What Happened ?!

[chefchris]

So, after a long day I come home and decide to light up a Gurkha Extra Fuerte Churchill. Take it out of the cello and everything looks fine, then i proceed to lighting and this thing goes crazy. Didn't notice at first, but then i see the wrapper had cracked almost half way up the stick and was peeling back. The ash was also very strange. It was extremely flaky and curled out the whole time. Not to mention I despised the taste. WTF happened?

[bigsmoke]

I have seen a gurkha virtually explode when smoked. I don't know why though. My guess would be it was maybe rolled too tight?

[cigarsarge]

Too much moisture...What humidity level are you storing your smokes?

[Eshaw99]

Too much moisture...What humidity level are you storing your smokes?

I agree w/ sarge. Filler tobacco will absorb the extra moisture more quickly than the wrapper leaf. When this happens, the filler expands faster than the wrapper leaf (which at this point is less pliable) can handle, causing it to crack. The same thing happens when you try to re-humidify a dried out cigar too quickly.

[bigsmoke]

I agree w/ sarge. Filler tobacco will absorb the extra moisture more quickly than the wrapper leaf. When this happens, the filler expands faster than the wrapper leaf (which at this point is less pliable) can handle, causing it to crack. The same thing happens when you try to re-humidify a dried out cigar too quickly.

I disagree, I keep my cigars at 75%-80% humidity, i like them nice and soft. When I cut the foot I always get a claen solid chunk to come off perfectly and non of my smokes end up looking like Chris's.

[drew_goring]

I disagree, I keep my cigars at 75%-80% humidity, i like them nice and soft. When I cut the foot I always get a claen solid chunk to come off perfectly and non of my smokes end up looking like Chris's.

Have you done the salt test on your hygrometer?

Your 75-80% could very well be my 65-70%.

[Eshaw99]

I disagree, I keep my cigars at 75%-80% humidity, i like them nice and soft. When I cut the foot I always get a claen solid chunk to come off perfectly and non of my smokes end up looking like Chris's.

Chris never told us what his humidity was. I don't think that 75-80% is way too high (higher than I store mine, but that's a different story). When the humidity in your humidor gets too high, it can cause structural problems in the cigar, not to mention the possibility of burn issues and/or mold.