expiriences with wet cigars?

[cumpster]

Hey botl's. Been working my way through a box of Diplo #2's.(2007) Have been enjoying them very much. However Ive hit a snag. The last three had been problematic. On appearance they are spot on. They do have a little bit of a swollen feel to them. Draw however is a bit tight. After giving up on each one Ive performed an autopsy. What I have found is quite strange. The innermost bunch is I dare say wet. There is no way to know this unless you open it up. I was amazed being that these are damn near 4 yrs. old. The wet would explain the smoldering type burn. My question is how can these possible be still damp to the touch.(internally) Jusy recieved these and they were kept in ideal conditions before my obtaining them. I live at 60-65 % humidity so... any ideas?

[Colt45]

Hey botl's. Been working my way through a box of Diplo #2's.(2007) Have been enjoying them very much. However Ive hit a snag. The last three had been problematic. On appearance they are spot on. They do have a little bit of a swollen feel to them. Draw however is a bit tight. After giving up on each one Ive performed an autopsy. What I have found is quite strange. The innermost bunch is I dare say wet. There is no way to know this unless you open it up. I was amazed being that these are damn near 4 yrs. old. The wet would explain the smoldering type burn. My question is how can these possible be still damp to the touch.(internally) Jusy recieved these and they were kept in ideal conditions before my obtaining them. I live at 60-65 % humidity so... any ideas?

I can't say I've ever run into this, but it leaves me with a couple of questions:

First would be what the ideal conditions were - climate and type of humidor. Second would be your storage conditions - you said 60 - 65%, but I'm curious

as to type of humidor (if any) here as well. A wine cooler for instance can have condensation.

And just to note, it can take months for cigars to acclimatize to your personal storage conditions (I know you said the first few were fine).

[investandprosper]

I'd double check your storage conditions. If all looks fine, try dry-boxing for a few days before smoking. I had some PSD4s kept near 70% before I got my Vinotemp that did what you are describing.

[Loki]

Just a thought, if you are storing them in a large cabinet style humi humidity levels can vary up to 2% shelf to shelf.

[CUBANO]

I would just dry box them for 3 to 4 days.

[PigFish]

I always read these posts with questions.

Where's the wet "wad?" Close to the tip you tried drawing from? I am not being an ass here... but there is not enough information to really help you out. Are you sure these are legitimate cigars? How long have you stored them at 60 RH? When you discovered the cigars did not draw did you try purging the cigar by blowing into it? Did you try lighting them?

There are many reasons that the tobacco may appear wet. I have seen rock hard cigars, poorly made ones, turn to mush once they have heated up. Of course the Cuban cigar business in not perfect and when you smoke directly through a whole box as I often do, you see the myth of cigar consistency!

Best of luck. -Piggy

[CanuckSARTech]

...My question is how can these possible be still damp to the touch.(internally) Jusy recieved these and they were kept in ideal conditions before my obtaining them. I live at 60-65 % humidity so... any ideas?

Well, considering all the points that Piggy mentioned, if those are all correct and those variables are okay (your storage conditions, legitimate cigars, etc., etc.), then I can only think of one thing.

They maybe haven't been stored correctly prior to you receiving them.

A lot of places and people can say that they're storing them correctly. However, my correctly (65% RH) and your correctly (say, 60%), and then someone else's correctly (70-75%) can all vary. And that even depends on how accurate the equipment is - what type of humidification they're using, what type of hygrometers are checking on things, how recently/accurately everything has been calibrated, etc.

And, you also state you, "...live at 60-65% humidity..." The question there is, do you actually have these in an actual humidor, or are they just sitting around in your ambient environment? Because the various changes in the ambient, be it RH or temp, can all affect the actual moisture content absorbed by your cigars. They really do need to stay in some sort of humidor to maintain that consistent 60-65% RH, and 60-70 F temp range, and sit for a long time, levelled out, to become consistent and well acclimated.

But, barring all this, I still think that since it's such a "core" issue within the middle of these cigars with the dampness, that somehow they weren't stored correctly before, and they have too high of a moisture content. Sounds like they need a good long sit for 30 days or so at 65% RH and 65 F to even out.

[cumpster]

Hey guys sorry to not get back til now. Thanks for all the opinions.

1.They are absoulutely from a solid sorce. So that is not an issue.

2. Ive only had the box for a month. Therefore I havent stored them that long here. I have a 250 count humidor. Well maintained. Also a coolidor which I had lined and shelved with spanish cedar. I have not had any real issues with storage ever.

3. My guess is when these sticks were being rolled maybe some of the leaf put into the most center bunch was way too moist. Then protected with the additional leaf in creating the complete stick. Is it possible that even after all this time (2007) to now. If these were kept at ideal conditions that the center being so wet that it would be impossible to dry out at regular humidity level.

4. Ive been smoking for quite a long time and I'm well aware of the many ways and tricks to try and save a stick. This is just one I havent dealt with. Im not sure I could leave it out long enough to dry the center without possible damage to the rest of the stick? When I finally cut it open the leaf was actually leaving residual moisture on my fingers when touched.

5. I realize that there's rarely a box with 25 perfect sticks. After all human being are rolling these. Just thought I would look for opinions

Thanks

[Colt45]

I don't think anyone is questioning authenticity or credibility. My main question focuses on the term "ideal conditions". For instance, some might

consider 70 - 75% humidity ideal conditions, but I'd consider that rather damp.

Also, rather than protecting the damp core, I'd probably expect the rest of the leaves to absorb some of that moisture - but I have no scientific

basis on which to make that assumption.

[PigFish]

I don't think anyone is questioning authenticity or credibility. My main question focuses on the term "ideal conditions". For instance, some might

consider 70 - 75% humidity ideal conditions, but I'd consider that rather damp.

Also, rather than protecting the damp core, I'd probably expect the rest of the leaves to absorb some of that moisture - but I have no scientific

basis on which to make that assumption.

One does have that scientific data though Ross. It is called equilibrium. Equilibrium is why "seasoned" cigars become uniformly humidified throughout over time.

Lets take a scenario. One draws on a cigar and it does not draw to his liking. A truly plugged cigar is a cigar with zero draw. Like the term "ideal conditions" the term plugged can mean anything from a stiffer than desirable draw to no draw at all. One heats the cigar by lighting it causing the tobacco to swell. One attempts to purge the cigar by blowing supersaturated moist air out of ones lungs into the very small pathways left by the swollen tobacco. The tobacco, now heated and excited, absorbs the moisture of the hot breath readily... You have a juicy center. -LOL

If you exhale onto a glass plate or mirror you have visible precipitation. Imagine all that caught up on a few pathways in your cigar.

While the whole process is speculation, I don't even know if the gentleman attempted to blow through the cigar, it represents a pathway, in theory at least as to how we got here in the first place. The lack of information regarding all the pertinent details provides for some wonderful fiction in the meanwhile!!! -Piggy