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Uneven burn and self correction.

Bob_LukenBob_Luken Posts: 10,589 ✭✭✭✭✭
So if I have one side of the wrapper that is burned ahead of the other side of a stick and I want to give it a chance to correct itself should I set it down with the less burned side down or up? I read somewhere that you should hold or rest the less burned side on the bottom and this will help it self correct better but this goes against what I think would make sense. To me it would seem to make sense to keep the less burned side of the wrapper on top so the hot cherry would be underneath it.
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Comments

  • LiquidChaos66LiquidChaos66 Posts: 3,767 ✭✭✭✭
    I would like to know this as well... In my smoking time ive noticed the bottom burns more than the top when ive tried to even things out... but then again im not positive.
    Life is like a blind fiver. You never know what you're gonna get.
  • pilgrimtexpilgrimtex Posts: 429
    I may be medicated but I can't stand waiting. A good cigar seems to self correct rather quickly. Others need my help. That is where the torch comes in. I heat the coals in that area to help it along. Problem solved. I can get back to sippin my Brandy and the cigar learns who is master. LOL
  • Bob_LukenBob_Luken Posts: 10,589 ✭✭✭✭✭
    pilgrimtex:
    I may be medicated but I can't stand waiting. A good cigar seems to self correct rather quickly. Others need my help. That is where the torch comes in. I heat the coals in that area to help it along. Problem solved. I can get back to sippin my Brandy and the cigar learns who is master. LOL
    Yeah, I discipline them with my lighter too but I'd still like to know on which side would be best to hold it or rest it for the sake of giving it a chance to correct itself.
  • catfishbluezzcatfishbluezz Posts: 7,000 ✭✭✭
    Bob Luken:
    pilgrimtex:
    I may be medicated but I can't stand waiting. A good cigar seems to self correct rather quickly. Others need my help. That is where the torch comes in. I heat the coals in that area to help it along. Problem solved. I can get back to sippin my Brandy and the cigar learns who is master. LOL
    Yeah, I discipline them with my lighter too but I'd still like to know on which side would be best to hold it or rest it for the sake of giving it a chance to correct itself.
    Honestly? I don't really think it matters. Granted I have heard arguments for either side, but in my experience, if it is not going to self correct it will not. I think the important thing to note, is that while you are smoking you should rotate your cigar. Sometimes I like to let them go a bit and see if they will correct, but most times I just torch it quickly by barely letting the torch touch it up at an angle from a side. So do not expect it to correct if you put it on the bottom or top, just keep rotating it and if its going to work out it will.
  • scarlinscarlin Posts: 1,592
    A good cigar usually can correct itself nicely. What I do is when I notice an uneven burn it put it down with the less burnt part up. Heat rises so it will encourage the top to burn and re-correct.
  • Bob_LukenBob_Luken Posts: 10,589 ✭✭✭✭✭
    scarlin:
    A good cigar usually can correct itself nicely. What I do is when I notice an uneven burn it put it down with the less burnt part up. Heat rises so it will encourage the top to burn and re-correct.
    That's what makes sense. Heat rises. But like I said I read something to the contrary and have been trying it both ways but with no definitive success either way. Just wondered if anybody had heard of this.
  • edelrionycedelrionyc Posts: 361 ✭✭✭
    I always put longer side down. I read it somewhere and it stuck with me. Seems to correct itself over time. If it's getting bad i will use the torch to touch it up or just blow on it to burn faster.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    Bob Luken:
    So if I have one side of the wrapper that is burned ahead of the other side of a stick and I want to give it a chance to correct itself should I set it down with the less burned side down or up? I read somewhere that you should hold or rest the less burned side on the bottom and this will help it self correct better but this goes against what I think would make sense. To me it would seem to make sense to keep the less burned side of the wrapper on top so the hot cherry would be underneath it.
    the theory goes as follows:
    heat rises. when it does it takes the smoke with it. this smoke displaces oxygen and you need that oxygen to burn. the slower side is down so that oxygen reaches it.


