Cigar Cabinet Status 6 months from delivery and set up. Cabinet Humidor Status and a few Issues to address. No evidence of Beatles found but cigars with Mold and possible Mold spots on Humi-Beads.
I have owned this humidor for over 13 years. Move your humidifier to the Shelf just above the drawers. I placed for auxiliary fans in the unit. I drilled 1 1/2"hole in the back corners of the drawers two on the bottom and two on the top for 4 auxiliary fans. The two on the left side the fans are pointing up and the two on the right are pointing down. I get perfect circulation and hardly ever fill my humidifier. I keep perfect 65% humidity throughout the cabinet. I also blocked the hole in the top of the humidor with tape as the analog hygrometer is crap and worthless.
This is where I believe it may be better to maintain a few smaller units, exclusively with Boveda...it immediately segregates your cigars from any 'infection' that one purchase may bring into the environment. It's really not that much more 'work' per se, as you can allocate your humidors for Aging, Conditioning new cigars, and regular dipping, all with appropriate humidification in consideration of their use. I think you're looking at 82 F before beetle concerns.
From watching your videos I think the mistake made here was when you received your beautiful tower. Which I am interested in buying a couple myself and found a seller selling them for $990. You did not season the tower and you placed the cigars inside with minimal circulation. Another user pointed out how he added 4 more fans to his tower, which is a good DIY tip and you definitely need to make sure that you have at least 1 Boveda pack in each of the drawers and technically I keep one in each of the boxes I have. Especially because they won't over humidify. It looks like you have recovered it a bit. Cubans do tend to go bad if you have high humidity in an uncontrolled temperature environment. If you are at a consistent 65 degrees you should be fine at 68-69% humidity. I think being consistent you'll be fine. You have a lovely collection.
I bought a box of CAO Visions when they first came out and they were already covered in mold. Worst cigar experience I've had in my many years of smoking.
The reasons why those cigars had mold because they were Cubans cigars. I know from experience that Cuban cigars are very delicate with high humidity. I usually keep my Cuban cigars at a 65 humidity, not 69 or 70. Trust me, I have thrown a lot of Cubans cigars because they build mold and Beatles due to 70 humidity. My recommendation is to set your humidifier at 65 or 67 maximum in order to keep your cigars free from molding. Normally Nicaraguans and Honduras cigars don't build mold that easy, unlike Dominicans and Cubans cigars.
The beads being brown it's ok, they won't remain white for too long because they absorb the atmosphere of the cedar and the tobacco, but those black things I have never seen those before. Did you ever found out what they were, maybe pieces of tobacco that chip off from those cigars that didn't have the cellophane. I also recommend that you keep the cellophane in the cigars to protect them from mold and from spreading to other cigars.
I think that Cohiba is fake. Cuban Cohibas should have very very fine veins on the wrapper or none at all. The veins on that Cohiba make me suspect it's not genuine.
No, that Cohiba is real. that is a 100% genuine Cohima label. I have had many Cohiba brand cigars with veins like that. The Cohiba Brand has many differenct bands, I can spot a fake label form a mile away. Belive me the fakes out there don't have the time or money to properly duplicaite a Cohiba brand band.
