cigar shrinkage

[ras_oscar]

I am at the point that some of my sticks have been in the humidor for 45-60 days. When I rolled them fresh I placed a band on them to help remember which blend was which. Now some of the bands are very loose. A 56 RG stick has shrunk by as much as 3/16". Is that normal? Do the big boys age and then apply bands? I have never seen a commercial stick with a band as loose as this. In anticipation of the questions, here's how I produce my sticks:
1. temper filler: one squirt DW one side of each leaf
2. temper binder: one squirt DW each side or each leaf
3. temper wrapper DW as required to make flat ( say 2-3 squirts each side of each leaf)
4. roll and mold
5. leave on table ( 45RH) 3-5 days
6. dry box in SC cigar box 3-4 weeks. RH unknown, room 45 RH
7. place in 70 RH humidor til ready to torch.

 

[TommyTao]

I apply bands after it’s dried out.

And commercial sticks definitely shrink as well. One of the important characteristics of vintage cigars is the loose band.

 

[Gdaddy]

I'd suggest having your filler at the proper case for rolling prior to rolling. That means your filler is dry almost to the point of cracking. I would NOT spray the filler at the time of rolling. The binder should be slightly softer and more pliable and needs no further wetting prior to rolling.

It's ok to have the wrapper wet as it can dry in a few days but NO sprayed leaves should go in the middle of the cigar.

By spraying all the leaf your cigar is quite moist. The additional moisture causes the leaf to swell. As it drys out it shrinks back down causing the band to loosen.

A 56 rg at that moisture level could take months to dry down to the center of the cigar. It's very possible that with a high moisture level mold could form in the middle of the cigar. Not good.

 

[Hopduro]

I always spray my binder with water before bunching, but I counteract this by leaving it in the mold overnight (sometimes 2, opps) which dries it out just fine. But yeah, don't hose your filler down, bring them to case in bags a day before.

 

[Jim D]

Some of the home rollers sort and flatten leaf as soon as it arrives. I usually leave it in the bag it came in then pull out only what I plan to use. In order to flatten the ligero and bunch it, I typically spray the bottom of the leaves with DW and put them in a separate zip lock bag to come up to case. With the really thick ligeros, it needs some time to become flexible enough to not break while flattening out the knarly parts. Upon bunching, it still sounds dry but doesn't break.
I too put the labels on right away and find them loose after they've sat in the humidor for a little while.
Seems normal to me.

 

[Hopduro]

Some of the home rollers sort and flatten leaf as soon as it arrives. I usually leave it in the bag it came in then pull out only what I plan to use. In order to flatten the ligero and bunch it, I typically spray the bottom of the leaves with DW and put them in a separate zip lock bag to come up to case. With the really thick ligeros, it needs some time to become flexible enough to not break while flattening out the knarly parts. Upon bunching, it still sounds dry but doesn't break.
I too put the labels on right away and find them loose after they've sat in the humidor for a little while.
Seems normal to me.

Do you dry box before humidor time? I don't seem to have a problem if i band after dry boxing

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[Jim D]

Do you dry box before humidor time? I don't seem to have a problem if i band after dry boxing

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Sometimes. Sometimes they sit in newspaper stips for a couple days with the house at 28% RH before being wrapped. They don't seem to shrink as much while rolling in the winter. Summer time rolls get at least a week in the dry box before the humidor.

 

[Marc L]

... Do the big boys age and then apply bands? ...

Yes but, you'll notice that a little glue will make its way to the wrapper so the bands don't slip because there's still shrinkage.

 

[webmost]

Sometimes age shrinks it. Sometimes it's just that the pool was cold. Either way, you want your band on tight enough so's you don't have an accident.

This vuelta abajo seco is damp enough I'm betting it will take six months to shrink. Prolly wind up too tight. But just by putting a half leaf piloto in the middle, that had the same effect as a draw poker.

I would never spritz filler. That's nutz.

 

[Marc L]

Do not assemble cigars with over cased leaf! .. now I'm in the mood for some scrambled eggs with lobster.

 

[Bruce T.]

Do not assemble cigars with over cased leaf! .. now I'm in the mood for some scrambled eggs with lobster.

I have no idea what the hell this means ^^^^ but using filler that was too moist was a real problem for me until I learned that it had to be almost dry. Live and learn. I love this hobby.

 

[Marc L]

I have no idea what the hell this means ^^^^ but using filler that was too moist was a real problem for me until I learned that it had to be almost dry. Live and learn. I love this hobby.

if your saying my nonspecific "over cased leaf", I don't think so because, your "live and learn" (like alot of this hobby) is the only way to get it.
So, if you where to take shrinkage, the pool was cold and scrambled eggs with lobster into google you would get that Seinfeld episode possibly maybe and, you would know.

 

[ras_oscar]

To clarify further: I case ALL my leaves the night before and place them In plastic bags ( one for filler, one for binder, one for wrapper) The filler has NOT been crackly, so I will see if I can use still less moisture on them and still be workable.

 

[Dominican56]

Shrinkage happens to my commercial cigars, too.
It makes sense.

When the band is loose I know the cigar is ready to smoke.

 

[Bruce T.]

So, if you where to take shrinkage, the pool was cold and scrambled eggs with lobster into google you would get that Seinfeld episode possibly maybe and, you would know.

Holy Crap! It's the 85th episode of Seinfeld... and it's got a Wikipedia entry! The internet is so weird.

 

[acitalianman13]

I heard yesterday in a cigar review that a well aged cigar will have a loose band.