I keep having tunneling issues. My stogies are stored in air tight Tupperware with Boveda 65 RH packs. The temperature never is above 73 degrees. I'm pretty new to cigars as a hobby, so I'm seeking advice. Am I taking draws too often? Does my RH need to be adjusted? Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Tunneling Issues
- Thread starter jburchett
- Start date
No specific ones.
Could be brand specific. If you think it's RH, try dry boxing for a day or 2 before smoking.
Could also be that you are smoking too slow and the wrapper isn't staying lit. Try to smoke as often as it takes to ensure the burnline continues to move evenly.
Could be too humid outside, then the wrapper takes on water and the filler burns faster than the wrapper. Try smoking in the A/C
Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk
Could also be that you are smoking too slow and the wrapper isn't staying lit. Try to smoke as often as it takes to ensure the burnline continues to move evenly.
Could be too humid outside, then the wrapper takes on water and the filler burns faster than the wrapper. Try smoking in the A/C
Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk
ChuckMejia
The General
non cubans or cubans?
Non Cubans. It's been varying brands. Not every stick has tunneled, but enough have to cause me to question my storage. I take 2-3 puffs per minute, sometimes more. I have to consciously keep myself from smoking too quickly.
2 puffs a minute, prolly the sweet spot. 3 ehhh, if your cigar hasnt evened out in your tupperdore... or no matter how many puffs a minute, well bad shit can happen. I would recomend letting all new cigars rest in your settings for a month, minimum. If this doesnt solve it, well, im at a loss
Thank you for all of your suggestions and advice. It's greatly appreciated. At the moment, I don't have a hygrometer. I'm going to acquire one to get a better monitor on the situation. I've bought sticks from multiple online retailers and they've all sat for a minimum of 2-3 weeks before being smoked. Once I acquire a hygrometer, if it reads accurate to 65 RH with the Bovedas, should I adjust the RH? Maybe bring it down to 60? The sticks feel dry when I take them out, so I thought the RH might be too low. But from advice I've received, it may be too high. 
Cigary43
Just Another Ashhole
Your info as to storage time is the tip off....2-3 weeks isn't going to get your cigar to acclimate in that short amount of time. General rule of thumb is 1% for every week if you're going to acclimate them to 65% and since cigars from Vendors are notoriously sent at 70 - 72% R that means you'd want to store them for at least 2 months. This isn't a hard and fast rule but one that many will follow because you will experience what you are getting right now....canoeing or tunneling. Areas of your cigars are not totally at 65% so you'll get that effect. The next question is obvious...what are you to smoke in the meantime while your cigars are being rested.....most will get enough cigars from a B&M to smoke while the wait. The idea is to keep inventory at a pace with your smoking so that you will always have enough cigars to smoke while the new orders rest....it's all in the planning, storing and smoking. Constant turnover....isn't this a great hobby?
Bryan Glynn of CigarObsession recommends a minimum of two weeks rest, so that's what I went by when I first started. By now, all of my sticks have rested much longer than that and I'm sill having issues. The two I smoked yesterday that tunneled had rested for probably 2 1/2-3 months. Since I don't have a local B&M, I smoke cheap stuff (dutch masters, etc) if I'm waiting for my good sticks to rest.
EDIT: Looking closely at a timeline/calendar. They rested closer to 2 - 2 1/2 months.
Last edited:
Using a 65 boveda you should be close on your RH, though a calibrated, digital hygrometer can verify that. You said the temp doesn't ever get above 73, but does it fluctuate a lot? I've had that cause all kinds of burn issues.
That's why I hadn't purchased a hygrometer yet. I'd heard/read that with bovedas in Tupperware a hygrometer isn't absolutely necessary. But since I'm having issues I figured I'd buy one to get a closer look at my storage. Regarding temperature, it doesn't fluctuate much. I have central air in my house and often the setting isn't changed. If it did fluctuate, it would only be by a degree or two because of natural circumstances.
Cigary43
Just Another Ashhole
Bryan Glenn and I are like the Hatfields and McCoys....he drains the bucket of arrogance in record time but sometimes he actually is right...like a broken watch that can tell time twice in a day. Not sure how a cigar can be rushed into a correct RH in two weeks unless it enters a time tunnel.