Burn issues: What am I doing wrong?

[Baccy]

So my entire cigar smoking experience has been ruined as of late due to major burn issues. It hasn't always been this way, but I can't seem to figure out what the issue may be. I keep all my smokes at 62-65 Rh and I feel like my cigars are in good shape, at least they seem to be. I always smoke outdoors as I don't really have any other choice. Where I live the ambient humidity levels stay pretty high, like normally above 75 and this summer it seems to be over 80 most of the time. So it's pretty damp. Could this be the problem? I find myself having to purge constantly because of canoeing and tunneling then it just goes out, and I eventually get fed up and toss the damn thing rather than waste time on a cigar I can't enjoy. Any thoughts? Any help would be greatly appreciated...

[KavalanWhisky]

A couple of factors, how windy is it when you are smoking? Also how do you light your cigar?  How many cigars has this happened to and were they all from the same marque and box?

Quick tip I learnt from Rob is that if a cigar is canoeing down one side use some water to dab the side that is burning faster with a few drops of water and this normally slows down the burn so the other side catches up.  I've tried this with different drinks and the cigar tastes a little different so recommend water to dab

 

[Deeg]

12 minutes ago, KavalanWhisky said:

A couple of factors, how windy is it when you are smoking? Also how do you light your cigar?  How many cigars has this happened to and were they all from the same marque and box?

Quick tip I learnt from Rob is that if a cigar is canoeing down one side use some water to dab the side that is burning faster with a few drops of water and this normally slows down the burn so the other side catches up.  I've tried this with different drinks and the cigar tastes a little different so recommend water to dab

 

This has always been my practice as well.  Honestly, in a pinch spit works just fine (just be discreet about it).

[HarveyBoulevard]

Humidity that high causes me to have those same issues. I live in a dry environment so I only experience those burn issues when I am on vacation somewhere in the southeast. I don't think your storage conditions are wrong but the smoking conditions can certainly affect the burn.

[NSXCIGAR]

75-80 rH ambient could definitely be affecting performance. Wind as well.

Might want to try storing closer to 60 rH. Even a high 50s wouldn't be out of the question but take care with the cigar as it will be brittle when brought out. Might want to cut your cigars prior to attempting this to avoid wrapper cracks. And keep some cigar glue handy in case disaster strikes.

[BeerPimp]

I think outside humidity does effect it. I was wondering if how well you get the cigar lit in the beginning effects burn.  I am wondering if you try not to get the cigar to hot when you light it you don't get it going good enough and it causes burn issues.

[bbguardsp]

How do you cut your cigars?  V and punch can sometimes lead to burn issues as a straight cut insures you get all air channels equally from the filler.

[nKostyan]

There is the idea that this is a problem opposite to mine. Winter humidity falls to 30%, open every day humidor and cigars dry out. Boveda and a large gel humidifier do not have time. There is the idea that you have high humidity due to the air humidity.

[El Presidente]

1 hour ago, BeerPimp said:

I think outside humidity does effect it. I was wondering if how well you get the cigar lit in the beginning effects burn.  I am wondering if you try not to get the cigar to hot when you light it you don't get it going good enough and it causes burn issues.

Spend a minute getting the burn right. 

In the vids I do with Ken, you will often see me beg for him to spend more time lighting his cigar. We are smoking the same cigar that came from the same environment in the same location. 9 out of 10 times that we have a burn issue, it is with his cigar. 

Take the time. Get it well and evenly lit. 

Humidity is a real issue when it comes to burn. From the minute you enter that environment, that wrapper is absorbing H2O. 

 

[Deeg]

2 hours ago, bbguardsp said:

How do you cut your cigars?  V and punch can sometimes lead to burn issues as a straight cut insures you get all air channels equally from the filler.

That’s actually the first I’ve heard that about V cuts. Have others run across that issue?

[Lotusguy]

22 minutes ago, Deeg said:

That’s actually the first I’ve heard that about V cuts. Have others run across that issue?

Not at all, never.

[Deeg]

48 minutes ago, Lotusguy said:

Not at all, never.

I hope not!  That's my preferred cut, even for torpedos.  

[Baccy]

3 hours ago, bbguardsp said:

How do you cut your cigars?  V and punch can sometimes lead to burn issues as a straight cut insures you get all air channels equally from the filler.

I have been using a punch alot more lately. Maybe I will go back to the guillotine... and get a real good light going as Rob suggested.

[Islandboy]

5 hours ago, bdw1984 said:

I live in FL, this is an issue for me for about 4-5mo out of the year if I’m smoking outside. The best thing I’ve found is to really bring the rh down through dry boxing for 3-5 days +++. Unfortunately it’s a lot of trial and error. 

Yup, same here on Hawaii at certain times. There seems to be a pretty large variance in moisture content among the boxes I get, so it affects cigars from certain boxes more than others. I’ve observed that once a box has been in my Humidor (at 65%) for a few years, the likelihood of burn issues greatly diminishes.

[CaptainQuintero]

It can't hurt to give your cigars the old humidity test to check your hygrometers aren't off. They can be anything fun 1-7% off just due to how they're made (Unless you're spending triple digits on lab grade ones):

Give them a roll between forefinger and thumb. If your humidity is about right the cigar should give a crackle

[madandana]

Is your house warmer in the summer or do you use AC? I ask this because you might need to drop your humidity level in your humidor if your temperature is to high.

[SCgarman]

Cuban cigars hate summertime high humidity/dewpoint levels. The cigar will actually absorb the moisture as you smoke it. This causes me to puff harder on the cigar, relight it several times and not be able to smoke it down as far due to it gaining moisture. It really is a pain. Dry air with a low dewpoint is best for cigars, hence my favorite times. Fall, winter and early spring here on the east coast/ mid Atlantic are best.

