Filler center vein... leave in or remove?

[Gdaddy]

Leave it in or take it out? That is the question.

I've heard many times that the center vein will hold around 75% of the nicotine. Has anyone experimented using the exact same blend but removing the vein vs. leaving it in? Does it add any flavor or just nicotine strength?

There's a video that Brian Glynn did where he dissected a Padron and surprisingly it contained the center veins in the filler.

I've always removed the veins until I recently tried a new blend of 1/3 Dom seco/ 1/3 criollo seco/ 1/3 corojo viso and figured I'd leave the veins in. The flavor was great but after half way an ill feeling began to creep in. Not good. Almost knocked me down. Was only a 42RG to boot.

I'll try the same exact blend but this time remove the veins and see what happens. The cigar is excellent and I hope the vein removal tames the monster within.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

Most major manufacturers leave the midrib in. It has the same delicious flavor as the leaf it holds together as well as provides structure for the stick as well as helps the draw. I only remove the large portions of the midrib, even on ligero. When Willy rolls he rarely removes any of the midrib.

 

[blisscigarco]

I leave'em in now. Anything super thick near the base I remove, but usually am left with 3-6 inches of it. Any nasty strength and headache is coming from the nature of the leaf you've got there, not the fact you've left the vein in. This is my experience.

 

[Marc L]

I saw somewhere, the center vein by volume, has 40 times the nicotine as the leaf.

 

[webmost]

remove ... I like mellow

 

[Jim D]

Maybe we can regulate the strength by varying the amount of mid-rib we leave in there...or which leaf mid-rib we leave in. In example, the ligero mid rib vs the seco, I'm guessing it would change the effective strength of the stogie.

 

[webmost]

Ain't just about strength. About bitterness, too. Even the inner veins are bitterer.

 

[Gdaddy]

Ain't just about strength. About bitterness, too. Even the inner veins are bitterer.

I didn't think about that but there is a bit of bitterness detected as well. The next batch is going veinless to see the difference.

 

[HIM*]

I've always rolled with the midrib in. At least what's left of it after its frog legged. There's a JDN factory video where they talk about this but I've never been able to find it again. In addition to what's already been mentioned they say it helps gives the cigar structure. Wish I could come across that video again.