Shade wrapper splitting...

[MrBill]

I tend to buy maduro and other dark wrapper cigars. I like maduros a lot!!!
It seems that quite a few of the natural/CT shade wrapped cigars I buy tend to split as I smoke them.

Today I was smoking a CAO Gold torpedo. Half way through, the side split a little on me. Now I keep them stored in either an acrylic jar lined with cedar and a Drymistat tube, or my main humidor with an Oasis XL. My digital hygro (in the jar) says they're about 71-72% (+/-???) And my digital hygro in my humidor reads about 68-69% up top and 70% on the bottom(+/-???) Temps are in the 72-74 range.

This is one of the reasons I tend to not buy shade wrapped cigars.....suggestion???? What am I doing wrong???
Thanks!

[Ermo]

If you dont know how far off the hygros are your smokes could be at 80% or 50%, how would you know? Extreme conditions are most likely the culprit, I prefer natural wrappers and have only had one split ever, my humi is at 65% (reads 67% but is +2).

[MrBill]

Originally Posted by Ermo

If you dont know how far off the hygros are your smokes could be at 80% or 50%, how would you know? Extreme conditions are most likely the culprit, I prefer natural wrappers and have only had one split ever, my humi is at 65% (reads 67% but is +2).

I've had a few different hygros together, and they all read about the same % humidity. (3 digital, 1 analog) Have put them in with the Oasis and they read pretty much the same % as the automatic setting....

[kvm]

How long did you have them in your humi? Sounds like they may be to wet. The wrapper may have started to dry out but the binder and filler may still be to wet so when they expand from the heat the wrapper will split.

[MrBill]

Originally Posted by kvm

How long did you have them in your humi? Sounds like they may be to wet. The wrapper may have started to dry out but the binder and filler may still be to wet so when they expand from the heat the wrapper will split.

The CAO I've had since September....it was from Cigar Mag's Cigar Mania at the Meadowlands...
Could this cigar have dried out while at the event??? It was in their "goodie bag".

This only happens to my shade wrapped cigars. However, I have some IT Ltd. Reserves that I got on June 3rd...they're fine though...

[kvm]

Originally Posted by MrBill

The CAO I've had since September....it was from Cigar Mag's Cigar Mania at the Meadowlands...
Could this cigar have dried out while at the event??? It was in their "goodie bag".

This only happens to my shade wrapped cigars. However, I have some IT Ltd. Reserves that I got on June 3rd...they're fine though...

Could be it started drying out. Who knows how long they were in the goodie bag and not being properly stored.

[MrBill]

Originally Posted by kvm

Could be it started drying out. Who knows how long they were in the goodie bag and not being properly stored.

Could it be possible that I'm not circulating the air in my backup jar enough??? This cigar was stored in the jar, not my main humidor...

[n2advnture]

If the sides start to split (typically lengthwise down the stick) it is usually from too much moisture. The tobacco swells and the thinner wrapper splits.

Smokes that are too dry tend to unravel.

I would retest all your hygros just to confirm - they can be anywhere from 1% off to as much as 15% off.

Hope this helps
~Mark

btw-the "Short" Puck will fit in the lid of the humidification jar, leaving more room for a couple of sticks

[MrBill]

Originally Posted by n2advnture

If the sides start to split (typically lengthwise down the stick) it is usually from too much moisture. The tobacco swells and the thinner wrapper splits.

Smokes that are too dry tend to unravel.

I would retest all your hygros just to confirm - they can be anywhere from 1% off to as much as 15% off.

Hope this helps
~Mark

btw-the "Short" Puck will fit in the lid of the humidification jar, leaving more room for a couple of sticks

Thanks for the info! Funny thing is that I've also had some that unravel......I wonder if it was where they were stored prior to me. These were in the CM Cigar Mania goodie bag. I usually buy the darker thicker wrappers because they hold up better for me and well....I like the taste!!

(I liked the plug for the "short" Puck)

[n2advnture]

Originally Posted by MrBill

Thanks for the info! Funny thing is that I've also had some that unravel......I wonder if it was where they were stored prior to me. These were in the CM Cigar Mania goodie bag. I usually buy the darker thicker wrappers because they hold up better for me and well....I like the taste!!
(I liked the plug for the "short" Puck)

That very well could be which is why we usually let them rest for about a month before smoking them (ccs & n/cs a like).

~Mark

ps - the Tall Puck is by far the most simple and effective way to properly store your smokes!