I really enjoy your content and appreciate the passion you bring to the world of cigars! I wanted to share a quick tip that might help you preserve the quality of your collection. When mold appears on a cigar, it’s best not to brush it off, especially inside your humidor. Brushing mold can spread spores throughout the rest of your cigars, which can lead to further contamination. Using the same brush to clean multiple cigars compounds this risk, potentially spreading mold spores even more. Instead, it’s safer to remove the affected cigars from the humidor immediately and inspect them closely. If mold is present, it’s usually best to discard the cigars, as mold can penetrate deeper than the surface, making them unsafe to smoke. To prevent mold from forming in the future, maintaining proper humidity and temperature levels is key. Keeping your humidor at 65-70% humidity and around 65-70°F, while ensuring good air circulation, can go a long way in preventing mold issues. I hope this helps, and thanks again for all the great content! Keep up the excellent work.
You don’t have to discard the cigars, just use some alcohol when you wipe the mold off to kill the spores. 70% is also too high humidity for storing cigars, especially cuban. 62-65% is more reasonable, and also solves many draw issues that you might experience with a cuban cigar. Since the cigars still are in the boxes in the humidor, the humidity will be higher than what the hygrometer shows, and you might want to take that into consideration to avoid mold.
@@jemken8201 I appreciate the suggestion about using alcohol to wipe off mold from cigars, but I’d like to share some additional information that might be helpful. Using alcohol, like isopropyl alcohol, can indeed kill surface mold spores, but it’s important to note that mold can penetrate deeper into the cigar, affecting the filler and binder. Unfortunately, wiping the surface won’t fully eliminate the spores that have already infiltrated these inner parts. This means that even after wiping, there could still be a risk of inhaling mold spores when smoking, which isn’t safe. Also, using alcohol on cigars can damage the delicate oils and flavors, altering the aroma and taste significantly. There’s also a chance that any residual alcohol could affect how the cigar burns, potentially leading to an uneven burn or unwanted flavors. In terms of health, even if the surface mold is treated, inhaling dead mold spores can still pose respiratory risks. For this reason, it’s generally recommended to discard moldy cigars to avoid these potential hazards. For preventing mold, I agree that maintaining the right humidity levels is crucial. Keeping the humidity between 62-65% is a good range, especially for Cuban cigars, as this helps prevent mold and can also improve the draw. Monitoring your humidor’s environment closely and making adjustments as needed is the best approach to ensuring your cigars stay in top condition.
@@JoseFrausto23 Very true, I really appreciate your knowledge and agree that the safest option is to discard them. Unfortunately, there are many people that refuse to discard cigars, even though the act of inhaling mold spores can be detrimental to your health.
Kirby, your humidor looks lovely, congrats! If I may share an FYI as my walk-in humidor has been mold free since being built in 1968 - You need to be using alcohol wipes or caviwipes in the entire box after pulling them all out and setting on a cutting board, and alcohol in/on all brushes after each cigar. Simply wear cheap nitrile gloves when doing this. Then, set aside for 12 months and if nothing returns you're likely safe to smoke. If new growth is present, discard or you'll risk what's called "Brass Player's Lung/ Bagpipe Lung". If you're ever in Colorado, I'd love to share a smoke and conversation with you. BRING EDDIE!
Some advice that I read many years ago was to use isopropyl alcohol wipes and to wipe down each infected cigar as well as the remaining cigars in that box. Then to wipe entire insides and any cedar sheets with the isopropyl alcohol wipes. You end up going through around a dozen or so off the little wipes however I have never found the mould to return. Moreover, once the isopropyl alcohol had evaporated away which took around 4 or 5 minutes, the cigars were reboxed and placed back into the humidor. After a couple of years of ageing they were absolutely delicious. I have found that every time I've used this technique there has been no detrimental effect to the ageing or flavour of the cigars.
Mold on a single spot like that is given by the fact that water is evaporating off the cigars, bringing on the surface all those minerals that the mold with feed off. That's very normal considering that with aging the water in the cigar tends to evaporate, and the cigars get "slimmer". What I do if something like this happens is to reduce the humidity of that specific box for a couple of months. I place the bix in a ziplock bag, using a boveda pack, and isolate it from the rest until the humidity is stable.
