Lighting technique

4theLoveofCedar · 08-26-2013, 12:19 PM

It seems everyone is agreed on the need to toast the foot while lighting up but it seems there are at least two camps on how much toasting one should do before puffing. On the one hand, a lot of people seem to toast the foot and blow on it until the whole foot is glowing red before taking the first puff. With this method, you don't need to hold the flame to the foot while puffing because the cigar is fully lit before you take your first puff. Others toast until the foot is just blackened (but not glowing red) and then puff while holding the flame to the foot to finish lighting. I started off using a torch lighter to perform the former method (glowing red before 1st puff), but felt like I was charring too many of my cigars and getting that nasty bitter tar flavor. I switched to the second method (puff with flame to foot) using a soft flame and don't have the char flavor problem anymore but do seem to have a more difficult time getting an even light. Any thoughts on this? What method do you use?

08-26-2013, 12:19 PM	#1
4theLoveofCedar Burn and Turn Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: San Francisco Bay Area Posts: 25 Trading: (0)	Lighting technique It seems everyone is agreed on the need to toast the foot while lighting up but it seems there are at least two camps on how much toasting one should do before puffing. On the one hand, a lot of people seem to toast the foot and blow on it until the whole foot is glowing red before taking the first puff. With this method, you don't need to hold the flame to the foot while puffing because the cigar is fully lit before you take your first puff. Others toast until the foot is just blackened (but not glowing red) and then puff while holding the flame to the foot to finish lighting. I started off using a torch lighter to perform the former method (glowing red before 1st puff), but felt like I was charring too many of my cigars and getting that nasty bitter tar flavor. I switched to the second method (puff with flame to foot) using a soft flame and don't have the char flavor problem anymore but do seem to have a more difficult time getting an even light. Any thoughts on this? What method do you use?