Cigars are Unraveling

CigarFanatic

For the past few smokes, my cigars are starting to literally unravel about half way through. They are kept in a humi, at about 68-70% and I have about 40-50 sticks in them. They are all kept in the cellophane wrappers.

It actually started to happen when I was expanding my collection.

It's not construction issues, because it happens to all different types of sticks.

Should rotate my sticks around or maybe keep them unwrapped in the humi?

reggie713

Shouldn't have to unwrap them,  what kind of hygrometer do you use? Did you check it? Maybe it needs to be calibrated

CigarFanatic

I use a Zederkoff digital hygro. Doesn't need calibration though

jarubla

@Archelaus

Are they unwrapping from the head or the foot? I am assuming they are splitting and the foot and unraveling, yes?

What brands has this happened to? I know you mentioned a few, just curious. 

How cold is it where you are smoking? This may be the biggest factor as if it is bloody cold out when you smoke, wrappers can pop. It is just a little bit of pectin holding that beautiful wrapper leaf closed, and the temp swing can really bugger with it. 

What vitola and how fast are you smoking them? Circling back on this as if you are burning them down fast, the hot temps of the burning leaves in the filler, paired with the bloody cold air outside the wrapper can cause issues. 

Finally, are you purging them at all? This is most likely not the issue, as you said it happens half way through, and I tend to purge harsh sticks only in the latter half of the final third, but I figured I would ask.

-Jay

Nolagizmo

jarubla said:

@Archelaus

Are they unwrapping from the head or the foot? I am assuming they are splitting and the foot and unraveling, yes?

What brands has this happened to? I know you mentioned a few, just curious. 

How cold is it where you are smoking? This may be the biggest factor as if it is bloody cold out when you smoke, wrappers can pop. It is just a little bit of pectin holding that beautiful wrapper leaf closed, and the temp swing can really bugger with it. 

What vitola and how fast are you smoking them? Circling back on this as if you are burning them down fast, the hot temps of the burning leaves in the filler, paired with the bloody cold air outside the wrapper can cause issues. 

Finally, are you purging them at all? This is most likely not the issue, as you said it happens half way through, and I tend to purge harsh sticks only in the latter half of the final third, but I figured I would ask.

-Jay

Purge is what we do to crawfish before we cook em. They feel the salt and çrap so us Cajuns don't have to eat crawfish crap.

CigarFanatic

jarubla said:

@Archelaus

Are they unwrapping from the head or the foot? I am assuming they are splitting and the foot and unraveling, yes?

What brands has this happened to? I know you mentioned a few, just curious. 

How cold is it where you are smoking? This may be the biggest factor as if it is bloody cold out when you smoke, wrappers can pop. It is just a little bit of pectin holding that beautiful wrapper leaf closed, and the temp swing can really bugger with it. 

What vitola and how fast are you smoking them? Circling back on this as if you are burning them down fast, the hot temps of the burning leaves in the filler, paired with the bloody cold air outside the wrapper can cause issues. 

Finally, are you purging them at all? This is most likely not the issue, as you said it happens half way through, and I tend to purge harsh sticks only in the latter half of the final third, but I figured I would ask.

-Jay

Unwrapping at the foot....PDR, Manowar, Oliva, Perdomo

I think the temp is what is causing it. I been smoking outside with a heater b/c of the temp. (around 35-40 degrees)

However, when I smoke at my B&M the sticks don't unravel

Patrickbrick

That is not nearly cold enough to affect the cigar.  When do you take the bands off?  Some times there is a small amount of "glue" that sticks to the cigar wrapper and will stick to the band when you remove it.  This will cause the cigar to unravel.  If you smoke until the chery is close to the band the heat will allow the band to come off flawlessly.  Also as mentioned smoking too fast cane cause the cigar to swell and crack, possibly causing it to unravel.

CigarFanatic

Bands come off by heat of cigar however, I might be smoking it fast without noticing it when i am outside...

First_Warrior

Hold the cigar up to your ear and give the cigar a light squeeze. If you hear cracking the wrapper may be to dry and it will come apart from the friction of your fingers. In winter with low humidity this can happen. The wrapper is on the outside of the cigar so it will dry out first.
Try putting the cigar you want to smoke in a plastic bag with a lighty wet sponge for a hour. Don't let the sponge touch the cigar. I learned in rolling that wrappers are generally pretty thin and dry out fast,they also absorbe water fast and when they are wet they stretch.

Keiran

Following up with First_Warrior, you can also wet your fingers, lightly and evenly rub the cigar with the wetness, wait a bit, then dry them off. That's the quick/hack way of making sure the dry air/wrapper doesn't crack and unravel. Used to have the same issue in general (Utah is dry), so I took to wetting the tips of my fingers and rehydrating that way. First_Warrior's idea is better if you can wait. If you are biting at the bit to smoke something, wet fingers are a glorious thing.

webmost

sounds like you're smoking the wrong end

transplant

Obviously, none of us want to see our (relatively) expensive sticks unravel.  FWIW, I keep some cigar glue (gum arabic) on hand for this contingency.  It ain't ideal, but beats the hell out of losing the wrapper...that wrapper is key to the blend of most cigars.

