What to do with tight cigars

[Mikeltee]

So I spent 1k on a cuban sampler. So far 10% have been rolled so tight that they wont even light. They have been stable for a week at 62 and spent 2 days in the mail after living years at 62. I've tried stabbing the hell out of them with a perfecdraw and dryboxed them for days. I'm very mad. I never even had a $3 NC behave like this. They were 5ers of punch punch and connie #1s. Is this just the game you play with CCs? If so, I quit! If you find a couple in a box too tight are you pretty much guaranteed a full box like this? All mine hit the trash can. I'll never touch another connie 1 or punch punch again. What do you guys do in this situation?

[MigsG]

Tough situation.  I've had varied success, the most memorable was where I stuck most of a box of Siglo Is in a Ziploc (removed from box) with a couple 69 bovedas for almost a month. Overhumidified them. Was so moist by then.  Many of them loosened up. Then moved them to cigar sleeves and kept them sealed tight. Then dry boxed as needed.  Saved most of them. 

[WABOOM]

Put the tight ones in a mason jar for a year or more. Don't be afraid to open it up every once in a while to change out the air. They WILL loosen up.

[Dave O)))]

13 minutes ago, WABOOM said:

Put the tight ones in a mason jar for a year or more. Don't be afraid to open it up every once in a while to change out the air. They WILL loosen up.

This. Two weeks rest is not even close. Leave them for at least three months, but even that isn't long enough for many. A year or more should work wonders.

[helix]

The bane of Cuban cigars.

[cigcars]

49 minutes ago, Mikeltee said:

So I spent 1k on a cuban sampler. So far 10% have been rolled so tight that they wont even light. They have been stable for a week at 62 and spent 2 days in the mail after living years at 62. I've tried stabbing the hell out of them with a perfecdraw and dryboxed them for days. I'm very mad. I never even had a $3 NC behave like this. They were 5ers of punch punch and connie #1s. Is this just the game you play with CCs? If so, I quit! If you find a couple in a box too tight are you pretty much guaranteed a full box like this? All mine hit the trash can. I'll never touch another connie 1 or punch punch again. What do you guys do in this situation?

     H-E-E-E-Y-Y, Mikeltee, whoa, whoa there...I've ended up with "problem" cigars through the years that I'd special ordered and from reasonably reputable companies. You could have (and should have) contacted that seller, told him or her the problem and if they're worth their word and honor, they should and would have invited you to advise them of your troubles and they would have been glad to replace them. I've had Cohiba cigars in the cardboard box of singles each that arrived having clearly gotten wet or damp for some reason, etc.; I contacted the seller and they were all too glad to ship me a replacement box: I didn't even have to send them back the damaged ones. That's been my experience and I have no reason to believe I'm unique in that respect. I've had my Habanos "lost in transit" (even confiscated  ), and my sellers faithfully replaced them. I'm real, REAL sorry to hear of that problem - and feel some degree of respite in finding someone else for whom that stupid "Draw Poker" doesn't do squat as far as helping to unplug a plugged cigar   I've unfortunately ended up with quite a number of plugged smokes: used that draw poker over and over and OVER again on the same smoke...NOOOO results. As much as everybody loves Punch Punch and H Upmann Connoisseur No.1's I'd hate for you to miss out on them from now on because of a few bad apples.

[Mikeltee]

1 hour ago, WABOOM said:

Put the tight ones in a mason jar for a year or more. Don't be afraid to open it up every once in a while to change out the air. They WILL loosen up.

Do I add a boveda or just seal it up and swap the air every month or so? 

[Mikeltee]

9 minutes ago, cigcars said:

     H-E-E-E-Y-Y, Mikeltee, whoa, whoa there...I've ended up with "problem" cigars through the years that I'd special ordered and from reasonably reputable companies. You could have (and should have) contacted that seller, told him or her the problem and if they're worth their word and honor, they should and would have invited you to advise them of your troubles and they would have been glad to replace them. I've had Cohiba cigars in the cardboard box of singles each that arrived having clearly gotten wet or damp for some reason, etc.; I contacted the seller and they were all too glad to ship me a replacement box: I didn't even have to send them back the damaged ones. That's been my experience and I have no reason to believe I'm unique in that respect. I've had my Habanos "lost in transit" (even confiscated  ), and my sellers faithfully replaced them. I'm real, REAL sorry to hear of that problem - and feel some degree of respite in finding someone else for whom that stupid "Draw Poker" doesn't do squat as far as helping to unplug a plugged cigar   I've unfortunately ended up with quite a number of plugged smokes: used that draw poker over and over and OVER again on the same smoke...NOOOO results. As much as everybody loves Punch Punch and H Upmann Connoisseur No.1's I'd hate for you to miss out on them from now on because of a few bad apples.

Punch and Connie 1s seem to be highly regarded here. I guess the next step with them would be a 1/4box of psp the gain some trust. The person I got them from is not a dealer. He just has a huge amount of stock with a taste for more and no room to put them. I dont blame him, and hes a good dude. No way he would purposely get rid of his plugged stock especially on someone that never had a CC. This batch totally ruined my evening, but in the future if I come across two in a row, I will do something about it aside from getting pissed and tossing them. Thanks for the responses guys. It's much appreciated. 

[WABOOM]

Do I add a boveda or just seal it up and swap the air every month or so? 

No humidification. They are too humidified as they are.

This is basically a nice slow "dry boxing"

[Mikeltee]

Ok that makes sense. I will do this next time.

