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  • BOTL UPCOMING MAINTENANCE

    Hi Everyone, as mentioned in my introduction post, BOTL needs quite a bit of updating, patching and whatever else I might come across. Over the next few weekends BOTL may be unreachable on occasion as I do migrations or updates, etc. Just be patient - we'll be back! I'll generally try to keep these maintenances until later in the evenings.

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  1. Bruce T.

    Cuban quality

    First let may say, "nice stash Jimmy_Jack !" Second, I started this thread 3 hours ago at 10 am on a weekday. This is a lot of responses in 3 hours. Third, I can buy CC's locally because I'm in Canada but our tax rate on tobacco products is crazy high. My American friends would be shocked at...
  2. Bruce T.

    Hygrometer Probe...for Cigar Science

    I'm not an expert on measuring MC in cigars but I can tell you that the distance between the probes is not important. The resistance reading will not change due to a few inches more or less. My suggestion is to not use sewing needles. I would use a metal disk and push the foot of the cigar...
  3. Bruce T.

    Cuban quality

    There was a couple of interesting articles in the recent issue of Cigar Aficionado. One article described some of the inner workings of the Cuban cigar industry. Such things as seed genetics research, plant biology studies, complex soil analysis throughout the country and the multi level...
  4. Bruce T.

    Hygrometer Probe...for Cigar Science

    Here's a wood moisture meter for $30. http://www.leevalley.com/en/hardware/page.aspx?p=71986&cat=1,43513 You can get similar units at similar prices at Home Depot or other wood stores. These are the easiest to modify. You can make whatever pin, plate or needle type probe that you want and...
  5. Bruce T.

    Hygrometer Probe...for Cigar Science

    You are , of course, correct. I was doing too much typing and not enough thinking. %MC = starting weight - oven-dry weight / starting weight x 100 Thanks for the correction.
  6. Bruce T.

    Hygrometer Probe...for Cigar Science

    Yeah, RH cannot be measured by a moisture meter that uses electrical resistance. It is % moisture by weight. It is a valid reading and it is used in the agriculture industry when drying hay and I think it's also used when fermenting tobacco. The trick is to find what moisture content relates...
  7. Bruce T.

    Rescuing a Cigar Platoon!

    Yeah, you're right. I didn't notice that. I only saw the big "Cuban Coronas" on the box. I wonder why a company would use the same name as a low quality brand from Cuba. It's not like they are Cohibas. I've read that cigars can take 1 week for every 1% change in RH. I don't know if that is...
  8. Bruce T.

    Hygrometer Probe...for Cigar Science

    I happen to own a company that make moisture meters for wood so I know a bit about the subject. Here are a few thoughts. 1.Some materials conduct electrical current much better that others. A simple Ohm meter can do the job if tobacco leaves are good conductors but if they perform more like...
  9. Bruce T.

    Rescuing a Cigar Platoon!

    Defiantly try to re-humidify them. My only suggestion is to do it slowly and patiently. Unfortunately, I've got to say that while I'm a big fan of CC's, I've tried the Belindas and they are not a good cigar. They are short filler and I didn't like the flavor, even with a fresh stick.
  10. Bruce T.

    Pics of Your Sticks

    Here is my latest batch. I'm a very slow roller so 4-5 sticks is about all I do in an evening. [/URL][/IMG] Here's a group shot of my rolling this winter. Spring is on it's way so it's almost time to start into these suckers.
  11. Bruce T.

    Cigar Rolling Equipment for sale

    It takes me about 20 minutes to bunch and bind one cigar! That's why I only roll about 4-5 cigars per session.
  12. Bruce T.

    2nd order from PuroCigar

    One more thing for the nice people at Puro Cigars. I don't know why you state that you have to ship via UPS. The retailers I order from in the U.S. ship via USPS. This is a cheaper option for the customer but there can be a few days delay at the border. That has never concerned me if the...
  13. Bruce T.

    2nd order from PuroCigar

    Thanks for the reply. I agree that the shipping and import taxes are crazy high. So is the exchange rate at the moment. Our dollar is not doing too well. When I order from the U.S. I expect to pay 2 1/2 times the listed price by the time I open the package. But that is still worth it for...
  14. Bruce T.

    2nd order from PuroCigar

    I'm sure they are great to deal with but they, like so many other cigar retailers, don't ship to Canada. I never understood why companies will ship to Alaska but not Canada. There is one little extra form that is stuck to the package for customs purposes. Any customs or import charges are...
  15. Bruce T.

    Leaf orientation in the bunch.

    Well you learn something new every day. Thanks for educating me.
  16. Bruce T.

    Leaf orientation in the bunch.

    So I was asking about why cigars are capped in the "Cigars" section and I learned something new to me. I was told that when rolling cigars, leaves are placed in the cigar facing the same direction. The tobacco at the foot is mostly comprised of the tips or outermost end of the leaf. This area...
  17. Bruce T.

    why are cigars capped ?

    Here is a question for the cigar historians. Why would someone roll a cigar and go to the trouble of capping the head just so you can cut it off later to smoke it? I ask this because I just finished rolling some myself and I always struggle with making a nice cap.
  18. Bruce T.

    Pics of Your Sticks

    Hey Luckyace those are looking good. If I can make a suggestion... since you aren't using a mold I would suggest you get something hard and flat like a piece of wood or a hard cover book. Use it like a rolling pin and after the binder is on, roll the stick back and forth between the hard book...
  19. Bruce T.

    Pics of Your Sticks

    I'm not a prolific roller. It's been a few weeks since my last rolling session. Here are 4 that I rolled last night. At the moment they are resting in my freezer. I freeze all cigars before they are allowed to move into my humidor. [/URL][/IMG] They are all different blends. The...
  20. Bruce T.

    Well it finally happened

    I tried cigar glue once and I agree, mixing it is a pain. I also found that it didn't work very well. I always use pectin. It is a fruit sugar liquid used in making jams and other baking. You get it at the grocery store in the baking section and it is cheap. You can get powder that you mix...
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