Having never seen this before, would it look like tiny pieces of fiberglass inside the cello? I bought a Don Diego today, and it sparkles like window frost. But when I look inside, I see tiny little micro-sized hair-like particles. Did I score plume?

Check this site out
http://home.alltel.net/jbperry/cig.htm 

mrsanmrfox

Good stuff...mold is undesireable..what about plume?

Is it damaging? Or is it desireable, and if so, why?

Very desireable. And I believe I have scored. When I look at the cello, it sparkles like little diamonds are inside. My other gars don't sparkle like this.

dz130

Why so?

DD

She's now at her peak and ready to go.

Plume shouldn't be "hair-like" - it should look like a fine dusting of cocaine- umm... I mean... sugar...

It's the oils in the wrapper crystalizing and usually means the cigar has been aged for an adequate time - now, I have seen both mold AND plume on a gar at the same time - so that's possible - not that I'm really worried about mold if it just started...

just my $.02

Not all cigars will plume, some cigars are plume magnets while others seem to never get it. I've aged a few cigars and some never exhibit plume while others seemed to have sucked the plume of others arround it. Plume covers the whole cigar, while mold grows unevenly , some here some there. I've never seen a cigar completly cover in mold. At least thta's my tate tale sign!!

So what are the tiny hair-like particles inside the cello? They aren't attached to the cigar. They are loose inside.

coma speaks the truth - usually the very oily wrappers (ususally maduro but not always) will be the most likely to plume

is this the only stick you have? could be mold that brushed off, but it usually disintegrates... maybe plastic shavings from the cello? I actually have seen this (plastic shavings) that I think came from packaging and/or made it's way into the cello strip during manufacturing ... but this is bordering on speculative b.s.

I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just remember, sparkly sugary stuff is good - hairy, webby stuff is bad, but both can be smoked and neither will necessarily yield a particular result -it's all about what's inside and how well it was maintained - right before you smoke it - if it has mold, just brush it off and keep it well maintained for a while - most gars can be restored

if it has crystal on the gar - smoke it and let us know! or smoke it anyway and let us know!

Actually, a good number had this. I'll get some more and compare.

Plume=always good........Mold=sometimes ok, sometimes not.......If mold is on the OUTSIDE of the cigar you can usually carefully rub it off (be careful, depending on how delicate the wrapper is) and it will be perfectly smokeable........If mold is on the INSIDE of the cigar you might as well dump it. The mold has grown from the inside out and will impart a decidely "musty" or "acrid" taste to the smoke. Just my experience.......

P.S. If you do find mold on a cigar in your humi, very carefully inspect all the other cigars, paying particular attention to the ones in the immediate vicinity of the offender (mold can spread like wildfire if conditions are right). Chances are the humidity is somehow on the fritz, you've spilled some moisture while recharging your humidifier, or mold was already growing when you brought the offender home (some commercial walk-in humidors may have the humidity set too high).

I have noticed that the crillio(sp) wrapper seems to plume out quickly...anyone else???