Tar buildup and draw problems

[m3guy]

I'm a new cigar smoker. Been smoking cigarettes for about 16 years and I am having some new issues. For the first month I was able to smoke my cigars just fine. Recently I had purchased a humidor and my first batch of smoke from CI. Also I had watched some videos on how to cut a cigar correctly. When I first started I was cutting the caps off almost completely. So my robustos would be kinda cylindrical only. No curve at the top. After watching videos on how to cut a cigar, I started to leave more curve on the top of the cigar. But since then all my smokes have had slight draw issues. It would tar up and I wouldn't be able to draw quite as easily. Should I go back to cutting more of the cap off so this wouldn't happen or am I just smoking them wrong? Maybe the cigars I got from CI are "wetter" than the ones I had when I was buying them from my local B&M? Please advise me. Thank you.

[Memitim]

How long are you letting them rest in the humidor? I usually have that problem when I pull the trigger too quickly on a new arrival. Give them a few days to a couple of weeks to get acclimated.

You could also be cutting too shallow; if you watch a dude roll a cigar you'll notice that rollers typically pack the head a bit to round it before putting the cap on. You may just have a bit too much of that compact filler on the head after the cut. Easy to tell, just take a poker and jam it in about a half inch. If the draw eases up noticeably then bingo. Personally, I hate when a cigar unravels so I prefer to risk cutting too shallow and give it a quick poke if needed, but you can also cut a little further down as well.

On a related note, maybe your cutter is a bit dull or you are cutting too slow and therefore the cutter is actually pinching the filler tight before cutting through. I did that a couple times. Try a new cutter or cut more decisively if you think that the cutter is plenty sharp.

[Cigary]

Originally Posted by Memitim

How long are you letting them rest in the humidor? I usually have that problem when I pull the trigger too quickly on a new arrival. Give them a few days to a couple of weeks to get acclimated.

You could also be cutting too shallow; if you watch a dude roll a cigar you'll notice that rollers typically pack the head a bit to round it before putting the cap on. You may just have a bit too much of that compact filler on the head after the cut. Easy to tell, just take a poker and jam it in about a half inch. If the draw eases up noticeably then bingo. Personally, I hate when a cigar unravels so I prefer to risk cutting too shallow and give it a quick poke if needed, but you can also cut a little further down as well.

On a related note, maybe your cutter is a bit dull or you are cutting too slow and therefore the cutter is actually pinching the filler tight before cutting through. I did that a couple times. Try a new cutter or cut more decisively if you think that the cutter is plenty sharp.

This is very true in that you want to slightly moisten the tip of your cigar before cutting as well so that you decrease the chance of it unravelling. I purposefully use a V Cut so that in case there is a tar buildup I don't have my tongue touching it,,,the ooze will stay in the cut portion where it was cut ( mine is a cats eye cut where it is deeper in the middle than it is on the sides ) so as long as you arent using your tongue to dig into the deepest part of the cut you won't have any worries. I find the V Cut helps in the draw of the cigar as well.

[e-man]

For a guiletine cutter, the rule of thumb is to place the open cutter on the table, then place the head of the cigar inside so it touches the table. Close the cutter until it touches the cigar. That's a good depth to use.

Like others have said, let them rest longer before smoking them. I know it's harder when you're getting started, but once you get a small collection you'll have enough ready to smoke while you wait for new purchases to rest.

[m3guy]

Thank you for the replies. I tried cutter a little more on the Macanudo Hyde Park Robusto I had last night and it was a whole lot better. I will keep my smokes in the humidor longer. Since now I have a mini stash of about 20.

[andrewsutherland2002]

Sticks from CI and cigarbid usually ship pretty wet. Let them rest for a bit before you smoke them. Or drybox them for a day or so. Also, don't keep you humi at 70 humidity. I like to keep mine in the low 60s. 60-64 humidity.

[m3guy]

That might be my problem. My box is new but the ones I had the draw problems were from the same shipment as my box. My box has stablilized at around 66 right now. I try to open it once each night to grab a few stick. The last 2 I smoked have been alot better than the couple I smoked when I first got my shipment. This was my first order so I didn't know. Thank you.

[m3guy]

Here's the update for this week. Since Monday I've smoked
10/6/09
Macanudo Hyde Park Robusto

10/7/09
Camacho Corojo Robusto

10/8/09
Padron 1964 Exclusivo
Camacho Robusto

10/9/09
Partagas Black Classico

None of these have given me any more draw problems. Maybe some of the smokes I purchased from CI were too wet. Hopefully I won't have any more problems and I can enjoy all my cigars. Thank you all for your advice.