The science of re-lighting a cigar

[laranced]

Dear FOH,

I have be meaning to ask for a while now, is there a science behind re-lighting cigars?

How fast should you smoke a cigar and should you avoid re-lighting It?

Does re-lighting your cigar break the flavour delivery momentarily until it is up and running again?

Is there particular way you should re-light a cigar? Burn the edges, burn the centre or burn and puff?

Just curious.

Thanks

Damo

[tempbond]

I usually burn the edges first and then the middle and then burn and puff ... I do it all ! Just because I don't want the damn thing to go out again !

I find that re-lighting does change the flavor, for a couple of puffs. But if you have to re-light a few times, the more you do it, the worst the taste gets, more bitter every time. And I always draw OUT a little bit before drawing IN to "let the bad taste out", but it doesn't do much.

Some cigars stay lit all the way to the nub and others have to be re-light 5 or 6 times (or more). I know that too high of a humidity level causes cigars to not burn well, but I keep my humidor at 65%, so should not be a problem. I know a lot of people dry box their cigars before smoking : I tried that, indeed it does help, but some cigars are just hopeless ! By the way, can someone please explain how they dry box, maybe I've been doing it wrong.

I find that the easiness of the draw has a lot to do with burn quality and duration when at rest : a tight cigar will tend to go out more than a normal one, which is normal since the air goes in the cigar with less ease. The thing is that some cigars go out in your hand (as opposed to resting on an ashtray for a moment while doing something else)even if you're puffing away at a pretty steady pace : you just have to "miss" one or two draws and the thing goes out. VERY annoying !!!

So if anyone has tips and tricks to help with that, I like to know as well !

PS : I've noticed that even Ken and Rob relight on occasion in the video reviews, Ken more than Rob, but that just because Rob makes Ken talk more than him . What I see Ken doing is he burns the edges and then burns and puffs. Don't remember what Rob does.

[TonyV]

When i have to re-light,i remove the ash and any loose charred tobacco.Then i give it a little toast job and then light it up,purge, small puff, purge then try to wait a minute to let it calm down,if you over smoke it and get it to hot,that's when i find the bitterness happens.If i have to re light a few times,depending on the taste and flavor,sometimes i just toss the cigar.

On the dry boxing,i keep my cc sticks at a low enough rh,but my nc sticks which i keep around 68-70 rh i sometimes dry box for 2-4 days depending on the ring gauge,bigger gauges-longer boxing.you're trying to bring down the rh in the filler and binder,so a shorter boxing time just removes moisture from the wrapper. the box it self can be a empty cigar box, of course no humidification inside,

On a personal note i should just put my nc sticks in with the cc's but i just won't do it,and i really don't know why i won't.. The dry boxing,well is just another part in our great hobby..

[dicko]

several short quick puffs when lighting, then purge for a few seconds

[mbrody]

All great info so far; remove the ash and purge are the key for me, but the second purge is hot for me (not sure if everyone does this). What I mean, is after the cigar is relit with the intial purge upon relighting, I do a hot purge (see below) after the first few regular draws. I find this brings the cigar back to original taste if it is getting a little wonky/bitter.

BTW, the hot purge is when you blow through the cigar with your lighter at the end of the cigar, lit. The gases ignite and the cigar becomes a torch while you exhale through it. I do this lightly, but until the cigar gases calm down.