[qwerty1500]

Spent a fair amount of $$$ on some 98 RyJ POW I got overseas. Great vendor who would probably make it right if I made it an issue. Smoked one OTT and another every month for the past 5 months ... thought it might be a moisture issue. Humi running between 62% and 65%. Every single one of them has been an impossible draw ... Henry's tools can't even save them.

Tried one tonite ... same situation. Hated to throw another one away ... so, on a whim, I cut it in half. Smoked the lit end and had no problem with the draw. Smoked it to a nub and lit the new clipped foot end ... plugged.

Here is my question ... do most plugs occur at the foot or the capped end?

Yeah, I know, it probably depends on if the roller was left handed or right handed ... for the sake of this discussion ... lets assume they are right handed. Do they roll them with the capped end to their right or the left and just exert too much pressure?

 

[Airborne RU]

I've found that most plugs are at the head of the cigar. I think rollers add tobacco to that area because that is where smokers will be clamping down with their lips/teeth. So to prevent the cigar from loosing all form and structure they add tobbacco to that area just beyond the cap.

 

[montecristo#2]

From what I have experienced, CC and NC, most of the time the plug is right where the band is located. When you feel the cigar all the way up and down, I often feel the tightest spot right there for some reason. I have gotten to the point where I can tell if a cigar is going to have draw problems even before cutting the head.

This seems to occur a lot more with CCs than with NCs, but I don't have that much experience to say if this is a consistant problem with CCs. From talking to some people, I have a feeling it is.

Do people really think RH and time effect whether or not a cigar is going to be plugged? Personally, if a cigar is rolled too tight, I really don't think time or RH is going to matter.

 

[donp]

I don't know much of anything about cigar rolling but, if I am rolling anything, I will usually roll near the middle, and the ends usually get any of the tobacco which might be pushed outward from the middle. Besides that, to start in the middle is easier to manage. Now that is from a practical perspective. I am sure regular professional rollers have technique which is much different than that. However, if my perspective is anywhere near accurate, then I would imagine that plugs would occur nearer the middle. OTOH, if there are twigs or other obstructions, they could be anywhere along the length of the cigar.

 

[TheDirector]

Great thread....any torcedor's out there? Enquiring minds want to know!

I have draw problems with many cubans but NOT RyJ..just goes to show the huge amount of variation there is out there in the stogie world. Makes me glad that I can learn from all the bros here in CS. :ss

Are your going to ask the vendor to make good on these poor smokes? I hope you do and let us know what happens.

Good luck and thanks for sharing.

 

[xibbumbero]

Master roller Taboada told me,most plugs occur at the cap end due to inexperienced rollers rolling too quickly in order to maintain their quotas.
He went on to explain that doing so causes the tobacco to gather at cap end and in some instances twist into a knot. When that happens no cigar poker will help it to draw. X :hn

 

[zemekone]

the S.H.I.T herfers talked about this on sunday... the twist near the cap... GOATLOCKER sed he uses a 1/16th drill bit... he sed it works better because it pulls out the tabacco rather than pushes it to the side... personally i use a lance it 2-3 times with a paper clip and if that dosent work, peace out cigar...

 

[erab]

Do people really think RH and time effect whether or not a cigar is going to be plugged? Personally, if a cigar is rolled too tight, I really don't think time or RH is going to matter.

I imagine if a cigar is poorly rolled that nothing will help it.

But I'm sure there are borderline cases were overhumidifying the cigar exacerbates the problem and drying it out alleviates it.

 

[dahigman]

I don't know which end is the most likely plugged, but I have had my fair share of plugged sticks. Some are OK after a draw poker, but I have found that most of the sticks that were too tight are OK if they are put in a humi in the low 60% range and left there to rest with the caps cut. I bet 75% of my firm/plugged sticks have recovered within a couple of months (YMMV).

I have had one experience with a POW and it was a VERY firm drawing cigar as well. Tasted GREAT though.

 

[stormin]

I don't know which end is the most likely plugged, but I have had my fair share of plugged sticks. Some are OK after a draw poker, .

I personally don't find the draw poker very useful. Frist of all, after poking the plugged cigar, I find that the smoke is concentrated in one very small area and it ruins the flavour for me (I know...picky, picky). Secondly, Every time I have needed to use a draw poker the cigar has always closed back up after 2 or 3 draws. Now when I encounter a plugged cigar I put it back in the humi for a couple of years before I try it again.