Tight Draws

transplant

bandyt09 said:

With a tight draw I put the cigar into the fridge for a 1/2  hour or about 15 minutes in the freezer. Let it acclimate for about 10 minutes and it usually does the trick. No need to worry about poking through or damaging the wrapper.

Thanks...very interesting.

I take it that the effect of the cool down wears off after some period (otherwise you'd routinely cool all your cigars to "inoculate" them). Any idea how long the draw stays good after removing from the fridge/freezer?

bandyt09

transplant said:

bandyt09 said:

With a tight draw I put the cigar into the fridge for a 1/2  hour or about 15 minutes in the freezer. Let it acclimate for about 10 minutes and it usually does the trick. No need to worry about poking through or damaging the wrapper.

Thanks...very interesting.

I take it that the effect of the cool down wears off after some period (otherwise you'd routinely cool all your cigars to "inoculate" them). Any idea how long the draw stays good after removing from the fridge/freezer?

In theory what the fridge/freezer does is help "dry" extra moisture in the cigar allowing it to "open" up. I don't know how long the effect will last as I usually smoke it within an hour or so. Worse case, put it back into the humidor and if the draw is tight when you finally get around to smoking it just repeat the process.

Amos_Umwhat

bandyt09 said:

With a tight draw I put the cigar into the fridge for a 1/2  hour or about 15 minutes in the freezer. Let it acclimate for about 10 minutes and it usually does the trick. No need to worry about poking through or damaging the wrapper.

Now that's news.  I had never thought of it, or heard of it.  Next tight cigar I get is getting the treatment.

reggie713

Might have to try this little trick also

UseAsDirected

Good ideas! I'm still pretty new and haven't come across this issue but with a cigarillo

jarubla

I dunno about you, but I am still laughing at Ro's comment @smoke_em_if_you_got_em

smoke_em_if_you_got_em

jarubla said:

I dunno about you, but I am still laughing at Ro's comment @smoke_em_if_you_got_em

Didn't even realize I had commented in this thread.....so I went back and read it. Too funny. 

transplant

Update.

I've used the 15-minute freeze method with some (but not 100%) success.  I've also used the draw tool method.  The tool needs to be thinner than the skinny skewer I used...it split the stick once in 3 tries.  A big paper clip is about as thick as you should go.

bandyt09

transplant said:

Update.

I've used the 15-minute freeze method with some (but not 100%) success.  I've also used the draw tool method.  The tool needs to be thinner than the skinny skewer I used...it split the stick once in 3 tries.  A big paper clip is about as thick as you should go.

Depending of the ring gauge and how tight the draw is you may want to leave them in longer. My ring gauges are usually no bigger than the mid-40s.

I'm glad that you did find some success.

transplant

Update.  I bought a 10-pack of Partagas Cifuentes that were all tight as hell.  I let 'em rest an extra month, but this did nothing.  II tried the freeze and then the poker.  I screwed up with the poker and ruined a stick. Made me angry...I relented and purchased a "Draw Poker" on Amazon.  It was around $20.  It should probably cost about 5 bucks, but it's effective and has saved the other 9 Cifuentes.  The bad news is that I've found the Cifuentes to be a fairly meh smoke.

silvermouse

just bought one of these from that other cigar etailer along with a xikar digital hygrometer. Hopefully it will save the Buena Vista cigars in the humidor.