Why are my cubans always plugged?

[Cuban Pete]

I've been having a lot of trouble lately with plugged smokes. It seems every other stick I pull out of the humidor has draw issues.

I understand they are hand made should expect a dud now and then but just lately I seem to be getting more and more. Could it just be a run of bad luck?

I've got a varied selection of singles sourced from various suppliers. I'm using Bovidas which keep humidity at a solid 65% and being in the UK temperature is never an issue.

Would it help having a separate 'soon to smoke' tuppador kept at 60% or 62%? Can anyone offer any other suggestions?

Many thanks

[canadianbeaver]

Hey there CP,

Welcome. You would not and will not be the the first to ask, so no worries! Do a search for plugged cigars at the top and immediate help is on the way. 9 times out of 10 this is a humidity issue and friends here will suggest dry boxing your cigars before enjoying them.

Pick a variety that makes sense to you and put them in a separate, less humidified place. Perhaps a day or three? Or the fridge for 30 minutes for a single.

Then see what happens.

CB

[grizzlee]

+1 on @canadianbeaver advice above. Also invest in a PerfecDraw, mentioned often, it will pay for itself in one or two saves of a plug.

[SwissPEP]

3 minutes ago, grizzlee said:

+1 on @canadianbeaver advice above. Also invest in a PerfecDraw, mentioned often, it will pay for itself in one or two saves of a plug.

I agree on the Perfect Draw too 

Can save you smokes ...

Enjoy your day and smoke

[99call]

26 minutes ago, Cuban Pete said:

Would it help having a separate 'soon to smoke' tuppador

Yes, effectively this is 'dryboxing' and yes definitely play around with it, until you hit the sweet spot for you.   6hrs, 12hrs 24 hrs etc

One of big things with CC's is that a 'plugged fresh box', cant be really fairly be characterised as '100% plugged box'.   For example, I had a box of Punch Punch from 2015 and they were absolute tent pegs, but now they have perfect resistance, are wonderfully packed... and are pure heaven. 

After some years the main thing that will piss you off, is terribly under-filled cigars. As A, you have an equally bad cigar, and B, you have been robbed of tobacco.   Once your collection grows, just tuck plugged cigars away, and age for a few years. you'll be surprised.

Also get yourself a 'perfect draw' cigar tool

[chris12381]

5 minutes ago, 99call said:

After some years the main thing that will piss you off, is terribly under-filled cigars. As A, you have an equally bad cigar, and B, you have been robbed of tobacco.   Once your collection grows, just tuck plugged cigars away, and age for a few years. you'll be surprised.

So true...and nothing to be about that problem except suffer through it or pitch it and try another one. 

[Fugu]

Agree with the Beav. Before starting with cigar "reamers" check out all other options and also learn how to handle a Cuban cigar. (I'd even go so far as to say, just forget you heard the word "draw tool")

Fresh Cuban tobacco usually is very hygroscopic. Most reported problems derive from smoking fresh cigars. If you want to do that, it demands storage at a lower humidity as compared to older cigars.

Welcome to the journey!

[PrairieSmoke]

Agree with everything said here:

Start with addressing humidity conditions and give it time. 

A word of caution on the draw tools, especially ones that remove tobacco like the Perfec Draw. I would really only recommend using it if the plug is at the band/head area. If you have to go all the way down the cigar to fix the draw you are going to alter the blend and/or how the cigar burns with poor results... in my experience.

[Cuban Pete]

Thanks all for the advice.

I have just ordered a 58% Boveda to use in the dry box. Will sample a couple and see how long is best to leave them there before smoking.

Just checked out the Perfect Draw. Will definitely invest in one if problems persist.

Thanks again!

CP 

[El Presidente]

2 hours ago, Cuban Pete said:

Thanks all for the advice.

I have just ordered a 58% Boveda to use in the dry box. Will sample a couple and see how long is best to leave them there before smoking.

Just checked out the Perfect Draw. Will definitely invest in one if problems persist.

Thanks again!

CP 

Just to ease your mind. Take a cigar that you think will not draw properly, clip the foot, put it in an open zip lock bag and put it in the refrigerator for a few hours. Try. 

That is what reducing the RH will do. 

Good luck!

[MD Puffer]

Another thing to look at is some/many of the rollers roll a little pig tail and squarsh (yes, squarsh) it down before applying the cap.  I frequently get a tight draw until I pry that out and clip it off.  So make sure you're not trying to draw through that.  

[PigFish]

You store too wet.

No one has all plugged cigars, not unless you collect them! The Cubans don't even roll cigars that tight any more for the most part, and it is a bit of a shame (MHO).

I don't really care what Boveda claims to do. If the ambient rH in your area is high, the hysteresis on those "pillow" humidity devices simply cannot keep up with real time air exchanges.

