What do you do if you cut it and the draw test is bad?

[Highlander]

Ok, I've discovered the problem that was causing me to have bad smokes. On all the bad ones, the draw was poor and I was having to draw to hard to smoke it. I figured this out talking to a friend who is a cigar connoisseur. He nailed it rather quickly. The smokes also would not stay lit. I guess they were too humid or blocked. These were all dark leaf stronger cigars. I did a draw test on them after cutting and noticed it wasn't that good but lit them anyway.

So my question is, Any harm in putting them back down for awhile if you notice a bad draw to let them dry out some?

I had a t52 the other night that I left out of the humi for 2 days before smoking at it was sublime. (I hadn't cut it)

My friend said he has a separate humi for darker cigars that he keeps at 60 to 65 just for this reason.

 

[Jwrussell]

So my question is, Any harm in putting them back down for awhile if you notice a bad draw to let them dry out some?

None at all. I've done this plenty of times. Just be aware that this doesn't always solve the problem. It could be a construction issue which means the only real option will be a draw poker.

You'll find that 65%-ish is much prefered overall around here.

 

[dpricenator]

dry box em….

Get an empty cigar box that is not humidified. If a smoke has a bad draw, you can place it in there for a few days and try it again. It sounds like your box may be wet…hehe…What I mean id that the sticks are over humidified. Are they sitting too close to the humidity source, and is the hygro properly calibrated? You can also use a draw poker to open it up a bit, but if they won’t stay lit it sounds like reducing your RH is the best way to start for a long term solution. Until then, dry box a few smokes at a time so when you go to smoke, they are ready.

 

[SergeantStogie]

Alot of people have a dry box. A desk top type humi without a source of humidification. They put their smokes in there for a couple days prior to smoking them. Works well for people who keep their stogies at 70 +. Alot of the really well packed sticks swell up with that much humidity and while they may age really well, they smoke horribly.

Some brands are known for being plugged though. For example I havent had a Fonseca that wasn't plugged.

 

[Josh.CHI]

Dry box, do it

dry box em….

Get an empty cigar box that is not humidified. If a smoke has a bad draw, you can place it in there for a few days and try it again. It sounds like your box may be wet…hehe…What I mean id that the sticks are over humidified. Are they sitting too close to the humidity source, and is the hygro properly calibrated? You can also use a draw poker to open it up a bit, but if they won’t stay lit it sounds like reducing your RH is the best way to start for a long term solution. Until then, dry box a few smokes at a time so when you go to smoke, they are ready.

 

[danthebugman]

Dry boxing seems to be the consensus, but how much are you taking off when you cut? Sometimes I'll make the cut and find the draw tight. Cut a little more and it's better. There is a point that I just don't feel cutting past though and at that point dry boxing would be a consideration.

Dan

 

[Pietastervw]

It sounds like your box may be wet…hehe…

ah just the way I like 'em:thumbsup:

 

[tx_tuff]

If you don't have a empty box to put it in its ok to just leave it out of the box for a day or two. Just try to keep it in a dark room (out of the sunlight).

Consider keeping your humidor at 65% humidity. I fought this at first myself but it really does help out with a lot of Nicaraguan cigars! Hell I keep mine close to 60% most of the time.

 

[Highlander]

The cigars were all in the same humidor as the ones I've had lately that were awesome. I'll dry box em in the future!

 

[BrandonP]

I keep my home humi at 65% at all times. I don't smoke a lot of the lighter shade leaf so it has never been an issue for me. I will say if I kept anything lighter (cameroon leaf specifically) I would definitely keep it higher.

 

[LoneSmoker]

ah just the way I like 'em:thumbsup:

Lol classic!

 

[orangedog]

one word of caution on leaving a cigar out... consider your ambient rh...

looking at Charlotte here: http://www.sercc.com/climateinfo/historical/avgrh.html I notice a good number of periods where the rh is above 60%... not sure how dry this would make your cigars.

I have the opposite problem. a humid day here is about 25%, so if I leave a cigar out for 2 days it will turn into a cactus.

 

[Cigary43]

I use my trusty draw tool and never let a plugged cigar ruin my day. Mine works like a dream and have not had to throw away or put a cigar back to dry box since.

 

[blessednxs65]

I normally cut a little more off the head.

Believe it or not, in all my years of smoking I have only had two plugged sticks and since neither of them were ones I could not replace or live without I just tossed them.

I'll admit though, with some tube cigars, before I learned to remove the cap when placing them in the humi, I went with the dry box routine.

 

[Le Buzz]

I use my trusty draw tool and never let a plugged cigar ruin my day. Mine works like a dream and have not had to throw away or put a cigar back to dry box since.

Is that designed to actually pull out leaves from the cigar? I say because of the cutouts I see.

 

[Cigary43]

Le Buzz...that's exactly what the tool does as it act much like a crochet hook and if there is an offending piece of the tobacco you gently just twist it back and forth and pull it back thru. What isn't shown is the nice wood handle and it's very easy to push it into the head of the cigar ( I have mine knurled at the point so when I push it into the head and twist it...it pretty much keeps the entrance open all the way through and when pulling it back if there is that offending piece of tobacco that is plugging the cigar that hook will bring it back as you pull it out. Friggin genious and it has paid for itself many times over....nothing like having no fear of any plugged cigar.

 

[Le Buzz]

Le Buzz...that's exactly what the tool does as it act much like a crochet hook and if there is an offending piece of the tobacco you gently just twist it back and forth and pull it back thru. What isn't shown is the nice wood handle and it's very easy to push it into the head of the cigar ( I have mine knurled at the point so when I push it into the head and twist it...it pretty much keeps the entrance open all the way through and when pulling it back if there is that offending piece of tobacco that is plugging the cigar that hook will bring it back as you pull it out. Friggin genious and it has paid for itself many times over....nothing like having no fear of any plugged cigar.

Nice... I might look into one of these. I agree, if you never have to worry about a plugged cigar it makes the experience that much better.