What To Do About Mold In Unnamed Manufacturer Tins

[ashdigger]

A couple years ago I was gifted a tin of McClelland Maduro and I accidentally let it dry out to dust. I then added, as it turns out, way too much water in an attempt to rehydrate it. Then end result was a moldy-gloppy mess that I disposed of. That was on me, or was it. Either way, I just moved on.
I'm only adding this because a year later, I experimented with a home blend, that blend was christened "Smokey Bastard". For that blend I purchased blending leaf and using a recipe from Woodsroad, which I altered by adding Lagavulin scotch, I set about blending. The only problem was that I added too much scotch, well because it's great scotch, and the batch was very wet. I let it dry a bit and bagged it for a three months age. After three months it was still wet, but very good, and no mold. Did I get lucky?
Now, I don't remotely pretend to know ANYTHING ABOUT TOBACCO OR MOLD, but if these blends are your thing, talk to the manufacturer. I truly don't think this problem is a bad as is being portrayed.
The same folks who decry the mold are the same ones across the span of the threads. Is it common, or a mock Internet phenomenon?

 

[rigmedic1]

Just throwing my 2 cents in for good measure. In 8 years of buying C&D products, I have only had one tin that got moldy after I had opened it. It was Blockade Runner, and truth be told, I had already finished one cake and forgotten about the other for awhile. I noticed that some blends made me nauseous, and after discussing it with one of the sales reps, determined that the blends I was having trouble with had dark fired Kentucky as a component. He suggested Yorktown, and that is a staple in my rotation now. And of course, they replaced my Carolina Red, and I asked for Red Carpet and Interlude, both red Virginia blends. Those have been great tobaccos, open for months and absolutely no mold.

Heck, my open tin of "The Beast" is still moist, and it's been open for months. In the tin. With the cardboard on top.

Now, I do buy all sorts of different brands, from all sorts of different places. But I don't mind taking a chance on C&D, because those are good people who make a quality product.

How many of you guys quit eating Blue Bell?

 

[Chasing Embers]

What's Blue Bell?

 

[ashdigger]

Chasing, it's Ice Cream that had some serious production problems.

 

[northernneil]

but he did say that it was the anti-mold stuff, not the specific Red Virginias.

This is interesting. Now if it was the anti-molding agent, how long was that used for and on what blends? Also, were all tobaccos recalled that used this anti-mold angent?
This comment that it only happens 7 out of 1000 times seems like a crock to me. It might be true, but I want to hear what has been done to fix the problem. I don't want to hear that there is not a problem.
Right, wrong or indifferent; I have not been purchasing any C&D product since this whole thing started. If C&D wants my business, I need specifics and assuances. Unlike you guys in the US, when I have to return something, the supplier does not send me a pre-paid postage stamp. I have to personally pay to send back the affected product, then wait for reimbursement. Why take the chance on an affected product when I know there are other manufacturers who do not have this issue.
But hey, why not just blame the internet and a small number of people blowing it out of proportion.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Okay. Rarely eat ice cream due to sensitive teeth, so too to know.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

This comment that it only happens 7 out of 1000 times seems like a crock to me. It might be true, but I want to hear what has been done to fix the problem. I don't want to hear that there is not a problem.

It is not a crock, those are the numbers he gave me.

How many times do we have to tell you what is being done to fix the problem? If you have mold, call your retailer. The fix was in combining the two anti-mold agents and in dealing with these few issues one on one. Why do people keep asking what are they going to do? Do these folks want a free pony? I'm not even sure what you're asking.

 

[davet]

Do these folks want a free pony?

No free pony for me, it's an interesting thread about a problem that seems to generate more questions. I'm not bashing or butt-hurt, just curious about a problem that can affect any of us with any blend. Also you might consider that $10.00 tin you buy may cost us north of the border $35.00 without even thinking about returns and the replacement coming through customs.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I had to go back and check my notes, but September is the date they started tinning the blends with the corrected two anti-mold stuff. If you wanted the best assurance of the least risk of mold, then maybe ask for that date of tins to be added to you order? I don't know, it seems like the best assurance for me.
But, all in all, every tin is a crap shoot, right? However, if you get a tin of Astleys 109 with mold I am just out of luck. Maybe they will take it back, maybe not. Honestly, I wouldn't even bother exchanging tins. A tin is not going to set me back any sweat. I wouldn't even think about it. But, you Canadians, that have to pay more for everything... maybe take a lesser risk? What the lesser risk is, is just up to you and your own logic.

 

[clickklick]

I don't think this is any more about mold than it is about consumer perception of a change to overall business practices.
If any of the other established tobacco companies had an issue like this due to an experimentation of process change, which I am sure would have been properly vetted, then the uproar and "blowing out of proportion" would have been minimal. Accept your replacement tin and carry on.
However, I think there is much more at mind to the consumer here . . . not just mold. Perception of inexperienced bearded hipsters running the show and changing everything that was tried and true from a family company . . . is what I get the impression most people are worried about.
I have no skin in this game, but if there truly is a social media position that opened up to address that aspect, I think it may be a good idea to start with building up the roots to what the company is today. The mold issue will go by the wayside fairly quickly. Overall confidence in the company itself not being just a bunch of inexperienced bearded hipsters is the first step. Not that I personally find anything wrong with bearded hipsters... I know others do.

 

[bigpond]

How many times do we have to tell you what is being done to fix the problem?

One will do.

I'm not even sure what you're asking.

Simple, what are the new chemicals and the processes used in the preservation of the these tobaccos.
Part of the reason that I have purchased C&D products in the past is the assumption that they have continued Craig's tradition of applying minimal preservatives. Are they supplementing Mycoban with PG as part of the new process? I know these aren't question you have an answers to, but they are questions that keep the thread alive.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I am not sure what the chemicals are that are being used exactly, however I do know that PG never came up at all. I don't think that we have to worry about that crap in C&D products. ::

 

[rodbuster3]

Maybe C&D should put out a customer alert explaing there position the problem and solution so all this is not third hand i think that would do alot to squash all of this and rebuild custemer confidence

 

[cosmicfolklore]

...you mean second hand.

 

[rodbuster3]

You mean second hand

Yeah i guess my point being someone hearing from someone hearing from someone and so on

 

[skraps]

Yikes, I didn't mean to start a shit storm here. I simply was curious if anyone had experienced the problem in bulk and it had not been reported.
As expected, SP.com addressed the issue for me and they are rectifying it.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

I'm just going to state for the record that I do indeed want a free pony. I always wanted a pony as a child, and well... now that I'm all grown up, I still want that pony. I also want an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle. Always wanted one of those too, but I was told I'd shoot my eye out.
Hopefully I'm not shooting my eye out by ordering a certain kind of tobacco from a certain company. But I'm seriously thinking about giving some bulk a try.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Ha ha, Anthony... Actually... I want a pony. I hear they're quite tasty. ::

 

[pipesmokingtom]

Warpony Bar?

 

[warren]

The "never ending thread" is weirdly entertaining. I do wonder how many times an inquiry can be asked and answered. My take would be, if I got a tin with mold, would be contact the maker, toss the tin and get another one if it was a blend I liked. I certainly wouldn't bring the issue up with the members of the site. Why would they care? There might be one reasonable response, a bunch of nonsensical answers and, the ones I eagerly await, the ones with humor and nonsense.
Mold spores? I suspect they are not the most dangerous of the components of smoldering plant life we are taking into our mouths. Certainly the most obvious and unappealing maybe.