Why did my cigar crack?

[amir11950]

So I just bought a tupperware container and 3 cigars. I put them in the container along with a Boveda 72 RH pack in there.

I smoked two of the cigars this weekend. Just now I went to checkup on the other cigar and noticed it's cracked. I don't think its dry. But its cracked open at the foot of the cigar and another horizontal crack just in between the cap and cigar label band. What happened?

Is it too much humidity? One packet for one cigar is too much?

 

[herfdog]

If it was too dry and is now going to 72 ... which I see as a bit high ... the cigar could swell a bit and the wrapper crack.

How was the cigar before getting in there?

 

[amir11950]

I don't think it was dry. In fact, the other cigar that was in there was more dry and hard, but it didn't happen to that one

 

[bdc30]

Sometimes that's just the nature of the beast. I wouldn't lose too much sleep over it, though many guys here do prefer their rh to be closer to 65%

 

[amir11950]

I'm using the 72 Boveda only because I think it's the only one the store here carries. I haven't asked if they carry different RH's.

 

[bdc30]

I just bought a bunch of 62% and 65% bovedas from amazon (not sure where you're located) for very reasonable prices

 

[StogieNinja]

I don't think it was dry. In fact, the other cigar that was in there was more dry and hard, but it didn't happen to that one

A very hard cigar is often an over humidified cigar. The hardness comes from the leaves expanding from the additional moisture, causing the stick to feel really hard to the touch. It sounds counterintuitive but it's a slight expansion from moisture, but not a soaking, so it doesn't feel squishy, just rock hard.

 

[eastcoast paul]

Don't mean to derail but are Le Bijou 1922 Petit Robusto and Illusione R Rothchildes normally hard? I have had them in my tupperdore going on 2 weeks at 65% rh and i don't think they have gotten any softer. They were shipped with 69% bovedas.

 

[atbat82]

I find Le Bijou 1922 Petit Robusto to usually be packed pretty tight. Never had any draw problems, but they usually feel pretty hard (granted my sample size is less than 10).

 

[eastcoast paul]

I find Le Bijou 1922 Petit Robusto to usually be packed pretty tight. Never had any draw problems, but they usually feel pretty hard (granted my sample size is less than 10).

Thats what i thought but got concerned when i read this thread.

 

[StogieNinja]

Two weeks likely isn't enough to time bring the overall rh down. Give them a solid month at least.

That bein said, the LBs in my experience are a pretty firm pack with a thick wrapper/binder so they're pretty hard.

 

[eastcoast paul]

oh i know, doesn't make it easier to wait though. last week i had a Liga Undercrown Gran Toro and this week it was Oliva Serie V Torpedo from the same order as the Le Bijou 1922 Petit Robusto and Illusione R Rothchildes. enjoyed the undercrown, the serie v was good but strong. should not have had it on an empty stomach, no sweats but a little spinney. glass of rootbeer and all was good.

 

[knw247]

i think I have an idea as to why your cigar cracked. I had a notion to smoke a cigar on a nice rainy evening under my patio. Half way through my cigar it expanded and finally cracked and then continued to expand like a slow motion exploding cigar. (Luckily, I powered through it and was able to smoke most of the cigar). After consulting with people far more knowledgeable than myself, I learned my issue was the rapid change in RH on the cigar. It was explained to me that the filler responds to RH change faster than the wrapper and if a cigar experiences a sudden increase in RH, the Wrapper cannot keep up with the expanding filler and CRACK!!!. If your cigar was even sitting at say 63 (not dry by any imagination) and you ramped it up quickly to 72rh, you could see this result.

Of course, I am only speculating here based on what was explained to me in my situation. FYI, now if its raining and I want to enjoy a cigar, I will toss it in an empty cigar box to allow it to acclimate to the outside RH.

 

[Senor Perfecto]

Sometimes they're just bummy sticks.

Try 65RH though.