The ligeros, they are wet!

[misterbulgarin]

After ripping apart a lancero tonight due to it being plugged to hell, I studied it and the ligero leaves were damp. I've had this with a couple of cigars recently. Could the winter weather be causing some discrepencies in my humi? The central heating perhaps? More heat? I'm no humiditity scientist, but I know this is definately a complex system.

My hygros read 70 at the bottom, but that hygro is 5-6 points out so it's 64-5.

my middle hygro says 67, again thats a couple points out. And the analogue one in the middle says just over 60ish.

Cant remember the temp but, would it be worth me leaving my cigars out in the open, say for an hour or two to 'dry out'?!

I don't know if they're actually damp/cold as I smoke down my workshop, mainly at night, but they definately aint dry and brittle!

[daverave999]

Does your workshop see much temperature fluctuation? If it does it might be worthwhile keeping your humi somewhere more stable?

[G-man]

Mr. B
If thats the case There is a rule of thumb. Maduros never over 65% RH and all others 65 to 67 % . If all your cigars are acting that way lately figure how many U smoke a week and dry box them this in most cases will solve the problem. Hell weather or not dry box a week at a time and they will smoke alot better. 70% is for long term storage and INHO thats the high and 60% is the low. Their cigars and not oil paintings where 1 or 3 % below 65% is going to effect them that much.
Now heat is a issue all in its self cold below freezing will effect a cigars taste in the long run and heat above 70 may cause eggs to hatch cigars to dry out and oils to dissipate from the wrappers. ! Its not rocket science but its not your A B Cs either.
Any problems that I my help You with feel free to PM me .
Cheers G

[Jimmeh]

Re: The ligeros, they are wet!

After ripping apart a lancero tonight due to it being plugged to hell, I studied it and the ligero leaves were damp. I've had this with a couple of cigars recently. Could the winter weather be causing some discrepencies in my humi? The central heating perhaps? More heat? I'm no humiditity scientist, but I know this is definately a complex system.

My hygros read 70 at the bottom, but that hygro is 5-6 points out so it's 64-5.

my middle hygro says 67, again thats a couple points out. And the analogue one in the middle says just over 60ish.

Cant remember the temp but, would it be worth me leaving my cigars out in the open, say for an hour or two to 'dry out'?!

I don't know if they're actually damp/cold as I smoke down my workshop, mainly at night, but they definately aint dry and brittle!

How can you tell that it's the ligero lead and not another type?

[cj121]

Mr B, I read your post on the 'what are you smoking today' thread and you're on about pulling stubs apart and the central leaves being wet. Is this thread about the same problem as I would feel it can be expected to get some moisture towards the end of a cigar after you've been tugging on it mate. Obviously not excessive though.

Next time you have a smoke that you're happy with, pull that one apart as a comparison.

[tippexx]

Maybe it's the workshop more than the cigar that's the problem. I'm guessing it goes from comfort warm when you're in it, to cold when you're not.

I don't know what the workshop walls are made from. But check the one that's most exposed to the current weather. We've had a lot of wind and rain recently and you may have a 'cold wall'. The warmer inside air inside the shop may be condensing on that wall resulting in the ambiant air having a greater humidity value than that within your humidor.

[misterbulgarin]

Oh btw my humi is in a spare room in the house, that room may get possibly hotter in the winter due to central heating.

I actually smoke the cigars down the workshop, no storage

[tippexx]

Are you taking one or two from the humi to the workshop. Might be if the air is moist down there, they're absorbing it, and pretty quickly too. Ambient humidity here today is 82? ..... might be higher in the workshop?

Have read about cigars and moisture .... but in reverse .... humi-kept cigars taken onto golf courses in some of Americas dryer States and drying out during the round.

[SeanP]

Mr. B. I see this a lot with smokes in the colder months, especially on wet or more humid days. A byproduct of combustion is water vapor and pulling moist cold air through a heated wind tunnel (cigar) you are only creating more moisture.

I have had cigars actually 'explode' on me. Last Tuesday it was a Perdomo 10th Anniversary Criollo that had the wrapper split right up the side and begin to unfurl. Others (like the RP Fusion ) have had the wrapper and binders split But hands down, Gurkha's will cause the most problems and are notorious for blowing up on cold, humid days...

Don't know how much of it you got to smoke but that would be my guess as to what is going on.

[misterbulgarin]

my friend had a george reserve wrapper 'explode', maybe thats why! would explain a few things.

if its any use, i use an old caligas heater, looks like its from the 70s, what variables could this be causing? (if any). It's right next to use when we smoke

[SeanP]

I don't think the heater would cause much harm. But if you had a dehumidifier you could put in the workshop and run at it at regular intervals to dry the space out. That might help a bit as the air would be drier although I'm sure you have fresh air coming in that would defeat the purpose.

But yeah, humid cool air is not a friend of a lit cigar!

[rokkitsci]

FWIW

I don't think the heater would cause much harm. But if you had a dehumidifier you could put in the workshop and run at it at regular intervals to dry the space out. That might help a bit as the air would be drier although I'm sure you have fresh air coming in that would defeat the purpose.

But yeah, humid cool air is not a friend of a lit cigar!

From http://education.vigilantinc.com/cigar/tips/#6

How can I tell if my cigars are too moist?

Examine your cigars and look for the appearance of mold or plume on the wrapper or swelling at the end. A wet cigar will smoke hot, give you a sour taste in your mouth, a hard draw, and won't stay lit. The wrapper may be slightly split at the end and it won't bounce back as fast when squeezed between your fingers. It may actually feel soft. If you light a wet cigar, it will burn hot. The heat is from the steam created at the lit end, which travels through the cigar and into your mouth. It may also be hard to draw such a cigar and equally difficult to keep it lit.


It's important that you don't dry the cigars at room humidity for even an hour. This may cause rapid evaporation of the water from the tobacco, causing the leaves to shrink. Tobacco leaves that are exposed to repeated changes in humidity will eventually lose all their elasticity, resulting in a permanently damaged cigar.

[daverave999]

A gas heater will create a HUGE quantity of moisture. This may tie in with what others are saying?

[SeanP]

I stand corrected on the heater front. and now don't think a dehumidifier would work while burning it either. Maybe try an electric heater/dehumidifier combo??

[MoaningM]

my friend had a george reserve wrapper 'explode', maybe thats why! would explain a few things.

if its any use, i use an old caligas heater, looks like its from the 70s, what variables could this be causing? (if any). It's right next to use when we smoke

Anyone have a pic of a cigar exploading? never seen it before would be interested to view it?