Tight Medailles

[patrickamory]

I won a box of MdO No. 4 2012 on BR a few years ago. The first half of the box smoked like a dream.

The second half - I'm experiencing tight draws. I've tried dryboxing for 24 hours. Tried the PerfecDraw. No luck.

Am I out of luck? Any tips?

[mohammed.s.almutlaq11]

Some Cuban cigars, especially small rings you can do nothing about it. However, check your room humidity. It might be very humid so dry boxing didn’t do anything.

[patrickamory]

1 hour ago, mohammed.s.almutlaq11 said:

Some Cuban cigars, especially small rings you can do nothing about it. However, check your room humidity. It might be very humid so dry boxing didn’t do anything.

I was wondering about this. It's not incredibly humid, but it is late spring in NYC so not dry even with the AC on. Should I try putting in the fridge for a bit?

[El Presidente]

It just shouldn't happen. 

We have sold some 40,000 Desnudo Ninfa's (33 ring gauge) since release late last year. I haven't heard of a problem in draw yet. No doubt there will be the outlier but half a box? Pffft. 

So what's the difference?  Care, buyin, attention to detail, reward and recognition. 

[mohammed.s.almutlaq11]

50 minutes ago, patrickamory said:

I was wondering about this. It's not incredibly humid, but it is late spring in NYC so not dry even with the AC on. Should I try putting in the fridge for a bit?

I would recommend to put an airlock container with boveda less than 62, depending on how dry you can enjoy it.

[El Presidente]

50 minutes ago, patrickamory said:

I was wondering about this. It's not incredibly humid, but it is late spring in NYC so not dry even with the AC on. Should I try putting in the fridge for a bit?

Next time you are going to smoke one.

Take one that is the worst. 

Clip the cap. Place in the fridge for 60 minutes. Try smoking it. 

Come back to us 

[patrickamory]

I've just clipped a second one that has a decent draw on dry. So I'm guessing it is QC.

I will report back on the refrigeration experiment for the first one.

[Jimmy2]

Just put it in a pipe and smoke it  …😀

[NSXCIGAR]

36 minutes ago, patrickamory said:

Tried the PerfecDraw. No luck.

No improvement with the PD? If you're using it correctly only rock hard tent pegs can't be improved with the PD. 

[NSXCIGAR]

9 hours ago, El Presidente said:

So what's the difference?  Care, buyin, attention to detail, reward and recognition. 

Genuinely curious, are you guys using a draw checking machine? My guess would be you're not as good training and QC should be enough. Cuba didn't need them until 1999. 

[El Presidente]

1 hour ago, NSXCIGAR said:

Genuinely curious, are you guys using a draw checking machine? My guess would be you're not as good training and QC should be enough. Cuba didn't need them until 1999. 

We do use draw machines 👍

[Fugu]

2 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

Genuinely curious, are you guys using a draw checking machine? My guess would be you're not as good training and QC should be enough. Cuba didn't need them until 1999. 

I think you can forget the drawmaster on a 32-rg cigar. It’s not more than a “guess”, a hint in respect to the finished cigar. Good thing about the MdO4 is, that - from my experience - rollers seem to be given some leeway with regard to final ring gauge. If there’s a fuller bunch, cigars tend the be a tad wider in girth. I do like that: compromise final girth for the benefit of blend and draw. That being said, I rarely come across true draw issues in MdO4. But you have to adjust your smoking to the different cigars in a box.

[NSXCIGAR]

11 hours ago, Fugu said:

I think you can forget the drawmaster on a 32-rg cigar. It’s not more than a “guess”, a hint in respect to the finished cigar. Good thing about the MdO4 is, that - from my experience - rollers seem to be given some leeway with regard to final ring gauge. If there’s a fuller bunch, cigars tend the be a tad wider in girth. I do like that: compromise final girth for the benefit of blend and draw. That being said, I rarely come across true draw issues in MdO4. But you have to adjust your smoking to the different cigars in a box.

I don't know that they wouldn't use the machine on thin RG cigars. I do have to agree I haven't had any MdO4 or PLMC with tight draws in a very long time. Whatever they're doing they're getting it right. I also haven't noticed much variation in RG between cigars although I'm sure if the bunch is full they'd back off a tad. Takes a very skilled touch on cigars like those. 

[Fugu]

Not saying it isn’t done (I once saw Nick Perdomo state that they test down to 28-rg) but once you see how it’s being done you know it’s more show than anything, at least for certain formats. Each time I see a figurado being tested (with the binder blocking off the airways of the bunch’s head in the finished puppa), it makes me chuckle....

The thinner the ring gauge the more meticulous you have to ensure that there is a tight fit to the drawmaster’s suction membrane and draw mandrel in order not to pull any secondary air. And make sure that the thing is frequently recalibrated, filters are kept clean and so on. In such a small-girth cigar tolerances are smaller as well, and I’d say, you’re much better off checking for weight and give of the bunch... instead of pseudo-scientific gauging of ‘house numbers’ (as we put it here 😅). As always, mho.

[NSXCIGAR]

1 hour ago, Fugu said:

Not saying it isn’t done (I once saw Nick Perdomo state that they test down to 28-rg)

Well, no need to speculate. Are you putting the small RG cigars in the machine @El Presidente? 

[Fugu]

6 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

Well, no need to speculate. Are you putting the small RG cigars in the machine @El Presidente? 

I am not speculating, I know it’s being widely done (can’t speak for Fabrica 5, but this thread is about / originated about the MdO4). What I am saying is - it has its limitations in certain formats. And it doesn’t work in a figurado like a Beli or Pirámides. At least until someone may convince me otherwise. 😉

[El Presidente]

Every cigar from Fabrica 5 goes through the draw machine process regardless of gauge.  

You had me second guessing but I have had it confirmed by Hamlet. 

[patrickamory]

On 6/2/2024 at 4:56 PM, El Presidente said:

Next time you are going to smoke one.

Take one that is the worst. 

Clip the cap. Place in the fridge for 60 minutes. Try smoking it. 

Come back to us 

Well, I tried the fridge experiment. No good. Just so tight.