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Hard cigars, too much or too little humidity?

J

JimK

Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2004
Messages
906
I have a humidor in which my sticks are getting hard, and are not spongy or springy like I have heard they are supposed to be. Is this the result of under- or over-humidification? I would think it would be over-humidification (the leaves absorb moisture, expand, and make the cigar hard). But a friend told me it was under-humidification.

Which is it?
 
Sounds like under-humidifiaction to me. When cigars dry out they get hard.
 
Well, when you look at it, it could be either. Under would lead to contraction, therefore a tighter bunch. Over would casue retention and more moisture into the bunch. The million dollar question is how they feel and smoke. Bitter with uneven burn, such as coneing or tunneling would point to over. A really hot burn with a real harsh dray taste points to dryness. Hope that helps.

Emo
 
They are smoking well, in my admittedly novice opinion. I do get "uneven" burn, meaning one side might burn quicker than another, but I mostly attribute this to my lighting/smoking technique. no tunneling or canoeing. I smoked an Opus from that humidor with a friend, and he said it was wet. However, I just bought those sticks, and they have been in the humidor for just couple of weeks. How much impact would my humidor have on the sticks (DCs) in a couple of weeks?

My salt-tested Diamond Crown digital reads 63%. I know from the test it is off by -2%, so a net of 65%, which seems to be how a lot if people on this board like their cigars. But they feel hard to me. As I said, they are smoking okay, I just wonder if they could smoke and taste better if I got them back to a more pinchable state.

JK
 
I've been smoking cigars seriously for about 7 or 8 years and I like to experiment with things. I'm not afraid to try different things or consider different ideas. I discovered a few years ago that dryer cigars smoke much better and I have allowed my aged, ready to smoke cigars to get rather dry before I smoke them, some people call it dryboxing. I almost never ever have a plugged cigar.

I have had lots of cigars that were as hard as a rock that smoked perfectly, perfect draw, perfect burn, bursting with flavor. For long term storage of course you would want a higher level of humidity, but for smoking, 55 to 62 percent is prime IMO.

A hard cigar is a cigar that was bunched tightly and the cigar is packed with tobacco. If it was bunched properly it will still smoke just fine. I have had fresh cigars that were extremely firm with almost no spring or spongieness. If allowed t dry they would be hard as a rock.

Too many people obsess about maintaining ideal temperature and humidity. My advice is, don't woory about it that much. The thing to be concerned about is OVER humidification. What you get with over humidification are a host of problems. Cigars tend to have a tight draw or be plugged, the burn is generally not as good and some cigars can develop a sour or off taste due to over humidification. Mold is another unfortunate result of over humidification.

These are just some of my observations and experiences. Some people like their cigars moist and fresh, some like them dry and firm. It's a matter of personel preference. My preference is on the dry side and I've had excellent results. :)
 
Thank you. :)

I've been lurking around here for quite a while. I found out about this site from Ciagrdude. I usually hang out at Herfer's Paradise. Seems like a lot of nice folks here.
 
St. Stogie said:
Thank you. :)

I've been lurking around here for quite a while. I found out about this site from Ciagrdude. I usually hang out at Herfer's Paradise. Seems like a lot of nice folks here.
Click to expand...
Yeah, different vibe over there than at HP. Good people at both boards though.

Emo
 
I have been smoking them for a couple of years, and I also inhale. But people say you shouldn’t inhale them because their "little cigars". But some people say you should. I don’t know what to do. Please suggest me. Thanks

Cigars in Phoenix, Arizona
 
You should also report him for not knowing the difference between their/they're/there.
 
My LA Cien Anos robustos are very 'hard' smokes.
It's not just the box that I have, but also some singles
that I had b4 I got the box. Perhaps they have pectin
between the wrapper, binder and filler.

The LA Cien Anos torps I have are not as hard, but still
very firm.

Both vitolas burn well and taste great. Not complaining,
just enjoying them.

Chemyst :cool:
 
Great thread. I've found it informative
 
I am thinking of smoking cigars for the first time. But I am little bit confuse How and where to buy flavored cigars and which band will be good for beginners? Can anyone recommend me?

Buy cigars
 
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