Another question

jlmarta

Am I correct in assuming that "tunneling" is when a cigar burns down through the center of the stick as in "canoeing" where it burns down one side? And, if so, what causes it and how does one correct it?

When it's "canoeing", I can correct it with an 'evening-up' burn with my lighter applied to the non-burning portion but what's the cure for tunneling?

And what causes either condition? My first guess was that uneven moisture was the culprit but I read somewhere that improper rolling of the cigar while being made is the cause. And, in the case of canoeing, if the cause is uneven moisture does that mean I should roll my sticks over occasionally while they're resting in my coolidor? That might help for canoeing but I don't see how it would do any good against tunneling.

My coolidor stays at a rock-solid 67% so excess moisture shouldn't be to blame, I wouldn't think.

I'm so confoozed........

Marty

j0z3r

I think tunneling can be caused by a number of things. First up is bad construction/improper rolling technique, if the filler in the center is loosely bunched then it may burn faster than the rest of the cigar. Another consideration is tobacco with bad combustion properties; for example, if a fast burning tobacco is used in the filler while a slower burning tobacco is used for the wrapper/binder then you may be faced with the same outcome: tunneling. Finally there is operator failure where the rate of smoking will influence how the cigar burns, too fast and the filler can't keep up and you get a point on the end of the cigar, too slow and the wrapper will stop burning while the filler continues to burn leading to a tunnel.

Goldy

I dont think the moisture has much to do with it. I would also doubt that under normal humidor conditions that you could have much variations in your RH within the cigar.

nightmaremike31

You are absolutely correct Marty, "tunneling" is when the inward burn of the center is faster than the wrapper, and "canoeing" is the wrapper burning faster on one side than the other. Here are two great theories as to why the "tunneling" occurs:

kuzi16:

this inward burn can be caused by poor rolling, uneven lighting, and/or bad fermentation. In addition, inward burn is frequently caused by an over saturated wrapper or uneven humidity within the cigar: meaning the inside/filler is drier than the outside/wrapper-binder.

Lasabar:

I've also toyed with the notion that this occurs when ANY change in humidity is coming...

For instance:
My cigars lately have been burning quite perfectly and I've enjoyed some of the best cigars in quite some time, but that's because my house has been cool enough I don't have to turn on my wine firdge and warm enough that the Heat hasn't kicked in at all... So for 30 days my cigars have been at the same temp and Rh the WHOLE TIME!

Well now that my heat has been running the air is drier and my fridge got down to 62% Rh, not bad but I thought I'd throw in some more water on my 2lb. of beads.

Well I'll be jiggered that my Man O' War Ruination last night didn't taste fanatstic, but it seemed that I had to WORK to get the wrapper to stay with the filler while burning, it was kinda tunneling . All this and my Rh is only at 67%!


I think this has happened not because of TOO much humidity, but that the humidity has changed and now the outside is at 67% and inside at 63% for the cigar hasn't RE-Rested enough to make it one consistent Rh (no matter what it is!)

Just my little Bill Nye the Science Guy for ya!

Clearly Lassy was sober at the time of his post, but definitely on his game and both have been helpful for me and my tunneling issues.

jlmarta

Well, all I know is that I tried 2 different cigars today; the second after giving up entirely on the first, and had the same problem with both. Two different brands, each having been in the coolidor for different periods of time but both having been in there long enough to consider them well-rested.

I can live with the canoeing. I'm not too proud to do a touch-up burn once in a while but the tunneling pisses me off. I mean, I can't spend all my time re-lighting the outer rim after each puff or two.

Ah, well, life's a b--ch - and then ya die.

Eternal Optimist that I am, I'll try yet another stogie tomorrow. Maybe the third time really IS the charm.

Thanks for your input, guys. Much appreciated.

Marty

Lasabar

nightmaremike31:

You are absolutely correct Marty, "tunneling" is when the inward burn of the center is faster than the wrapper, and "canoeing" is the wrapper burning faster on one side than the other. Here are two great theories as to why the "tunneling" occurs:

kuzi16:

this inward burn can be caused by poor rolling, uneven lighting, and/or bad fermentation. In addition, inward burn is frequently caused by an over saturated wrapper or uneven humidity within the cigar: meaning the inside/filler is drier than the outside/wrapper-binder.

Lasabar:

I've also toyed with the notion that this occurs when ANY change in humidity is coming...

For instance:
My cigars lately have been burning quite perfectly and I've enjoyed some of the best cigars in quite some time, but that's because my house has been cool enough I don't have to turn on my wine firdge and warm enough that the Heat hasn't kicked in at all... So for 30 days my cigars have been at the same temp and Rh the WHOLE TIME!

Well now that my heat has been running the air is drier and my fridge got down to 62% Rh, not bad but I thought I'd throw in some more water on my 2lb. of beads.

Well I'll be jiggered that my Man O' War Ruination last night didn't taste fanatstic, but it seemed that I had to WORK to get the wrapper to stay with the filler while burning, it was kinda tunneling . All this and my Rh is only at 67%!


I think this has happened not because of TOO much humidity, but that the humidity has changed and now the outside is at 67% and inside at 63% for the cigar hasn't RE-Rested enough to make it one consistent Rh (no matter what it is!)

Just my little Bill Nye the Science Guy for ya!

Clearly Lassy was sober at the time of his post, but definitely on his game and both have been helpful for me and my tunneling issues.

I feel honored just to be "Quoted"... And I remember that post so yes.... Yes I was sober

TatuajeVI

It can really ruin the enjoyment of a cigar, so I feel your pain. Just keep in mind that it may just be poorly rolled/constructed and there's not much you can control with rH and temp. Not that I'm not a completely paranoid psychopath with my humidors, but sometimes I just chalk it up to some guy having a bad day rolling cigars.

phobicsquirrel

I just had a Relic do a bit of this. Sort of sucked because it started out with a lot of good flavor but kept burning out on one side thus ruining the flavor. I tossed it half way in... sad, sad, very sad.

camgfs

Marty, do you mind if I ask what types of sticks are causing you the most grief? It they are Maduro and full bodied cigars, you may want to try "dry boxing" your sticks for a day before smoking them. There is a thread with lots of ideas on this here:
Dry Boxing Cigars

jlmarta

Right. I read that thread and I'll give it a try. One of the ones that was tunneling on me had a habano wrapper. The other was a Por Larranaga and I'm not sure what the wrapper was on it.. Neither was an oily wrapper or full-bodied. These were just the most recent ones to bug me. It doesn't happen all the time but yesterday was just the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak.

Today, for example, I had an RP Connie. To be on the safe side, I 'dry-boxed' it for only about 4 hours before I smoked it and it burned perfectly. I don't think 4 hours should have made any noticeable difference but I'll try it again in the future.

Thanks again for the input.

Marty