Dealing with tar

[Salvelinus]

Lately I've been noticing a lot of tar build up during smoking. This has been occuring with a variety of smokes, from Oliva V lanceros to petite cazadores and everything in between. I'm wondering if I am storing, or smoking wrong and how others deal with this?

I was noticing today that I tend to hold my cigar vertically in an effort to keep the the smoke from rolling over my fingers, am I just letting the tar roll downhill? To deal with it I have been just taking small clips off the back end of the smoke, probably about 3 per session. This opens up the smoke again and I begin to get the cigar flavors back instead of just tasting the tar.

[Drazzil]

You can wipe it off with a paper towel or a piece of tissue paper. No big deal.

[MiamiE]

I have this same problem. I attribute it to not cutting enough off the cap. I like a minimal cut but herein lies the problem. I have been cutting a bit more and the problem has come to a halt.

[bobarian]

Try smoking slower, one puff a minute is a good pace. Sometimes in the cold weather we tend to hot box or smoke too quickly. This can lead to tar buildup. Re-cutting is about the only way to get rid of tar at the head.

[Salvelinus]

I've been told I smoke painfully slow, though I don't think it is 1 puff a minute slow, and I am sure the winter has speeded me up. I do tend to cut too little of the cap and find myself needing to open up the draw with a new cut on occasion so I will give a more robust cut a try.

I don't find that a wipe helps, and neither does my wife when she washes my pants

This needing to make precise small cuts leads me to believe that I am in the market for a better cutter, time to pitch the cheapo

[Sauer Grapes]

Originally Posted by bobarian

Try smoking slower, one puff a minute is a good pace. Sometimes in the cold weather we tend to hot box or smoke too quickly. This can lead to tar buildup. Re-cutting is about the only way to get rid of tar at the head.

It happens a lot more in cold weather. I've been lucky to only see it twice, but I don't smoke in the cold too much anymore.

Originally Posted by bobarian

Try smoking slower, one puff a minute is a good pace. Sometimes in the cold weather we tend to hot box or smoke too quickly. This can lead to tar buildup. Re-cutting is about the only way to get rid of tar at the head.

I agree. My Yoda told me that tar builds up quickly if you smoke too fast. If you can reduce your sucking motion to every 1-2 minutes, you shouldn't have any tar problem.

[neoflex]

Originally Posted by MiamiE

I have this same problem. I attribute it to not cutting enough off the cap. I like a minimal cut but herein lies the problem. I have been cutting a bit more and the problem has come to a halt.

I luckily have never experienced this problem. Erick, have you tried using a V-Cut? I am a minimalist when clipping the cap too but have really been favoring the V-Cut the last year or so. If gives you a great draw while leaving much of the cap intact. Plus there have finally been some nice Cutters coming to the market which are on my short list of things to get.

Originally Posted by neoflex

I luckily have never experienced this problem. Erick, have you tried using a V-Cut? I am a minimalist when clipping the cap too but have really been favoring the V-Cut the last year or so. If gives you a great draw while leaving much of the cap intact. Plus there have finally been some nice Cutters coming to the market which are on my short list of things to get.

Which cutters specifically? I wanted to try a V-cut as well.

[Bill86]

I'm with Bob I smoke a puff every 45 seconds - 1 minute and have never had any tar in any cigar I've smoked.

[hotreds]

Big problem for me. I dab into a Kleenex, or use a cigar holder.

http://www.tobacco-barn.com/s-172-me...r-holders.aspx

[Salvelinus]

Originally Posted by hotreds

Big problem for me. I dab into a Kleenex, or use a cigar holder.

http://www.tobacco-barn.com/s-172-me...r-holders.aspx

In the case of the cigar holder wouldn't the tar still be there at the cap? I find that I am enjoying a smoke and then realize that all I am tasting is tar, I give a clip and the tar flavor disappears and I can taste the cigar again. It's as if drawing through the tar is ruining the flavors.

[hotreds]

Originally Posted by Salvelinus

In the case of the cigar holder wouldn't the tar still be there at the cap? I find that I am enjoying a smoke and then realize that all I am tasting is tar, I give a clip and the tar flavor disappears and I can taste the cigar again. It's as if drawing through the tar is ruining the flavors.

Yes, however the tar would not come in contact with your mouth/lips/tongue. I've found these to be helpful as I encounter the problem all too often!

[mosesbotbol]

Blow hard through the cigar every 10 minutes. One good blast and let the cigar sit for at least 2 minutes before taking another puff.

[Chingas]

I'm with Bob and partly with Moses.

Pace your smoke about a minute is good. I tend to purge, (blowback thru the cigar) a few times thruout the stick. No really mathematical equation but maybe 5 times or so during a churchill.

That has eliminated tar build up at the head for me almost 100%

Still haven't found a way to eliminate the tar buildup in my nostrils tho...

[CasaDooley]

Originally Posted by Chingas

I'm with Bob and partly with Moses.

Pace your smoke about a minute is good. I tend to purge, (blowback thru the cigar) a few times thruout the stick. No really mathematical equation but maybe 5 times or so during a churchill.

That has eliminated tar build up at the head for me almost 100%

Still haven't found a way to eliminate the tar buildup in my nostrils tho...

Have you tried Q tips Bro?

[BSB]

I think it may have to do with the humidity you keep your smokes at. Too humid, tar build up. I keep mine drier and weather I smoke fast or slow, no tar. And no tar in my nostrils EVER. And I nose exhale on almost every puff. Gawd, that sounds horrible

[justonemorestick]

re: dealing with tar: Keep tar kettle hot spread on roof and cover with sufficient rock to prevent tar from being exposed.

[guitar4001]

Originally Posted by justonemorestick

re: dealing with tar: Keep tar kettle hot spread on roof and cover with sufficient rock to prevent tar from being exposed.

"i'd like some beers for me and my co-workers"

[justonemorestick]

Ok sorry wrong tar I only have experienced it once with a La Gloria Cubana with a punch cut I started to get some buildup and then cut it larger with my trusty cutter and it quit building up.