Tips and Tricks to keep your smoking experience from going south.
So it occurred to me this might be a good way to pass on tips that have worked for us. I'll start with my two favorites. 1st when your cigar starts cracking and splitting at the burn don't sweat it just grap a thin strip of paper and a small piece of tape. Make a band you can slide up the stick and just keep it about a half inch from the burn. Works wonderfully!
2. When you got one if those stubborn bands that don't want to come off just warm it with your lighter, it almost always works.
Comments
I've got a lighting tip. I didn't invent this method but I learned it from quite a few sources. And I swear it makes a big difference in how your cigar will taste much much better on the front end. First, don't cut the head until you have the foot already toasted, glowing and ready to smoke. Use a soft flame lighter to gently and slowly toast the foot untill it's glowing. Toast it and blow on it to see how well it's coming along. Take it slow and easy. Try not to scorch the tobacco especially the wrapper. By not cutting the head there's no hot smoke from the toasting process traveling up through the cigar, so when you finally cut it and take that first draw, it tastes much better. I know it doesn't seem like that would be such a big deal but it does taste better. It takes a bit of patience but I'm convinced that it makes a big difference in how your cigar tastes from the very first puff.
1. Soft flame.
2. Slow easy toasting.
3. Cut last, not first.
I also have a torch lighter and hold the cigar above the flame, not in the flame. Still an effective slow toasting process, in my opinion. Have looked into cedar spills also, but never got around to ordering any.
dry boxing or even just letting your cigar sit outside of the humidor for a while can improve the burn or draw (if it's a humidity issue).
If your cigar seems too hot or "squishy" don't puff harder to keep it lit; this makes the problem worse. Take it slow and pace your draws. Maybe even let it almost go out in order to cool down. The draw should relax and you give the excess moisture a chance to evaporate and quit building up.
If you find a tight draw, try gently rolling the cigar between your thumb and index finger, squeezing slightly. This might loosen up any obstruction and clear the draw.
It's my assumption that if there's no place for the heat and smoke to escape then there will be no flow. Kinda' like a chimney that's been blocked. There should be little if any smoke flowing up into the cigar when you are toasting if you don't cut the head first. And, I'm also assuming that this isn't the only reason that this method seems to produce better flavors on the front end. I believe that a soft flame is very important to this method's success. A soft flame will toast at a lower temperature than a jet flame. Even if you are very careful with the jet flame and hold it well away from the foot I believe it is still too easy to get your foot too hot and scorch the tobacco and cause a bitter taste.
Also, here's something else to consider, even with a soft flame I try to never put the tobacco IN the flame. I hold it above the flame in the heat of the flame, but not IN the flame. And I hardly ever draw using the flame unless the cigar is being difficult to lite. Again, Just my way of doing it, but I feel like this gets the foot too hot and that could make it taste bitter.
I sometimes use Bic lighters for a soft flame and they work fine, but because it can take a while to methodically and carefully toast the foot, they tend to get hot. (If I was only able to use bic lighters I'd try using two of them. When the first one got too hot I would pick up the second one to finish toasting.) Matches are great too. Your biggest problem with soft flames though would be windy conditions. My best and favorite lighter is "The Burner" table top lighter by Alec Bradley. It's been worth every penny. I turn the burner down as low as it will go and it's great for toasting.
I know I have typed a lot of words here on this thread to explain this method in great detail. (Perhaps too much detail.) However, if you try this method I want you to have every oportunity to succeed. I firmly believe it will make the first part of your cigar taste better.
I have seen a few videos that promote this type of" toast first, cut last" method and if I can find them I'll post them.
Any tips for when a cigar starts to "canoe"? (aside from just gently toasting the errant side of the stick)
Also, could someone explain the concept of "dry boxing"? Is this nothing more than taking cigars out of the humi and letting them rest awhile in an un-humifified box before smoking them?
Here's an example of the "Toast first. Cut last" method. I think this might have been where I first heard of this method.
Here's another example of the "Toast first. Cut last" method. Anybody recognize that guy on the left?
A simple one is to rotate the cigar so that the longer portion of the canoe is at the top when you draw. The longer part will be above the heat and burn faster.
jk love you all.
thats just not right.