Shedding some light on split Tatuaje wrappers

Originally Posted by longknocker

I Still Don't Quite Understand "Drybox" After All These Years Of Smoking. How Long? Is It OK To Leave The Stick You Want To Smoke On The Counter @ 55%RH In The House? Anyone Care To Elaborate? Thanks!

I keep a separate box with a small container of dry Heartfelt beads. If I know I'm smoking a particular cigar in the near future that I want a little drier, I put it in the box for 24 hrs. or so. If I haven't thought that far in advance (which is most of the time), no big deal, I'll usually smoke something straight out of the humi. Just taking one out and leaving it at 55% in the house amounts to the same thing, IMO.

Cheers,
G

[longknocker]

Originally Posted by Martel

[/i]

I keep a separate box with a small container of dry Heartfelt beads. If I know I'm smoking a particular cigar in the near future that I want a little drier, I put it in the box for 24 hrs. or so. If I haven't thought that far in advance (which is most of the time), no big deal, I'll usually smoke something straight out of the humi. Just taking one out and leaving it at 55% in the house amounts to the same thing, IMO.

Cheers,
G

Thanks, G!

[hscmit]

sometimes a construction issue is just a construction issue. With any handmade product, like cigars, once in a while you can get a roll that is less than perfect.

[longknocker]

Originally Posted by hscmit

sometimes a construction issue is just a construction issue. With any handmade product, like cigars, once in a while you can get a roll that is less than perfect.

I've Found That Winter & Smoking Outside Is Especially Tough On The Delicate Wrappers Like Tats Even In Warmer Climates Like Mobile.

[688sonarmen]

I'm starting to lean more an more to 60% beads. Even though I just bought 3lbs of 65% I think I might buy 1 1/2 lb of the 60% to achieve about 63% Rh ( + or - 2%). I could buy some of the clay beads. I really wish there was a way to tell the Rh of the cigar itself aside from just feeling it, mostly so I would know what the internal Rh of the cigar was. I am really beginning to learn that the more I know about cigars the more I dont know. I went on a recess from cigars for about 1 1/2 years and the whole time my coolidors were at a steady 65% Rh. I opened them at the most one time a month and would have sold everything if I was not so busy/lazy at the time. When I got off of sea duty and had time to smoke for first several months every cigar I smoked had a perfect burn up until I slid down the slope and bought a cabinet. Now I am wondering if I should not touch my smokes for a few months to let everything reach equilibrium.

[hscmit]

Originally Posted by longknocker

I've Found That Winter & Smoking Outside Is Especially Tough On The Delicate Wrappers Like Tats Even In Warmer Climates Like Mobile.

i agree, also here going from inside to outside on a hot summer day with humidity 101% is tough on a lot of smokes.

Yea, my problem is the rH of my house/outside as well. It's always a minimum of 75% here, so "dry boxing" doesn't mean leaving it out overnight, lol. I've found i have to cook (i.e. dry out) my beads a couple times over the summer to keep them plugging away at 65%.

But I too just broke down and bought some 60% beads. I'm gong to use them in one bin, where I'll put habanoz and maybe some lanceros and other sticks that tend to be problematic burn-wise. I'll be using that as my "dry box" as well.

[quantim0]

After posting no issues, my Face just got a tiny crack. It may still be a bit wet from shipping though. Ive had it a week at this point.

[neoflex]

Just smoked a Face that spent two weeks in my Cab that I keep between 65-67 with 65 being the goal. No wrapper issues whatsoever and I smoked the thing well into the leaf that was applied for a band. I got scared in the first third as I heard a small cracking sound during a puff that is usually associated with the wrapper splitting but to my surprise no splits. The weather here was in the mid 70s with low humidoty so smoking conditions were absolutely perfect.
I do agree that the Rh of your smoking environment can play a big part also. I never ever smoke Tats or any Pepins for that matter in the cold. It never fails that when I do they just split and crack and than I end up having to nurse the rest of the smoke making it an unpleasant experience. That's why whenever I am forced to smoke out in the cold it's usually a cheap smoke with a hefty maduro wrapper. That usually solves the problem. If I plan on smoking at a lounge or some other indoor place in the winter I make sure to let my smokes come back up to room temperature before lighting them up otherwise you risk the same issues as being outside. When it's really humid I usually don't smoke outside either because at the midway point my cigar is usually a damn sponge and than tends to take on the taste of one too. When I do though I usually try to smoke nothing larger than a Beli.