You're absolutely right-if there's that much mold on the wrapper, just imagine what's lurking inside the filler. I can see how much extra work you're creating for yourself. After 20 years of collecting boxes, I've come to a bittersweet realization: I actually prefer young cigars over the older ones. Perhaps my perspective is a bit simplistic, but the focus on building a long-term collection has, in a way, fetishized the simple pleasure of just enjoying a cigar. Isn’t smoking cigars snobby enough? Now there’s the added pretentiousness of brushing your entire collection with a fancy brush.
Another simple tip is to be sure to wash one’s hands before handling stored cigars. Mold is in our environment naturally and can be introduced to the cigars through contact. When the conditions present themselves (elevated temp/humidity) it grows. Another great video Kirby!
It's not your breath that cigar-smoke lingers on, it's notoriously fabrics that absorb the aroma. It's your clothes and hair, carpets, draperies, upholsteries that end up smelling like I imagine a 1950's Las Vegas dinner-club would-have.
I spray them with alcohol to disinfect, then brush gently. Given mold nature, it probably already spread to the inner filler, though microscopic. I've even dipped an entire cigar in rubbing alcohol, dried and humidified, and smoked. Lost some flavor, but was still pleasant.
Brushing is not very good idea, because when you brush mold, its spores get on the brush and you could spread then through all of yours precious cigars. Sanitizing everything including cigars, brush and box is very good method tho.
A lab in Australia asked for samples of plume about a decade ago. They received cigars displaying plume from all around the world. Every single sample was a type of mold. The study was repeated a few years ago by another lab in the states with the same result. No one has ever been able to provide an example of “plume” that wasn’t mold. It’s just a term invented by store owners to sell moldy cigars to ignorant people.
You seem more of a collector of cigars rather than an actual cigar smoker. Seems that you are contaminating your clean environment with brushing the cigars in the same space as your good cigars are stored in. Plus how do you ensure that the mold isn't collected on the brushes themselves after you have brushed your cigars?
Just touching on freezing. It’s important to freeze any Cuban cigar prior to storing in the humidor. Never be under the assumption someone took care of them the right way. Freezing is fine. But do it correctly. The correct way to freeze is receive the box. Bag the box twice. Put in refrigerator for 12 hours. The reason why you put them there first is to get them acclimated to a steady temp before shocking them right into the freezer. Once they are in for 12 hours. Move to the freezer for 36 hours. Then back to the refrigerator for another 12 hours. Once you do that. Remove them and wrap them in a towel to bring back to a steady temp for 6-8 hours and then into the humidor safe and sound.
Good call, Kirby. I do an inspection monthly and turn all my cigars (300 or so). Ive found mold which sucks, but Ive also recently found plume on some. Ive only been collecting for 3 years, but its fun
It's always mold. Plume isn't real. No matter what you've been told or led to believe. If you'd like I will happily send you some links on the subject.
@@humblesamb9920 dude, once you have 5 years invested in a humidor you care for on a regular basis, you will more than likely experience plume on some of your sticks. It's 100% not mold. It's a sign of aging your cigars consistently.
It is a fairly common thing to have aged virginia pipe tobaccos form tiny crystals that are visual and are apparently the natural sugars coming to surface. Could this be true with cigars also?
Come on come on Kirby, by going from one cigar to the next with the same brush you are simply inoculating all the cigars with the mycelium. Super amateur!
Oh hell no! Why suggest putting cigars in the freezers? regular fridge feezers are low in humidty which will destroy the cigars. the freezers in the manufactures have special freezers that are good for keeping the cigars
rather than using a brush wipe them with rum. Those little boxes they come in ain't good, store them rather in a thick walls cedar humi. That stuff ain't normal don't overlook it, maybe it's too humid in there. Either way a real cedar humi will help despite how it changes outside.
What you’re seeing as mold is probably the bloom of the mycelium which is presumable already inside the cigar. You’re just brushing off the reproductive organ.
Umm, wow, in my twenty plus years of smoking Cubans, I haven't really seen quite the level of mold that Kirby quite casually brushes off here. It looks like yogurt. This is surely a local-conditions problem...
Much as I've found great amusement among the comments, perhaps it's time to remove this video and not continue encouraging people to potentially destroy their entire stock of cigars.
This guy is a joke. Managing a big cabinet is simple - cubans need to be kept at 62-63 RH - and 68-70 degrees - its not complicated. if you get mold your temp is too high - if his humidity was stable he would have zero issues - he’s an amateur who should stick to umbrellas and custom suits
Nice vid buddy, maybe slip a boveda pack in a box of cigars with mould issues, or an area where humidity continues to be a problem, boveda expell’s water but also absorbs water so can dry out/keep an area at the correct humidity if placed properly😉🫡😎
I just learned how to spread mold from a single box of cigars to the whole humidor
I really enjoy your content and appreciate the passion you bring to the world of cigars! I wanted to share a quick tip that might help you preserve the quality of your collection.