[Nino]

26 minutes ago, NYgarman said:

Cuban cigars hate summertime high humidity/dewpoint levels. The cigar will actually absorb the moisture as you smoke it. This causes me to puff harder on the cigar, relight it several times and not be able to smoke it down as far due to it gaining moisture. It really is a pain. Dry air with a low dewpoint is best for cigars, hence my favorite times. Fall, winter and early spring here on the east coast/ mid Atlantic are best.

^^
This - happens to me mostly in Havana due to the high humidity there.

[Cigar Surgeon]

12 hours ago, Baccy said:

 I keep all my smokes at 62-65 Rh 

How are you measuring your humidity levels; digital hygrometer? Calibrated?

[PigFish]

13 hours ago, Baccy said:

So my entire cigar smoking experience has been ruined as of late due to major burn issues. It hasn't always been this way, but I can't seem to figure out what the issue may be. I keep all my smokes at 62-65 Rh and I feel like my cigars are in good shape, at least they seem to be. I always smoke outdoors as I don't really have any other choice. Where I live the ambient humidity levels stay pretty high, like normally above 75 and this summer it seems to be over 80 most of the time. So it's pretty damp. Could this be the problem? I find myself having to purge constantly because of canoeing and tunneling then it just goes out, and I eventually get fed up and toss the damn thing rather than waste time on a cigar I can't enjoy. Any thoughts? Any help would be greatly appreciated...

Do you refrigerate your cigars?

In other words, are you one that uses a cooled humidor and stores below 70F? Mentioning only the rH that you store is a technical error. It is because people assume that the climatology is right for your cigars from rH only. That is a mistake of the reader as well.

A comment made above about water attaching itself to cigars the minute it is in the ambient outside the humidor is also incorrect. The depends on the rH and temperature of the ambient and the cigar itself. If water is landing and sticking to your cigars, try warming them!!! That is right. A cold cigar will attract water just like a cold mirror does in the shower in the AM.

You might also try smoking differently. I doubt you have heard this one before, as it is not often thought of by cigar smokers.

Do you understand that water vapor actually displaces oxygen (and other molecules in air). This is true. Ask any pilot about the 3H's (heigh, heat, humidity). So do the other 2... The less O^2 in the air, the more you have to draw on the cigar to keep it lit and hot. You therefore need to smoke more aggressively in high rH, altitude and temperature environments to get the same puff to combustion ratio. It becomes even harder on lose drawing, large ring cigars. You might feel that you need to use a vacuum cleaner to keep those going.

First check the temp of your storage and lookout for actual condensation (albeit microscopic) on your cigars. Don't refrigerate them. Store them closer to 70F and above. Next try smoking some thinner ring cigars this time of year. As others have mentioned, get it lit right and if it comes to worst, smoke like hell!!!

Good luck! -the Pig

[Shelby07]

Don’t know if this will help you, but it has helped others. 

Use a single flame torch and light the edge of the foot all the way around. Make sure the entire edge is burning (white). Then light the center of the foot. 

The other thing you might try is dry boxing, but use a low humidity boveda pack if you’re in a location with high ambient humidity. 

[Cbarber]

I have the same issues with canoeing and tunneling while smoking in high humidity. 

I dry box for at least 7 days which does help but I still get bubbling and blistering at the burn line which would normally mean that the wrapper is wet. 

I keep most cigars in a wine cooler at 60%, 68 degrees and my overflow in Tupperware at 65%, 75 degrees (big savings on electricity).  After dry boxing for a week the cigars are so dry that I have the wet the cap before cutting or I will damage the wrapper.  It must be sucking up moisture while smoking.

It always looks like the wrapper slightly pulls away from one side of the cigar and refuses to burn.  Pinching the cigar does help unless the dry wrapper cracks.

I've been through a lot of variations to get a better burn but I haven't had much luck.  The PLPC I dry boxed for a week and then dunked in water did burn well though.  It seems the water helped the wrapper stick to the binder and burn better.

 

I can dry box a NC for 1 day and smoke without problems.

[Silverstix]

If your storage and smoking conditions haven't changed, it may be best to just chalk it up to being handmade organic products that just aren't cooperating.  They always susceptible to human error on the rolling table.  Of course these are organic ingredients as well, so they could behave inconsistently from time to time. I prefer CC profiles to NC profiles, but all of the considerations and ideas you're getting are not factors in the NC world.  I never worry about dry boxing or the type of cut.  I tolerate it because I like CC better, but it would be great if CC's were more consistent and predictable in these areas.

[Islandboy]

7 minutes ago, Silverstix said:

 I prefer CC profiles to NC profiles, but all of the considerations and ideas you're getting are not factors in the NC world.  I never worry about dry boxing or the type of cut.  I tolerate it because I like CC better, but it would be great if CC's were more consistent and predictable in these areas.

It is rather interesting that NC’s don’t seem to suffer from the same issue here. Do they cure the cigars longer after rolling, I wonder? Or could the Cuban freezing process be introducing moisture?

[BeerPimp]

12 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Spend a minute getting the burn right. 

In the vids I do with Ken, you will often see me beg for him to spend more time lighting his cigar. We are smoking the same cigar that came from the same environment in the same location. 9 out of 10 times that we have a burn issue, it is with his cigar. 

Take the time. Get it well and evenly lit. 

Humidity is a real issue when it comes to burn. From the minute you enter that environment, that wrapper is absorbing H2O. 

 

I do take the time to toast the cigar and make sure I get it evenly lit but I think that I have not been getting them lit well enough especially on large RG cigars.   I was worried about getting strong flavors at the start but then the cigar doesn't burn as good.   I will say you can tell if a cigar is lit well and burning well after you ash it.   If it has an outie you are good if it has an innie then there is trouble ahead.?