    im far to impatient for that. i rotate as i smoke as it is so if it is burning all crooked then it is probably construction issues so it wont help to rotate much. so bring out the torch. i dont worry about if the burning side is up or down.
  • The_KidThe_Kid Posts: 7,869 ✭✭✭
    I tend to side with pilgrim on this, but to answer your question I think it works better if the less burned side is up.
  • pilgrimtexpilgrimtex Posts: 429
    Well just got back from 100 mile ride on the bike ( went to see my Baby who is workin this weekend).
    While I was out I stopped by my local spirit store and replenished my Torres Brandy.
    When I got home I took out a 5 Vegas Gold Maduro (if you suggest this for a first time lady be sure to mention the Conn wrapper. The Maduro is a full bodied smoke that pairs great with my Brandy). Anyway
    After an even light the smoke started gettin uneven and I fought it about 2/3 of the way. so this is my take.
    Draw takes the path of least resistance. I feel the long fillers had a wrinkle or folded filler that was overly dense. This dense portion was not properly centered in the cigar. The result was half burned faster then the dense part. The appearance of the ash also looked like an uneven hotbox. Later the filler drifted towards the center and then to the other side before ending. So no matter what you do its all in the making. Being a good steward of the the companies assets and maybe too lazy to pull it apart before wrapping; the cigar had an internal blemish. This can happen to the best stogies. I like the cigar and this will not prevent future purchases but to point out that its in the density of the cigar that causes the uneven burn. I see this even in my pipes. I smoke a lot of Cavendish which is dipped piled and pressed. than cut. There can be dense pieces of tobacco and unless I discard or pull them apart they can cause an uneven cherry in the pipe. The looser packed fillers will burn at a faster rate than the denser filler thus giving the uneven burn and a pointy hot box affect. There; I said it. Now back to my Brandy.
    Oh by the way the lady at the liquer store got me a bottle of Compari. Great stuff I got used to in my many trips to Italia
  • taythegibstaythegibs Posts: 2,025
    pilgrimtex:
    Well just got back from 100 mile ride on the bike ( went to see my Baby who is workin this weekend).
    While I was out I stopped by my local spirit store and replenished my Torres Brandy.
    When I got home I took out a 5 Vegas Gold Maduro (if you suggest this for a first time lady be sure to mention the Conn wrapper. The Maduro is a full bodied smoke that pairs great with my Brandy). Anyway
    After an even light the smoke started gettin uneven and I fought it about 2/3 of the way. so this is my take.
    Draw takes the path of least resistance. I feel the long fillers had a wrinkle or folded filler that was overly dense. This dense portion was not properly centered in the cigar. The result was half burned faster then the dense part. The appearance of the ash also looked like an uneven hotbox. Later the filler drifted towards the center and then to the other side before ending. So no matter what you do its all in the making. Being a good steward of the the companies assets and maybe too lazy to pull it apart before wrapping; the cigar had an internal blemish. This can happen to the best stogies. I like the cigar and this will not prevent future purchases but to point out that its in the density of the cigar that causes the uneven burn. I see this even in my pipes. I smoke a lot of Cavendish which is dipped piled and pressed. than cut. There can be dense pieces of tobacco and unless I discard or pull them apart they can cause an uneven cherry in the pipe. The looser packed fillers will burn at a faster rate than the denser filler thus giving the uneven burn and a pointy hot box affect. There; I said it. Now back to my Brandy.
    Oh by the way the lady at the liquer store got me a bottle of Compari. Great stuff I got used to in my many trips to Italia
    i have never had a 5v gold maduro that smoked well, to the point that its about the only 5vegas i wont buy.
  • The_KidThe_Kid Posts: 7,869 ✭✭✭
    taythegibs:
    pilgrimtex:
    Well just got back from 100 mile ride on the bike ( went to see my Baby who is workin this weekend).
    While I was out I stopped by my local spirit store and replenished my Torres Brandy.
    When I got home I took out a 5 Vegas Gold Maduro (if you suggest this for a first time lady be sure to mention the Conn wrapper. The Maduro is a full bodied smoke that pairs great with my Brandy). Anyway
    After an even light the smoke started gettin uneven and I fought it about 2/3 of the way. so this is my take.
    Draw takes the path of least resistance. I feel the long fillers had a wrinkle or folded filler that was overly dense. This dense portion was not properly centered in the cigar. The result was half burned faster then the dense part. The appearance of the ash also looked like an uneven hotbox. Later the filler drifted towards the center and then to the other side before ending. So no matter what you do its all in the making. Being a good steward of the the companies assets and maybe too lazy to pull it apart before wrapping; the cigar had an internal blemish. This can happen to the best stogies. I like the cigar and this will not prevent future purchases but to point out that its in the density of the cigar that causes the uneven burn. I see this even in my pipes. I smoke a lot of Cavendish which is dipped piled and pressed. than cut. There can be dense pieces of tobacco and unless I discard or pull them apart they can cause an uneven cherry in the pipe. The looser packed fillers will burn at a faster rate than the denser filler thus giving the uneven burn and a pointy hot box affect. There; I said it. Now back to my Brandy.
    Oh by the way the lady at the liquer store got me a bottle of Compari. Great stuff I got used to in my many trips to Italia
    i have never had a 5v gold maduro that smoked well, to the point that its about the only 5vegas i wont buy.
    +1
