STOP! don't light that moist missile

[Stinkdyr]

I just posted this on a diff site, but I think it is a good topic worth discussing if anyone has any ideas/tips. Thanks:

Just wondering if any of you more experienced BOTL types ever find yourselves halting in mid process if you pull out a stick, clip the head, then take a pre-light draw and squeze test and SUSPECT that the stick is still too moist? I WISH I had done that this weekend. I went ahead and lit up my Onyx Reserve maduro robusto and suffered my way through a tight draw, low volume smoke, green flavor. yuck. I feel like I wasted what would have been a good cigar if I had just halted prior to lighting it and laid it back down into my dry humidor to rest another month.

[Rev2010]

Well, after I cut I always test the draw. If it's too tight I don't bother to light it. I've been putting my tight sticks in a small desktop humi with the plans to someday unplug them somehow, maybe with a drill bit or something. But I just looked in their today and saw mold on one of the sticks so I'm just gonna throw them out. The desktop humi is far away from the A/C which I use to cool my main humi, so the temps ahave likely been far too high in there.

A lot of the time though tight sticks aren't too moist but just rolled too darn tight by the torcedor. I run my humi at 65% and have often gotten sticks that were way too tight. Some brands are major offenders with this - Bolivar Cofradia from JR Cigars


Rev.

[madurolover]

Originally Posted by Rev2010

Well, after I cut I always test the draw. If it's too tight I don't bother to light it. I've been putting my tight sticks in a small desktop humi with the plans to someday unplug them somehow, maybe with a drill bit or something. But I just looked in their today and saw mold on one of the sticks so I'm just gonna throw them out. The desktop humi is far away from the A/C which I use to cool my main humi, so the temps ahave likely been far too high in there.

A lot of the time though tight sticks aren't too moist but just rolled too darn tight by the torcedor. I run my humi at 65% and have often gotten sticks that were way too tight. Some brands are major offenders with this - Bolivar Cofradia from JR Cigars


Rev.

I always draw test and check my cigar out. If it does not draw or feel right I will put it away and select something else. Of course I dry box everything for a few days so it rarely happens.

Rev, if you will drybox the plugged sticks they will often times loosen up a bit and become smokeable.

[mrreindeer]

Originally Posted by madurolover

Rev, if you will drybox the plugged sticks they will often times loosen up a bit and become smokeable.

Originally Posted by Rev2010

plans to someday unplug them somehow, maybe with a drill bit or something.

Or you can take your own advice, Rev!

[jamie140]

Had the same depressing thing happen with a Cohiba Siglo VI yesterday.

[Rev2010]

Originally Posted by mrreindeer

Or you can take your own advice, Rev!

Yeah, I've been curious to try it out but never got around to it. My opinion is that to improve draw on a tightly rolled cigar you really need to remove some tobacco. Cigar pokers usually just create a hole by forcing it way through the tobacco, hence compacting it even more between the hole and the binder/wrapper. A drill bit would actually shred away a hole which should leave some room for the tobacco to expand inward towards the new hole thereby overall relaxing the pressure and allowing air through the whole stick more easily.

At least that's how I see it. Of course, a drill would be a little bit of a pain. Some sort of hand held corkscrew like device would probably be easier if one existed solely for cigars.


Rev.

[madurolover]

Originally Posted by Rev2010

Yeah, I've been curious to try it out but never got around to it. My opinion is that to improve draw on a tightly rolled cigar you really need to remove some tobacco. Cigar pokers usually just create a hole by forcing it way through the tobacco, hence compacting it even more between the hole and the binder/wrapper. A drill bit would actually shred away a hole which should leave some room for the tobacco to expand inward towards the new hole thereby overall relaxing the pressure.

At least that's how I see it. Of course, a drill would be a little bit of a pain. Some sort of hand held corkscrew like device would probably be easier if one existed solely for cigars.


Rev.

Most draw tools have "notches" cut into them so that they actually "rip" the tobacco instead of just poking a hole through it.

[ribletman]

Where would you get a proper draw tool from? I have never seen one.

[Tarks]

I had to toss a Party 898 last night because it was too moist. Damn thing would not burn. I went against my own word and smoked a green cc. Damn, that will teach me. Never again, I promise.

[madurolover]

Originally Posted by ribletman

Where would you get a proper draw tool from? I have never seen one.

There are a few sites that sell them. The one that comes to mind first is the Henry's Draw tool.

I made my own by using a piece of wire clothes hanger. I straightened it out and then made a loop big enough for my finger on one end. I then made the other end into a flat point (like a hypodermic needle). I then used a file and filed notches in it from the point toward the handle. I spaced the notches about 3/8 of an inch apart. The entire tool is about 8 inches with 5 notches cut into it.
The notches will grab the tobacco and rip through it as you withdraw the tool. I have used mine and production models on a few occasions and the hanger works just as well as the others (of course it does not look as nice).

[Stinkdyr]

Well if misery loves company, I couldn't resist trying a RASCC upon arrival. It too clearly needed some down time. The rest, will rest.

Originally Posted by Tarks

I had to toss a Party 898 last night because it was too moist. Damn thing would not burn. I went against my own word and smoked a green cc. Damn, that will teach me. Never again, I promise.

[Cigary]

I use two different tools,,,draw poker and a long nubber tool,,,I dont ever suffer with a bad drawing cigar ever.