Cigar beginners usually have one question in mind; common burn problems, their causes, and the remedies.
From coning to uneven burning and going off, burn problems affect experienced aficionados just as much as they do rookies.
But don’t panic – these are common issues with solutions. So let’s try and shed some light on why your cigar won’t burn right and how you can fix it.
Related: How Long Can a Cigar Last in a Humidor
WHY IS MY CIGAR NOT BURNING PROPERLY?
Several things could go wrong with the way your stogie burns. It might be due to its construction; maybe the filler tobacco is packed too loosely or the wrapper leaf is wrapped too lightly. You could also hinder even burn by rushing through lighting, smoking outside on a windy day or puffing too often.
However, keep in mind that sometimes even if you do everything right including regular humidity maintenance within your humidor, an uneven burn may still occur. Knowing what brings cigar burns back into line (should be thin and all around) ensures a pleasant smoking experience.
Find fixes for common cigar burn problems so you don’t get burned yourself!
CIGAR TUNNELING
Tunneling happens when the binder burns faster than filler(s). The outermost tobacco layers don’t burn while holes shaped like tunnels form within your stogie. You can tell there’s a tunnel forming when smoke coming out of your stick reduces significantly.
WHAT CAUSES CIGAR TUNNELING?
In most cases, contrast of moisture levels between inner part and outer parts of your cigar leads to tunneling. Hereby implying that inside stuff is drier than rest of the surroundings.
Another cause for tunneling can be overly slow smoking because if draws aren’t taken at right pace then burning end of a stick cools leaving only core (hottest part) hot thus inner fillers continue smouldering creating a hole straight through middle area from top to bottom.
Also, inadequately lighting foot edges or rolling style may result into tunnels.
HOW TO FIX CIGAR TUNNELING
Maintaining appropriate humidity within your humidor can counterbalance large variations in moisture, while frequently puffing on your cigar will help prevent wrapper from cooling too much.
If it has tunneled already, you can correct this by igniting outer part with lighter/match and taking puffs regularly throughout. This ensures that burning remains even along entire length of a stick.
Alternatively; let it cool off completely then cut below tunneling burn and relight foot so as to continue smoking. Only disadvantage about such method is that many cuts might have to be made thus losing big portion of the stick.
One of the most common issues with burns is a cigar that canoes, or only burns down one side. This pattern of uneven burning resembles the shape of a canoe, hence the name. That there’s faster combustion on one side can be shown by an irregular burn line or if it gets wider on part of it.
WHAT CAUSES A CANOEING CIGAR?
An imbalance in humidity, lighting your cigar incorrectly, and uneven wrapper thickness are all factors that can make your smoke burn down one side. If you see your cigar starting to canoe, don’t worry — it’s easily fixable.
HOW TO FIX A CANOEING CIGAR
Frequently rotating your cigar between your fingers while smoking will usually keep it from canoeing because this makes ash heat more evenly and promotes even airflow.
You can stop canoeing by wetting the faster-burning end slightly with saliva to slow its burn rate down, but this is considered bad manners. The proper fix is to use a lighter for what’s called a “touch-up,” where you toast the slower-burning side that needs help catching up. Just be careful not to speed up the burn on the other side.
If it’s really bad or keeps happening again and again then just relight it — set it down in an ashtray and let it go out on its own. Knock the ashes off and re-cut just below where it was canoeing; however, this should only be done as a last resort since not every relight works.
When enjoying cigars outdoors find a spot shielded from direct drafts where wind won’t disrupt its burn.
Regularly rotating cigars within your humidor helps prevent possible moisture imbalances that could lead to them canoeing during storage.
CIGAR CONING
If you see a cone shape forming in the ash of your cigar as it burns then congratulations — you’ve experienced what we call “cigar coning.”
This happens when the wrapper burns faster than the filler tobacco, essentially the opposite of tunneling. You know your cigar is coning if smoke turns harsher as it heats up through the filler.
WHAT CAUSES CIGAR CONING?
Cone-shaped ashes occur because of fast smoking; outer edges singe quicker due to frequent puffing while tightly packed filler gets over heated and burns away surrounding binder/wrapper leaf.
Also high priming tobacco used in core by manufacturer may result into a cone ash forming on cigar. The construction process involves using different leaves at different points that all burn at their own pace, so if slower burning fillers are surrounded by more combustible wrappers/binders then latter will burn faster thereby making ash take shape of a cone until former catches up with it.
HOW TO FIX A CONING CIGAR
Slow down — take longer intervals between draws (around 30-60 seconds is ideal but can be dropped further).
Please note that cigar coning is not always bad. If the blend or construction causes a cone-shaped ash and it does not affect your smoking experience significantly, you can smoke it just as you would a cylindrical stogie.
SPLITTING
When your ash explodes out of the foot and splits into two, it’s not just unsightly — it also affects your burn. But what causes the binder and filler of your cigar to expand and split the wrapper?
WHAT CAUSES A CIGAR TO SPLIT?
An overhumidified cigar filler and dry wrapper are far from a match made in heaven. As cigars absorb moisture from the inside out, this scenario results in the filler expanding faster than the wrapper. While this usually occurs at the foot, it can happen anywhere along the cigar’s body.
Substantial differences in humidity levels between your cigar storage and smoking environments can cause the wrapper to expand, leading to its splitting.
Finally, fast smoking can be another cause of cigar splitting. Rapid puffs cause the filler to overheat, expand swiftly, and burst through the wrapper leaf.
HOW TO FIX A SPLIT CIGAR?
Try dry boxing your cigars before smoking or lowering humidification levels inside your humidor.
Repairing a split cigar on-the-go requires more attention to detail. Touch up the flame at bottom of split ever so slightly then rapidly work your way up. Address both sides of divide then wipe away outstanding ash created on wrapper.
After being cauterized by fire during touch-up efforts, stogie should burn without triggering further splitting.
If your cigar splits, stop smoking! The heat will travel up & down length eventually causing window crack-like effect thereby elongating split lines.
BURNING TOO HOT & FAST
Cigars tend to burn faster, hotter & stronger towards nub (last couple inches). If burnt too fast; taste will be affected leaving sour bitterness on palate which isn’t pleasant for anybody let alone beginners.
WHAT CAUSES A CIGAR TO BURN TOO HOT & FAST?
The way you smoke it could be reason why it’s burning too hot. Our advice is to be patient between puffs. Another no-no is drawing strongly on cigar; this will likely increase heat level & affect taste negatively in middle and latter stages.
Drier tobacco burns quicker than properly humidified tobacco, so conditions inside your humidor may be wrong. Alternatively, there might have been a manufacturing error: if you feel around stick and find soft spots then underfilling during production could result into faster burn due to lack of filler blend.
HOW TO FIX A CIGAR BURNING TOO HOT & FAST
This worldwide hobby should help reduce stress levels not increase them; therefore take your time while smoking so that flavors can caramelize more slowly which leads to a richer smoke that lasts longer as well.
Another thing you can do is clip off as much cap as possible when cutting the cigar. This