I'm doing it wrong

[ItalianCustom]

what would dropping from 65 to 63 do? Im new at this,

I have some time off this week so Im going to go pick up a stick or 2 at the local b&M and smoke them on the way home to see if I have the same problem....

I like the comment about "maybe they arent for you" Im sure everybody who tried drinking instantly loved the taste or knew exactly what they wanted and had it how they wanted.

I have had my beads as long as I have had my vinodor. In my desktop I had crystals.

Yes usually these are all from the same place. I usually buy from CI

I thank everybody for their insight. I have a feeling its something on my end. Im going to keep at it.. I would hate for all these cigars I have to go to waste.

Im also going to let my cigars sit for awhile long before I smoke anymore.... see if they mellow out some or if they are infact dry, get a little more moist.

 

[MiamiE]

Lower that humidity. Smoking cigars at 70% makes for a miserable time, IMO. Its like smoking wet newspaper. Tight draws, etc....

 

[ItalianCustom]

Lower that humidity. Smoking cigars at 70% makes for a miserable time, IMO. Its like smoking wet newspaper. Tight draws, etc....

my humidity is at 65%

 

[MiamiE]

I know that. Let it come down a bit more.

 

[ItalianCustom]

roger

also recalibrating all 3 hygros eventhough I did it a few months ago and yes Im using a boveda packet

 

[macsauce13]

Let me ask a question. Have you considered that you just don't enjoy the taste of a cigar? I see you are a new member here (but so am I), so how long have you been smoking?

 

[ItalianCustom]

I have thought about it, but just like anything worthwhile I feel its something I have to work on and thought i may be doing something wrong.

 

[Ben W]

Let me ask a question. Have you considered that you just don't enjoy the taste of a cigar? I see you are a new member here (but so am I), so how long have you been smoking?

Interesting point

 

[ItalianCustom]

even so, Im still going to keep at it. Its getting warmer out so I should be able to enjoy them more often. Try alll the suggestions here and see what happens.

 

[the_fridge]

I've had the same experience, but I found that slowing my draw and chosing wisely what i pair it greatly effects my taste. I'm no afficionado, but now I can pull out a few flavors.

 

[amsgpwarrior]

It sounds like ammonia to me personally. I think your sticks might be sick and they might need a rest. I had the same thing happen to me last year and I just circulated more air through my humidor, smoked less and started only smoking straight from a B&M for awhile until the sticks came back around. They all did and smoke fine now. I can't really explain how they got sick neither, my humi sits at 70% where I like it. Now if I want to smoke I place the cigar in a unhumidified humidor the day before smoking it to dry out the cigar a little more to get a better burn. Don't know what to tell you. Maybe take a break from smoking and try other things that challenge your taste buds like drinking scotch or wine and then come back to cigars. Don't really recommend wine and cigars together though.

 

[GoingPostal]

Another thing it might be is what your lighting it with. You said you use regular lighters you may be tasting the fuel. If your going to use a lighter, make sure you use only clean refined butane and not what comes in those gas station bic's. Have you tried using wood matches to see if that changes anything?

 

[Craig Mac]

Lower that humidity. Smoking cigars at 70% makes for a miserable time, IMO. Its like smoking wet newspaper. Tight draws, etc....

Drop your humidity down to 63% for a couple weeks. Let those sticks dry out.

I know that. Let it come down a bit more.

I don't understand this, I have been smoke cigars out of my humi at 65% for years, been smoking sticks at the same B&M's that keep them at 70% and not once have I smoked a cigar that was like wet newspaper or tasted like ash and I strongly doubt that lowering his humidity from 65 to 63 are going to make his cigars taste different to him.

 

[ItalianCustom]

Refined butane??? Do u have any reccomendations as to brands?? Only thing around here is ronsol??

 

[JNT]

no type of lighting technique/fuel is going to make your cigar taste like ash.

 

[NCost]

I don't understand this, I have been smoke cigars out of my humi at 65% for years, been smoking sticks at the same B&M's that keep them at 70% and not once have I smoked a cigar that was like wet newspaper or tasted like ash and I strongly doubt that lowering his humidity from 65 to 63 are going to make his cigars taste different to him.

My thoughts exactly.

I kept my humi at 70% for years, never an issue other then the going out if I let it sit to long. I now keep it at 65% and I have no issue.

Lowering to 63% isn't going to change taste - not chemically possible.

I think I'd go buy some from a B/M and taste those w/o putting them in your Humi - you may have a bum setup or as others suggest, it might not be for you, time will tell. I'll make my way over there when it warms up and smoke one of yours for ya :thinkidea and see if I get the same tastes as you out of it.

They all did and smoke fine now. I can't really explain how they got sick neither, my humi sits at 70% where I like it. Now if I want to smoke I place the cigar in a unhumidified humidor the day before smoking it to dry out the cigar a little more to get a better burn.

I don't get that, so you really like them at 65% but don't want to change your humidification to keep them there. :smokingbo

 

[Thecatch83]

Regardless of RH, a dryer stick will have subtle flavor differences than a more humidified stick......this much I know.

 

[MiamiE]

I don't understand this, I have been smoke cigars out of my humi at 65% for years, been smoking sticks at the same B&M's that keep them at 70% and not once have I smoked a cigar that was like wet newspaper or tasted like ash and I strongly doubt that lowering his humidity from 65 to 63 are going to make his cigars taste different to him.

You're right. Usually I have no clue what I am talking about! :smile:

 

[GoingPostal]

Refined butane??? Do u have any reccomendations as to brands?? Only thing around here is ronsol??

i use xikar, but i know they're other brands, you should be able to find it at local B&M.

no type of lighting technique/fuel is going to make your cigar taste like ash.

True but using those cheap bic's do impart a chemical flavor and taste is very subjective.

 

[ShortyStogie]

To the OP:

It's ammonia. I know exactly what you're talking about cause I've been through it. It's a hit and miss sort of smoking... one day a pick from the humi will be fine while the next day the one right next to the earlier one will be terrible. And usually from the get-go.

Not much you can do here but give it time.

One suggestion I have in the meanwhile is keep a second humi of say 25 ct. Make sure you pay close attention to the age of the smokes in there. Don't put anything in there less than say two years old. Ensure you have the whole shebang of calibrated hygros, beads, etc etc in there.

Over time, the ones in your vino WILL improve. Maybe a month from now... maybe six. I strongly suspect that you have put in a number of new sticks that have released their ammonia which as been absorbed by the others.

The only other thing that I can really suggest (and you have to use your common sense on this one) is to leave your vino open for a 24-48 hours. Depending on how dry / humid the outside air is, this could potentially damage your cigars, but if humidity is between 55-75, you should be ok doing this. This might go a long way in purging the bad air.

Either way, good luck to you.

Fauzi