Draw Problems

[alfredo_buscatti]

I tried not to start a separate thread for these remarks, but I didn't get much feedback posting them in an established thread.

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50% of the cigars I smoke suffer from a stiff draw, which varies from needing to take a firm to a very firm draw to get a viable amount of smoke. To paraphrase Steve Saka, you have to fight the cigar.

My tobacconist says that this is because the roller twisted a leaf, and with a draw correction tool probing into the cigar, you can find this obstruction, and after perforating it, the draw will be tolerable. I bought such a tool but have yet to find such obstructions. The tool has worked 5% of the time. It also has ruined the wrapper twice such that it entirely unraveled.

I wonder what any of your experience is in this matter.

BTW, I quite usually smoke handmade cigars in the $5-$7.00 range; I don't think that cigar quality is the issue.

 

[njstone]

There are three primary reasons for a draw that's too firm:

1) Cut. A pinhole, punch, V-cut, and other such methods will not provide as much air as a straight/guillotine cut, for example. Sometimes this is what you want, sometimes not.

2) Construction problems. There aren't that many NC cigars that I've had draw problems with, other than the occasional lancero and a few specific lines (besides the rare "bad stick"). CCs, however, are notorious for being problematic, and I personally have about a 25% failure rate (though I've only smoked about 60 of them altogether).

3) Humidity. The more humid a cigar, the bigger it will get (literally). If a cigar is too humid, the leaf will be expanded to the point where not enough air can get through. So-called "experts" will tell you to store cigars at 70% rH, but most people I know who have stored cigars have said that a 65% rH works MUCH better--your cigars burn better and have much fewer draw problems. Those who keep CCs often store them closer to 60% rH.

I keep most of my cigars at 65% and some at 60-62%. I find that at this lower rH, I have far fewer problems (accept with some poorly-made CCs, as noted above).

Hope this helps!

 

[ciggy]

Yep...what he said!

 

[Soundwave13]

Nate is right on the money. :thumbsup:

 

[e-man67]

Giant globs of hair, tampoon strings, nails, and big crunchy beetles can also inhibit the smoking experience (stay away from glass top Cohibos)....also turds like Gurkhas weren't meant to be smoked but instead pointed at and ridiculed...just because a cigar draws doesn't mean you should smoke it.

 

[claytronmeans]

I am mildly curious, what is the temperature like where you are smoking?

 

[bwsledge]

Thanks to Nate for some great insight. I have only been smoking cigars for a year and the info on humidity was great. I have asked the "experts" and never received that perspective, but it makes a lot if sense. I think I need to dial my humidor humidity back down. Thanks again!

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

I've read that any rH between 65 and 75% is fine.

I store my cigars anywhere between 65 and 75% rH, not by choice but by the readings on the Diamond Crown digital hygrometers that I use. The rH always fluctuates. If too high, I remove one of the two humidifiers; if too low I reinstall the second humidifier.

I had thought that this constant changing was a problem but hadn't posted about it as yet.

 

[njstone]

That big of a swing in rH is a problem, yes. I'm telling you brother, 75% and your cigars will be too moist (and swelled) to draw well. It's not surprising that 1/2 of your sticks seem plugged.

The cheapest easy solution is likely to get more steady humidification. Many of us use 65% beads either from Heartfelt.com or ShilalaBeads.com. It's a bit of a one-time investment, but upkeep is easy and I dare say you'd "make" that money back pretty quickly in the sticks you save from being tight.

I've had storage problems before, and it does suck. This hobby is, for me, a lot about relaxation. Worrying about whether your cigar will even draw is not conducive to relaxing for me, lol.

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

Thank you for the recommend of the beads. I figured that once I revealed the oscillation of the rH in my humidors, that this suggestion would be made. Thanks much for your steerage!