Underfilled Cigars - How to Make the Best of a Bad Thing

[TTP21]

More often than not, when I get a box I'll take a look at all the sticks and pull out the uglies because for some reason I'm crazy that way and want to get them away from the prettier examples.  It seems to happen without fail that I come across a cigar or two in the box that is obviously underfilled.

 

I've not had a ton of luck with those examples being anything but a poor experience, but wanted to pose the question to those of you who may have found a method to get more out of underfilled cigars. 

 

Have any of you been able to turn a skinny(not on purpose) stick into something worthwhile?  What methods have worked best?

Thanks!

 

 

[El Presidente]

I haven't tried it but I have have a local mate who loves a tight "ish" draw. Not plugged, just a draw where you have to "pull" on each draw. 

He runs 2 desktops. one at 65RH and one at 75 RH.  He puts all underfilled single cigars at 75 RH for a couple of days. 

In effect, he "wet boxes" 

 

[djrey]

I'm with you, an under filled cigar is about the worst thing I can find in a box. They tend to burn fast and hot. Best thing I have found is when cutting obviously cut as little as possible, usually just the top cap. Test the draw. If it is loose, tap the cut end with your tongue. Test the draw again. Keep lightly wetting the tobacco with your tongue until you have the perfect draw. This alleviates most issues with a under filled cigar. Give it a go!

[MPS]

Mejor en la basura! 

[parabola66]

1 hour ago, El Presidente said:

He runs 2 desktops. one at 65RH and one at 75 RH.

For a minute I said to myself.. "why does he humidify his computers?"

[MrGlass]

Your question reminded me of this post from Ray a couple of years ago on his technique for dealing with tunneling:

 

[Lotusguy]

It's the bane of my cigar smoking existence... really not much you can do. I squish them together at the head to restrict the draw like Pigfish recommended, but more often than not, they still smoke too hot and fast. One of the many reasons I prefer thinner RG cigars - fewer of them tend to be underfilled.

[JohnS]

I would come about an underfilled cigar very rarely...I think I've had two in the last 5 or so years, as an example. No, there's not much you can do for an underfilled cigar. I'm grateful that my PerfecDraw tool ably assists me with tight cigars though.

[havanaclub]

I would come about an underfilled cigar very rarely...I think I've had two in the last 5 or so years, as an example. No, there's not much you can do for an underfilled cigar. I'm grateful that my PerfecDraw tool ably assists me with tight cigars though.

John, with all the cigars you smoke and you have only had 2 in the last 5 years, go buy a lotto ticket either you are the luckiest man on the planet, or you are getting the best handpicked cigars.


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[avaldes]

The experience at the turn of the century with boxes and boxes of dowels makes me say that under-filled beats over-filled.

[JohnS]

9 hours ago, havanaclub said:

John, with all the cigars you smoke and you have only had 2 in the last 5 years, go buy a lotto ticket either you are the luckiest man on the planet, or you are getting the best handpicked cigars.

Umm, yes...definitely the second option there! ?

[renos]

On ‎2‎/‎25‎/‎2020 at 7:18 PM, MrGlass said:

Your question reminded me of this post from Ray a couple of years ago on his technique for dealing with tunneling:

 

I was thinking of the same video.  I watched it last week and tried this on a NC cigar that was tunneling a bit and it worked well.  So I assume it might help with an underfilled cigar

[SigmundChurchill]

None of us like underfilled or tight cigars, but if I had to choose one over the other, I would choose underfilled.  

It forces me to smoke gently, which is something I should be doing anyway because I experience the complexity of the cigar more that way.   I can usually keep it from tunneling that way, though I may have to re-light a few times over the course of the cigar.

Still better to me than having to suck so hard that my eyes are going to pop out of their sockets, just to get a small amount of smoke.  And then digging around with the perfect draw until i find something acceptable.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

[bbguardsp]

Thanks to Piggy the smash technique has save me alotta headaches.

[renos]

8 hours ago, SigmundChurchill said:

It forces me to smoke gently, which is something I should be doing anyway because I experience the complexity of the cigar more that way.   I can usually keep it from tunneling that way, though I may have to re-light a few times over the course of the cigar.

Can't speak for others but I so look forward to the experience and the flavors I need to remind myself to smoke gently.  Fortunately I learned to do this before I got into Cuban cigars while smoking Padrons.  They can have such a loose draw, which I love, you have to be carful not to smoke to fast or it can heat up real quick and potentially ruin some flavors IMO.

Also I've got some QD 50's which I'll be trying again in a few months and I've read some posts that recommend smoking sloooow to bring out more/better flavorist these.  So its worth being patient for both construction and flavor.

[The Squiggler]

Thanks to Piggy the smash technique has save me alotta headaches.

 

 

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[bbguardsp]

1 hour ago, The Squiggler said:

 

 

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Lawd lol

[Kayslay]

I had a VR Famoso last night that the pinch method worked well on. I Would say to I would rather an underfilled over an overfilled CC. However as luck would have it I tend to get overfilled cigars 3 to 1 vs underfilled. The Perfecdraw bails me out about 75% of the time in the case of an overfill, at least to where the cigar is at least smokable..

[SigloVI]

I’ll take underfilled vs overfilled/tight cigar any day