Moldy wrapper

[Ginsinjones]

Hello all
I just recieved my order from WLT and opened up my Maduro wrapper.
Stuck my nose in the bag and got hit with the unmistakable smell of mold.
There is mold on the main stems and it is starting in spots on the leaf itself.
What next?
Is this pound salvageable?

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

It's probably just fine.

Photos please.

Cigar leaf always has elements of fermentation aromas and seem to concentrate in a bag.

 

[Ginsinjones]

I'll get better pictures latter when I get home. At the very least should I seperate and dry down the pound?

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Your leaf looks like it's too dry to actively mold. What you see on the stems is from the curing barn and its normal. That other bit can simply be tossed. (as in, remove that little bit)

 

[Ginsinjones]

It's not dry at all, it's in pretty high case.
I'll go through it better latter. Hoping the mold smell won't linger

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Going through the pile sounds like a good idea.

 

[Ginsinjones]

These pictures represent about 1/3 of the pound




Normally I would just pull the stems and dry down the whole pound however I want to keep these leafs intact and as good condition as possible since it's wrapper.
I'm hoping I can dry it down with the stems in place and still eliminate the issue.

 

[MarcL]

That looks like something I got in san andres. it wiped off fine no problems.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Yeah. I was going to add that. I or probably just wipe it off.

 

[yan]

Mr. I am like your situation, we got rain here when I was on Saturday. After I received the goods on Friday, I went the outer packaging for the watering can and then installed in the hot bag. It is not used in Saturday, and the result is sprayed in the wet bag. On Sunday night, I took out that they had a white mildew, and I quickly torn it all, causing the tatten cigar packaging paper to make "flags and small waves." I spread them all In the wardrobe and sprayed high-density alcohol, this is used during the epidemic. After that, still moist, the result is no moldy.

 

[Ginsinjones]

Well I dried it down some last night and seperated the worst of it. I will wipe the bad stuff down and dry it down farther today.
Perhaps I over reacted but I know how fast mold can destroy things. This wrapper is so beautiful I would hate to throw any of it away. I look forward to rolling a few up tonight and trying my hand with some proper wrapper leaf.
Thanks for all your support through my panic attack haha

 

[deluxestogie]

This may seem way off-topic, but it relates to the difference between the composition of various tobacco parts vs. mold. This morning, while clearing my curing shed, I discovered 8 stalks of Corojo 99 from two years ago. They had been just hanging in the shed, with its ambient conditions--summer and winter, all that time. The stalks were so moldy that it looked almost like lichen. The very base of the leaf stems was barely moldy. The leaves themselves were flawless, golden-red and mold-free.

The differences relate to how hygroscopic (water attracting) the materials are. Stalks are extremely hygroscopic, and lose their moisture only slowly. Cured leaf lamina is less hygroscopic, and will rapidly dry as the ambient humidity falls. Stems are in between.

Shipping conditions of purchased leaf, as well as subsequent storage conditions (specifically differences in temperature) can raise the ambient humidity is one portion of a sealed bag of leaf, at the expense of drying another portion of its contents.

Bob

 

[Oldfella]

I have found that a 1% solution of Hydrogen Peroxide in water excellent. If it looks suspicious I just brush the affected area with a small brush, (not too wet), and let it dry. I don't notice any issues with the taste as only a small area is treated.
Cheers Oldfella