Expert: M J Robbins - 3/22/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hi

A few weeks ago I was looking to buy a humidor so I asked James his opinion about a particular make, Adorini, and he said they are good enough. I bought the humidor and checked it as James recommended. All seemed ok.

In the last few weeks I tried to prepare and calibrate the humidor as the instruction that come with it say and I thought I managed to do it properly. But today I opened the humidor and the cigars had green mold on them.

So my question is what to do. I read an answer from James to another reader on your website, suggesting cleaning the humidor with a bit of alcohol and putting the cigars in the fridge. I put the link to the question and James’ answer below. I followed most of the instructions, except for the alcohol, because I don’t have any alcohol and also because only the cigars seemed to have mold and not the humidor. There is no greenish colour on the wood of the humidor or on the humidifier so I don’t think the humidor or the humidifiers are affected.

Can you please help me out a few things? First, is it safe to assume that the humidor and the humidifier are not infected? I did recharge the humidifier and I am going to leave it for a week to see if there is some appearance of mold on them. Second, will it be safe to smoke the cigars? Even though I cleaned them with a bit of distilled water, there is still some green discoloration on the cigars. I am going to leave them in the fridge and then outside as James suggested but my worry is that even if I don’t see any real growth after 2 weeks, there might still be some mold inside that I cant see and that it is dangerous health wise to smoke them. Last, I think this might have happened not necessarily because of too much humidity. I left the “shades” of the humidifier open. I do not know if that is the correct way to keep it or should they have been closed. Do you know?

The humidor cost about £90 and the cigars are Cohiba, worth about another £200, so I am very distressed about this. I would appreciate any help you can give me.

Many thanks and regards

Soli

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Cigars-2143/MOLD.htm

ANSWER: I have been selling humidors 30 years and have seen everything (except maybe aliens).
I checked the humidor out and it seems the same as the ones I have sold from the pictures I see.
The humidification seems a little large if it is the long one and could be over humidifying.
Get a digital hygrometer so you know the true humidity.

NEVER PUT CIGARS IN THE REFRIGERATOR
Unless you want them to dry out and taste like left over fish because they absorb odors of everything around them. That is why a humidor has only Spanish Cedar lining. Also a refrigerator dehumidifies like a dessert that's why it has a water drain in the back.

Mold must be killed and ONLY Isopropyl Alcohol available in any pharmacy will do it with no smell or taste.
You must get Isopropyl alcohol and wipe down your cigars. Wet a cloth and wipe them gently but DO NOT SOAK them. Leave them out for a few hours to dry and put them in a zip lock bag to save them till everything is sorted out.
OK no Isopropyl rubbing alcohol - look for a bottle of 151 proof vodka but that might affect the taste of the cigars and is a "last resort" I have read about but never used.
I have rubbed down a cigar with mold on the surface and used Isopropyl alcohol, then waited a few days to smoke and they were fine. When I did this the mold disappeard completely as it is killed by the Isopropyl alcohol. If the cigars smell rancid the mold might be inside and they are goners. If the mold is still there after you wipe them down they are goners do not put them in your mouth!!!

Now the humidor.
Mold spores are pervasive and will infect every element of the humidor whether you can see it or not. You must rub down the humidor with Isopropyl rubbing alcohol completely using a tooth brush in the corners. Leave the humidor open over night and start again with a new humidity device REMEMBER to use propylene glycol.
Throw out the humidity device and start over. It could be the device you had in it is too large and over humidified. Also the humidity device must have a mold inhibitor like Propylene Glycol and it must be treated every several months to keep out mold.

I tend to push the new Boveda humidity control packets and they have a mold inhibitor in them. Get 4 - 72% Boveda packets instead of replacing the humidity device and layer them in with the cigars.
2 on the top and 2 in the middle. Easy and great way to keep the cigars. I kept cigars in a sealed cigar caddy for 10 months in my garage at all temperatures no mold grew and the cigars were perfect.
ALSO
All of my customers that have constant problems with their humidors go to the Boveda devices and they exclaim the virtues of this product that works in the humidors. Even humidors that never worked right seem to work with these devices...

Finally
Isopropyl alcohol to clean the cigars - put the cigars in a zip lock bag and clean the humidor.
Order the Boveda packets. When they come layer them in with your nice clean cigars.
Wait 2 weeks and your cigars will be perfect.
In this case you do not even need a new digital hygrometer!

OR a new humidity device with propylene glycol to start. Put distilled water in 1 week after start up and every week till the cigars are perfect. Then go to the once a month schedule.
You must have a digital hygrometer to monitor the humidity.

Cuban cigars are naked and easily impacted by changes in humidity.
Cigars that are wrapped in cello are not as easily affected and the mold will be contained inside the wrappers.

Please feel free to tell me what happens and ask for more input.

MJR

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks a lot. I did put the cigars in the fridge last night but took them out now. The humidifier is relatively large but that is the one that comes with the humidor so I thought they know what they are selling.

If you have seen it then you must have noticed that it has those “shades” that can be opened and closed. Should they be left open while the cigars are inside the humidor?

I will try to find the Isopropyl Alcohol and use it as you suggested.

How would I be able to tell whether after a few days the cigars still have mold inside? Would you say that if they smell ok then they should be fine?

About the humidity device, can I save it and not throw it away using the Boveda humidity control packets? Would you suggested to also treat the humidity device with the alcohol, not just the humidifier?  If I do use the Boveda packets, do I still need to refill and use the humidity device?

Thanks

Soli

ANSWER: Most humidors come with wrong humidification and I have to change it around after testing them to find the right devices.

Throw the humidity device away.

Isopropyl alcohol only if you can.

If the cigars have no discoloration and smell OK try one.

Use only the Boveda if that is your choice but a medium round humidity device can be used with it and then the Boveda's will last longer. Make sure the new device has the mold inhibitor Propylene Glycol, sold as 50/50 solution.

Good luck
MJR

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: So I should get a new humidity device to put in the humidor as the one I have now is probably infected and cant be rescued?

Would it be ok to buy another sponge based humidity device, same as the one I have now, and fill it with a solution of 50/50 distilled water and Propylene Glycol, and maybe add the Boveda packs to help regulate the humidity?

Answer
Get a new humidity device to put in the humidor as the one you have now is probably infected and cant be rescued.

Buy another device smaller than the first if possible.
Fill it with 50/50 solution every 6 months and in between use distilled water every month.
And add the Boveda to regulate humidity and keep mold out also.

MJR