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Cracked Wrapper

I received a G.A.R. as part of my christmas pass and took it up to the B&M to smoke it last night. When I cut the cap off of it, the wrapper cracked the whole way down the length of the cigar and floated off into the wind. Sadly, I pitched it. The prelight draw even felt to dry. Do you think that this might be an isolated case with one cigar, or do you think that all the sticks I recieved in the pass could be like that. If so, how long should I let them sit before smoking them?
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Comments

  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    i let mine sit 6 weeks
  • bass8844bass8844 Posts: 416
    Its probably a good idea to let them sit for at least a couple of weeks. You figure these guys go though a bit of stress from all the extra shipping.

    In the winter time, its super cold outside in the trucks and warehouses. Then they get inside to someone's house where it is much warmer. I would let them rest and stabilize before enjoying. That's my $.02
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    bass8844:
    Its probably a good idea to let them sit for at least a couple of weeks. You figure these guys go though a bit of stress from all the extra shipping.

    In the winter time, its super cold outside in the trucks and warehouses. Then they get inside to someone's house where it is much warmer. I would let them rest and stabilize before enjoying. That's my $.02
    I'm with bass and kuzi. Due to the extreme temp swings this time of year cigars from the pass could take a while to stabilize.
  • phobicsquirrelphobicsquirrel Posts: 7,347 ✭✭✭
    I would agree but also I've seen tears in wrappers in the middle even in tubes. It always makes me upset.
  • j0z3rj0z3r Posts: 9,403 ✭✭
    I read you loud and clear on that phobic. Nothing disappoints me more than getting ready to smoke a cigar I like and having the head crack when I cut it. It doesn't happen often, but when it does...it just takes all the wind out of my sails.
  • urbinourbino Posts: 4,517
    Yep. One of the most disappointing sounds on the planet.
  • urbino:
    Yep. One of the most disappointing sounds on the planet.
    im pretty sure part of me died when that happened. I'll let the rest of them sit until summer
  • urbinourbino Posts: 4,517
    I feel your pain.
  • PuroFreakPuroFreak Posts: 4,131 ✭✭
    I just had a moment of silence in honor of your fallen wrapper! Truly a sad occasion...
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    make sure you keep on top of the humidity this time of year. that dry air will kill any cigar.

    i took my hygrometer out the other day and the RH got down to 18 before i put it back in the humidor.
  • dutyjedutyje Posts: 2,263
    yeah.. my hygrometer dropped to "--" before I stuck it back in the humidor... and it was only out a couple minutes while I had taken my tube downstairs to recharge the beads.

    I also notice that I'm having to re-charge my beads about every 10 days or so, and I have increased the number of beads that I have in the humi, and I open it less often because I'm not smoking much. I must have a lousy seal, because even in the summer I was re-charging about every 3 weeks or so. And I have about triple the number of recommended beads.
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    dutyje:
    yeah.. my hygrometer dropped to "--" before I stuck it back in the humidor... and it was only out a couple minutes while I had taken my tube downstairs to recharge the beads.

    I also notice that I'm having to re-charge my beads about every 10 days or so, and I have increased the number of beads that I have in the humi, and I open it less often because I'm not smoking much. I must have a lousy seal, because even in the summer I was re-charging about every 3 weeks or so. And I have about triple the number of recommended beads.
    Maybe having so many beads is causing a negative effect.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    dutyje:
    yeah.. my hygrometer dropped to "--" before I stuck it back in the humidor... and it was only out a couple minutes while I had taken my tube downstairs to recharge the beads.