When mold appears on a cigar, it’s best not to brush it off, especially inside your humidor. Brushing mold can spread spores throughout the rest of your cigars, which can lead to further contamination. Using the same brush to clean multiple cigars compounds this risk, potentially spreading mold spores even more.
Instead, it’s safer to remove the affected cigars from the humidor immediately and inspect them closely. If mold is present, it’s usually best to discard the cigars, as mold can penetrate deeper than the surface, making them unsafe to smoke.
To prevent mold from forming in the future, maintaining proper humidity and temperature levels is key. Keeping your humidor at 65-70% humidity and around 65-70°F, while ensuring good air circulation, can go a long way in preventing mold issues.
I hope this helps, and thanks again for all the great content! Keep up the excellent work.
You don’t have to discard the cigars, just use some alcohol when you wipe the mold off to kill the spores. 70% is also too high humidity for storing cigars, especially cuban. 62-65% is more reasonable, and also solves many draw issues that you might experience with a cuban cigar. Since the cigars still are in the boxes in the humidor, the humidity will be higher than what the hygrometer shows, and you might want to take that into consideration to avoid mold.
@@jemken8201 I appreciate the suggestion about using alcohol to wipe off mold from cigars, but I’d like to share some additional information that might be helpful.
Using alcohol, like isopropyl alcohol, can indeed kill surface mold spores, but it’s important to note that mold can penetrate deeper into the cigar, affecting the filler and binder. Unfortunately, wiping the surface won’t fully eliminate the spores that have already infiltrated these inner parts. This means that even after wiping, there could still be a risk of inhaling mold spores when smoking, which isn’t safe.
Also, using alcohol on cigars can damage the delicate oils and flavors, altering the aroma and taste significantly. There’s also a chance that any residual alcohol could affect how the cigar burns, potentially leading to an uneven burn or unwanted flavors.
In terms of health, even if the surface mold is treated, inhaling dead mold spores can still pose respiratory risks. For this reason, it’s generally recommended to discard moldy cigars to avoid these potential hazards.
For preventing mold, I agree that maintaining the right humidity levels is crucial. Keeping the humidity between 62-65% is a good range, especially for Cuban cigars, as this helps prevent mold and can also improve the draw. Monitoring your humidor’s environment closely and making adjustments as needed is the best approach to ensuring your cigars stay in top condition.
@@JoseFrausto23 Very true, I really appreciate your knowledge and agree that the safest option is to discard them. Unfortunately, there are many people that refuse to discard cigars, even though the act of inhaling mold spores can be detrimental to your health.
Kirby, your humidor looks lovely, congrats! If I may share an FYI as my walk-in humidor has been mold free since being built in 1968 - You need to be using alcohol wipes or caviwipes in the entire box after pulling them all out and setting on a cutting board, and alcohol in/on all brushes after each cigar. Simply wear cheap nitrile gloves when doing this. Then, set aside for 12 months and if nothing returns you're likely safe to smoke. If new growth is present, discard or you'll risk what's called "Brass Player's Lung/ Bagpipe Lung". If you're ever in Colorado, I'd love to share a smoke and conversation with you. BRING EDDIE!
Quick suggestion: If you find mold on the cigars, brush them of outside of the humidor. All precaution ;)
Yes. This is certainly a good suggestion.
@@cigarkeep also cleaning your hands after touching moldy cigars in hopes to not contaminate a good box is also key!
Some advice that I read many years ago was to use isopropyl alcohol wipes and to wipe down each infected cigar as well as the remaining cigars in that box. Then to wipe entire insides and any cedar sheets with the isopropyl alcohol wipes. You end up going through around a dozen or so off the little wipes however I have never found the mould to return. Moreover, once the isopropyl alcohol had evaporated away which took around 4 or 5 minutes, the cigars were reboxed and placed back into the humidor. After a couple of years of ageing they were absolutely delicious. I have found that every time I've used this technique there has been no detrimental effect to the ageing or flavour of the cigars.
Weekly cigar keep videos are superb.
Mold on a single spot like that is given by the fact that water is evaporating off the cigars, bringing on the surface all those minerals that the mold with feed off. That's very normal considering that with aging the water in the cigar tends to evaporate, and the cigars get "slimmer". What I do if something like this happens is to reduce the humidity of that specific box for a couple of months. I place the bix in a ziplock bag, using a boveda pack, and isolate it from the rest until the humidity is stable.