  • Amos_UmwhatAmos_Umwhat Posts: 8,717 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The Kid:
    taythegibs:
    pilgrimtex:
    Well just got back from 100 mile ride on the bike ( went to see my Baby who is workin this weekend).
    While I was out I stopped by my local spirit store and replenished my Torres Brandy.
    When I got home I took out a 5 Vegas Gold Maduro (if you suggest this for a first time lady be sure to mention the Conn wrapper. The Maduro is a full bodied smoke that pairs great with my Brandy). Anyway
    After an even light the smoke started gettin uneven and I fought it about 2/3 of the way. so this is my take.
    Draw takes the path of least resistance. I feel the long fillers had a wrinkle or folded filler that was overly dense. This dense portion was not properly centered in the cigar. The result was half burned faster then the dense part. The appearance of the ash also looked like an uneven hotbox. Later the filler drifted towards the center and then to the other side before ending. So no matter what you do its all in the making. Being a good steward of the the companies assets and maybe too lazy to pull it apart before wrapping; the cigar had an internal blemish. This can happen to the best stogies. I like the cigar and this will not prevent future purchases but to point out that its in the density of the cigar that causes the uneven burn. I see this even in my pipes. I smoke a lot of Cavendish which is dipped piled and pressed. than cut. There can be dense pieces of tobacco and unless I discard or pull them apart they can cause an uneven cherry in the pipe. The looser packed fillers will burn at a faster rate than the denser filler thus giving the uneven burn and a pointy hot box affect. There; I said it. Now back to my Brandy.
    Oh by the way the lady at the liquer store got me a bottle of Compari. Great stuff I got used to in my many trips to Italia
    i have never had a 5v gold maduro that smoked well, to the point that its about the only 5vegas i wont buy.
    +1
    I was thinking it was just me. +2
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  • RhamlinRhamlin Posts: 9,010 ✭✭✭✭✭
    catfishbluezz:
    Bob Luken:
    pilgrimtex:
    I may be medicated but I can't stand waiting. A good cigar seems to self correct rather quickly. Others need my help. That is where the torch comes in. I heat the coals in that area to help it along. Problem solved. I can get back to sippin my Brandy and the cigar learns who is master. LOL
    Yeah, I discipline them with my lighter too but I'd still like to know on which side would be best to hold it or rest it for the sake of giving it a chance to correct itself.
    Honestly? I don't really think it matters. Granted I have heard arguments for either side, but in my experience, if it is not going to self correct it will not. I think the important thing to note, is that while you are smoking you should rotate your cigar. Sometimes I like to let them go a bit and see if they will correct, but most times I just torch it quickly by barely letting the torch touch it up at an angle from a side. So do not expect it to correct if you put it on the bottom or top, just keep rotating it and if its going to work out it will.
    Ive never been able to tell if one side up really makes a difference either. But I tend to put the longer side up but I've tried it both ways. I have come to realize when you get those sticks where part of the ash is just plain hard it won't ever correct no matter how often you torch it. I assume its just poor bunching that causes this.
  • pilgrimtexpilgrimtex Posts: 429
    Okay: There is always the chance of an uneven Burn. When you experience it think of this: But by the grace of God I could be smokin a machine made piece of crap. So when you have that occasional uneven smoke be happy. Fix it and go on.
  • pilgrimtexpilgrimtex Posts: 429
    Well since this thread came out I have been toying with the way I hold a cigar and I seem to find that holding a cigar vertical (ash up) It has a chance to even out more than if held horizontally. It may still need the help of my lighter but it appears to work in some cases.
  • Bob_LukenBob_Luken Posts: 10,589 ✭✭✭✭✭
    pilgrimtex:
    Well since this thread came out I have been toying with the way I hold a cigar and I seem to find that holding a cigar vertical (ash up) It has a chance to even out more than if held horizontally. It may still need the help of my lighter but it appears to work in some cases.
    OK. So now we need to totally re-invent the astray. No more horizontal rests. LOL
  • insomnniapbinsomnniapb Posts: 590
    Bob Luken:
    pilgrimtex:
    Well since this thread came out I have been toying with the way I hold a cigar and I seem to find that holding a cigar vertical (ash up) It has a chance to even out more than if held horizontally. It may still need the help of my lighter but it appears to work in some cases.
    OK. So now we need to totally re-invent the astray. No more horizontal rests. LOL
    haha
  • pilgrimtexpilgrimtex Posts: 429
    Ignorance is not s virtue my friends. If you use an ashtray or rests you deserve what uneven bursn you get. I hold my cigar within my fingers and it is a natural action to rest my hand that the cigar points up. For those who write off this method you better do a little testing on your own because if the cigar can self correct it appears to do it better when the ash points up. All those others can kiss its ash. LOL
  • Bob_LukenBob_Luken Posts: 10,589 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Tex, I hope you took no offence at my joking. I wasn't doubting your method at all. Just makin a joke about how to improve the ashtray based on your method. Holding it straight up does make sense to me. After all they don't make chimneys very far from straight up do they?
  • pilgrimtexpilgrimtex Posts: 429
    Bob Luken:
    Tex, I hope you took no offence at my joking. I wasn't doubting your method at all. Just makin a joke about how to improve the ashtray based on your method. Holding it straight up does make sense to me. After all they don't make chimneys very far from straight up do they?