Since Boveda is based on a constant delivery device, aqueous salt based, independent of temperature, you might try raising your temperature. This way water moves in and out of your cigars at a greater rate with the added advantage of lowering your PMC based on the hygroscopic nature of the cigar.

I never get plugged cigars. And if it were a matter of luck, mine would be dowels!

Welcome to the forum. -the Pig

[BoliDan]

I agree with too wet. I had to drop down 62% because of temp. I found 65%rh was too wet at 75F(23C). If I wanted to keep them smokable at 65% I need to drop temp down to CONSTANT 65F(18c). You may think water vapor held in the air doesnt make that much of a difference between those temps, but it is night and day. Now I dropped yo 62% and 70F(21C) and plugs only happen if the cigar is way over filled. Overfilled to the point that inserting my perfect draw tool makes the cigar explode ( crack the binder and wrapper.) There is also the problem of ambient humidity being too high. Boveda can only "take-in" so much excess water. Once they are full, they fail to bring humidity down.if you have 90% humidity, everytime you open your humidor your getting cigars wet, and the boveda can only do so much to counteract. 

[Jal154]

Probably humidity too high for your temperature. Sometimes construction.

Have not had that problem with buying here. Very rare. ??

[Habana Mike]

I've had many hard to draw cigars from here, there or anywhere. Sometimes it's 1 or 2 in a box, sometimes closer to half. Some from the more distant past almost all.

I maintain proper RH below 65% and have many with years on them that have not opened up. I'm talking many dozens.

Granted that I prefer an easier over a snugger draw, some have never come around to smokeable regardless even with using a draw tool - it's not the answer in every case.

 

[Outdoorguy84]

When was the last time you made sure your hygrometer was reading the right RH? I would start there!! Test it and make sure it’s reading right. 

[Stogiepuffer]

CB I know what your problem is.... You need to cut it first. .
Seriously you may also look at a deep V cutter in addition to dry boxing.

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

[Baccy]

Well some Cuban cigars truly are plugged and it's not just a humidity deal, but there are nowhere near as many as there once were. I also rarely ever get one from foh. I don't know why this has been such an issue for Cuba as compared to the rest of the cigar world. Getting a good draw tool goes a long way!

[canadianbeaver]

2 hours ago, Stogiepuffer said:

CB I know what your problem is.... You need to cut it first. .
Seriously you may also look at a deep V cutter in addition to dry boxing.

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk
 

Hey! He is CP.

I am CB lol. And no plugged issues here ?

 

[Stogiepuffer]

Oops.

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[tsolomon]

I'm going to disagree with the humidity issue as the solution to plugged cigars as my wife and I smoke 2 cigars almost every night out of the same box and one usually smokes well and the other usually has a tighter draw or is plugged to some degree.  I keep all of my cigars at 60% humidity and will often dry box a plugged cigar for weeks and even months and it's still plugged.  I do find that the perfect draw can fix most of these cigars, so that's my main solution, but I still think CCs tend towards tighter draws than NCs.  Time does seem to help, but I think there is a real issue with quality.  I find it rare to cut a CC and find that it is too loose or has a wide open draw, but I find most NCs to have an open draw that I don't like either.  

[Cuban Pete]

I have been using two large bevidas and and have recently calibrated the hydrometer which confirms the box is holding steady at 65%

Sounds like temperature could be an issue. Would explain why I am getting more issues in summer than I was in winter. 

Perfect draw on order and I've got a few sticks in a dry box to sample next weekend

I can think of worse ways to spend a Sunday!

CP

[CaptainQuintero]

On 8/5/2019 at 7:15 AM, Cuban Pete said:

I have been using two large bevidas and and have recently calibrated the hydrometer which confirms the box is holding steady at 65%

Sounds like temperature could be an issue. Would explain why I am getting more issues in summer than I was in winter. 

Perfect draw on order and I've got a few sticks in a dry box to sample next weekend

I can think of worse ways to spend a Sunday!

CP

  There's so many variables it can be a shotgun approach sometimes.

-Unless you're spending triple digits hygrometers can be out by anything from 1-7% just by their manufacturing 

-If you're opening your humidor a lot then you can be getting false readings. The smaller your humidor the bigger this effect can be. Also desktops can be a shocker for it. Especially with this barmy UK weather we've currently got

  How do the cigars feel in general, are they soft/squishy or crackley/crisp when you give them a roll between finger and thumb?

  

[nKostyan]

My friend used to smoke cigarettes, then quit and now smokes cigars. He thinks everything CC are plugged because he's used to the cigarette’s perfect draw

[Jal154]

My temp stays at 72-73f, rh 60-61. Use boveda packs.