If you look at the basic necessities of premium cigars it would seem like they are actually trying to develop mold. For instance, the list of common cigar accessories includes the tightly-closing box known as the humidor, the humidifier, and the hygrometer to ensure that moisture levels are at the best range possible. Consider that cigars thrive in the same conditions that their tobacco was grown – hot and humid – and that this environment is then contained inside of a wooden box. The reason that mold is not a very common problem has to do with the properties of the wood and the tobacco itself.
The main reason that mold will appear on the inside of a humidor is the existence of too much humidity. Just having a level above 75% is not instantly going to create a widespread problem, and the real trouble tends to come from the moisture being kept to a smaller area within the entire container. For example, a tray full of cigars might be blocking the top of the humidifier which causes the moisture to soak into the tray, and then the cigars. This leads to a remarkably high level of humidity and the quick development of mold.
The first reason is that the Spanish cedar wood that lines all humidors is highly acidic and home to very volatile oils that will often prohibit mold and mildew development. Next, we have the cigars themselves, which also harbor volatile oils and tend to be a poor host for bacteria too. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that mold won’t be able to find somewhere to survive.
Interestingly enough, both approaches could allow bacteria to be introduced into the warm and humid environment beloved of most mold spores. A fingerprint on the plastic sleeve, or the oils from a dirty finger on the cigar itself could all become a rampant growth of mold throughout the entire box.
If mold does appear it is important to remove the cigars (treating moldy ones according to an approved method) and to properly disinfect the entire interior surface with Isopropyl Alcohol in order to kill off any residual spores.
Ryder is a consultant for an online specialty butane lighter store and has expert knowledge of cigar accessories, including where to buy zippo lighters.
August 20, 2010 by Ryder Michaels