I want to live in that humidor. Great stuff per usual Kirby and Cigar Keep!
What a room!!!! 😩❤️❤️❤️
65F/65RH hasn’t failed me yet
What do you use to prevent tempture flux ?
@@ew2775 I'm lucky enough to keep my collection in a basement that stays around 65-68 all year long
@@ew2775 Move to a better place
Kirby has really been busy filling up that Humidor since the last video! Lol. Much respect!!
thank you for sharing this channel with us from your main one... looking forward to seeing what it provides.
I would say it’s not a good idea to brush them off in your humidor as you are spreading mold spores around your humidor, but hey you do you
Was thinking this whilst watching. Seems like a recipe for having to repeat the process regularly. That hepa filter won’t save your cigars
More like throw the cigar away, smoking mold can't be a good idea
There was also very clearly still mold on that cigar
This is correct.
You're absolutely right-if there's that much mold on the wrapper, just imagine what's lurking inside the filler. I can see how much extra work you're creating for yourself. After 20 years of collecting boxes, I've come to a bittersweet realization: I actually prefer young cigars over the older ones. Perhaps my perspective is a bit simplistic, but the focus on building a long-term collection has, in a way, fetishized the simple pleasure of just enjoying a cigar. Isn’t smoking cigars snobby enough? Now there’s the added pretentiousness of brushing your entire collection with a fancy brush.
Another simple tip is to be sure to wash one’s hands before handling stored cigars. Mold is in our environment naturally and can be introduced to the cigars through contact. When the conditions present themselves (elevated temp/humidity) it grows. Another great video Kirby!
Really useful tips
Beautiful collection
Great info Kirby love your humidor, it seems mould gathers at the cutting end?
You just brushed mould spores all over your humidor, genius.
Kirby, what temp and RH do you keep your humidor at, please? Thanks.
62-65%
You can also use your wife’s toothbrush to remove any mold.
Do you have a video on cigar breath?
It's not your breath that cigar-smoke lingers on, it's notoriously fabrics that absorb the aroma. It's your clothes and hair, carpets, draperies, upholsteries that end up smelling like I imagine a 1950's Las Vegas dinner-club would-have.
How do you get your habanos if we have an embargo on them???
Kirby, excellent video! How long will you age the cigars. Is the time line based on maker and tobaccos used or more by “feel”?
I spray them with alcohol to disinfect, then brush gently.
Given mold nature, it probably already spread to the inner filler, though microscopic.
I've even dipped an entire cigar in rubbing alcohol, dried and humidified, and smoked. Lost some flavor, but was still pleasant.
How do you check a 50 cab?
Brushing is not very good idea, because when you brush mold, its spores get on the brush and you could spread then through all of yours precious cigars. Sanitizing everything including cigars, brush and box is very good method tho.
I was thinking the same. Brushing = spreading 😅
Will the mold appear on cigars that are factory sealed and were never opened? How do you actually inspect those cigars?
A lab in Australia asked for samples of plume about a decade ago. They received cigars displaying plume from all around the world. Every single sample was a type of mold. The study was repeated a few years ago by another lab in the states with the same result.
No one has ever been able to provide an example of “plume” that wasn’t mold. It’s just a term invented by store owners to sell moldy cigars to ignorant people.
Yes 100% - this guy is cringe to watch. Spreading misinformation info.
Plume is always mold!
Never plume, only mold.
What should I do if I find beetles?
80F = 26 Deg C
You seem more of a collector of cigars rather than an actual cigar smoker. Seems that you are contaminating your clean environment with brushing the cigars in the same space as your good cigars are stored in. Plus how do you ensure that the mold isn't collected on the brushes themselves after you have brushed your cigars?
He can’t. He’s an idiot with cigars. It’s obvious and embarrassing to watch
Just touching on freezing. It’s important to freeze any Cuban cigar prior to storing in the humidor. Never be under the assumption someone took care of them the right way. Freezing is fine. But do it correctly. The correct way to freeze is receive the box. Bag the box twice. Put in refrigerator for 12 hours. The reason why you put them there first is to get them acclimated to a steady temp before shocking them right into the freezer. Once they are in for 12 hours. Move to the freezer for 36 hours. Then back to the refrigerator for another 12 hours. Once you do that. Remove them and wrap them in a towel to bring back to a steady temp for 6-8 hours and then into the humidor safe and sound.
