Dry, cracked wrappers

[Jrfoxx]

Anyone have any ideas on why every so often i pull a Cigar out to smoke that has been in my humidor at 68 degrees and 65% rh for months and just from normal handling and cutting, the wrapper cracks in multiple places and seems very dry?

I'm stumped.

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[Texican]

Following. This has only happened to me twice in the past year but I'm curious as to why.

 

[Boudie]

Does it get pretty cold and dry in Wyoming? The change from humidor to either really wet conditions like where I live or really cold and dry conditions like where you live can crack wrappers. You may consider letting them rest on your desk a day or so if the conditions are really significantly different. The cigar should still smoke fine because it takes quite a bit longer for the wrapper and filler to dry out.

 

[Jrfoxx]

Does it get pretty cold and dry in Wyoming? The change from humidor to either really wet conditions like where I live or really cold and dry conditions like where you live can crack wrappers. You may consider letting them rest on your desk a day or so if the conditions are really significantly different. The cigar should still smoke fine because it takes quite a bit longer for the wrapper and filler to dry out.

Its steadily 68 degrees and 15 to 20 percent humidity in my room. The cracking happens before it ever goes outside, so the outside conditions aren't really relevant for me

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[Nacho Daddy]

15 to 20 percent humidity in my room.

answered...........

try wetting the wrapper first.

 

[icehog3]

Pardon me if you've answered this elsewhere on BOTL, but is/are your hygrometer(s) calibrated accurately?

 

[StogieNinja]

Try licking the cap before cutting. Also, what cutter? I keep my smoking stash at 62%, and rarely have an issue unless it’s a dull cutter.

That being said, I’m inclined to agree with @icehog3, make sure you’re calibrated properly. Use a boveda bag, not salt. Even if your room is 15-20%, your cigar shouldn’t be cracking that quickly unless it’s overly dry already or your cutter is dull.

 

[Mossome]

Sometimes it be like that.

I have some cigars that I know are going to be problematic, brittle and easily cracking, and I hold it under a running faucet for 5 or 6 seconds first. Sounds weird, but it makes a big difference.

 

[StogieNinja]

Sometimes it be like that.

I have some cigars that I know are going to be problematic, brittle and easily cracking, and I hold it under a running faucet for 5 or 6 seconds first. Sounds weird, but it makes a big difference.

This works. Just make sure the foot is facing down, and wrap it in a napkin or paper towel to dry, don’t try rubbing it!

 

[Jrfoxx]

15 to 20 percent humidity in my room.

answered...........

try wetting the wrapper first.

No sure i follow what you mean, as they are at a steady 68 degrees and 65percent rh in the humidor and are either developing the cracks while in the humidor, or from simple handling or cutting before they are ever exposed to lower rh for more than a minute

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[Jrfoxx]

Pardon me if you've answered this elsewhere on BOTL, but is/are your hygrometer(s) calibrated accurately?

Yes, they have been calibrated recently and tested accurate at 3 different rh's, so I don't see the humidor rh being a problem. Also I am talking about like 1 in 20 Cigars or so that have this problem. Not very common at all but happens about every month or 2 with a Cigar

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[Jrfoxx]

Try licking the cap before cutting. Also, what cutter? I keep my smoking stash at 62%, and rarely have an issue unless it’s a dull cutter.

That being said, I’m inclined to agree with @icehog3, make sure you’re calibrated properly. Use a boveda bag, not salt. Even if your room is 15-20%, your cigar shouldn’t be cracking that quickly unless it’s overly dry already or your cutter is dull.

The cutter is a brand new Colibri Cut, which replaced my old el cheapo that was causing problems from getting dull.
They cut smoothly and easily, and its a quality cutter, so I don't believe that is a factor.
Also it doesn't necessarily crack during cutting, but either comes out of the humidor with a bunch of cracks, or cracks during normal handling when removing it and getting ready to cut it.

Also, this is only happening with maybe 1 im 20 Cigars at most, so not a common occurrence

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[Jrfoxx]

Sometimes it be like that.

I have some cigars that I know are going to be problematic, brittle and easily cracking, and I hold it under a running faucet for 5 or 6 seconds first. Sounds weird, but it makes a big difference.

Interesting.
Most of the time they are already cracked when I pull them out of the humidor, so its a little late to try this by then.
Also, I can't see any pattern in what ones are going to be a problem

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[Boudie]

cracking in the humidor is a different problem from cracking while smoking. If they are cracking in the humidor they are either really wet/dry going in or they are being mishandled. I keep celos on only clipping the cellophane away from the foot.

 

[Jrfoxx]

cracking in the humidor is a different problem from cracking while smoking. If they are cracking in the humidor they are either really wet/dry going in or they are being mishandled. I keep celos on only clipping the cellophane away from the foot.

Yeah, they are either cracked when I pull them out or crack from normal handling before cutting. They dont really seem to crack any further during smoking.

Also I know they are not being handled roughly as I'm very careful about that, and it will happen after months to a year in my humidor at 65% rh and 68 degrees, so they shouldn't have any remaining rh issues from the vendor.
Also, very few of my Cigars have cellophane, so I don't see that factoring in, and it never seems to happen with a tubo as best as I can recall

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[StogieNinja]

Then either your hygrometer is off, they’re going into your humidor dry, or the wrapper leaf sucks on that cigar.

If the cigar is dry going in, the swelling of the moisture it takes in will cause the cracking.

Any idea what brands/wrapper leaf this happens with? Connecticut wrappers tend to be more prone to this in my experience.

 

[Texican]

My $0.02 is that it's always Connecticut when it happens to me.

 

[Jrfoxx]

My $0.02 is that it's always Connecticut when it happens to me.

I'm going to start noting the specific wrappers on any that crack

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[jvd1230]

Im throwing in with the certain wrappers crowd. I've found that wrappers most likely to crack are(in order of most great likelyhood) Cameroon, Connecticut, and Habano. Habano is not always fragile though. One cigar i've found has a particularly fragile and cap crack prone head is the Herrera Esteli(The original not the norteno or any other variety). Its a shame as they are very tasty, but they seem to use tissue thin wrappers.

 

[heavyd]

It was 12% humidity here today...all three of my wrappers cracked. I just glue them back up and carry on.