Nothing is better than sinking in to a soft, leather couch with a Cuban cigar in one hand and a glass of the finest single malt whiskey on the other. So, you decide to start your smoking ritual. Taking your guillotine, you generously cut off the head of the stick - not long after - you anticipatingly lift your MaxiJet S.T. Dupont Lighter to fire the cigar up and give your first draw. To your dismay, you realise that there is no smoke coming out! The feeling of relaxation dissolves and all you’re left with is a disappointment. Even if you proclaim yourself as an experienced cigar smoker with a box of premium cigars, a bad draw is something you cannot avoid. Therefore, if it ever happens to you; you should have some tools and solutions to tackle it. Have a read below.
Cuban Cigars in La Casa Del Habano Club Habana.
One reason why your cigar is having a bad draw is that the tobacco has been compressed too tightly while in production. When it comes to the burning potential of the tobacco, there should be enough airflow to allow the cigar to ignite. But if the cigar was wrapped too tightly, then there aren’t enough gaps to allow it to draw well. Unfortunately, there are instances in which the cigar makers fail to wrap the cigar sufficiently, leaving us aficionados to try and resolve the issue. It can happen to any brand of cigar, so if you encounter one, do not dispose of it but try a few of the solutions available. You wouldn’t want to throw away a stick of Cohiba Behike 56 just because it has a bad draw, do you?“POOR CONSTRUCTION”
DRAW POKER - The best way to resolve a ‘plugged’ cigar is by opening it up. To do this, you can purchase a ‘draw poker’. A draw poker is an excellent solution as it helps to ‘unclog’ the tight bundles of tobacco inside the roll. Simply run it through the length of the stick to free any obstructions, and voila! You can now forget about discarding that expensive cigar, and smoke it like it never had any issues. If you cannot afford to obtain a draw poker, you can always opt for a paperclip or a wooden skewer.
KNEADING OR CUTTING THE KNOTS - A tightly compressed cigar is likely to have knots inside it, causing it to have a bad draw. To loosen them up, you can place the stick between your fingers and knead it a little bit, just enough that the knots have disappeared. Another solution is to use your cigar cutter to cut the ends a little more so that you get rid of the knots.
S.T. Dupont and Davidoff Office Humidor.
“OVER HUMIDIFIED”
When the long-filler tobacco leaves absorb moisture, they tend to expand. As they bloat in size, the wrapper and binder don’t stretch enough, causing a suppressed airflow. Therefore, if you don’t keep watch of the humidity levels of your cigars, you will end up with a collection full of stogies with bad draws. Make sure you keep them in a tightly-sealed, regulated environment like a Cigar Humidor with a humidity level of about 70%. In our written article, “How to Fix an Over-Humidified Cigar” we explain all the causes and solutions.
DRYING IT OUT - Place your over-humidified cigars in a wooden box or a humidor like the Davidoff Office Humidor or the S.T. Dupont Humidor without the humidifier, and allow them to dry up for 1-3 days until they are less moist. If you do not have a wooden box, you can also leave it out on the countertop and let it dry overnight, making sure that the atmosphere isn’t humid either.
There you go, now you know how to restore your cigar from over-humidification! Want to fill up your Cigar Collection with premium cigars? Look no further and visit our Cuban Cigar Shop, where you can purchase Cuban Cigars Online.
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