    No offense taken friend. I could get into a lot of BS about moisture buildup between the cigar and rest etc but No offense taken. I always hold my cigar through the process and a normal rest position for me places the cigar in an upright position.
    image
  • kgrandekgrande Posts: 15
    Xikar AshCan works great in this regard as far as vertical placement....whether it be on the golf course, the backyard
  • CigaryCigary Posts: 630
    I get OCD over cigars that don't burn correctly so I keep my lighter close enough to where I can straighten it out. I've done the wrapper side up and down..sideways...upside down and right side up and I think the cigar just laughs at me....so to deal with it I burn it with my lighter and laugh right back at it.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    Cigary:
    I get OCD over cigars that don't burn correctly so I keep my lighter close enough to where I can straighten it out. I've done the wrapper side up and down..sideways...upside down and right side up and I think the cigar just laughs at me....so to deal with it I burn it with my lighter and laugh right back at it.
    this describes me perfectly.
    i smoke the cigar actively, not passively.
  • CigaryCigary Posts: 630
    It's gotten so bad that I now have 30 lighters to deal with this OCD...it's not just about cigars it's the toys that come with the hobby that's out of control. I know that all of the cigars I have will never be smoked...at my age trying to smoke over 5000 cigars just isn't in the cards but I still buy em...that's called not being passive.
  • JZerbyJZerby Posts: 122
    Does humidity play much of a role in an uneven burn? I mean both the rh that the cigar is stored at and the surrounding humidity in the air? I've been noticing lately that every cigar I've had lately burns unevenly. My humi rests around 68-70rh. And it has been rather humid outside, where I smoke, as well. I usually hold with ash up, but that hasn't been helping lately. I've just been torching the odd spot and smoking on, so this is more just my own curiosity. I hope this isn't off topic.
  • pilgrimtexpilgrimtex Posts: 429
    Well I'm back in a better mood this time. LOL
    I still feel that the uneven burn comes from the cigar's construction. Fillers aren't nice strips with a uniform consistancy. They are for the most part wrinkled up pieces of leaves cut into long or short fillers. They are bunched together and rolled. Please correct me if I'm wrong here. That means there are varying densities of filler in your cigar at varying points along its length. As you draw the air passes easier along the less dense areas allowing the coals to get ahead of the more dense areas. Notice when you flick your ash you will have more hot coal protruding from the cigar that remains red. Like a fire in the fireplace the kindling burns up and the log remains. if these dense areas are not in the center of the cigar that side will burn slower causing the uneven burn. More than that comes into play as well but I believe this is the main factor. As that density various your uneven burn will wander on the cigar. Slowing down on your draws can help but there is also your lighter. LOL Your better cigars perhaps have more premium grade fillers, more care taken etc. Thats why some smoke better than others and why one time no issues. The next time you're fighting it. Maybe it was a bad hair day for the roller or they're gettin behind on their piece count.
    Just my take on it. Guess its my engineering mind going off on a tangent?
    I'll go for pleasure of the smoke over burn any day.
  • bbass2bbass2 Posts: 1,059 ✭✭
    Bob Luken:
    OK. So now we need to totally re-invent the astray. No more horizontal rests. LOL


    Are you trying to piss danielzreyes off with that statement? Now he's gonna have to release Stogiestand 2.0 Vertical!
    I've tried every way I can think of, but if it don't wanna burn it's not going to burn unless you take matters into your own hands.
  • pilgrimtexpilgrimtex Posts: 429
    bbass2:
    Bob Luken:
    OK. So now we need to totally re-invent the astray. No more horizontal rests. LOL


    Are you trying to piss danielzreyes off with that statement? Now he's gonna have to release Stogiestand 2.0 Vertical!
    I've tried every way I can think of, but if it don't wanna burn it's not going to burn unless you take matters into your own hands.

    Whatever floats your bubble. I use a double flame torch for lighting and a single flame torch for trimmin. LOL
  • Bob_LukenBob_Luken Posts: 10,589 ✭✭✭✭✭
    bbass2:
    Bob Luken:
    OK. So now we need to totally re-invent the astray. No more horizontal rests. LOL


    Are you trying to piss danielzreyes off with that statement? Now he's gonna have to release Stogiestand 2.0 Vertical!
    I've tried every way I can think of, but if it don't wanna burn it's not going to burn unless you take matters into your own hands.
    I have confidence that he could make those. LOL
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