My contribution of Plume/Bloom ehehehe

[Even Steven]

There were serveral threads made to show off plume, I wont go to say that they are/are not plume but I need your opinions on this one. My honest opinion is that I have plume on this, this is not mold, and I know what mold looks and smells like, this looks nothing like or smells nothing at all like mold.

It appears to be dusty but it isn't easy to wipe off, and it added a sweet smell to the cigar instead of a potent pungent stinky spoiled smell like the mold did for my Anejo 55.

So tell me what you think BOTL's/SOTL's.

yes, your opinion matters.

 

[newcigarz]

I'm thinking Plume also, How old are these Opus X? :ss

 

[fireman43]

I dunno which it is Manuel, but I'd have to guess plume from what you have said.

 

[Even Steven]

This one has to be a few months over 2 years old.

I'll try and find my pic of mold.

 

[Even Steven]

Here's the pic of mold, you can't really see it but it's really white and if you looked closely you can see the little pores and fuzz like texture.

In the pics of the Opus, the "plume" on the Opus is like really really fine dust, and it doesn't wipe off easily like the mold on that Anejo 55.
The Anejo had a deep disgusting smell that made you want to throw it out.
The Opus has that same dried raisin smell but a whole lot sweeter.

 

[Timberlake2006]

From the age of it alone, I would venture a guess that it wasn't plume, but honestly before I read how old it was it looked quite plumish. It does look pretty even and not fuzzy but 2 years really isn't long enough for that much plume to develop, if any at all. I'm not going to be a naysayer on this one but it seems too young.

 

[Even Steven]

Yes, it's not fuzzy at all, it just looks like really really fine dust that doesn't wipe off.

But if it isn't plume or mold, it has to be called something lol

Oh and I could be off on the age, I bought 3 when I first started out and I was told they have some age on it, I smoked the other 2 and this one is left. I've been afraid to smoke it because the last 2 kicked my ass like my first Cohiba.

 

[Timberlake2006]

But if it isn't plume or mold, it has to be called something lol

It looks like the stuff in milk after a bowl of cinnamon toast crunch.

 

[Even Steven]

The cinnamon flavoring?

 

[Timberlake2006]

The cinnamon flavoring?

I thought it was magical pixie dust... but to each his own

 

[fireman43]

I thought it was magical pixie dust... but to each his own

Nah, pixie dust is Lucky Charms bro.:r

 

[Even Steven]

So if my Opus is too young to produce plume, who old does a cigar have to be to be able to produce plume?

 

[Timberlake2006]

In another recent thread on the topic I think around 5 years minimum is about what it is... and that was given as a generous minimum

 

[RPB67]

The first Opus is a Plumin.

Smoke that bad boy up, it is ripe and ready.

 

[Even Steven]

Wow, 5 years minimum, that's a very long time!

 

[six string]

It appears to be dusty but it isn't easy to wipe off, and it added a sweet smell to the cigar instead of a potent pungent stinky spoiled smell like the mold did for my Anejo 55.

It's not plume. It's mold. The cigar is too young.

What you are seeing appears to be a slow growing strain of mold. Mold that looks like this is often seen under cedar sleeves. Guys think it's plume because it looks like powder instead of clumps. But, what alot of guys don't understand is that mold comes in many different forms.

As far as the added "sweet smell"... plume does not add a sweet smell to the cigar.

Also, the reason it is difficult to wipe of is because of the type of mold it appears to be. It's probably been growing for a while and has "sunk it's roots" so to speak in the wrapper.

 

[Even Steven]

What do I do now then?

 

[six string]

Try to wipe it clean and check your humidity levels. To clean it, you can use a lightly (very lightly) damp paper towel and just gently wipe it clean. Make sure you don't wipe too hard, just enough to clean the areas that are affected.

Depending on how accurate your hygrometer is, I would double check it by performing a salt test. Then just keep the cigar as far away from the humidifier in your humidor for a while, watch the humidity and you should be fine. Try to keep it around 62-65% for a few weeks.

And, just to be absolutely clear, if it is plume, I would be very surprised. But, I don't have the cigar in my hands and I don't know how old it really is. Just to give you an example of how long it takes, I've got some 8yr old Opus that have no signs of plume at all and they have been kept in ideal conditions the whole time. Also, in all the time that I've been smoking and collecting, I've had very few sticks that ever developed plume. It's rare.

Let me know if you have any more questions, but IMO it's mold.

 

[Even Steven]

I had it in one of my humis which was at 70% for about 5months, then I moved it over to my other humi which is at 65% for about 5months, then I moved it to my cooler which is 65% too, it's been in my cooler for almost 2 months or however long I've had that cooler.
The "pixie dust" only started forming about a month before I moved it to my cooler.

 

[Even Steven]

If it's mold like you say it is, it's really really really slow growing, it's been resting next to, around, or top of the same cigars it's been resting with. And none of them have it/caught it.