Stopping mold before it starts?

[ptrthgr8]

Hi, folks.

I read this article that was referenced on another forum:

http://robustojoe.com/tobacco-cigars/cigar-storage/

I thought it was an interesting read and it raised a question or two for me.

I've only experienced a small amount of white mold on my RyJ Churchills when I moved them from my old cabinet to the new Aristocrat - I had an issue with the control unit leading to over humidification; the issue was resolved with a new control unit and after I wiped off the mold it has not returned. But Joe's article got me to thinking - if the wick seems to be a contributing factor to the mold problem - or more accurately, the wet wick is a contributing factor - isn't there something you could add to the water in the humidification device that would neutralize the mold before it even starts without also causing any harm to your sticks?

I've been running my Aristocrat for a couple of months now - I'll have to inspect the wick again at the next distilled water refill. I've only had to refill it once so far and it seemed fine at the time, but I also wasn't inspecting that part for that reason.

You would think there would be some sort of water additive that would retard or eliminate mold before it even starts.

Cheers,

~ Greg ~

[IcedCanuck]

You could try a 50/50 mixture of distilled water and propylene glycol.

[ptrthgr8]

Yeah, I'll have to look into that... are there any side-effects or unintended consequences of using something like that?

Cheers,

~ Greg ~

[IcedCanuck]

Yeah, I'll have to look into that... are there any side-effects or unintended consequences of using something like that?

Cheers,

~ Greg ~

I've been using a 50/50 solution in both my humidors for a couple years now and have never had any problems. In the summer it is not uncommon for both the heat and humidity to exceed 70/70 and living in an apartment building means a large portion of that is completely out of my control. I feel the 50/50 solution has saved my stash over and over again. My coolidors are tucked away in a closet and it is much easier to maintain their consistency so I only use distilled water for them and have not had a problem. Propylene glycol will destroy humidity beads though so you can't use them with the solution.

[Smallclub]

... are there any side-effects or unintended consequences of using something like that?

Absolutely none. You don't have to use the 50/50 solution everytime you must load your humidifying material. I use it twice a year, the other times I use only demineralized water. Propylene glycol doesn't evaporate at the same rate…

[stogieokie]

I have an Aristocrat as well and my humidity seemed too low, so I investigated the humidifiers. I changed the wicks a few months ago and put in a cap full of propylene glycol with about two cups of distilled water. One of them had some growth in it. I pulled both of them out, cleaned them well, and wiped down the insides good with alcohol. This time I added a cap full of grain alcohol to the water, so I'll see how that does. I believe that it needs something mixed with the water, but think that PG tends to clog up the wicks. I certainly wouldn't put anywhere near a 50/50 mix in them.

FYI, I make my own wicks out of stock home humidifier wick material and it seems as though there's some of this out there that has mold-retardant capabilities--sound familiar to anyone else??

[ptrthgr8]

Very cool. Thanks, Hovy!

[hdryder]

Great artical and it is something to seriously consider. I have never had a mold problem except in a couple tubed cigars so I dont store them in the tube any more. I have a Avallo humidor that is temp controlled coming and was wondering if mold is an issue if the cigars are stored at 65 to 68 degrees or does it only appear when temps are to high?

Cheers

Richard

[ptrthgr8]

Great artical and it is something to seriously consider. I have never had a mold problem except in a couple tubed cigars so I dont store them in the tube any more. I have a Avallo humidor that is temp controlled coming and was wondering if mold is an issue if the cigars are stored at 65 to 68 degrees or does it only appear when temps are to high?

It's my understanding that mold is driven more by RH than by temp. My Aristocrat is RH/temp controlled and stays as a very constant 68 degrees F. The RH moves around a bit, but is usually right between 70-71%. I'm working on getting it down to 69%, but am making small adjustments each few days so I can let it settle to find the sweet spot.

When I first got my Aristocrat, the RH level was closer to 80-85% and I almost immediately saw the white mold appear on only the RyJ Churchills. It's not re-appeared now that the climate has been stabilized well below that level.

So - if your temp climbs a bit but the RH stays the same (assuming at a proper level to begin with) I don't think you'll have as much to worry about than if the reverse was true. Of course, I've been told to keep the temp at 70 degree F or below to keep beetles from hatching (if the eggs are present), but I'm not sure if that's true or not. But why temp the fates?

Cheers,

~ Greg ~

[SCgarman]

Greg, get your RH level down to 65%. This is the desired level for Cuban cigars, they will burn and draw better and you will help eliminate any mold concerns.

[BonVivant]

I have an Aristocrat as well and my humidity seemed too low, so I investigated the humidifiers. I changed the wicks a few months ago and put in a cap full of propylene glycol with about two cups of distilled water. One of them had some growth in it. I pulled both of them out, cleaned them well, and wiped down the insides good with alcohol. This time I added a cap full of grain alcohol to the water, so I'll see how that does. I believe that it needs something mixed with the water, but think that PG tends to clog up the wicks. I certainly wouldn't put anywhere near a 50/50 mix in them.

FYI, I make my own wicks out of stock home humidifier wick material and it seems as though there's some of this out there that has mold-retardant capabilities--sound familiar to anyone else??

According to Bob Staebell, the maker of Aristocrats, the polypropylene glycol does not interact well with the computer, controlling humidity/temperature. A few drops of isopropyl alcohol will prevent the development of mold.

[Neuralpath]

I have 2 relatively large cabinet humidors, a Vigillent and an Avallo. They are in different locations in the house, both kept at 68 degrees or cooler at 65 % RH. I've never had mold in my cigars but I consistently get the little black spore molds on the filters. This sort of mold is supposedly free floating in some locales, I live in a dry climate. In one cabinet I''m using an antibacterial liquid Vigillent sells- a teaspoon or so for a gallon of distilled water. I think it's just soap. In another case I've run the unit without filters (as suggested in the linked article.). Both solutions seem to work ok, but I've heard some concerns about the soap affecting the cigars (nothing I can detect at this point) and other concerns with humidity flow w/o filters. Curious if others have this issue as well.

[ptrthgr8]

Greg,

The answer I received back from Marc Andre in Germany is to use "biozide". He did not elaborate but since I'll be calling him tomorrow for another matter, I'll ask for in depth explanation and details.

I did a quick search for biozide and it seems to be used quite frequently for livestock (treating wounds, etc.). Here's an example:

http://www.cattlestore.com/p-1110-performance-products-biozide-gel.aspx

The search also pulled up a lot of German language sites (not surprising given your source). I wonder if there's a US product that's the same stuff?

Thanks for the follow-up, Hovy!

~ Greg ~

[Neuralpath]

According to Bob Staebell, the maker of Aristocrats, the polypropylene glycol does not interact well with the computer, controlling humidity/temperature. A few drops of isopropyl alcohol will prevent the development of mold.

Interesting. I assume a few drops are to be added to the distilled water. Does anyone do that here?

[ptrthgr8]

Interesting. I assume a few drops are to be added to the distilled water. Does anyone do that here?

I've not tried it... but I don't see how a small amount could hurt anything. I'm sure someone here has tried it, though.

~ Greg ~