Rather than going vertical with the cigar, try keeping your torch lighter and your cigar in a purely horizontal position. It makes it easier to inspect the foot of the cigar as it's toasting, and you're less likely to scorch yourself or the wrapper. At least, that's my experience.
Good point... I said that because that was how I was told to do it originally, but in truth I actually hold it somewhere closer to 30-45 degrees... Of course I also use a torch lighter... I recall him mentioning using a cheap bic, so it wouldn't be quite as easy to direct the heat where needed... For him probably a higher angle??? Maybe like 50-60 degrees???
I don't go to nearly this much trouble. I clip the cigar, stick it in my mouth, hold the end just above the flame, rotate and puff. Once it's evenly lit, I put it on the ashtray and let it rest for a minute while I do something else. That's it.
Rather than going vertical with the cigar, try keeping your torch lighter and your cigar in a purely horizontal position. It makes it easier to inspect the foot of the cigar as it's toasting, and you're less likely to scorch yourself or the wrapper. At least, that's my experience.
Good point... I said that because that was how I was told to do it originally, but in truth I actually hold it somewhere closer to 30-45 degrees... Of course I also use a torch lighter... I recall him mentioning using a cheap bic, so it wouldn't be quite as easy to direct the heat where needed... For him probably a higher angle??? Maybe like 50-60 degrees???
Yeah, Shirley... although with a Bic urby's method stated above is usually easier. I also use urby's method if I'm out somewhere and I know I'm pretty low on fuel, or if I'm using someone else's lighter (I don't want to waste their fuel) or if I'm using matches.
But try the pure-horizontal method. I saw someone do it this way and gav it a try. I've been amazed to find that the toasting was easier, faster, and more consistent that way. Now don't ask me for an explanation on that because it goes against anything I'd have thought.
For the record, I don't have a super-fancy lighter. I use a Colibri butane torch that I'd bought for backpacking to replace my waterproof/windproof matches.
Good point... I said that because that was how I was told to do it originally, but in truth I actually hold it somewhere closer to 30-45 degrees... Of course I also use a torch lighter... I recall him mentioning using a cheap bic, so it wouldn't be quite as easy to direct the heat where needed... For him probably a higher angle??? Maybe like 50-60 degrees???
At the moment yes all I have is a cheap Bic. However my friend and I are going to another cigar shop in town this Wednesday and in addition to picking up a couple more cigars (and maybe a humi :-D) I'm going to get a torch lighter.
I'll definitely try out most of the methods mentioned in this thread and figure out what works best for me (sorry zoom, I don't have an oven range to light it with lol) so thanks for explaining them everyone.
i used to have a tripple torch. i could never get a good light. just burn the hell out of every cigar i tried to light. I found a single flame slower but a better smoke. ... I could never get the triple far enough away to not mess up the cigar and at the same time have it close enough to "aim" the heat.
i tried these steps and still found that my cigar did not burn evenly. it would seem fine at first but over time it would start to burn unevenly. i also found it a little hard to draw at times idk if there was a plug. how do u check for those?
a perfect burn is not a guarante. you can light the cigar correctly and if the roll was not right the cigar will not burn right. this isnt to put you down so dont take it that way: even though you followed the directions to light the cigar there is still a good chance you somehow did it wrong. lighting it right takes practice. as you do it more youir skills will develop.
checking for plugs.... hmmm. when i cut a cigar, before i light it, i will draw off of it. this is the draw test. if its too tight i do one of two things: 1) put it back in the humi and let it sit for a long while get a paper clip unbend it and poke through till i can draw on it.
I usually go for option one. sometimes the cigar will plug as you go. GENTLY (but firmly) roll it between your fingers and sometimes it will unplug....or again with the paper clip.
a perfect burn is not a guarante. you can light the cigar correctly and if the roll was not right the cigar will not burn right. this isnt to put you down so dont take it that way: even though you followed the directions to light the cigar there is still a good chance you somehow did it wrong. lighting it right takes practice. as you do it more youir skills will develop.
checking for plugs.... hmmm. when i cut a cigar, before i light it, i will draw off of it. this is the draw test. if its too tight i do one of two things: 1) put it back in the humi and let it sit for a long while get a paper clip unbend it and poke through till i can draw on it.
