How do you touch up a cigar?

[MrAnderson41]

I know it's a little bit of an odd question for someone who's been in the hobby for a few years to ask but this is one thing I've never been able to master to my liking.  Ideally the burn on a cigar will be razor tight but sometimes the burn will get a bit wonky and requires action.  Personally I'm a big fan of just attempting to let the burn correct itself, but when I have had to touch up a cigar I've never been able to do it with much success.  What I mean by this is that often, the burn will get out of control again within a short amount of time of me touching it up.  Constant touch ups really takes away from the smoking experience for me as the cigar tends to get harsh and the smoking time is greatly reduced.
 
Usually what I'll do is take my lighter and try to get just the wrapping on the uneven side torched down to being even with the lower burning side of the cigar, but as stated above this doesn't seem to work too well.  So what about you?  What is your method for touching up an uneven burn?

 

[Brickhouse]

I find that my S.T. DuPont is great for this. Single flame torches are great for fine tuning burns. I think triple flames are awful for it.

I usually use the tip of the single flame, just for a sec, then give a gentle blow on it to fuel the burn on that piece. Works great.

 

[jfields]

Same as Wyatt, but with a Xikar double jet that's focused into one flame tip. I also will hold the flame up to the tip of the cigar while gently blowing through it. This purging action usually will quickly produce a dull flame at the end that seems to burn off some off tasting chemicals......... For lack of a better description.
The burn will "usually" get better, along with the flavor.

 

[BlindedByScience]

Agree with John on both counts.  My single flame Blazer works great for touch ups, as well as blowing gently through the stick to purge it and help it along.
 
I have another trick; looks funny but often works great.  I'll hold the cigar perfectly vertical and take a few puffs or gently blow through the stick while It's held that way.  99% of the time the burn evens right out.....but, you may get some funny looks.  I save that maneuver for my patio where the only critics are my dogs....   

 

[Setharsis]

I'll just torch the ash near the side that isn't burning well while taking a puff or purge for 10 seconds like jfields/bbs mentioned.  Sometimes if it's mild, I'll wet the fast burning side with a drop of water. (edit: wet the wrapper about 1/2 cm away from the burning edge on the fast side)

 

[fjldo]

I agree with the others, I use a single flame torch and burn the uneven side, but not quite to the level of the even side.  I try to leave a slight unevenness because it usually catches up upon smoking.  BBS has an interesting technique.....might have to give that a try....save some butane!

 

[MilesMingusMonk]

Not much more to add other than to consider what might be causing the uneven burn in the first place? I have found that rotating the cigar a bit between puffs helps to keep uneven burns from becoming problematic or more severe.

 

[Not A Nice Person]

A good even toasting routine pre-light, and slowing down a bit (and not drawing quite so hard) usually eliminates most of the problem . . . and like everyone else, an occasional touchup with a single flame torch lighter does the rest.
 
Don't underestimate the value of toasting.  Once I started paying real attention to my technique there, most of my burn problems stopped.
 
~Boar

 

[MrAnderson41]

Thanks for the input guys.  I understand the importance of storage and the whole pre-light routine but occasionally you'll get that cigar that gets uneven on you for whatever reason.  Seems like it happens to me more in the colder months than during the summer.  I'm sure it's got something to do with the ambient smoking conditions but that's not really what the thread was about since I've never really been sucessful at getting a good touch up.
 
So just to clarify, it sounds like most here tend to just try and get the wrapper burning on the uneven side again.  If there is a signifant portion of the binder/filler burning uneven you just leave that alone?  Or do you not let the burn get that out of hand in the first place?

 

[Brickhouse]

 

If there is a signifant portion of the binder/filler burning uneven you just leave that alone?  Or do you not let the burn get that out of hand in the first place?

 
 
I don't typically let it get too out of hand.  Unless I'm doing some yard work or something which prevents me from paying much attention to it.  If I start to see things going bad, I'll give it a quick touch up to even it out.  Wind is a big cause of this as well, and if I'm out in the wind, I don't typically worry about it much because I know it's just going to happen again.
 
I'm also guilty of having a few where I've just hit the reset button....meaning I cut the cigar off below the burn and start over.

 

[4cbln3]

Sometimes I lick my finger and just rub right where the run is, I do this about 2-3 times to get the wrapper area pretty wet. If not, I go to my lighter routine. Old habit from my doobie days. 

 

[CigarInspector]

You summarized my technique. I hold my torch slightly in front of the slow burning edge for a few moments and then draw on the cigar to try to get it burning. If it does not catch on the first try, I hold the torch there for a moments longer and then draw again. On a poor cigar, I may have to do this two or three times before I smoke the entire stick. I notice this more on cigars I smoke right after buying them than on cigars I have let balance moisture levels in my humidor for about a week.
 
A few times, I have extinguished the cigar, cut it evenly, and then restarted the cigar, but I try to avoid doing that, since it is only slightly more effective.

 

[grateful1]

Spit on it and puff away.

 

[likescarsz28]

All of the above, but I haven't used spit for well over twenty years...and that wasn't a cigar!

 

[Capt J]

Great information. The vertical purge works well; thank you BBS.
 
What about tunneling? Could my Habitat Monitor need calibration?

 

[bfreebern]

Sometimes I lick my finger and just rub right where the run is, I do this about 2-3 times to get the wrapper area pretty wet. If not, I go to my lighter routine. Old habit from my doobie days. 

 
I do the same.

 

[Juanote]

Great information. The vertical purge works well; thank you BBS.
 
What about tunneling? Could my Habitat Monitor need calibration?

Tunneling could indicate an overly humidified wrapper, an under humidifed filler, cigars that have not been allowed to rest properly or are otherwise being subjected to instability, poor construction, a humid smoking environment, drawing too lightly, poor lighting technique, or some other combination of factors and errors outside my experience. Calibration does seem like a good idea.

 

[likescarsz28]

Cigar Advisor spammed me with a newsletter on this subject. I didn't click on the link to read the story. Maybe you want to check that out.

 

[Capt J]

 

Great information. The vertical purge works well; thank you BBS.
 
What about tunneling? Could my Habitat Monitor need calibration?

Tunneling could indicate an overly humidified wrapper, an under humidified filler, cigars that have not been allowed to rest properly or are otherwise being subjected to instability, poor construction, a humid smoking environment, drawing too lightly, poor lighting technique, or some other combination of factors and errors outside my experience. Calibration does seem like a good idea.
 

With further testing and talking with Bob Staebell about calibrating the Habitat Monitor; a new Set and Forget controller is on it's way. No parts are available for the 7 year old Habitat Monitor. Testing indicated that it was reading 8-10% too high so your idea of under humidified filler is probably the answer. I will let you know how things turn out after the new controller has been in place for a while.

 

[flamchop]

 I'll hold the cigar perfectly vertical and take a few puffs or gently blow through the stick while It's held that way.

 
I never even thought of that, but it makes a lot of sense, I'll have to try that next time.  
 
And what the others said about a good initial toasting of the foot is true.  This makes me wonder, how most of you initially light your smokes.  I have my routine, but sometimes I think I'm way overdoing it.  We should post videos.