[Bill86]

I had a HUGE wrapped burst on one of my tats (L′Esprit de Vérité Robusto- 2008 Vintage). I looked in my humidor and was going to smoke a FACE but saw the EPIC wrapper busting on this guy and It had to meet a fiery death. My humidors have never been over 65, usually 62-63 and somehow like 65% of the cigar had a busted wrapper. I kept it on and had to play the torch game but I powered through it. Best tat I've had but man....they got some issues over at Tatuaje.

EDIT no other cigar I've ever had has had this problem. I got around 300-350 cigars and I've smoked quite a few......

[Chainsaw13]

I tried smoking a Barclay Rex tonight that the wrapper just wouldn't cooperate. Granted, I accidentally dropped it which caused it to split on the foot end pretty good. Touched up with some pectin glue and proceeded to smoke it. It got worse from there, splitting in numerous spots from top to bottom. Finally about halfway through it became unsmokable as it was starting to explode. My cabinet's running about 63-64% right now, so should'nt have been over humidified.

[KillerCelt]

So far I have never had this problem with Tats and my vinotemp is at 64%. I think the cigars that I've had the most split problems with are AF Hemingways. It seems like 25% of these split at some point regardless of the size.

[longknocker]

So Far, No Major Wrapper Splits When Smoking Out In The Cold (40* & 30% RH).. I'm Only Smoking Maddies Though!

[akumushi]

I won't discount any theories of why this happens, mechanically, but I do question the ability to really solve the problem. I chalk it up to the price I pay for smoking cigars with such tissue thin wrappers. Even wetting the wrapper like I would with a Habano does not solve the problem for me, in fact it makes it worse, so I just take my lumps and don't sweat it.
My theory on the WHY of it? Take the remaining wrapper off say, a Tat Rersva SW nub and the compare it to the same part of an LP No.9. Belicoso. The Tatuaje wrapper is gossamer thin and the LP wrapper is like a piece freaking sandpaper. I doubt you will ever have these issues with the LP. But, if you like these smokes, it's the price of admission. If the cracking of a delicate wrapper ruins your enjoyment, smoke something else, but I seriously doubt that the most meticulous obsession with your hygrometer will save you from wrapper tears on the products in question. Love it or leave it.
Oh, and on a completely different topic, the only time I've had this problem with Habanos, is "sale" sticks coming unravelled because they were stored so poorly, or simply exploding when I cut them because the filler was rolled like 10 pounds of sh!t into a 5 pound bag.

[longknocker]

Originally Posted by akumushi

I won't discount any theories of why this happens, mechanically, but I do question the ability to really solve the problem. I chalk it up to the price I pay for smoking cigars with such tissue thin wrappers. Even wetting the wrapper like I would with a Habano does not solve the problem for me, in fact it makes it worse, so I just take my lumps and don't sweat it.
My theory on the WHY of it? Take the remaining wrapper off say, a Tat Rersva SW nub and the compare it to the same part of an LP No.9. Belicoso. The Tatuaje wrapper is gossamer thin and the LP wrapper is like a piece freaking sandpaper. I doubt you will ever have these issues with the LP. But, if you like these smokes, it's the price of admission. If the cracking of a delicate wrapper ruins your enjoyment, smoke something else, but I seriously doubt that the most meticulous obsession with your hygrometer will save you from wrapper tears on the products in question. Love it or leave it.

Good Point, Clayton! At 30% RH Outside, A Thin Wrapper Will Crack!

[T.G]

Originally Posted by akumushi

My theory on the WHY of it? Take the remaining wrapper off say, a Tat Rersva SW nub and the compare it to the same part of an LP No.9. Belicoso. The Tatuaje wrapper is gossamer thin and the LP wrapper is like a piece freaking sandpaper. I doubt you will ever have these issues with the LP. But, if you like these smokes, it's the price of admission. If the cracking of a delicate wrapper ruins your enjoyment, smoke something else, but I seriously doubt that the most meticulous obsession with your hygrometer will save you from wrapper tears on the products in question. Love it or leave it.

Your theory is correct in regards to the fact that the LP9 uses a heavy Connecticut broadleaf wrapper versus the thinner wrapper on the Tat and the overall toughness of the wrapper plays a factor, but FWIW, there is more to it, there are some differences in construction, bunching and rolling that make it even more unlikely for the Liga Privadas to crack.

[T.G]

...make that "thinner wrapper on some Tats"