[WABOOM]

The leaf bunch will shrink as it rests and slowly comes down in RH. They will be enjoyable down into the mid 50's RH. Don't worry, it just takes time. I've saved dozens and dozens of tight cigars by simply putting them back and grabbing different one. It's the reason I cut mine right there at my humidor in my storage cellar.

 

Btw, I assume these were shipped to you recently? The temp swings during shipping can change the smokablity as you are experiencing.

[dobbs]

2 hours ago, Dave O))) said:

This. Two weeks rest is not even close. Leave them for at least three months, but even that isn't long enough for many. A year or more should work wonders.

this is the best advice, even if it's not what anyone would want to hear. three months minimum at between 60-65rh. smoke your non-cubans in the meantime.

*edit - just read years at 62rh, not sure what to say*

-dobbs

[Mikeltee]

Yes the seller is on point with the RH. Hes the one that instructed me to get 62 bovedas and even shipped the cigars with one. It was only in the mail 2 days and it wasnt too hot or cold. I seriously doubt the trip had any influence on them. 

 

My 1k sampler included about 30 vitolas from around 8 marcas including what I had trouble with. I've tried half of them and they are all perfect. This is what leads me to believe it's more of a bad roll job than a RH problem. 

[HumidorJuan]

don't give up on Punch Punch or Connie 1s those are some fine sticks. 

 If I clip one and its feeling super tight I toss it in the fridge for an hour or so and I've found that this loosens them up. But both the punch and connie are better with age so just do the mason jar thing. 

[jackupster]

Perfectdraw Tool! It will par for itself with just a few tight or plugged sticks! 

[NSXCIGAR]

Perfecdraw. 

I smoke a lot of Connie 1. Yes, they can have tight draws but it seems if they're plugged it's towards the head which makes it an easy fix with the Perfecdraw. 

I really don't worry about draw anymore since the Perfecdraw. The only issues I've had was with ESL NOV 18 box of Monte 1 that were almost all very tight and all the way through to boot. Anything over 6" can be tough since the Perfecdraw isn't that long. But Hermosos No. 4 are no issue. 

I have noticed a bit of a run in tight draws from 18 onward. ABR 19 box of Famosos has been pretty tight for me. Some El Principe. Of course the Monte 1. 

Of course this could all be humidity related. I really don't rest past 30 days. And my ambient rH has been in the high 60s/low 70s all year so it's a fight to keep my stock in the low 60s. 

[RDB]

Step 1: don’t worry, and certainly don’t write off great vitolas on the basis of a few bad experiences. Step 2: don’t smoke plugged cigars (or poke them to death). If they are tight when you clip them, just put them back. Step 3: rest them a long time at reasonably low RH. 62 should be fine (at say 65-70F). 

The large majority will probably sort themselves out. I don’t use a perfect draw, and I would say only one in 25 cigars is permanently too tight. But there are many more I clip, think ‘hmm’ and put back for a longer rest.

If only I could apply this sort of calm logic to all of life’s challenges...

[Meklown]

10 minutes ago, RDB said:

The large majority will probably sort themselves out. I don’t use a perfect draw, and I would say only one in 25 cigars is permanently too tight. But there are many more I clip, think ‘hmm’ and put back for a longer rest.

Agree with this. I can't always tell a cigar's tightness from just squeezing it, so I also do a cold draw and that will tell you all you need to know about the cigar's draw.

[fitzy]

I’ve had my fair share of ass tight Connie 1s. 1st of all I wouldn’t touch them for 90 days minimum. Second cut the cigar, check the draw if it’s bad put it back in the dry box for another month or two. I’d keep em at 58% or so. 
 

Connie 1s are great cigars but they can have a bit of a tight draw. Time and patience will be your best friend here. 

[WABOOM]

Yes the seller is on point with the RH. Hes the one that instructed me to get 62 bovedas and even shipped the cigars with one. It was only in the mail 2 days and it wasnt too hot or cold. I seriously doubt the trip had any influence on them. 
 
My 1k sampler included about 30 vitolas from around 8 marcas including what I had trouble with. I've tried half of them and they are all perfect. This is what leads me to believe it's more of a bad roll job than a RH problem. 

What temp was the cargo hold of the airplane that carried the parcel?
What temp was the post office warehouse?
What temp was the Mail truck?

- (see where I'm going with this)

[Brian24]

I had a box of RGs, first three unsmokable right even with draw tool. Forgot about them for 2 years, no issue. Sometimes it just takes time.

[BrightonCorgi]

I just throw them away or toss into the fire place.

[Fugu]

It's funny how 'PerfecDraw' is being recommened while the OP states that he's been "stabbing the hell out of them with a perfecdraw". A lot of diverse advice so far, while not everybody seems to listen carefully:

To summarize - facts as stated:

• Cigars have been sitting ("living") @ 62% rH for "years" (that is, it is neither fresh, perhaps not even young tobacco we are talking about. Also, not being excessively humidified, provided not kept refrigerated),
• in shipping, the cigars spent "2 days in the mail" - that's short and smooth transit, i.e. domestic as I take it (?)
• cigars have then been sitting at OP's place again at 62% rH for a week, and...
• he then dryboxed (while conditions for that remain undisclosed) in addition "for days".
• OP reamed "a hell" of tobacco out of them using a PerfecDraw.

In the end, his cigars turn out still so bad that ten percent "won't even light"?!!

 

There is only one conclusion to be drawn here - it's the lighter that needs a refill.

[teamrandr]

A

[Jal154]

30 cigars, 8 different brands.......$1,000? @Mikeltee?

or 30 of each Marca?