Mold....DAMN HOW I HATE YOU!

[Krish the Fish]

I had a mold issue in my wineador a few months back. I ended up scrapping all of my HF beads I had used, and separated my cigars into 3 categories: those that didn't have any mold, those that had white mold on the body (none on the foot), and those that had mold on the foot/blue or green mold. When ordering my HCM beads, I asked Michael what I should do, and he recommended wiping down the wineador with a diluted bleach solution, letting it dry, and then reseasoning.

I quarantined the cigars that had mold on the body from the ones that were free and clear (each category in their own tupperware with a boveda, wiped down the mold on body with Tito's vodka, only because I didn't have everclear on hand), and threw away the third category (mold on foot, or colorful mold) while I was seasoning the wineador again. I probably through out 100+ cigars over the past year. But after this, I haven't been touched by mold at all, so I chalk it up as a success.

Interestingly enough, the mold seemed to start with my 2009 box of Anejo 49s. I had a box of RASCC sitting above the box of Anejo, so those seemed to get attacked pretty badly by the mold. But none of the other CCs seemed to get any mold, even beside other cigars that were. And the mold was growing at 65% humidity, I recalibrated my humidor and even still the mold would continue. So my takeaway from the whole ordeal was to not store any more Anejos in my humidor, and that HCM beads rock!

[Brlesq]

Originally Posted by Krish the Fish

I had a mold issue in my wineador a few months back. I ended up scrapping all of my HF beads I had used, and separated my cigars into 3 categories: those that didn't have any mold, those that had white mold on the body (none on the foot), and those that had mold on the foot/blue or green mold. When ordering my HCM beads, I asked Michael what I should do, and he recommended wiping down the wineador with a diluted bleach solution, letting it dry, and then reseasoning.

I quarantined the cigars that had mold on the body from the ones that were free and clear (each category in their own tupperware with a boveda, wiped down the mold on body with Tito's vodka, only because I didn't have everclear on hand), and threw away the third category (mold on foot, or colorful mold) while I was seasoning the wineador again. I probably through out 100+ cigars over the past year. But after this, I haven't been touched by mold at all, so I chalk it up as a success.

Interestingly enough, the mold seemed to start with my 2009 box of Anejo 49s. I had a box of RASCC sitting above the box of Anejo, so those seemed to get attacked pretty badly by the mold. But none of the other CCs seemed to get any mold, even beside other cigars that were. And the mold was growing at 65% humidity, I recalibrated my humidor and even still the mold would continue. So my takeaway from the whole ordeal was to not store any more Anejos in my humidor, and that HCM beads rock!

Anejos are notorious for growing mold. Its always best to remove the cedar sleeve on these right away. Camacho Liberty's are also another known culprit (especially the 2012's), and removing these from their tissue paper and coffins will save a lot of heartache down the road.

[Krish the Fish]

Originally Posted by Brlesq

Anejos are notorious for growing mold. Its always best to remove the cedar sleeve on these right away. Camacho Liberty's are also another known culprit (especially the 2012's), and removing these from their tissue paper and coffins will save a lot of heartache down the road.

Yeah I found that out reading up on it (and them) after I first had the issue. After getting rid of all of them and the whole process though, not a lick of mold! *knock on wood* I think it might have been a combo (for me at least) of having the box at the very top of my wineador, taking the cello off but keeping the cedar on, and keeping them in the box (with the velvet interior). But hey, you live and you learn, right?