Strategies for when things get sideways.

[cuppajack]

Smoked a LCG Figarado last night and I was fighting with it the whole time: tough draw and uneven burn from the start. I figured I’d tough it out until it hit its stride, but it never really did. Within the first 1/3 I had a runner burning down one side and 1/8” of tunneling. I kept on fighting and eventually had to trim-off an inch long strip of wrapper that refused to burn.

My question is what do YOU do when your stick isn’t cooperating? Try a re-light? How about a “supplemental” light along the lagging edge? Any tips to get through these troublesome smokes?

 

[Sandalwood]

I'm by no means an expert on fixing a run, but I'll share what I do. A "supplemental" light is exactly how I address the issue. I used to try to puff the cigar while lighting the lagging edge, but I found that it only made the run slightly deeper and made the exact correction difficult to see. I now hold a match or a torch lighter against the offending tobacco without puffing until the wrapper burns down to the point of the rest of the smoke. This usually takes care of it.

 

[Ginseng]

For serious runs/tunneling that are due to a structural flaw, there is not much that you can do. I'm talking about cases where you squeeze the barrel (body) of the cigar and you can feel an "empty" channel due to a gap in the bunching. The best that I have found is to wet with saliva the 1" ahead of the burn front on top of this channel and to keep doing so to slow down the burn.

For mild runs, I sometimes combine the strategies of lighting the lagging side and wetting the wrapper on the running side.

When you light up the slow side, don't just torch it and leave it. Torch it then blow gently on the area to make sure it catches. You'll know you have done so if the burning edge glows slightly and briefly when you blow on it right after a touch-up.

In the majority of mild cases of uneven burn, most folks just smoke through it. I am a bit neurotic about my burn so I touch up the lagging side more than most, I suspect.

Wilkey

 

[nfulton]

I make sure to check my cut. Sometimes taking another 1/16-1/8" is all it needs to free up the draw. If I have a runner I check the wrapper to see if there is a tunnel in the binder. If there is, I gently press on the wrapper to close off the offending gap. If not I take the flame to it! It might not work for everyone, but it generally works for me.

 

[Wurm]

I use my torch on high and burn it straight while holding the cigar in my hand... works 99% of the time. As long as I purge after doing the burn I taste no difference in the cigar.

 

[Satchmo]

I've heard a theory to put the lagging side of your smoke to the bottom. The smoke and heat deplete the oxygen above the cigar, thus making the burn slower on top.

I've heard a theory that putting the lag side up puts it in the heat and gets it moving faster.

I've heard and tried blowing on the offending end to speed up the burn a bit.

Burn up, burn down, blow job :laugh: , whatever, nothing worked flawlessly. Ginseng's wetting the fast side seems to work alright.

I'm not a big fan of puting another burn on the slow side. It seems to give the stoogie an off flavor once in a while. That's about the only thing that straightens it if wetting doesn't work.

Well's that about the longest version of "I dunno" I have ever seen. I'm going to get a drink now.

Jason

 

[rob300c]

Could be as simple as a humidification problem if you find your sticks burning incorrectly... RH% might be too high.

If I have to I blast it with my torch... When I have tried rotating to the slow or fast side it never seems to help!

-Rob

 

[Ginseng]

If I have to I blast it with my torch... When I have tried rotating to the slow or fast side it never seems to help!

-Rob

Agreed. Unless you are holding your cigar perfectly still in a still room, the circulating air currents will be bringng fresh air to all sides of the cigar. The effect is negligible.

I do like to rotate the cigar each time I take a puff. Doesn't seem to help much but doesn't seem to hurt at all.

Wilkey

 

[Brickhouse]

Yep, I torch that side. That's why I've grown to like my single torch better than my triple.

With my single, I can get a precise touchup on any burn issues, and like Wilkey said...just torch it then blow on it a bit to get it glowing, works very well.

 

[Todd Mac]

Yup, I do the torch thing too..I try to watch it close when I smoke and wet down the faster side if I notice it getting too offset in the burn. After that it gets the torch....if it keeps doing it then I like to cuss alot at it, can't see that it helps but I generally feel better!

 

[ziptrickhead]

I do pretty much what others have said. First i let it sit a bit to see if it'll even out itself. If not i wet the fast burning side a bit. If that doesnt work then i'll flash burn the slow side and then blow out once.

If it still burns very unevenly after all that and the cigar isnt anything special, i just trash it and light up another one.

 

[tasman]

Yeah what they said, although the other night I had a AF Anejo #50 and I didn't want do anything to it so I rotated it a little bit and got it wet on the side that was burning a little fast and before you new I was at the nub. It was a great burn and a great cigar.

 

[mostholycerebus]

I apply my cutter to the part hanging off and re-light the now-unlit half. It burns pretty evenly after that most of the time. I haven't noticed a change in taste, but i'm still a n00b so maybe the subtleties are less noticable for me.