Possibly Dry Cigars?

JRigs

So, this is another NEWB post. I had posted this long involved thing about getting my humidor up to snuff. After having it up and running it is stable between 63 and 67%. I do think there is an issue there as the Boveda packs I have in there are 72%, but I'm not complaining. Everything has been fine, and I've been steadily adding to my humidor. In fact, it may already be time for a bigger one. Probably hit up cheaphumidors.com soon. Anyway, I ran into a problem today. I smoked three cigars. One was a Man O War side project 52-C which was pretty great. That cigar had been sitting in my humidor for about a week. I then smoked a Montecristo Classic Series, which had been sitting in my humidor for probably three months. It was one of the first I got, in a sampler. When I clipped it the wrapper cracked a bit but I chalked that up to a lousy cutter and still being a newb. But as I smoked it, I noticed some cracks about halfway down, not connected at all to my lousy cutting job, as well, that got bigger and deeper as I smoked. The cigar tasted fine, mild for my taste but otherwise tasty, but I put it out when I got about 2/3rds in because it seemed to be coming apart. I looked around online and apparently a couple other people had a similar problem with that particular cigar. So I decided to just put it out of my mind. Finally, I decided to go outside and sit in the plaza out front and have a Arturo Fuente Bestseller, which I love, and about one third in it began to come apart. No problem clipping it; it was splitting right in the middle and at the burn line. So i had to put it out. Damn. I don't get it. My humidor has been stable-- usually 64 on a dry day and 67 on a humid day, and pretty much never outside that range. I have a digital hygrometer inside of it, and an analog that always reads a little higher but they are both in the same range. The analog may say 70 when it is 67, in other words. I calibrated both with Boveda calibration kit. The Bestsellers have been in there for about two weeks, and I already smoked four of the five, which smoked perfectly. This is the first time I've run into this problem. Any thoughts? I'm really bummed about that bestseller and I would hate for similar luck with my other nice cigars.

catfishbluezz

If the boveda packs are 72, and its holding 63-67, then you don't have enough if you want that high of an rh. My guess is you ran into some bad luck man, it happens from time to time. A split cap can be the result of a cheap cutter, and if you lick the hell out of it, you are less likely to have that issue. All it takes is a few crappy cuts and ruined caps to realize you should just spend the money on a Xikar or Palio man. Dry cigars do not split like that, they tend to crumble to the touch, not while burning, thats more expansion.

YankeeMan

As a newb, you're proving my standard advice I give to every new person here: "Get a bigger humidor and a second job!"

kuzi16

was it very humid where you were actually smoking?

that can make a problem that would otherwise be unnoticed become a larger issue.

also, how fast do you smoke.
slow down. over zealous smoking makes cracks worse.

Lee.mcglynn

Also to add coneticuit and Cameroon wrappers are very finicky and fragile...smoking them in not great conditions can give you problems

Amos Umwhat

Good advice above, also I find it best to give at least 4 weeks rest before smoking.

JRigs

catfishbluezz:

If the boveda packs are 72, and its holding 63-67, then you don't have enough if you want that high of an rh. My guess is you ran into some bad luck man, it happens from time to time. A split cap can be the result of a cheap cutter, and if you lick the hell out of it, you are less likely to have that issue. All it takes is a few crappy cuts and ruined caps to realize you should just spend the money on a Xikar or Palio man. Dry cigars do not split like that, they tend to crumble to the touch, not while burning, thats more expansion.

I just found it odd that I should have two cracked cigars in one day. I'm beginning to think that maybe the air isn't circulating to the bottom of my humidor. The Montecristo was a churchill that was sitting at the bottom of the humidor pretty much since I started smoking cigars. The Bestseller ended up falling into the bottom also. I do plan to buy a new cutter. Thanks for your thoughts.

JRigs

YankeeMan:

As a newb, you're proving my standard advice I give to every new person here: "Get a bigger humidor and a second job!"

I don't know about this second job stuff, man, but I should've bought a bigger humidor and not the cheapest I could find on Amazon. Now I'm in too deep.