Rhamlin

I always keep a tube of unflavored Chapstick handy. Much more portable than pectin or cigar glue and works just as well. Plus it keeps my lips kissable

CigarFanatic

Actually, I changed my humidification from the "sponge pad" to the humi-care gel jars and so far so good!. the sticks are smoking beautifully!

Amos_Umwhat

CigarFanatic said:

Actually, I changed my humidification from the "sponge pad" to the humi-care gel jars and so far so good!. the sticks are smoking beautifully!

I need to do that, too.  Did you get the jar that's quartered into segments?

CigarFanatic

Yeah, I got the black ice. Saves alot more space than just the jars.

Usaf06

I had the black ice a year ago and started to mold up on me so you have to watch. The Xikar crystals and heartfelt beads probably a better option

CigarFanatic

Thanks for the tip, I will definitely keep an eye out for it.

CvilleE

I have all of the above, and have to say that having the large boveda packs are the best way to go that I can find.  They seem more consistent with the crazy weather we have here in KY....the price is the deciding factor though...they are expensive.

Wylaff

How much are the large ones? The small are only a buck a piece at my B&M.

CharlieHeis

CvilleE said:

I have all of the above, and have to say that having the large boveda packs are the best way to go that I can find.  They seem more consistent with the crazy weather we have here in KY....the price is the deciding factor though...they are expensive.

Recharge them and use them over and over. I store several in a tupperware container with small bowls of water and swap out as necessary. A little spendy initially but they'll last indefinitely.

WaterNerd

@CharlieHeis Great tip. I'll try this out with the few I have

CharlieHeis

Just one of the many things I've learned here on the forum, @WaterNerd. There is a thread or two around here on the subject.

CvilleE

CharlieHeis said:

CvilleE said:

I have all of the above, and have to say that having the large boveda packs are the best way to go that I can find.  They seem more consistent with the crazy weather we have here in KY....the price is the deciding factor though...they are expensive.

Recharge them and use them over and over. I store several in a tupperware container with small bowls of water and swap out as necessary. A little spendy initially but they'll last indefinitely.

Yep, lesson learned for me...didn't know they could be recharged until after I tossed all mine, but that's been a year or two ago....idk what I'm waiting for, but need to get more now that I know how to make them last.  I thank you guys for posting the thread you did that discussed this!  (I tried to find the thread to share but couldn't find it)

CvilleE

Wylaff said:

How much are the large ones? The small are only a buck a piece at my B&M.

Prices from cigar.com can be found here.  Well worth it.

http://www.cigar.com/humidification/90153/boveda-humidification-packets/

Hrycaj

Many kudos and thanks to this thread.

I got a Cao sampler and one of the black bengals was in bad shape - numerous splits/cracks.

Gambling that it would just get worse with resting I used the finger wetting technique above plus a tip someone else suggested about cheating the band close to the split. The cigar lit fine, burned even and smoked to about 2.5" before unwrapping and going to ****. Thanks for the ideas on salvaging it!

thanks also on suggestions for recharging bovedas!

photo after water treatment and band moving, just pre-light.

0patience

Not sure if someone mentioned this or not, but if you go from indoors where you had taken your cigar out of the humi, to the outdoors, where it is cold and low humidity and light up your cigar, this can cause the symptoms you describe.

Especially on thin wrappers, such as Cameroon or Connecticuts.
One thing that might help is to let your cigar acclimate to where you are smoking it.
If I go to smoke outside, I will often leave my cigar where I will be smoking it.

When we get cold, dry east winds here and I smoke a cameroon outside, I can almost guarantee it will crack.

Just a thought.

Hrycaj

I hear ya. This one arrived in the mail that way 

Lee.mcglynn

Usually IMO unraveling cigars is too much humidity. It will loosen the pectin and well it just goes that way. I feel 70% rh is pretty high so who knows 

jlmarta

Here's today's nit-pick:  according to Merriam - Webster 'ravel' is a transitive verb meaning "to separate or undo the texture of". So, then, would 'unravel' be to put things back together?? 

i know, I know. I'm just being a smart-@ss today... LOL

CigarFanatic

0patience said:

Not sure if someone mentioned this or not, but if you go from indoors where you had taken your cigar out of the humi, to the outdoors, where it is cold and low humidity and light up your cigar, this can cause the symptoms you describe.

Especially on thin wrappers, such as Cameroon or Connecticuts.
One thing that might help is to let your cigar acclimate to where you are smoking it.
If I go to smoke outside, I will often leave my cigar where I will be smoking it.

When we get cold, dry east winds here and I smoke a cameroon outside, I can almost guarantee it will crack.

Just a thought.

I tried doing that and did it make a difference! I let the sticks sit out for 10-15 minutes before I smoke them and I haven't had a single wrapper crack on me.