I've just started aging my smokes the last few months. Before that, I've never had one in the humidor for longer than three weeks. I've been noticing that my Hemmingways and O's have developed a waxy looking coating on them. The substance is kinda flaky and wipes off rather easily. Not crystaline like plume. It doesn't affect the flavor or burn. Definitely not mold. RH is 68%-71% in the humi. Help?!

E4A

From a Cigar FAQ...

What is the white powdery substance that sometimes appears on the cigar wrapper?

If you see white powdery spots on your cigar that looks like mold, chances are it's only bloom, which results when the oils in the wrapper cause the leaf to mature. If this is the case, simply wipe the bloom off gently with your finger. It's perfectly harmless and a sign that the leaf is of good, healthy quality, but if you want to prevent it, keep your temperature and humidity down.

Possibly your answer?

It's not powdery, it's not crystaline. I've had many cigars with plume on them. Definitely not the same. It actually looks kinda cool. I'm just wondering if it's detrimental to the smokes. My RH and temp are 70/70, so it kinda puzzles me. Anyone else see this on their smokes?

post a picture please

The waxy covering on plant leaves, young stems, and fruit is part of the epidermis, and is called the 'Cuticle' or 'Cutin'.

It is composed of cutin, a wax-like material produced by the plant that is chemically a hydroxy fatty acid.

The purpose of this covering is to help the plant retain water. In arid regions, that is very important. In wetter regions, the waxy coating may help prevent infection by disease organisms.

The waxy material may exist in the form of flat plates, or a mass of threads. It may be loosely formed, allowing easy passage of gases and water vapor, or it may be tightly formed, interfering with gas exchange.

My thinking is that ploom may take many forms. It may depend on the leaf type and how it was fermented. If it aint mold, it must be ploom.

This is why all of those places have the signs that read "Employees Must Wash Hands"..

xrundog --- my post is correct, and 'Cuticle' or 'Cutin' is what he is referring to on his cigars!

What slim said. Basically it is a surface anomally as a result of the leaf forming a defensive coating.
http://www.unifr.ch/plantbio/Instit/cutin.html 

So much good knowledge by the people here, great for people newer to cigars to read, thanks Slim!

One thing I failed to consider ... is the possibility that it could also be a small a bit of vegetable glue they use to bond the wrapper leaf together at the head when they put the cap on, so the cigar won't unravel ...

Sometimes they are messy with the vegetable glue. I have seen this on several cigars, and super premiums too. I guess some rollers just get in a hurry to meet their quota that they doin't wipe off the excess residue of the glue.

Or if they were to have sneezed...

Thanks for all the replies. It doesn't seem to be the glue, since the waxy substance coats the entire cigar. It's on many of the cigars, not just one or two. Like I said before, there is no affect on taste or burn, so I'll live with it. Thanks all!

E4A