Just a little trick for tight cigars that works for me.

[andy]

Wil ltry this as I have a box of upmann pc's that have all been tight so far

[Dbone]

Kudos Pres, hope I never have to try this

[Murri]

Just tried this with a sig II that was way too tight.

It helped but not enough.

Pitched it after a few minutes.

[sepp]

I tried this on an 01 Punch Corona this afternoon. The entire box has been overly tight. It worked well.

[sblevit]

Can't wait to try this. Drop the temp and zap the RH. I get it.

[Rays98GoVols]

Great idea. I use an old fashioned Ice Pick. I put it in the Head of the cigar and push it in as far as it goes. Be careful not to stab yourself. I find it opens up a wonderful channel that gets rid of any plug I've ever had. Plus it acts as a tool so you can smoke the Cigar down to the nub. When the Cigar gets short, simply stab it through the side about 1/2" from the head. Here is a link showing what I'm talking about and how cheap they are....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ice-Pick-Wood-Handle-with-Wooden-Cover-Sheath-NEW-/390263048873?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5add7d8aa9

[PigFish]

Being someone interested in scientific data, I would like to explain the process. Before you change channels here, I would like to introduce you to some of the system variables that were not mentioned or underweighted.

The missing variables are two (2) bottles of wine, and the underweighted, Rob Ayala.

You see 90 minutes is about enough for Rob to kill one bottle and start on another. About half way through the second he remembers, likely after a reminder from Lisa that he left his cigar in the ice box! After a bottle and a half, that stiff draw, not actually changed, has been influenced by a vivid imagination and many milliliters of booze.

Remember class, that when studying science the answers are where you look for them!

Cheers! -the Pig

[ZinZan]

First "technical" explanation from Piggy i actually understand.

[PigFish]

All kidding aside, it should work due to the fact that tobacco is conditioned via a process called equilibrium rH. This follows a physical law that higher energy states seek lower energy states. Higher concentrations seek lower concentrations. This is called diffusion.

A refrigerator is dry. Why? Because cold air can hold less water vapor than hot air. Not to mention, the refrigeration cycle, air passing over a cooling coil will lower the temperature of the air as it passes and allow water in that air to precipitate, or condense on the cooling coil thus loosing even more water. A refrigerator is typically dry!

Contrary to this is the fact that evaporation, or the moving of water from the cigar to the refrigerator is endothermic. When you sweat, you cool. This process too is endothermic. Since the air in the refrigerator is cool to begin with, this makes the loss of water vapor slower than it would be in a dry hot environment. Dry boxing then, should be done in a warmer dry environment, verses a cold dry environment. If you don't have a dry environment, you can make one with a refrigerator, far more easily than with any other system. A box in ambient 70 rH is not exactly dry, even when you have no means to humidify it.

I hope that helps!

Cheers! -Piggy

[ironpeddler]

This should not work.

Temperature and relative humidity are inversely related.

I am very confused as to why this should work.

I'm thinking the cold contracts the tobacco like lower temps do to most things. That being said, once the cigar is lit and heats back up...it would expand.

Rob, does this work equally well with a churchill as with a corona or robusto?

If a theory of expansion & contraction is at play, the longer smoking time of a churchill would figure to get tight again as it heated back up over the longer smoking time. Not sure there is sufficiant time to remove H2O in 30 to 90 minutes...but I'm putting a 2000 Party churchill tent peg in the fridge now...gotta see this for myself.

Thanks Prez

[CaptainQuintero]

had a lancero today that was from a 2001 pecte and was on the tight side so threw it in the freezer as it was for 5 minutes, took it out and draw was fine

[Cohiba Stevie]

Little bump.

I have tried this several times now with zero success.

Are the cigars supposed to be placed in the fridge naked or in a ziplock? Should the air be removed from the ziplock, or allowed to be full?

I've been doing it ever since this was first posted...

Mind you, out of all the cigars I've had though I've only needed to do it twice.

My success rate is 100%

How was that lancero CQ?

better yet when's your next vid review? The weather over hasn't been too bad recently, what about you?

[Guest rob]

Instead of the fridge, I've put a few directly in the freezer - no Baggie, just straight in. 10 mins there, 10 mins out to warm back up - and it's good to go.

Not sure why it hasn't worked for you, Shlomo. However, if you're using a ziplock I'd expect that's the problem - retaining the humidity.

[CaptainQuintero]

I am glad it is working for you guys. It is not for me however....so back to my initial question...what am I doing differently?

I'm guessing it's just a zap drop in humidity which helps a stick taht is on the edge, if a stick is well and truly pugged then it might not be able to do much

[samreddevilz]

Nice trick. I got the proof by reducing the moisture of cigar.

[beamer]

This little trick just worked perfectly for me.

Partagas 898 from 2008, slightly plugged. I keep my humidor at a very steady 65F and 61-63% Humidity.

An hour in the refrigerator and this cigar is smoking beautifully.

[Mr.T]

Very interesting and will certainly try it out next time I experiene this....can't argue with Johnny and Walker

[stargazer14]

First "technical" explanation from Piggy i actually understand.

That is true AND funny.

[mbrody]

My cigar was a wind tunnel, so I put it in the Microwave for 30 seconds. I burnt my lips and tongue.

[oliverdst]

I tried for the first time and worked.

Thanks, Prez.