What to do with tight cigars

[Mikeltee]

2 hours ago, Fugu said:

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.

LOL thanks for the summary. It was a riddle. You hit the nail on the head. No lighter! I got roughly 100 cigars in the deal. 10 didnt light (so far)  That's 10%. Everything else I tried was magnificent and I've had at least 20. I'm in Indiana. The temps are a steady 70 F in my home. For dryboxing method, I put them in an empty cigar box in my closet. The next day I tried one. No go. Day 2 I tried one. No go. Day 3 I tried the final. No go.

[Mikeltee]

19 minutes ago, Jal154 said:

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

or 30 of each Marca?

I got over 100 cigars everywhere from Sigalo XI to HUHC. I couldnt have asked for a better deal for local mostly aged stock.

[earthson]

On 10/27/2019 at 7:05 PM, 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?

It's important to remember that, generally, Havanas are rolled with more tobacco than NC and thus have a tighter roll.  Additionally, 2 weeks, even of dryboxing won't necessarily make the cigars ready to smoke.  When I drybox cigars that are too tight (even for a Havana) or too young or too wet, I let them sit for weeks or a couple months.

Respectfully, it sounds to me like you're new to CC and moreover started with NC, which tend to be rolled looser and are warehouse aged before being released for sale.

Personally, I've found CC to be fairly consistent considering the bad press they receive, even among their fans.  I've had more lop-sided rolls and bouts of underfilling with NC than CC.

Also, Punch Punch are simply fantastic cigars - I always try to have them on hand as they're my favorite Corona Gorda.  Upmann Connie 1 need about 3-5 years of box age to my taste before they shine.

Best of luck!

[CigarB]

Try putting it in the refrigerator for an hour or two, works wonders on tight cigars. 

[BoliDan]

Perfect draw doesnt work on tent pegs, completely overfilled cigars the perfect draw just makes it burst open. Binder and wrapper crack. I inspect and throw out major tent pegs. It is not worth it. I just got a box ryj mille fluers, and tossed 4 immediately. 

[Habana Mike]

I seem to be one of the few that have encountered a higher percentage of, for me, unsmokeable cigars.

I can fight through a tough draw if necessary though don't enjoy that. I am speaking of cigars that give no draw at all.

Been in the game for a few years and have a high 3 digit collection of smokes that have been aged at low humidity, poked "perfecly", refrigerated, microwaved, and left in Vegas outside for days. Still aren't smokeable. 

From my experience 10-15% of Habanos all in all are rolled way too tight, from the dark years turn of the century to boxes purchased in the last few months.

Maybe it's just me. I tend to believe it is HSA QC.....

 

[Tstew75]

Agree with long rest periods, dry boxing, and most of all, a Perfecdraw.

Everyone should own one of these, a true lifesaver.

[Hollywood Ninja]

I store at 58% to get them bands real nice and loose.


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[WABOOM]

Sometimes the only thing that saves a cigar is a 3/32" aircraft extension drill bit. Purge the dust out from the foot towards the head and put it away for another month. It WILL be smokable after that.

[WABOOM]

Perfect draw doesnt work on tent pegs, completely overfilled cigars the perfect draw just makes it burst open. Binder and wrapper crack. I inspect and throw out major tent pegs. It is not worth it. I just got a box ryj mille fluers, and tossed 4 immediately. 

Cut, test for draw and if tight, toss it in a dry mason jar. In a year or two you will be glad you didn't throw them away.

[BoliDan]

1 minute ago, WABOOM said:

12 hours ago, BoliDan said:

Perfect draw doesnt work on tent pegs, completely overfilled cigars the perfect draw just makes it burst open. Binder and wrapper crack. I inspect and throw out major tent pegs. It is not worth it. I just got a box ryj mille fluers, and tossed 4 immediately. 

Cut, test for draw and if tight, toss it in a dry mason jar. In a year or two you will be glad you didn't throw them away.

I'll give it a shot. Would suggest a low rh boveda. It gets about 5%rh here in the winter with forced air going.

[Burningman]

When the tight spot is close to the foot I find a thin sewing needle does the trick.

[PigFish]

I believe in environmental causes.

This does not mean that the Cuban's don't eff'up cigars! 

I meticulously store cigars. I smoke a large number of thin cigars. I smoke a large number of cigars from the 'dreaded, don't buy the millennial era cigars.' I don't have problems! I don't have a poker!!!

When I started making humidors I discovered how poorly most people likely store cigars. They use crappy instruments, lousy controls, have poor circulation, and use even worse habits and use hearsay data. Sorry mates.... that is how I size up the smoking community with cigar care! Vendors are the same (largely). The store too wet so that they can ship without damage. They call mold 'plume.'

If anything the Cubans largely under-fill cigars today. They are often missing core tobaccos at the axis of the cigar. They tunnel, the burn poorly and taste like crap... Properly stored, they draw like straws.

If you are smoking cigars days after delivery, you have no one but yourself to blame! No offense... but you should know better. The only storage you can trust is your own.

Stop wasting good cigars and look at your habits and perhaps even storage.

No offense... sound advice, all my humble opinion, cigar smoker for 36 years, precision humidor maker for over a decade now!

Cheers! -Piggy

[GavLew79]

59 minutes ago, PigFish said:

I believe in environmental causes.

This does not mean that the Cuban's don't eff'up cigars! 

I meticulously store cigars. I smoke a large number of thin cigars. I smoke a large number of cigars from the 'dreaded, don't buy the millennial era cigars.' I don't have problems! I don't have a poker!!!

When I started making humidors I discovered how poorly most people likely store cigars. They use crappy instruments, lousy controls, have poor circulation, and use even worse habits and use hearsay data. Sorry mates.... that is how I size up the smoking community with cigar care! Vendors are the same (largely). The store too wet so that they can ship without damage. They call mold 'plume.'

If anything the Cubans largely under-fill cigars today. They are often missing core tobaccos at the axis of the cigar. They tunnel, the burn poorly and taste like crap... Properly stored, they draw like straws.

If you are smoking cigars days after delivery, you have no one but yourself to blame! No offense... but you should know better. The only storage you can trust is your own.

Stop wasting good cigars and look at your habits and perhaps even storage.

No offense... sound advice, all my humble opinion, cigar smoker for 36 years, precision humidor maker for over a decade now!

Cheers! -Piggy

Listen to this guy. He's the Messiah. 

<He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy!">

[WABOOM]

I'll give it a shot. Would suggest a low rh boveda. It gets about 5%rh here in the winter with forced air going.

Not necessary. In a sealed mason jar it would be ok for a very long time.