Is this mold / dangerous? Spots on flue cured leaves.

[gangs_08]

Hello friends. Can somebody confirm if these leaves are normal?
The black dots (second/third picture) and also the brown "dust" (first picture).

I won't use the leaf on the first picture (55751add-19cd-4045-b5da-27c3a269c617-png) because its too bad however I got that brown (dust) on many leaves.


Bought flue cured Virginia Gold leaves.
Out of the package as on my pictures.

Thank you friends!

 

[deluxestogie]

Welcome to the forum. Feel free to introduce yourself in the Introduce Yourself forum.

Brown dust on a tobacco leaf is usually the result of tobacco beetles (Lasioderma serricorne) feeding on the cured leaf. The smaller holes in the lower right of your first image are suggestive of tobacco beetles as well. If you see a live beetle, then place the bagged tobacco in your freezer for a week, to kill them. More likely, the infestation occurred in a tobacco warehouse somewhere along its journey from field to your house, and that the beetles have already been killed by fumigation. I would suggest just brushing off the brown dust, and smoking the leaf. (The thought is not inviting, but it will not be more harmful than an intact leaf. It should have no effect on the taste or aroma.)

The other two photos may or may not show minimal traces of mold. I would not hesitate to smoke it. Do store the bagged tobacco in low case, to discourage mold growth.

Bob

 

[gangs_08]

Welcome to the forum. Feel free to introduce yourself in the Introduce Yourself forum.

Brown dust on a tobacco leaf is usually the result of tobacco beetles (Lasioderma serricorne) feeding on the cured leaf. The smaller holes in the lower right of your first image are suggestive of tobacco beetles as well. If you see a live beetle, then place the bagged tobacco in your freezer for a week, to kill them. More likely, the infestation occurred in a tobacco warehouse somewhere along its journey from field to your house, and that the beetles have already been killed by fumigation. I would suggest just brushing off the brown dust, and smoking the leaf. (The thought is not inviting, but it will not be more harmful than an intact leaf. It should have no effect on the taste or aroma.)

The other two photos may or may not show minimal traces of mold. I would not hesitate to smoke it. Do store the bagged tobacco in low case, to discourage mold growth.

Bob

Thank you Bob! Theoretically the beetles (brown dust) should be killed by flue curing correct? They are harmless to smoke as hookah tobacco I guess.

The black dots are sign of mold? Which one is this? I thought mold is white, green or blue.

 

[deluxestogie]

Tobacco beetles often get into flue-cured tobacco after it has been flue-cured, usually in some warehouse along its trade route.

I cannot say whether or not the tiny dots on your other leaf represent mold. Aspergillus niger is black, and can be a hazard, due to its production of aflatoxin, which is hepatotoxic. Aflatoxin is destroyed during combustion of tobacco. Where it can become a problem on tobacco is when placed directly into the mouth, such as with a cigar wrapper or with oral tobacco preparations. If you are worried about the tiny dots, just trim them away prior to using the leaf.

Bob

 

[gangs_08]

Tobacco beetles often get into flue-cured tobacco after it has been flue-cured, usually in some warehouse along its trade route.

I cannot say whether or not the tiny dots on your other leaf represent mold. Aspergillus niger is black, and can be a hazard, due to its production of aflatoxin, which is hepatotoxic. Aflatoxin is destroyed during combustion of tobacco. Where it can become a problem on tobacco is when placed directly into the mouth, such as with a cigar wrapper or with oral tobacco preparations. If you are worried about the tiny dots, just trim them away prior to using the leaf.

Bob

You are a truly hero Bob. Thank you!
Did you ever make hookah tobacco yourself? Or did you ever boil tobacco to reduce the nicotine? Any advice on temperature and boiling duration?

 

[Knucklehead]

You are a truly hero Bob. Thank you!
Did you ever make hookah tobacco yourself? Or did you ever boil tobacco to reduce the nicotine? Any advice on temperature and boiling duration?

Search nargile, tombak, hookah, and shisha in the search box, top right. Plenty of threads and posts.
(Personally, I've never used any of them)

 

[deluxestogie]

Did you ever...

I have not.

Bob

 

[gangs_08]

Tobacco beetles often get into flue-cured tobacco after it has been flue-cured, usually in some warehouse along its trade route.

I cannot say whether or not the tiny dots on your other leaf represent mold. Aspergillus niger is black, and can be a hazard, due to its production of aflatoxin, which is hepatotoxic. Aflatoxin is destroyed during combustion of tobacco. Where it can become a problem on tobacco is when placed directly into the mouth, such as with a cigar wrapper or with oral tobacco preparations. If you are worried about the tiny dots, just trim them away prior to using the leaf.

Bob

Hey Bob again.
Just to be sure I got better quality pictures. Can you please check if the "dark dust" is mold/dangerous or not?
Its almost on every leaf. Thank you!

 

[deluxestogie]

I'm unable to tell from the photos. Sorry.

Bob

 

[Knucklehead]

Hey Bob again.
Just to be sure I got better quality pictures. Can you please check if the "dark dust" is mold/dangerous or not?
Its almost on every leaf. Thank you!

You could lightly mist a 50% water/vinegar solution on a section. If the crud just dries back out it's just crud. If it disappears it was mold. (If memory serves?) its been awhile

 

[gangs_08]

You could lightly mist a 50% water/vinegar solution on a section. If the crud just dries back out it's just crud. If it disappears it was mold. (If memory serves?) its been awhile

Thank you! Gonna try this. Ordered flue cured Virginia from two different distributors and both of them have this.

 

[gangs_08]

You could lightly mist a 50% water/vinegar solution on a section. If the crud just dries back out it's just crud. If it disappears it was mold. (If memory serves?) its been awhile

Just tried it and the little dots are still there. I guess it's normal for flue cured tobacco (?) Pictures after vinegar/water attached. Thank you for your help

 

[burge]

I don't think it's mold. So where did you order from? Sometimes there are spots on leaves.

 

[burge]

Aphids maybe but it should disappear.

 

[mgirotra]

Hope this is the right place for this question. Just opened this wrapper leaf and noticed some white discoloration at the bottom of the leaf stem. Is this mold or simply discoloration due to dryness ?

 

[burge]

Hope this is the right place for this question. Just opened this wrapper leaf and noticed some white discoloration at the bottom of the leaf stem. Is this mold or simply discoloration due to dryness ?

That is always normal on whole leaf. It can be mold but it will not hurt you. All leaves have this on stems.

 

[stdly]

Hope this is the right place for this question. Just opened this wrapper leaf and noticed some white discoloration at the bottom of the leaf stem. Is this mold or simply discoloration due to dryness ?

Yes it is normal with some tobacco's WLT will warn you of this if you buy something like Dark Air Cured Tobacco. Trim it out that's it.

 

[stdly]

When I get these tobaccos I open them right away and strip the mid-rib then repack the leaf half's into a different bag. I have never had a problem with mold spreading to the leaves.

 

[mgirotra]

Folks, one more for the experts here.. Some of my binders are coming out like this. Am hoping these are bruising damages and not mold, since the texture is quite different. But wanted to be sure..

 

[deluxestogie]

I would smoke it myself.

Bob