I usually go for option one. sometimes the cigar will plug as you go. GENTLY (but firmly) roll it between your fingers and sometimes it will unplug....or again with the paper clip.
One more thing I'll add... If it's burning unevenly and hard to draw on those could be signs of being too moist... What kind of humi are you using? What kind of humidifier? Are you using PG solution or just water? Analog or Digital hygrometer?
right now im using just a basic 20 ct. humi from the local shop its a analog i put just water in it the guy nvr mentioned solution. im changing shops tho to a cigar specialty store in my area im trying differet cigars from different places to find my place and taste
I very rarely have uneven burn issues that require a corrective light. There is a secret to this which is a bit counter-intuitive, although it makes sense the more you think about it.
Let's say that the air flow in my environment is moving right-to-left. As I smoke, I look at how things are burning. I keep the stick rotated such that the slowest-burning part of the end is facing somewhere between 1 and 2 o'clock. This gives is the most exposure to fresh air (oxygen) and exposure to the heat from the bottom of the stick. If there is very little air flow, you can help things along by blowing on the cherry.
along the lines with what duty said... when not puffing i try to either hold my cigar vertical with the lit end down or with the slow burning side down. i do this because smoke diplaces oxygen when it rises along with the heat. you need that O2 to cumbust. and like he said... counterintuitive.
What kuzi said works well when you are indoors and/or there is no breeze. I smoked indoors last weekend, and there was a steady breeze, whose origin I could never determine. In that case, having the slow end up and into-the-wind will correct it. Without the breeze, the equally counter-intuitive method kuzi mentions is the way to go.
What kuzi said works well when you are indoors and/or there is no breeze. I smoked indoors last weekend, and there was a steady breeze, whose origin I could never determine. In that case, having the slow end up and into-the-wind will correct it. Without the breeze, the equally counter-intuitive method kuzi mentions is the way to go.
I think when you're indoors without a breeze is when you look at your woman and say, "Come on ***, you're good a blow'n... Get to work..."
What kuzi said works well when you are indoors and/or there is no breeze. I smoked indoors last weekend, and there was a steady breeze, whose origin I could never determine. In that case, having the slow end up and into-the-wind will correct it. Without the breeze, the equally counter-intuitive method kuzi mentions is the way to go.
I think when you're indoors without a breeze is when you look at your woman and say, "Come on ***, you're good a blow'n... Get to work..."
lol, yeah mine would probably be really pissed, and I'd guarantee there would be no blowin of any kind... has anyone tried this yet?
i guess so like if u have the ac goin or vents or a window open tht will definiatly affect the draft but i think if everything is closed and shut off u would b ok on the other hand i nvr smoke inside so im not sure
wats the best method to save the cigar if it does burn unevenly
The easiest way is just a corrective burn... This is especially easy if you use a single torch lighter... Just lightly hit the uneven portion with the heat from the torch... Don't burn right up to even cause it'll continue to burn a little more as it cools so stop early... After doing this I always give a blow out through just to clear any smoke from the burn... Then you should be good to go...
Occasionally you'll find a cigar that is just really terrible and get's REALLY wacked out... When this happens your best bet is to cut it again just above the burn line and just re-light like it was unburned... Hopefully at that point it'll burn even again... (I can't honestly say how well this works as I've never had to do it)
wats the best method to save the cigar if it does burn unevenly
The easiest way is just a corrective burn... This is especially easy if you use a single torch lighter... Just lightly hit the uneven portion with the heat from the torch... Don't burn right up to even cause it'll continue to burn a little more as it cools so stop early... After doing this I always give a blow out through just to clear any smoke from the burn... Then you should be good to go...
Occasionally you'll find a cigar that is just really terrible and get's REALLY wacked out... When this happens your best bet is to cut it again just above the burn line and just re-light like it was unburned... Hopefully at that point it'll burn even again... (I can't honestly say how well this works as I've never had to do it)
ok so im supposed to cut both ends of the cigar? why? wats wrong with the foot tht i would have to cut part of it off? and ya i need a torch lighter im using a bic
wats the best method to save the cigar if it does burn unevenly
The easiest way is just a corrective burn... This is especially easy if you use a single torch lighter... Just lightly hit the uneven portion with the heat from the torch... Don't burn right up to even cause it'll continue to burn a little more as it cools so stop early... After doing this I always give a blow out through just to clear any smoke from the burn... Then you should be good to go...
