Plugged cigar?

[svartorm]

I busted out a Hoya De Monterry tonight and noticed after cutting it that I wasn't getting a good draw off it at all. I thought I might have cut it wrong, but it looked fine and this has never happened before, so I don't think thats the case. I remember reading on here that someone said you occasionally run into a "plugged cigar" and I thought this might have been the case.

My questions are:

1) How does a cigar become plugged?

2) Is there a way to tell before buying it?

3) How common is this problem?

4) Is there a way to fix a plugged cigar?

Thanks.

 

[zandor]

My questions are:
1) How does a cigar become plugged?
2) Is there a way to tell before buying it?
3) How common is this problem?
4) Is there a way to fix a plugged cigar?
Thanks.

1) Usually it's at least partially a rolling job that's a little off. Part of the cigar is packed a little too densely. Humidity makes plugs worse, so a cigar that might only be tight at 65% maybe be plugged solid at 70%. Of course if you soak it just about any cigar will plug up.

2) There isn't really a good way. If the cigar's soft you can feel it for dense spots, but even then it's no sure thing. A lot of cigars will have "lumps" and smoke just fine. Of course there's also a risk of damage doing this, particularly if the cigar is on the dry side.

3) I depends a lot on humidity. I rarely have trouble with my cigars at home. I keep them at 65%, and while I get a fair number of tight draws it's rare I get one that's actually bad. I've had a few that were plugged solid when I pick something up and smoke it at a shop though.

4) you can get tools to ream them out a bit. I keep hearing Henry's Cigar Tools are good and have been meaning to pick up a set.
http://www.heartfeltindustries.com/products.asp?cat=38

 

[svartorm]

Its probably the humidity in my temp humi then, being as I'm still using my tupperware humi until I get my real one. I have no way to check the humidity so I don't know how high it is, but theres usually a little moisture on the outside cellophane of the cigars, so I'm guessing its high.

 

[acharpe]

What are you using for humidification? It may be best to just pull that out of there and let the cigars dry out for a couple of days.

 

[svartorm]

Just a tiny bit of water in the bottom of the tupperware, with the cigars in another tupperware inside of it. I should have my real humi by Monday night. I've only got one cigar left anyways, so I wont have anything to put in it by then.

 

[cigarcore]

Check out PLUGGED CIGAR TOOL... on You Tube and E Bay.