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Cracking Wrappers

P

PGK

Banned
Joined
Mar 16, 2008
Messages
170
Hey everyone,

I have a small 40-50 count desktop Humi here in boston. My apt is ground level (nice way of saying in the basement) and I am having a lot of trouble with the wrappers on my smokes. I have some Gurkhas, Padrons, HM Excaliburs and the like sitting in there and for some reason all of the wrappers are splitting on me. They feel dry and brtittle to the touch but the hygrometer reads 75%. I salt tested it and found that it is pretty accurate(within 2%)

Is this a result of the humidity being too high? it seems like I should add more humidity no?

am I being completely retarded here?

thanks,
Pat
 
I trust actual performance more than I trust any gauge, even if I am certain that gauge is 100% accurate. For instance, sometimes my cigars seem a bit too moist for me, even though my (calibrated) hygrometers display an acceptable relative humidity level. Nonetheless, if the cigars seem too moist to me both to their touch and their taste when I smoke them, then they are too moist - period. I'll "drybox" my daily smokes then, or just leave them out for a bit before smoking (I live in a generally low humidity environment), until I adjust the ambient humidity of my humidors to my liking.

Either your hygrometers are incorrect, you occasionally experience the same (type of) phenomenon as I sometimes do, or you simply enjoy your cigars with more humidity than is commonly preferred. My point is, who cares? If your cigars seem too dry for you, then they are too dry for you.

I really only pay attention to my hygrometers if I am in a period of not smoking many cigars. Otherwise, I trust my constant touch and taste of the cigars to lead me in adjusting (or maintaining) the relative humidity of my humidors and I couldn't care less what the hygrometers displayed then.
 
PGK said:
Hey everyone,

I have a small 40-50 count desktop Humi here in boston. My apt is ground level (nice way of saying in the basement) and I am having a lot of trouble with the wrappers on my smokes. I have some Gurkhas, Padrons, HM Excaliburs and the like sitting in there and for some reason all of the wrappers are splitting on me. They feel dry and brtittle to the touch but the hygrometer reads 75%. I salt tested it and found that it is pretty accurate(within 2%)

Is this a result of the humidity being too high? it seems like I should add more humidity no?

am I being completely retarded here?

thanks,
Pat
Click to expand...
Pat,

Where do you smoke? Indoors at a lounge/in the apartment or outdoors? If they are cracking where you're smoking then it's quite a different problem than if they're splitting in your humidor. If they're splitting when you smoke outdoors especially now when it's still fairly dry and cool outside, then it's due to the wrapper drying out before it has a chance to liven up from the heat and moisture of smoking it. To combat this, I would recommend holding your cigar under a light stream of water for a few seconds, then wrapping it up in a paper towel to gently pat off the surface wetness. Unwrap then take it out, cut, and smoke. Since I've started doing this, I have never had a wrapper split on me.

The salt test is accurate if done correctly. If not, it can result in completely useless results. Search in this forum for guidance on salt testing.

What do you mean when you say the cigar "feels brittle?" Does the cigar make a gentle crinkling sound when you roll it between your fingers? To a degree, that's normal. Does the wrapper crack apart when you roll it or squeeze it gently? If not, then the cigars are probably within a broad range of acceptable humidity. Perhaps not optimal, but probably not terrible either.

If your cigars feel dry or brittle, then the problem is not likely to be too much humidity.

Also, what is your humidification element? Beads? Gel? Sponge? How full is your humi? Is your hygrometer digital or analog dial type? There are many possibilities and to provide the most constructive advice, we'll need to know a bit more about your setup.

And finally, how do the cigars smoke? Do they taste as they should? Or are they bitter, sharp, acrid? Do they burn erratically? If so, then high humidity may be an issue. However, if they taste thin, lacking a characteristic richness or fullness of flavor, then low humidity may be at play.

Wilkey
 
ok let me try to answer all of those questions....lol


I really appreciate the help BTW.

I am usually smoking outside and I agree that it could be partly the outside environment but they are cracking sometimes in the humidor, and almost always when i carry them in my 3 finger cedar lined case. i pull one out and it looks like i tossed it around the room. upon further inspection it takes only a light squeeze to break the wrapper.

my humidor is just about as full as i can get it. I have 2 foam elements that i refill biweekly. one attached to the top and one that i have velcroed to the bottom of the drop in tray. I am using purified water ( not distilled as there isn't any readily available source near me).

as for how they smoke. They seem fine to me. If anything I could say that maybe they lack a bit in richness.

does this help? i am using an analog hygrometer. Dont want to waste money on a digi as im trying to get my hands on a wine cooler to convert asap.

thanks and keep teh suggestions coming.

