Draw Question

[MoneyPit]

I just experience a scenario that has happened to me on several occasions and am looking for someone to explain to me what just happened. I cut into a RASS and it had an extremely loose draw. I continued to smoke the cigar and as I did the resistance of the draw of the cigar increased. I always use beads and the maintained humidity stays fairly consistent around 65%. Keep in mind that it is usually very humid where I live.

Is this scenario possibly due to the cigar adjusting to the humidity in the atmosphere which would be greater than the humidity that the cigar was stored at? It seems to me that the draw might gain resistance if the cigar absorbed the humidity in the air. Way too much thinking on this one..... I'm going to go back to enjoying my cigar now. Looking forward to reading your responses. Thanks!

[El Presidente]

I just experience a scenario that has happened to me on several occasions and am looking for someone to explain to me what just happened. I cut into a RASS and it had an extremely loose draw. I continued to smoke the cigar and as I did the resistance of the draw of the cigar increased. I always use beads and the maintained humidity stays fairly consistent around 65%. Keep in mind that it is usually very humid where I live.

Is this scenario possibly due to the cigar adjusting to the humidity in the atmosphere which would be greater than the humidity that the cigar was stored at? It seems to me that the draw might gain resistance if the cigar absorbed the humidity in the air. Way too much thinking on this one..... I'm going to go back to enjoying my cigar now. Looking forward to reading your responses. Thanks!

Ambient humidity can affect a cigar during smoking. If anyone has doubts smoke a cigar on the deck on a rainy day. Cigars take on thier environment. Take a crap cigar and put it in the fridge for 15 minutes. The transformation is remarkable in such a short period of time.

If you have experienced a tightening draw consistenly when smoking a cigar try a larger cut at the foot and regularly take another cut (just a sliver) from the foot. Partivularly on oiler cigars thre can be a buildup at the foot. This is exaperated if you are a "wet" smoker with a mixture of oils/tar and saliva building at the foot.

[MoneyPit]

Great response Prez! I assumed that it was probably due to the humidity in the atmosphere, but hadn't really considered the build up of oil/tar at the end of the cigar. I'm not a "wet" smoker so that definitely wasn't the issue.

[groza]

If you have experienced a tightening draw consistenly when smoking a cigar try a larger cut at the foot and regularly take another cut (just a sliver) from the foot. Partivularly on oiler cigars thre can be a buildup at the foot. This is exaperated if you are a "wet" smoker with a mixture of oils/tar and saliva building at the foot.

Wouldn't that occur at the head of the cigar?

The drizzle and resulting humid air yesterday forced me to relight my RyJ MF 4 times

[PigFish]

The foot of the cigar is near 1000 deg when you are drawing on it lit. If you put your hot ash into water you will hear the water boil off until the water finally defeats the combustion. I don't think that "new" moisture is ruining your cigar. You could simply be experiencing an accumulation of tar in the head of the cigar blocking the pathways depending on your cut.

If you are thinking that it is moisture, then regardless of what you think you are storing at, your cigar(s) may be over-humidified. If humidity is suspect, I speculate that it is already there.

You need to examine the construction of a cigar. You have to look at the directions, lets call it the "grain" of your tobacco in your cigar. I want you to think of the grain like a pair of blue jeans. When you wash and dry your jeans you may notice a difference in how the cloth shrinks as it is dried. If you a long legged then you may loose a considerable amount of length in the leg while the waist shrinks hardly at all. We could call this a coefficient of shrinkage.

With tobacco and water the opposite is true. The more water in the tobacco the more swollen the tobacco gets. It will also swell with heat, especially when the tobacco is impregnated with a lot of water. While you may be thinking that since the whole cigar is constructed of tobacco it should all swell in unison; if you are you are wrong. The interior of the cigar is bunched while the wrapper and binder are wrapped lengthwise. While the wrapper and binder may swell as the moist tobacco is heated by your smoking, it may not keep up with the amount of the swollen filler expanding perhaps 5 to 10 times that of the wrapper/binder. In the wrapper or the binder, a single leaf will allow expansion of the interior only as the tobacco swells in one direction, along the grain (shall we say) or linearly. The filler on the other hand is swelling many leaves in 3 dimensions.

I am only guessing of course but the logic is sound. I think if you try keeping your cigars at a lower humidity you may solve this problem. You may even enjoy your smoking experience more. There are those of us who prefer a dry cigar for the clarity of flavor and taste, but it also helps the smoking characteristics. JMHO. -Piggy

[MoneyPit]

I don't want to disrespect anyone, so is it Professor Piggy or Dr. Piggy? Great response, the logic does make sense.

The beads in the humidor are "suppose" to be 65% humidity beads. I keep a digital hygrometer in that humidor and treat it as my ready to smoke box. I'd say that the humidity usually stays around 62-65% and will spike to 66-67% when I re-hydrate the beads. The humidity in the box is currently at 62% and that's why I thought it could be the atmosphere effects.

The RASS that I have are extremely oily, so I am guessing that it was the build up of tar/oil that I originally overlooked.

[PigFish]

I don't want to disrespect anyone, so is it Professor Piggy or Dr. Piggy? Great response, the logic does make sense.

The beads in the humidor are "suppose" to be 65% humidity beads. I keep a digital hygrometer in that humidor and treat it as my ready to smoke box. I'd say that the humidity usually stays around 62-65% and will spike to 66-67% when I re-hydrate the beads. The humidity in the box is currently at 62% and that's why I thought it could be the atmosphere effects.

The RASS that I have are extremely oily, so I am guessing that it was the build up of tar/oil that I originally overlooked.

I've been called all kinds of things around here! For a guy who refers to himself as a "pig," well you must assume that I don't take things too seriously! As the saying goes, "you can call me Ray!"

I measure each project of mine with a certified hygrometer, all my systems have numerous fans and lots'a circulation. While I often don't wait to try a cigar, a new box; I find that it might really take months or a year for a cigar to dry to my liking. I have come to like my cigars very dry. Of the many CC that I have smoked I have never had one "clog" as I smoked it and I smoke many thin rings. I am also a pretty slobbery smoker! If you are too, or a chomper... well lets just say there are many reasons outside of my speculation that could cause your problem.

In order to alleviate draw problems I actually cut my cigars rather deeply, way more than most. When you combine that with a very dry cigar, a stoic smoker, I am guessing that is why I have not experienced these problems. I personally love to smoke when it is rainy out and I have never had that issue! I wish you luck regardless. -Piggy