Cigar Smoking Tips N' Tricks (or: How To Fix Common Problems)

[Nurse_Maduro]

I'm no Elder Jungle Leader or anything, but I thought maybe it'd be nice to have some tips for some of the Young Chimps in the Jungle who may come across some common problems. Here's a few things I've learned how to fix since I've started Lovin' The Leaf (™) :

My cigar is plugged / can't draw from it: I carry a 2mm hex wrench (allen wrench) in my smoking pouch for whenever I have a stick that's plugged. I poke one hole straight down the center of the 'gar and it works like a charm every time. For the larger ring gauges, I poke three holes: one in the middle and one on either side of the first hole, or else it won't draw evenly. In a pinch, you could use a paper clip in lieu of a hex wrench, but it's impossible to get them perfectly straight, the diameter is a bit large, and the risk of poking a hole through the side of the stick is a lot greater, imo.

I want to take the band off, but it's stuck to the wrapper (outer leaf): Smoke the cigar. Once the “cherry” (ember) gets closer to the band, the heat should loosen the adhesive that holds the band to the wrapper. They usually slide right off without difficulty.

My cigar is “canoeing” / burn is uneven: Hold the cigar above the flame of your torch / match / lighting implement / candle (Ew! Don't use a candle, seriously), and just touch up those areas to even up the foot without drawing through the cigar. Why above the flame? Because you're trying to burn away just the outer wrapper, and that can burn away very quickly in an open flame, causing you to torch more than you mean to. Why without drawing through the cigar? Because drawing while applying heat can create a tarry flavor (as can applying an open flame to the tobacco), and can also cause you to burn off too much of the side you're trying to even up.

My cigar is starting to taste “tarry” or bitter: Some Gorillas “purge” the cigar by blowing through it (instead of drawing) to purge those flavors. Personally, I don't have as much success with this method as I do by just slowing down how often I draw from the stick. Usually the “tarry” flavor goes away after a minute of just leaving it alone. Your mileage, as with all of the above, may vary.

I'm noticing little holes in my cigars: Immediately freeze all of your sticks for 72 hours, then send them to me for "testing."

Any others?

[Jimbo14]

Great post, thanks for sharing!

Good to see another Nurse with good taste

Here is the best video on how to cut and light ----> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-86cwvfzyE

Thanks DOC!