Occasionally you'll find a cigar that is just really terrible and get's REALLY wacked out... When this happens your best bet is to cut it again just above the burn line and just re-light like it was unburned... Hopefully at that point it'll burn even again... (I can't honestly say how well this works as I've never had to do it)
ok so im supposed to cut both ends of the cigar? why? wats wrong with the foot tht i would have to cut part of it off? and ya i need a torch lighter im using a bic
no. he was saying that if the burn was so bad that corrective lighting wasnt helping then you can cut the cigar at the foot just below the already burned part and start a new. I have never done this. If there is a SERIOUS burn issue and you have already smoked some of it its probably due to a construction issue. cutting and relighting wont help much if any. a crappy roll is a crappy roll all the way down.
(I can't honestly say how well this works as I've never had to do it)
It works about as well as you'd expect a last ditch effort to work...that is to say it does the job, but ought to be reserved for the last resort. I've had to do this a couple times, and each time the cigar was just not the same after cutting and relighting.
(I can't honestly say how well this works as I've never had to do it)
It works about as well as you'd expect a last ditch effort to work...that is to say it does the job, but ought to be reserved for the last resort. I've had to do this a couple times, and each time the cigar was just not the same after cutting and relighting.
im glad someone could speak from experience. sorry that you had to cut and light but i guess its better than tossing it.
I guess it wasn't as hard to figure out as I thought, just time consuming when you first start. I've been lighting with wooden matches since I've heard conflicting views on conventional lighters and it takes a while but every cigar I've had since then has been nice from the very beginning. I think I'm going to have to go back and try some of the cigars I didn't like over again. Eventually. I just got my cigar.com sampler in the mail today.
Well I think I screwed up, I went down yesterday and got myself a double blade cutter and a Zippo. After reading some stuff it seems like a Zippo is a bad idea because of the lighter fluid taste getting in the stick? It was a cool a$$ Miami Dolphins zippo though
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But try the pure-horizontal method. I saw someone do it this way and gav it a try. I've been amazed to find that the toasting was easier, faster, and more consistent that way. Now don't ask me for an explanation on that because it goes against anything I'd have thought.
For the record, I don't have a super-fancy lighter. I use a Colibri butane torch that I'd bought for backpacking to replace my waterproof/windproof matches.
I'll definitely try out most of the methods mentioned in this thread and figure out what works best for me (sorry zoom, I don't have an oven range to light it with lol) so thanks for explaining them everyone.
this isnt to put you down so dont take it that way: even though you followed the directions to light the cigar there is still a good chance you somehow did it wrong. lighting it right takes practice. as you do it more youir skills will develop.
checking for plugs.... hmmm. when i cut a cigar, before i light it, i will draw off of it. this is the draw test. if its too tight i do one of two things:
1) put it back in the humi and let it sit for a long while
I usually go for option one.
sometimes the cigar will plug as you go. GENTLY (but firmly) roll it between your fingers and sometimes it will unplug....or again with the paper clip.
Let's say that the air flow in my environment is moving right-to-left. As I smoke, I look at how things are burning. I keep the stick rotated such that the slowest-burning part of the end is facing somewhere between 1 and 2 o'clock. This gives is the most exposure to fresh air (oxygen) and exposure to the heat from the bottom of the stick. If there is very little air flow, you can help things along by blowing on the cherry.
when not puffing i try to either hold my cigar vertical with the lit end down or with the slow burning side down. i do this because smoke diplaces oxygen when it rises along with the heat. you need that O2 to cumbust. and like he said... counterintuitive.
Occasionally you'll find a cigar that is just really terrible and get's REALLY wacked out... When this happens your best bet is to cut it again just above the burn line and just re-light like it was unburned... Hopefully at that point it'll burn even again... (I can't honestly say how well this works as I've never had to do it)