    I also notice that I'm having to re-charge my beads about every 10 days or so, and I have increased the number of beads that I have in the humi, and I open it less often because I'm not smoking much. I must have a lousy seal, because even in the summer I was re-charging about every 3 weeks or so. And I have about triple the number of recommended beads.
    im about the same with how often i recharge.

    however, in the summer i was de-charging my beads about once a month.
    I have about twice the amount needed in each humi.
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    I don't think I've had to recharge my beads in my desktop humi since I decharged them in August. It stays between 65 and 72 in there. My humi is inside of the wine fridge though.
  • gmill880gmill880 Posts: 5,947

    These Filthy Hands:
    urbino:
    Yep. One of the most disappointing sounds on the planet.
    im pretty sure part of me died when that happened. I'll let the rest of them sit until summer

    can't remember if i cried

    when i heard about his widowed bride

    just hung my head and cried

    THE DAY THE WRAPPER DIED

    the day the music died-damn tht was a good old song

  • urbinourbino Posts: 4,517
    'Twas.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    good but over played
  • My rh is fine. It's constant 63-67. I think I jumped too soon when I smoked it. I should have let it sit for a few more months.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    did you give the cap a good lick? i mean get it fairly wet. i get fewer cracks when I do that.
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    kuzi16:
    did you give the cap a good lick? i mean get it fairly wet. i get fewer cracks when I do that.
    Sound advice right there.
  • laker1963laker1963 Posts: 5,046
    I just posted this on the cutting a cigar thread, but it applies here as well, so if you read it twice...No I am not losing it.
    After splitting a couple wrappers on some larger gauge sticks, I decided to shake things up a bit. Now when I am cutting a large gauge cigar I use my punch, but I make several "cuts" with the punch to open the end of the cigar as much as I can. I have found that this way I don't get a cracked wrapper and I can open the end up enough to get a good draw, and because of the larger hole I have not encountered a plug or tar build-up yet. Anyone else use their punch more then once on a cigar?
  • gmill880gmill880 Posts: 5,947

    I have not done that with a punch but I do make a cross with my v cutter on some larger gauges. anyone else do that?

  • urbinourbino Posts: 4,517
    madurofan:
    kuzi16:
    did you give the cap a good lick? i mean get it fairly wet. i get fewer cracks when I do that.
    Sound advice right there.
    'Tis.
  • dutyjedutyje Posts: 2,263
    laker1963:
    I just posted this on the cutting a cigar thread, but it applies here as well, so if you read it twice...No I am not losing it.
    After splitting a couple wrappers on some larger gauge sticks, I decided to shake things up a bit. Now when I am cutting a large gauge cigar I use my punch, but I make several "cuts" with the punch to open the end of the cigar as much as I can. I have found that this way I don't get a cracked wrapper and I can open the end up enough to get a good draw, and because of the larger hole I have not encountered a plug or tar build-up yet. Anyone else use their punch more then once on a cigar?
    Hey Laker, I used this on a Titan that Urby sent me, and it worked very well.
  • laker1963laker1963 Posts: 5,046
    Yeah it works really well. I always lick the cap first, let it sit for a bit to soften up the cap and then punch out the center first.
    Then I take half bites off of the center at the four points of the compass.
    This leaves an opening that resembles a 4 leaf clover. This has worked for me without fail.
    Hey Dutyje is it a good thing that we think alike? ...at least on some issues :)
  • dutyjedutyje Posts: 2,263
    laker1963:
    Hey Dutyje is it a good thing that we think alike? ...at least on some issues :)
    Great minds and ours, Laker... great minds and ours.
  • tankbonniestankbonnies Posts: 191
    You guys have me nervous...My RH is at 68..been that way since the summer and I haven't touched anything. Cigars are fine...BUT...you have me thinking...do my beads need to be recharged and I just don't know it? I have the hearfelt beads.
  • urbinourbino Posts: 4,517
    If the hygro still says 68, you're probably fine. Unless it needs re-calibrating. But even then, it wouldn't read the same all the time if things were getting drier.
  • tankbonniestankbonnies Posts: 191
    Thanks urb..I guess I'll keep an eye on it and go from there. All my stix have been good, so I think I'm fine.
  • smbrinksmbrink Posts: 406
    Speaking of cracked wrappers i recently got a Cusano 59 Rare Cameroon in the mail and noticed that the wrapper was cracked near the end and was about to start coming off. Any tips on how I should handle this?
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