green spots on tobacco leaves

[deluxestogie]

Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

What does mold on tobacco smell like?

It smells like mold on anything else. Smelling it is as dangerous as laying out two slices of bread, and beginning to make a sandwich, but discovering mold on the bread. Don't stick your head in the bag of tobacco, but just notice the smell as you open the bag. It's really distinctive.

If there is slight mold on a tobacco leaf, just mist it with 50:50 diluted, distilled vinegar. Allow it to dry, until the acetic acid smell dissipates. The actual hazard of moldy tobacco is the aflatoxin from Aspergillus sp., and only if you use it as chew or other oral tobacco (or as a cigar wrapper). Aflatoxin is destroyed by the heat of burning tobacco, and no toxin is detectable in either the direct or sidestream smoke.

For me, the main problem is the yuck factor. If I can smell mold (any variety of mold) on the leaf, it pretty much spoils a cigar. If I can't smell it (and I don't use chew or snus), I don't worry about it.

Bob

EDIT: I should also point out that the stem of a tobacco leaf is more hygroscopic (water attracting) than the lamina. As a result, mold is most often seen on the stem first. It may then spread to the lamina, though it usually doesn't. If mold is just on the stem...well, I don't smoke the stems.

 

[riverstone]

Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

The mouldy baccy I have encountered has been a musty smell like dry compost but that was really mouldy.
MarcL You are right in saying what I meant to say '90% of the leaves in the lot has it on it'. There is a very simple way to find out what it is and it does not need photos and opinions from five or six people eight thousand miles away. If Don will look at the rest of the bale of Flue Cured Virginia Lemon and see if the leaf has the same marks. We will then know if the marks came from packaging/transport or ,as BigBonner suggest in post #7, from discoloration from the flue curing..

What does mold on tobacco smell like?

 

[deluxestogie]

Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

These are photos of leaf that I flue-cured at home, right out of the flue-cure chamber. The pictures were taken as soon as the leaf was brought to a high enough case to handle.

As you can see, there are ugly places on some of the leaves. It's not mold.

My only point is that the imperfect leaves that go into the chamber come out flue-cured, but with some ugly patches.

Bob

 

[burge]

Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

I think I would taste mold if it were mold. I would hate to see some of the leaves in those value blends

 

[AphoticSolace]

Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

Hello, I would be interested in getting an opinion on whether this is considered mold or discoloration. I've read the entire thread & didn't see any pictures that resemble what I have. This is Naturally grown Burley air cured. In the picture, I'm referring the green spots on the leaf. They didn't appear to be fuzzy, & I didn't notice smell. I haven't examined it with a magnifying glass though. I appreciate the time & help!

 

[MarcL]

Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

This picture is fuzzy.

 

[FmGrowit]

Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves



Click on the picture to enlarge

 

[MarcL]

Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

This picture is fuzzy too.
I will say, mold or mildew you will be able to rub around where, staining or bruising, not so much.
You can still take a white tissue to any place on a leaf and remove some color, it has a staining quality to it but, mold or mildew is not part of the leaf it self.
It looks to be discoloration to me.

 

[RyanM22]

Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

Doesn't look like mold to me

 

[FmGrowit]

Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

This picture is fuzzy too.

Well, when you get your order, I promise you there are going to be green spots on the tobacco. Please post a crystal clear picture and tell us if it is mold or not.

At least the people posting these questions know you guys aren't bought and paid for...otherwise, I'd be asking for my money back.

Anyone who is unhappy with their purchase is encouraged to return it for a full refund.

BTW, that is not Burley...it's Flue Cured tobacco.

 

[AphoticSolace]

Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

Thank you everyone for the responses. The color doesn't rub off or discolor a white cloth. It was not fuzzy or gritty to the touch, & when separated from the leaf, it was embedded in it, not on top or bottom, and didn't separate from the piece it was removed from. The vacuum bag it came in & my order says it is air cured Natural Burley leaf, and since this is my first order, I don't know the difference. I was told by WLT, whom I greatly appreciate the quick response and process, that it was chlorophyll that didn't change during the curing process. Although, the response said it was left over from flue curing Virginia Red, this came from the bag marked Burley... Here are the updated pics, I hope they're better.

 

[MarcL]

Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

Well, when you get your order, I promise you there are going to be green spots on the tobacco. Please post a crystal clear picture and tell us if it is mold or not.

At least the people posting these questions know you guys aren't bought and paid for...otherwise, I'd be asking for my money back.

Anyone who is unhappy with their purchase is encouraged to return it for a full refund.

BTW, that is not Burley...it's Flue Cured tobacco.

You saw I placed an order today. I'll post some pix that are in focus! Don, they can't compete with WLT.

... how my mind works..
If all the recent, . curiosities are NOT just common newbie questions, whether they are by existing members not comfortable with asking certain types of questions, creating new user accounts to do so or, new members all together, (and here's the lesser politically correct reality) then they are attempts sent and/or set by a competitor or, some opposing motivator to influence negatively, the lessor confident consumer base.

For the common curious, there are some short cuts, not as much as we all wish there was but, you can get there if you want to.

for the latter .. more to come.. stay tuned

Thank you everyone for the responses. The color doesn't rub off or discolor a white cloth. It was not fuzzy or gritty to the touch, & when separated from the leaf, it was embedded in it, not on top or bottom, and didn't separate from the piece it was removed from. The vacuum bag it came in & my order says it is air cured Natural Burley leaf, and since this is my first order, I don't know the difference. I was told by WLT, whom I greatly appreciate the quick response and process, that it was chlorophyll that didn't change during the curing process. Although, the response said it was left over from flue curing Virginia Red, this came from the bag marked Burley... Here are the updated pics, I hope they're better.
View attachment 19986

View attachment 19987

That's good to hear. looks like a lot more is in focus. A little fuzzy still though. thanks

 

[burge]

Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

View attachment 19985

Click on the picture to enlarge

All my baccy is like this pic. and the pic above I do not think it is mold but there was some on the stem of the first priming but I do not think it is mold though

 

[deluxestogie]

The Art of Flue Curing

Below are 4 images that I captured today of tobacco that I grew (Virginia Bright Leaf) in 2014. It was leaf-primed, and immediately flue-cured by me. The "green spots" shown are identical to their appearance the moment they came out of the flue-cure chamber. So, this 2-1/2 year old flue-cured leaf has remained essentially unchanged since the day it was born. It remains dry, but still quite pliable. It's not mold. It's just what you get sometimes during flue-curing. I would estimate that at least 1/3 of all the leaves I flue-cure develop some spots during the process.

Bob

 

[MarcL]

I went through the two pounds I got yesterday and I was not very successful at finding much as green goes but, I took some pictures anyways.

I took all the bits out and got 746 grams. more then worth my money.

 

[FmGrowit]

I went through the two pounds I got yesterday and I was not very successful at finding much as green goes

We sent you the wrong stuff

 

[deluxestogie]

That one looks familiar.

Bob

 

[larryccf]

i'm glad i started this thread - sure have learned a lot

 

[burge]

I just shredded a half pound and green spots are not mold the white spots are from the sugars in the leaf. I would really hate to see the leaves in the so called value tobacco.

 

[Darkthirty]

Try tearing out a suspect section and spraying with 3% Hydrogen Peroxide. Mold will flash up white, never had anything other than the mold react.................