to cause harm.
Potassium nitrate, ammonium chloride, and:
Interesting. I wonder what they would find on other blends than cigar leaf, how they selected samples and how widely representative they were, that sort of thing.
Well, coming from a family of scientists and engineers, I'd have to take issue with this. It will certainly give comfort to those who never want to face anything.
But I do believe that the following is valid:
"Facts aren't always answers."
Yes, the "how harmful" question then is the important one.
I've opened tins many times fresh out of the mail from online retailers to see the contents inside sparkling. Very interesting!
I've opened tins many times fresh out of the mail from online retailers to see the contents inside sparkling. Very interesting!
Thanks for posting a link to the pics sablebrush52. Here is the thread they were in http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/stonehaven-bloom-under-the-microscope
I tend to agree with yaddy306, they don't look like sugar crystals. They do look somewhat like potassium nitrate which is sometimes used as a fertilizer when tobacco starts growing, as opposed to a preplanting application.
I tend to agree with yaddy306, they don't look like sugar crystals. They do look somewhat like potassium nitrate which is sometimes used as a fertilizer when tobacco starts growing, as opposed to a preplanting application.
Since everyone here is guessing at answers without the benefit of factual information, I guess that I'll join right in:
It's not tobacco.
Could be mold of some sort.
Could be bacteria of some sort.
Could be something else of some sort.
Could be toxic.
Could be non-toxic.
Send it to a qualified lab if you want real answers.
It's not tobacco.
Could be mold of some sort.
Could be bacteria of some sort.
Could be something else of some sort.
Could be toxic.
Could be non-toxic.
Send it to a qualified lab if you want real answers.
"It's not tobacco.
Could be mold of some sort.
Could be bacteria of some sort.
Could be something else of some sort.
Could be toxic.
Could be non-toxic."
Could be snow!
Could be mold of some sort.
Could be bacteria of some sort.
Could be something else of some sort.
Could be toxic.
Could be non-toxic."
Could be snow!
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