JRigs

It was actually not too bad out yesterday or the day before. But definitely it has been off and on humid lately. I live in Boston, so, finicky weather. The RH in my humidor has remained fairly stable. When it is really humid out, it tends to read 67 and on a dry day 64 or 65. I do smoke a little too fast. I try to keep it at a puff a minute, but I'm not keeping count. I do tend to smoke faster towards the end of the cigar. I've learned this is less true with a robusto or a corona than with, say, a churchill.

JRigs

So I'm bummed. Trying to isolate the problem. I posted this after the Montecristo, indoors on a relatively dry day, and the Bestseller on the same day, cracked. I have since smoked a Romeo Y Julieta that I've had as long as the Montecristo, probably 3 or 4 months, which was also at the bottom of my humidor, and it smoked fine. I smoked it indoors. Tonight I decided to try the other Montecristo, to see if it was a fluke. I went outside and about 1/4 the way in the wrapper started to split an inch below the burn line, and continued to unravel. I tried to touch it up but more cracks formed as I smoked, including one about halfway down that was just waiting for me. It is a humid day, but based on the other two being on dry days, that probably isn't a problem. Of these four cigars, two were smoked indoors, two outdoors, so that doesn't seem to be the issue. I speculated that it could be because they were at the bottom of my humidor, that maybe the air wasn't circulating, but so was the RyJ. The RH in my humidor is between 64 and 66 since all this happened, though the temperature is higher than I'd like it to be (76). Nothing I can do about this last piece, though the temp drops at night. I don't think a cracked wrapper or two is a big deal, but I don't want this to affect all my cigars, especially since I have some I'm really looking forward to. It isn't the way they were clipped-- one was an issue, but the other two seemed fine at the cap. Am I overthinking this? It just seems such a travesty to sit down to a cigar and have to put it out before it's halfway done.

kuzi16

temp isnt the issue.

ISOM Monte? or domestic?

JRigs

kuzi16:

temp isnt the issue.

ISOM Monte? or domestic?

Oh, these weren't ISOM Montecristos, just Montecristo Classics I got in a sampler a few months ago.

KCW

One thing I have never had a problem with is an AF cigar.
What part of Boston are you in?

JRigs

KCW:

One thing I have never had a problem with is an AF cigar.
What part of Boston are you in?

Back Bay/South End area. Don't get the wrong idea, I live on the poor side of Tremont. Yes, there is a poor side of Tremont. Yeah, that's one thing I can't isolate. Fine, maybe the two Montecristos were no good, I did find some threads to that effect. But the Bestseller, too?

KCW

JRigs:

KCW:

One thing I have never had a problem with is an AF cigar.
What part of Boston are you in?

Back Bay/South End area. Don't get the wrong idea, I live on the poor side of Tremont. Yes, there is a poor side of Tremont. Yeah, that's one thing I can't isolate. Fine, maybe the two Montecristos were no good, I did find some threads to that effect. But the Bestseller, too?

I know thats a drag. You'll get it figured out. It does happen.

Retircs1

65 to 70 on the meter is good?

jgibv

Retircs1:

65 to 70 on the meter is good?

In general? Yes.

But, just like choosing a favorite cigar brand....
Choosing a favorite "RH level" boils down to personal preference.

As far as I can tell, 60 - 75, is generally the ideal "safe zone" for long-term RH in your humidors.
I've seen BOTLs that prefer 62% RH, while others prefer 74% RH.
(Mine stay within a couple points of 65%, depending on the season.)
But as long as your cigars are burning ok then anything in that range is fine, IMHO.


Keeping the RH under 60% long-term (months) risks drying out the cigars, cracking the wrappers, and possible burn problems.

Keeping the RH over 75% long term invites mold growth and can make the tobacco too wet which would cause burn problems too.

Retircs1

now I was told give my new sticks time to rest before burn them due to I just got them in a few days ago. all have cello on them and my RH is readying 65 to 7- after doing the salt test before I received my new order from CC. now I am planning to order another 20 + stick in a few weeks and those will not have cello on them. should the RH be different when you have sticks with cello and stick without? again thank you for your input