Kirby, I'm dying to ask... how in the world are you able to get all those Cubans in the US? (Not ATF, just super jealous!)
Defiantly ATF
In a suitcase.
You're not allowed to directly buy them in the US, but I think you can buy them abroad and bring them to the US, rules were relaxed a few years ago
I wish I knew the answer to this, too.
You can ship up to 50 (or was it 35?), cuban cigars to the US at a time. I live in Europe and send them to my buddy in LA all the time.
Paul McCartney and Ringo will go through anyone's cigars
Hahaha
Hahaha
I would love to walk in this humidor and smoke one of each
I'm surprised that in todays world of the Internet, an app is not out there for Cigar smokers to track information like this.
Surely do the brushing outside of the humidor? Otherwise you're just pushing the mold spores into the air, where they will carry.
thats a nice suit
Good call, Kirby. I do an inspection monthly and turn all my cigars (300 or so). Ive found mold which sucks, but Ive also recently found plume on some. Ive only been collecting for 3 years, but its fun
It's always mold. Plume isn't real. No matter what you've been told or led to believe. If you'd like I will happily send you some links on the subject.
Plume is mold, not safe to smoke
@@jemken8201 look it up. Youre 100% wrong.
@@humblesamb9920 dude, once you have 5 years invested in a humidor you care for on a regular basis, you will more than likely experience plume on some of your sticks. It's 100% not mold. It's a sign of aging your cigars consistently.
@@scottlucidi6476 I have multiple humidors with 10+ years of age. None of my cigars have "pLuMe"
62% and True HEPA air filter will assure no mold
It is a fairly common thing to have aged virginia pipe tobaccos form tiny crystals that are visual and are apparently the natural sugars coming to surface. Could this be true with cigars also?
Come on come on Kirby, by going from one cigar to the next with the same brush you are simply inoculating all the cigars with the mycelium. Super amateur!
Oh hell no! Why suggest putting cigars in the freezers? regular fridge feezers are low in humidty which will destroy the cigars. the freezers in the manufactures have special freezers that are good for keeping the cigars
Plastic bag. It works
How do you have so many real Cuban cigars in the USA?
Ramon Allones are tasty!
rather than using a brush wipe them with rum.
Those little boxes they come in ain't good, store them rather in a thick walls cedar humi.
That stuff ain't normal don't overlook it, maybe it's too humid in there. Either way a real cedar humi will help despite how it changes outside.
This is completely the worst thing u could do inside your humidor. I keep cigars and never get mould. I think u have a humidity issue.
Do you enjoy any new world cigars by chance? Just out of curiosity.
He likes Davidoff cigars along with any other cigar given to him free
What you’re seeing as mold is probably the bloom of the mycelium which is presumable already inside the cigar. You’re just brushing off the reproductive organ.
Umm, wow, in my twenty plus years of smoking Cubans, I haven't really seen quite the level of mold that Kirby quite casually brushes off here. It looks like yogurt. This is surely a local-conditions problem...
That's a right pain in the arse brushing the cigars. I'll bet you Churchill never did it. BTW where did Jimmy Savile buy his cigars?
Many people get confused by Mold vs Plume, plume is ok on the cigar.
That is probably because 99% of what people claim as plumes are actually mold.
There is no such thing as plume, it is always mold. There are several studies to back this up if you are interested.
Much as I've found great amusement among the comments, perhaps it's time to remove this video and not continue encouraging people to potentially destroy their entire stock of cigars.
HEPA. True HEPA will take care of spores
Yes. For sure. I have a true HEPA air filtration device in my humidor exactly for this reason.
Plum is mold dude. Always always always. Cigar oils is tooth. Stop spreading incorrect info. It’s cringe and shows your lack of knowledge in cigars.
A rather poor video, showing poor advice and remedies.
This guy is a joke. Managing a big cabinet is simple - cubans need to be kept at 62-63 RH - and 68-70 degrees - its not complicated. if you get mold your temp is too high - if his humidity was stable he would have zero issues - he’s an amateur who should stick to umbrellas and custom suits
This dude hasn’t worked a day in his life. What a chump
Nice vid buddy, maybe slip a boveda pack in a box of cigars with mould issues, or an area where humidity continues to be a problem, boveda expell’s water but also absorbs water so can dry out/keep an area at the correct humidity if placed properly😉🫡😎
slacking bro you didnt have your pen on you to date them loooooool
Beautiful collection