What to do now?

[ashauler]

In a previous post I had a problem with uneven burn and found out that most likely cause was un-even humidification. Here is what I did:

I have an analog hygrometer that I calibrated with the salt test at a right on 75% and placed it in my humi since the humi came with an installed, non-removable, analog gauge. When the installed one read 70%, the calibrated one read 68%, so I was not too far off and had always kept the installed one at 70% or just slightly above/below say maybe 68-72. It has been stabilized at 68-70% for a little over two weeks now. I just use the humidifier that came in the humi with a 50/50 PG solution. I had to dry out some cedar pieces from some empty boxes and put them in to keep the Rh below 70% (also learned this here).

My uneven burn problems have gone away for the most part. Now I have noticed some splitting of the wrappers during smoking. This happens exclusively on my lighter shade cigars, (FdO gold and a Cusano 18 for example) but not with any of the maduro's. I researched here and on CP and read several posts that said it was due to over-humidification........then some that said the wrapper was drying out and cracking when smoking. RH ranges between 65 and 72 were suggested in various posts, right about where I am.

What should I do? Since I have way more maduro's and fuerte smokes than lighter smokes, should I not worry about it too much? Is it common to happen this way? Do I just need to let the lighter smokes rest longer before smoking?

[stjohnroe]

Just give it a bit longer to allow everthing to equalise.

[ashauler]

Thanks for the reply. I will let them rest a while longer.

[nhcigarfan]

stjohnroe is dead on. If you cigars had been sitting at a higher humidity for a while then you dropped it down, the tobacco will trend towards the RH from the outside to the inside. So if you have a larger ring gauge cigar the filler closest to the center will stay moister longer, can swell from the heat of smoking putting pressure on the wrapper, causing the split.

[ashauler]

Is it common for this effect to be more pronounced in natural wrappers than in maduro's of the same ring guage?

[nhcigarfan]

yes, natural wrappers are generally the softest, thinest leaves with the smallest veins and therefore more delicate.

[ashauler]

Thanks for the help everyone!! I appreciate it.

[Loudpipes78]

This thread delivers!!!!



I just learned some things that I didn't know. Thanks for the info.

[Desert Rat]

NHC is dead on. I can only add that the thinner the wrapper, the more pronounced the effect.

Some cigars have wrappers that are so delicate, that even with correct humidification, they may split due to moisture loss that occurs while you are smoking them, if you live in a low humidity area like I do. Perdomo Edicion de Silvio, that new Lito Gomez Mysterio, and a couple of others almost always split on me to some degree.

And in the opposite direction, some wrappers are almost bullet proof. I have abused Padron maduro cigars horribily and never had a problem.

[Bassfever]

stjohnroe is dead on. If you cigars had been sitting at a higher humidity for a while then you dropped it down, the tobacco will trend towards the RH from the outside to the inside. So if you have a larger ring gauge cigar the filler closest to the center will stay moister longer, can swell from the heat of smoking putting pressure on the wrapper, causing the split.

A++++++++++++ I love this place!