One Of My Worst Cigar Fears Happened, Mold…

[LazyLightning]

I would imagine a fan would certainly help Chris. Do you get into get into the footlocker very often? Maybe just burping it once in a while would be sufficient? But I'm no expert so hopefully someone else will chime in.

I was checking it about the same amount I had been checking the bigger humi. After all this, I think my rotations, and visual inspections, will be more often.

I am still looking into a small fan or two, for the big one. However there is a lot of mixed information out there, on that subject.

[LazyLightning]

Sorry, I thought I updated this the other day.

I was able to save 7 out of 11 of the Anejos, only lost about 1/2” on each. They are in a separate tupperdor, I don’t feel comfortable putting them back in the big humidor. I couldn’t find mold on any more cigars, or on the wood. Finally got it all back together, and was able to put my most recent order in there too.

I want to thank all of you again, for all the help!

I plan to rotate/inspect, much more often than the every 6 months I had been. Also, no more cedar sleeves, those are coming off everything.

[Old Smokey]

Sorry, I thought I updated this the other day.

I was able to save 7 out of 11 of the Anejos, only lost about 1/2” on each. They are in a separate tupperdor, I don’t feel comfortable putting them back in the big humidor. I couldn’t find mold on any more cigars, or on the wood. Finally got it all back together, and was able to put my most recent order in there too.

I want to thank all of you again, for all the help!

I plan to rotate/inspect, much more often than the every 6 months I had been. Also, no more cedar sleeves, those are coming off everything.

Thankfully there was minimal damage.

[LazyLightning]

I may have jumped the gun, calling all clear.

I picked one out today, and it had a small amount of mold on the foot also (not a cedar wrapped one, and it wasn’t in cello), I might have missed it, when I went through them the first time. So, I took everything out again, and put them in ziplocks, with Boveda packs. I have very bad double vision sometimes from when I hit my head, and broke my neck, in 2015. So I asked my wife to look at the trays and wood again. There is at least 2 “quarter” sized areas, with what looks like a sprinkling of snow white mold on the wood.

I guess I need to get a couple more tupperdors set up, until I can sort this out.

I was so relieved I had caught it in time, just to take a gut punch like this again.

[LazyLightning]

Ok,
Where should I go from here? It’s been suggested to me to use either rubbing alcohol, or Everclear.

Is there a special kind of cloth best suited, microfiber, etc…? Should I wipe down every part of the interior ( walls, lid, floor, trays, hygrometers ), or just the section where the mold is present? Do the 8 x 320g Boveda packs all need to be tossed out, so I don’t reintroduced the mold? Would it also be a good idea to also use the cloth and the cleaning solution, to wipe down all cigars in cellophane, and if so, what about sticks not in cellophane?

Afterwards, once it is air dried, I know I’ll have to season it again.

I’m trying so hard not to blow this out of proportion, and I apologize if I am.

Thanks for any help.

[josh lucky 13]

I would say start with what you are comfortable with. I think for your piece of mind you want a full clean. Good sanitize of all internal. If you its needed toss the boveda. I have heard. That the wrapper of a cigars is water proof and heard that some will wet the wrapper for more smoke production. I would wipe with distilled water maybe all cello and non cello but personally thats not a step I would do.

[LazyLightning]

This is my plan, from everything that’s been suggested by you guys, as well as some stuff I have done A LOT of reading about.

I think for my peace of mind, and be able to eradicate the mold for good, I’m going to clean everything inside the humidor ( not just the 2 spots I see mold ). I feel Everclear is the best option, since it’s 190 proof. I have a brand new Microfiber Suede Polishing Cloth, the kind I use on my guitars. I will use that to wipe everything down with ( hygrometers included ) I am also going to throw out all the 320g Boveda bricks in there, since I’m going to have to season it again anyhow. I might as well start off with new humidity packs.

I think I will also wipe off all cellophane wrapped sticks, the same way, with Everclear. I still haven’t decided what to do with the ones that aren’t in cello.

Then once it’s completely dried out, as stated above, I will start the seasoning process over. Hopefully say goodbye to the mold, for good.

Anyone see any problems with what I’m about to do? Part of me is thinking after it’s clean, only putting new cigars in it, and keep everything that was in it, in a tupperdor. Just not even chance it coming back, but is that overkill, since I plan to wipe off the cello sticks at the very least?

On a side note, apparently there is a shortage of Tupperware, lol! Only when you need it…

[josh lucky 13]

This is the size of tupperdor I use. Its basically a file box with a rubber seal

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[LazyLightning]

Thanks Josh!

[LazyLightning]

So my wife comes home today, and says, why don’t you just chalk the humidor up to a possible secondary unit, and use this experience to set up a wineador I’m intrigued, of course, wonder what a small unit would run me? Lmao!