Firecured WILL grow mold

[Matty]

Found a pound of jarred firecured in the cabinet this morning. Looking at the jar I saw some mold on the leaf so I took it outside to sort through it and maybe salvage some leaf. Saved maybe 2 leaves out of the pound. This leaf was put away at about medium low case which I've had no problems with until now, I keep fluecured at about the same case and have never had a problem. This time around feels more like a lesson learned than a loss.

 

[FmGrowit]

I can't tell from the picture, but I believe your judgement that it is mold. If it were a newer member, I would suggest that it might be salts coming from the midrib.

Mold will grow on Fire Cured, but I keep my Fire Cured in a strong medium case for shipping and have some bagged for well over a year without any problems with mold.

 

[deluxestogie]

Almost everything can mold, with enough moisture. During WWII, US troops in the southern Philippine Islands discovered that the optical glass on their binoculars gradually etched with mold.

In every bag of tobacco, some leaves and some parts of some leaves hold more moisture than the rest, and can be a source of mold.

In the chart above, I would place tobacco somewhere between "cheese" and "wood."

Bob

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Almost everything can mold, with enough moisture. During WWII, US troops in the southern Philippine Islands discovered that the optical glass on their binoculars gradually etched with mold.

That's why the Army still conducts fungus tests on all items they plan to field.

I have a few pounds of Fire Cured that I shredded and stored in Mylar bags. I let the tobacco air out for 2 days before sealing it up.

Bob, I'm not too sure about your assessment of tobacco being somewhere between cheese and word. I've grown tobacco that was closer to leather.. shoe leather to be exact...

 

[Brown Thumb]

Jeesh, I never got mold on fire cured yet.

 

[Matty]

I had to look close because at first I was hoping that it was salt or mineral but when I pulled apart 2 leaves I could see it was fluffy and stringy. This was stored without the midrib and packed tightly in a jar but it grew mold through and through. I have 4 maybe 5 different batches of firecured, some going back near 2 years ago, never seen any of it grow mold. This batch says I received it December 2014.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Your experience with mold is just that... experience. All tobacco will mold if the conditions are right. I've had it happen in the past but learned from my "mistakes". The Fire Cured I bought last year seemed rather moist so I knew from past experience to let it dry out a few days before storing it.

If you really want to have some fun buy a moisture meter. You can get them on Ebay for about $20.00 (from China). I never store tobacco with moisture greater than 14%.

 

[Matty]

Moisture meter might he fun. There are a few things I have yet to acquire for this hobby, mostly kiln stuff. Anyhow, I went out to try getting a better picture of some of the moldy leaf. It's not too photogenic and makes me sneeze like crazy. In reality these leaves look like they have a layer of frost on them, I just can't get it to show up.

 

[LewZephyr]

you mention a moisture meter, and when I google it I see all these devices with Pins on them. (i.e. Amazon)
How are you using these devices to check your tobacco moisture? Are you stabbing a hand of tobacco?

Thanks.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Yup. I stab the tobacco with the pins.

 

[ArizonaDave]

I keep the Fire Cured in about 15% humidity, in a used vapor proof bag from WLT. I only moisten the night before rolling. I guess it's one of the benefits of living in the AZ desert. We've been getting a lot of rain the past couple of days, but indoors it stays at about 50% rh.