Wierd Cigar Swelling

[Hammerhead]

Ok, get your minds out of the gutter.

Here's the story. I notice while smoking some cigars that as they burn, they tend to swell about 1"-2" beyond the burn, and crack the wrapper. In some cases, it's been severe. What causes this, and is there a way it can be prevented?

I keep my cigars at 65% with Viper's beads. I haven't been able to track down any consistency as to whether it happens by brand, size, or country of origin. The two recently that I've had it happen to were a RyJ (red label) Churchill which was in my humi for about 2 months, and a Maria Guerrero Toro just smoked tonight that I bought a couple weeks ago.

Thanks in advance!

[Xmodius]

It's all about the water content.

(Please disregard this post.)

[Ivory Tower]

First, where are the 'gars stored? Your humidification level may be different than the hygrometer reads if the hygrometer needs calibration.

A good site to check is stogiefresh.com, which has some info on cigar storage and rates cigars that have been stored in different conditions.

[Jkbd33]

I'm going to go out of my way and say that maybe some how gases and smoke are building up in the stick and causing to expand until the wrapper cracks and it releases the build up. I'm using the popcorn method theory on this.

[DownUnder LLG]

Originally Posted by Hammerhead

Ok, get your minds out of the gutter.

Bugger, I had a line for this straight up as soon as I saw the title of the thread.
Party Pooper......... j/k


Hey, now there's a user title

[ComicBookFreak]

Originally Posted by Xmodius

It's all about the water content.

This would be my Guess also

CBF

[steve12553]

I've had that on on a few cheapies but never knew why or saw any constistency.

[ShawnP]

I have never had this problem. Are you 100% sure your hydrometer is calibrated correctly?

The only reason I could see would be very wet cigars. If a cigar is to dry it shrinks , if overly hydrated it swells.

If not that, then it is just flat out weird.

[Hammerhead]

Well, I don't think it's about storage. I have 'em in a Reed & Barton Biltmore and a Western Cal III salt tested to 1% accuracy, and a boatload of Viper's 65% beads.

I had one possibile explanation come to mind, but I don't know if it's scientifically plausible.

Is it possible that maybe, because I keep mine stored in the cello, that they were perhaps overhumidified in their prior environment and didn't yet have a chance to adjust themselves to the lower RH in my humidor?

I was thinking that a different RH gradient on the outside of the 'gar than the inside would cause the filler to expand at a greater rate than the binder/wrapper while smoking.

I guess I'll just have to keep tabs on which 'gars it's happening to, so I can spot any consistency.

[ShawnP]

Originally Posted by Hammerhead

Well, I don't think it's about storage. I have 'em in a Reed & Barton Biltmore and a Western Cal III salt tested to 1% accuracy, and a boatload of Viper's 65% beads.

I had one possibile explanation come to mind, but I don't know if it's scientifically plausible.

Is it possible that maybe, because I keep mine stored in the cello, that they were perhaps overhumidified in their prior environment and didn't yet have a chance to adjust themselves to the lower RH in my humidor?

I was thinking that a different RH gradient on the outside of the 'gar than the inside would cause the filler to expand at a greater rate than the binder/wrapper while smoking.

I guess I'll just have to keep tabs on which 'gars it's happening to, so I can spot any consistency.

I guess that is possible but isn't the cello suppossed to breath? If it does I would think that they shouldn't hold any extra humidity then a naked cigar. Well maybe a little but not enough to expand or swell. Maybe they were mistreated smokes before you got your hands on them and when put in the proper humidor they reacted in a manner to which they seemed to swell compared to when you bought them??? I'm grasping LOL

Wish you luck with finding out what is going on.

Keep us posted and I will keep an eye out to see if I ever have this happen to one.

[awhitaker]

This has happened with a box of Carlos Toranos I have. They came with one of those humidpacks in the box which I think overhumidified them and slowly but surely over the past 5-7 weeks they've stopped cracking when I smoke them. I think they've taken longer to dehumidify b/c they're in the closed box which also happens to be varnished resulting in less breathing than a non-varnished box or a cigar that isn't in a box at all.

My whole hypothesis the time it takes a cigar to adjust to the Rh in a humidor is based on how many barriers between the cigar and the humidors air. Barriers as in cello, boxes, varnish, etc.

[xrundog]

Originally Posted by Hammerhead

Is it possible that maybe, because I keep mine stored in the cello, that they were perhaps overhumidified in their prior environment and didn't yet have a chance to adjust themselves to the lower RH in my humidor?

I was thinking that a different RH gradient on the outside of the 'gar than the inside would cause the filler to expand at a greater rate than the binder/wrapper while smoking.

Cello breaths. But not much. I think you have it nailed. So you can either go cello off, or let cello'ed cigars rest for a good long time. Like a year.

[kenstogie]

Some excellent observations/theories by the LLG's
Sounds like the celo on theory may be the reason to me. It sounds logical. This has happened to me but not with any degree of consistancy as another mentioned. Someone in the jungle said he would clip the end of his cigar celo's and I agree. Additionally I will clip a little on the cap to alow for a more complete air flow. A thought too if you're RH drops the inside portion of the cigar will be least affected and retain the most moisture which in turn would cause the h2o to expand/vaporize causing the swelling on the inside.

[dadof3illinois]

Originally Posted by Hammerhead

Well, I don't think it's about storage. I have 'em in a Reed & Barton Biltmore and a Western Cal III salt tested to 1% accuracy, and a boatload of Viper's 65% beads.

I had one possibile explanation come to mind, but I don't know if it's scientifically plausible.

Is it possible that maybe, because I keep mine stored in the cello, that they were perhaps overhumidified in their prior environment and didn't yet have a chance to adjust themselves to the lower RH in my humidor?

I was thinking that a different RH gradient on the outside of the 'gar than the inside would cause the filler to expand at a greater rate than the binder/wrapper while smoking.

I guess I'll just have to keep tabs on which 'gars it's happening to, so I can spot any consistency.

This is what I think, so take it with a grain of salt.

It seems to me your cigars were over humidified when you got them. According to how over humidified they are would determin how long it would take for them to get down to the proper smoking rh your looking for.
What happens to water when you heat it up??? It expands, turns to steam right? So we end up with split cigars.
Anything that I bought from the vendor you got these smokes from I would set aside for several months and make sure they are at the proper rh before smoking again.

One question, do the bands move around and seem loose or are the tight around the cigar?

[CrazyFool]

this happened to me!

My humidoor was a desktop, with more looks then purpose as you could see light through both seems in the door! So though i was at 69% i had to over compensate for the 'leak' with lots of humi gels and devices. the cigars all bloated and cracked. So i down sized back to my old Savoy, retired about 3 gel tubes and havnt had the problem again.