Cracking wrappers...

[Nocturnus]

So, the past 3 smokes I had outdoors (been between 40-50f), my wrappers have cracked and peeled. This was stright from the humi to outside. Do I need to let them sit a little before I head out and fire them up? All the ones I have smoked inside have done just fine.

[CohibaMan]

I'm not an expert but they shouldn't crack. Possibly the humidity in the humi is too high and they've swelled then handling them pushes the wrapper past its breaking point. Other then that is it a certain cigar type/brand or cigars that were bought from the same place at the same time? Could be there were too humid before.

[Nocturnus]

My humi is sitting at 68-70%. One of the smokes I got when I was on a trip, expecting to smoke it then, so it got to sit in the baggie for 4 days before I got home. The other one was the nub I smoked tonight, I checked out the meter in the humi at the store and it was at 65%. Could it be a possibility that I am holding the cigar to tight when i'm smoking, or I might not be inspecting the cigar enough in the store.

[orca99usa]

Normally when a wrapper splits it is because the cigar is too moist. When the moisture in the filler heats up it expands and pushes out against the wrapper, often splitting it.

[Snake Hips]

Your problem I believe is that it's dry outside. You are in Texas. When you take it outside, the wrapper dries out but the filler doesn't and you get a crack because the moisture in the filler exapnds when you burn it. This is a common affliction of cold-weather smokers.

[CohibaMan]

You would have to be really clenching on the cigar to make it crack. I think you would notice it squishing before it cracked. The one you bought on a trip that sat in a baggie for four days should have been fine if it was in the humi after but possibly it didn't have a chance to fully rehumidify evenly. not sure about the others. Could try double checking your hygrometer with a salt test. There is the possibility that it is reading incorrectly, have had that happen to me before. Would explain the cracking in cigars that only have your humi in common.

[Nocturnus]

Well, crap... I'm running beads in my cooler.. So I should be fine on my RH.. I'll retest my meter tomorrow when I get one of those packets. Well, the other ones in the humi have done just fine.. Just these last 3..

[CohibaMan]

Originally Posted by Snake Hips

Your problem I believe is that it's dry outside. You are in Texas. When you take it outside, the wrapper dries out but the filler doesn't and you get a crack. This is a common affliction of cold-weather smokers.

Ohhhh, sounds better then anything I could think of.

[orca99usa]

Normally when a wrapper splits it is because the cigar is too moist. When the moisture in the filler heats up it expands and pushes out against the wrapper, often splitting it.

The humidity in your humidor is just about ideal. It could be that the place you are buying your sticks from sets the humidity above the ideal level (many do, because walk-in humidors are continually being opened during business hours). Either let the sticks rest for a longer period in your humidor, or dry box them (let them sit with no humidification) for 24-48 hours before putting them in your humidor.

Your problem I believe is that it's dry outside. You are in Texas. When you take it outside, the wrapper dries out but the filler doesn't and you get a crack.

If the stick is going straight from the humidor to death by fire, the wrapper shouldn't be exposed to low humidity long enough to have a profound effect.

[Nocturnus]

CohibaMan, yeah that sounds like it might be it. The wrapper doesn't start to split till i'm close to the 1/2 way point in the smoke.

[Snake Hips]

Originally Posted by orca99usa

If the stick is going straight from the humidor to death by fire, the wrapper shouldn't be exposed to low humidity long enough to have a profound effect.

Well, it happens all the time to guys who smoke in low-humidity environments. He said it doesn't split until half-way through the cigar, which is congruent with that theory...

[PerpetualNoob]

Originally Posted by Snake Hips

Well, it happens all the time to guys who smoke in low-humidity environments. He said it doesn't split until half-way through the cigar, which is congruent with that theory...

Happens to me all the time, especially with the more delicate wrappers, Cameroons and what-not. My ambient runs <20% for months on end. If I were organized enough, I could keep my next 2-3 days worth of smokes out of the humidor, but I never know that far in advance what I'm going to be in the mood for, so I may not ever know if it actually helps.

[mike607]

nice post! I to have had this exact problem but never asked about it, thanks for the info.

[Nocturnus]

Just smoked the 601 I got along with the Nub. Smoked the Nub outside and it cracked and the 601 inside and it was just fine. It was a fun and tasty experiment.

[CohibaMan]

Must be the outside air. Weird though. Just going to have to keep experimenting . I'd say try another inside and then one more outside (one you don't mind cracking) and see how it goes.