Wrapper Splits

[fsfrancis]

Its been cold out, but not extremely, low 50's and high 40's when I've been outside smoking. On a couple of different cigars, I've had the wrappers start splitting when I'm about halfway through them. They start out fine. When new, there's no sign of wrapper damage, but after the cigar is about halfway gone, the wrapper has split, and unwrapped a little bit. What could cause this? I keep my humi at 65%, and these have rested for a while. A couple of different types have split it seems like. Am I too dry? Is it too cold outside? What can cause the wrappers to split? They aren't cheapies, and shouldn't have construction issues as far as I know.

Any help is appreciated.

We should have a sticky that lists burn problems, and their causes. Canoeing, splitting, tight draw, loose draw, goes out too easy, low smoke production, etc...

 

[Craig Mac]

Colder weather can effect it, also in the winter time the humidity outside is much lower so that plays in to it as well. It does happen, but temps in the 50's I wouldn't think would come in to play too much. Maybe try dry boxing a cigar you plan on smoking outside for a day or two beforehand.

 

[equetefue]

Listen to Mac, he is wise in the ways of the cigar :eyebrow:

 

[Fairway1]

That's happened to me a few times in the cold, think its a humidity issue.

 

[Phishman]

I would check your hygromider, make sure it's calibrated. If it is you might want to up the humidity in your humidor during the winter. Some times keeping your sticks at 65% and taking them outside in cooler and low humidity is too much of a shock.
Sometimes, depending on the cedar, cigars laying directly on cedar without rotating for long periods of time can affect the wrapper. I would just start with the humidity and go from there

 

[StogieNinja]

From what I can tell, it's the same idea as condensation. I think what happens is the moisture begins to gather down the stick a little, causing the leaves there to expand, cracking the binder/wrapper. I've had this happen often in 40-50* weather. In fact, I had a cigar on Thursday that was fine, but in the second half, exploded. Not at the end of the cigar, but in the middle of the second half.

The other interesting thing I've found is that if I rest a cigar on a cold porcelain ashtray, I get actual condensation, a wet spot on the cigar where it rested. Doesn't have to be terribly cold either, in the 50's will do it easily.

 

[jdwaynes1980]

Winter.

 

[rdomfoto]

This thread is great! I had a stick suddenly start unraveling on me last week after smoking it for about 20 minutes. It's really cold and dry here right now, so taking it from the humidor to outside and then inside the lounge could easily have caused that to happen.

 

[CigarGavin]

temp and humidity; but enjoy that weather your having dont let it keep you from smoking the rest of us are sub-zero

 

[Cigary43]

Extremes in temps usually will bring about this issue as well as RH..combine both and it becomes the perfect storm for a cigar gone bad. I try to smoke my cigars in a temperature friendly environment and sometimes that's just not possible for everybody. These cold winters are brutal on wrappers when they've been in a humidor that is 67% RH and then you suddenly add flame and 30 degree temperatures and all of a sudden you have the iconic exploding circus cigar.

 

[havana1]

All the above and then some. changes in temps and humidity can do this but some wrappers are more "fragile" then others. Habana 2000 wrappers have done this to me while broadleaf seems to be less suseptible to temp/ humidity swings....

 

[jmartins]

This only happens to me when it is very cold out. I live in Canada and that happens if it's like 5c and below. To tired to convert.