Odd question perhaps

[Robb in Austin]

A little back ground. I've been smoking seriously for the last 18-20 months. I've noticed that many sticks get a weird ammonia like flavor if I let it rest for a few puffs. I'll hit it a few times then let it rest for a 1-2 mins, then puff it again and I get an ammonia like taste on the first few puffs.

Is that normal? Doesn't seem to matter if it's an aged stick or one ROTT.

 

[StogieNinja]

Might be that your cigars are overly wet. I get bitter, acrid smoke when I'm smoking something that's overly humidified.

One thing that may help is purging. Blow all the smoke out before you set it down, then blow out again to stoke the cherry when you pick it up, then take a couple draws.

 

[navyvet]

In my experience ammonia taste comes with some new sticks. It is quite strange in your case that it comes and goes in the same stick. Might try some variables and see if it goes away dry box a day or two. I have heard some people say that if your storage doesnt have alot of circulation it could cause ammonia flavors to appear

 

[Robb in Austin]

thanks everyone so far

 

[Old Smokey]

i have read and been told that the tobacco goes through a series of fermentation before and after it has been rolled. That fermentation is where the ammonia taste comes from. The solution that I have been told is leave them alone and try again in 6 months.

Robb, when you say aged sticks, how long are you calling aged?

 

[Glassman]

I believe you are right about the fermentation Smokey. I think in this case he's letting it get too close to going out and reburning solidified tar. Derek's purge solution is the ticket in that case.

 

[SurfnSafari]

My trick it a pre smoke Tupperdore of a week of rest with a 65% Boveda, and that seem to help with over humified sticks.

 

[Burnaz16]

I believe you are right about the fermentation Smokey. I think in this case he's letting it get too close to going out and reburning solidified tar. Derek's purge solution is the ticket in that case.

This is a good solution, another thing to try is to toast your stick prior to cutting it so that the smoke isn't able to flow freely through the remaining tobacco. Once you have a good toast going, cut, light a purge it right away. Then follow the other brother's tips on purging prior to putting down and smoking again. Hopefully it helps a little.

 

[Boudie]

I always thought ammonia was a sign of the cigar still being green. Without knowing what cigars you are smoking, where you are getting them and how long you've had them can't say that's the problem but ammonia normally means "sick period" from what I've learned.

 

[marshall9779]

I think I am really sensitive ammonia. I keep my stash at 65%. I usually don’t start getting ammonia till about the last third but I do on probably 75% of what I smoke. Sometimes purging helps. I really think it is just a product of additional fermentation. I think I have found that a majority of the time they come from cello’d sticks. I have also found that if I take them out of the cello and let them rest for a week before I smoke I haven’t had as much of a problem. If I have more than one of a stick I may start taking one out. That way if I decide to smoke one I have one hat has rested with no cello that is ready to smoke.


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[Glassman]

I do think that in many cases people are confusing ammonia with the nasty taste of reburning tar that had built up in the latter part of the smoke.
Ammonia from fermentation is tasted early on in the smoke, and is a different, yet equally unpleasant flavor.

 

[marshall9779]

I don’t think there is any mistaking ammonia. I don’t really taste the ammonia. I get it as I I breathe out through my nose after I have exhaled the smoke already.


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[Robb in Austin]

I suspect what I'm picking up is the reburned tar. But it tastes ammonia like to me.

Most of my sticks are over 6 months old but "old"' vs new doesn't seem to matter, hence the reburned tar hypothesis making the most sense to me.

 

[mpomario]

Fresher sticks would just be getting close to the sick period around the 6 month mark or the end of it depending on how long ago they were rolled. Do you ever get a fishy or ammonia odor when you open your humidor?


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[Glassman]

Fresher sticks would just be getting close to the sick period around the 6 month mark or the end of it depending on how long ago they were rolled. Do you ever get a fishy or ammonia odor when you open your humidor?


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I would think it would vary. And depend on when they reached a higher period of humidity and warmth. I think that's what sets off another cycle of fermentation. Similar in a way to composting.

 

[Robb in Austin]

No ammonia odor in the humidor.

 

[mpomario]

I would think it would vary. And depend on when they reached a higher period of humidity and warmth. I think that's what sets off another cycle of fermentation. Similar in a way to composting.

True. Been too cool in most parts.


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[Glassman]

True. Been too cool in most parts.

And like you said, depends on when it was rolled, shipped etc. I do think Tar is the issue here. But fermentations and sick periods are definitely an interesting study themselves.

 

[Vanerpaddel]

When my leafs don´t smell ammonia anymore, they are ready to move out from the fermentation. But the leafs have to rest much longer after that. Last season I made the mistake to roll cigars way to early.

 

[Patrickh44231]

And like you said, depends on when it was rolled, shipped etc. I do think Tar is the issue here. But fermentations and sick periods are definitely an interesting study themselves.

Some stronger thicker sticks car still be in there first fermentation stage up to 8 or 9 years after production. Then all sticks go into a second fermentation stage where they still give off different volatile ammonia interactions and of they have enough left after 15 or 20 years they'll enter a third stage where they're considered "peak" this is where vintage complex sticks pick up a certain buttery mouth feal and go for stupid money. Watch an old YouTube show called the Dr. Joe show. He touches on it in there a bit. This is why plume was further studied and ended up being concluded it was actually not a hardened oil but crystalline bacterial enzyme that is left over from a more in depth fermenting stage. Buy an old Dunhill Cuban and see it's a totally different ballgame of smoke texture and flavor at that point. And it takes a month or more to even notice the smell in a sealed closed humidor. Sometimes tupperdors get an ammonia smell after a week if loaded with freshies.

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