-Pat
 
The $20 you'll spend on a digital will quickly repay itself in superior quality smokes. Please don't cheap out on this one critical accessory.

Unless you keep your cedar-lined case humidified (e.g. small humi element in there or keep the whole thing in a humi) then it will be bone dry when you put your cigars in it. No surprise then that the cigars you put in there seem to be the worse for wear.

Using straight water will tend to drive the humidity to 100%. That's simply the definition of RH for pure water. Using something like salt or propylene glycol will drive that maximum RH down to the more acceptable 70-75% range. It's not impossible that you might be overhumidified.

When you see a broken cigar in your humi, does it look like it burst open exposing the binder or filler inside or does it look like the wrapper simply cracked and looks like a hairline fracture? The former would suggest overhumidification. The latter, suggests underhumidification coupled with physical insult or injury.

Wilkey
 
Analog is junk. Get digital before you go wine cooler.

That being said, I still maintain that hygrometers are only helpful, but not really necessary - and it's not uncommon for them to be flat out misleading. If you visit your cigars often enough, and smoke them often enough, you will know your cigars sufficiently well enough to know when to adjust their environment to your preference.

By the way, I prefer the Western Digital Caliber III.
 
Are you a Red Sox or Patriot fan? Either of those will suck the life out of anything.
 
They are more like hairline fractures. Shouldnt the cigars themselves have a bit of humidity stored in them? If I put them in the case is is sucking out teh humidity from them?

hmm. Im going to add another humidifier in there this week and see if it helps. For the most part they are being damages when in the portable case. it could be like you said that those cases arent humidified. Ill start storing humipacks in there when im not using them maybe that will help.

thanks guys, you're being very helpfull.
 
Yes, a cigar should have humidity within it. Cigars are hygroscopic. Meaning, they both emit and absorb humidity. Finding the right balance, with a reasonable amount of effort and expense, is what we all strive for.

I think a photograph of your humidor setup, with cigars, might be of some help. Also, I must admit, I'm a bit curious of your inability to procure distilled water. Distilled water is readily available to me from many local sources (I mostly purchase mine from the grocery store during the course of my routine shopping). Are things truly different elsewhere?
 
PGK said:
They are more like hairline fractures. Shouldnt the cigars themselves have a bit of humidity stored in them? If I put them in the case is is sucking out teh humidity from them?

hmm. Im going to add another humidifier in there this week and see if it helps. For the most part they are being damages when in the portable case. it could be like you said that those cases arent humidified. Ill start storing humipacks in there when im not using them maybe that will help.

thanks guys, you're being very helpfull.
Click to expand...
Well yes, there will always be some moisture in a cigar. Typical is 14% by weight so that's a pretty decent percentage. However, it doesn't need to lose it all for the leaf to become susceptible to easy damage. And you don't need to lose the moisture from the entire cigar, only the wrapper, coincidentally the part of the cigar right next to the dry cedar liner in your travel case. This is exactly the cause of cold weather outdoor smoking wrapper cracks.

I use a cheapo Rubbermaid tupper to keep cigars in when I head out. It ain't pretty but it also does not absorb moisture. Throw in a humipack and you're good for the weekend at least.

Best of luck to you.

Wilkey
 
Get some 65% RH beads and as suggested, you will not have to base the condition of your cigars on any hygrometer.

However, having said that, if you cannot tell the condition of a cigar by feel, a decent hygrometer will tell you when your RH has dropped below 60 and therefore time to
add a little distilled water.

Brian
 
These guys speak the gospel.

Dude if you can not find distilled water PM me. I will send you some. It's .99 a gallon
It will cost more to ship the shit. No biggie

Get beads

And most important

DO WHAT THESE GUYS SAY

I know I did
 
i had the kinda the same problem and i believe it was due to the "green foam" elements i was using for humidity. they flucuate horribly and where over and under humidifing the cigars. I have since moved to beads and no problems at all.
do as everyone says and make the switch
 
beyond the band said:
These guys speak the gospel.

Dude if you can not find distilled water PM me. I will send you some. It's .99 a gallon
It will cost more to ship the shit. No biggie


Get beads

And most important

DO WHAT THESE GUYS SAY

I know I did
Click to expand...


:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

What a nice feller you is Matt!!
 
75 % is to high. Before I had a humi I kept mine in a small container with a small humidifacation element but no hydrometer. The RH was wa high at the time I think. If your really at 75 the filler leaf may be expanding to much and spliting the wrapper. Happened to me. Best advice like all above me have said is get a digital hydro. and some 65% beads and your life will be much easier. By the way if its only the Gurkhas that are splitting they have been know to do that so maybe not your setup at all if only the Gurkhas are splitting.
 
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