I Don’t Know why my Cigar Won’t Stay Lit

Whether you are a newbie or indulge in occasional cigar smoking or better a veteran cigar smoker, we all know lighting cigars is not as straightforward as it seems. As much as lighting a cigar is one of the basics, it may prove to be an uphill task for most cigar enthusiasts. Nevertheless, merely ensuring the cigar stays lit is altogether a different ball game. So, the most critical question is, “why does my cigar not stay lit?” There are a couple of factors that may affect why your cigar will not stay lit. These elements vary from the manufacturing properties, to how one smokes to its storage.

Reasons Why Your Cigar won’t Stay Lit

Dampness

If you enjoy the sophisticated taste of cigars, you will appreciate the significance of storing them appropriately. Most dedicated cigar smokers have invested in humidors to ensure they keep their cigars tasting fresh. Exposing your cigars to the air-conditioned and average room temperature makes them fragile. However, smoking a cigar immediately you have removed it from the humidor makes it hard for them to stay lit because of dampness.

The other reason could be that your humidor’s settings are not correctly set. A high relative humidity percentage means the cigars are humidified—high humidity results in cigars not drawing well or burning correctly.

Effects of Dampness on Cigars

Cigars are known for their porous nature, and they, therefore, retain the moisture they have absorbed from the environment. Their hygroscopic nature also means they equally lose moisture as fast as they gain it. When cigars are left out in room/ conditioned temperatures, they dry out or become spongy, depending on the humidity.

Freshly manufactured premium cigars have a moisture content of between 12% and 15%. Cigars should be smoked while containing the same moisture content to savor the original flavor and taste. A lit cigar efficiently burns the oil, sugars, and tobacco leaves emitted as the smoke. When the cigars are too damp, the different cigar properties will burn unevenly or burn at all, destroying the cigar’s taste, aroma, and smoke.

Manufacturing Process

Ligero

The preparation, rolling, and storage of cigars generally affect its overall performance. Ligero gives cigars their primary flavor; it is an elemental property that can be likened to the importance of a signature ingredient in a renowned chef’s meal. Ligero is also a critical cigar filler due to its slow-burning attribute. Therefore, if a cigar contains too much ligero, it will not light appropriately.

Binder

Another vital component in the structure of a cigar is the binder. The binder wreathes the filler giving the cigar its proper size and shape. Double bunching or improper curing of the binder can also be why your cigar is not burning correctly.

Double bunching usually is an error that occurs during manufacturing; the binder is doubled back, making the cigar too thick. As most seasoned cigar veterans will tell you, the binder is mostly incorporated in cigars for combustion. The flavorful Ligero usually is too oily and, on its own, would never duly burn if not for the binder.

Wrapper

A wrapper is the outermost part of a cigar, and there is more to this element than meets the eye. The wrapper gives the cigar its exquisite look, but it also says a lot about the cigar’s flavor. They also give out a lot about the manufacturing process of the cigar. However, if they are too oily, or too moist, or sometimes have both those mentioned earlier, then your cigar will not stay lit.

When the wrapper has an uneven burn, it causes the cigar to tunnel since the amount of combustible tobacco has increased.

During assembling, the wrapper may also have been rolled inappropriately, leaving a gap between the binder and the wrapper. This gap may not be apparent, but the difference between the wrapper and binder could also be microscopic and lead to tunneling.

Lighting/toasting process

The most simple step that seems pretty straightforward could be the reason your cigar is not staying lit. How do you light your cigar? This necessary step is most often taken to be a practice that is shrouded by glamour and protocol.

Lighting your cigar the wrong way could lead to uneven burning of the different essential components, making it lose its acquired taste. Toasting is a critical step for even seasoned cigar enthusiasts.

Toasting cigar is done by holding the cigar above the flame so that the foot can be charred; it’s important to note that you should not let the cigar and flame touch since you might damage the wrapper. Good light and mastering the toasting process is a significant step in enjoying your occasional cigar puffs.

Drawing puffs

The intensity of the puffs depends on whether your cherry is already glowing or the cigar is stubborn. For the latter, you will need to make larger draws. Cigars may not be staying lit because you take a long time before drawing puffs, thus losing the light.

The other problem could be as a result of leaving the stick too long in your mouth, making one end too wet, “wetness” makes it difficult for the cigar to stay lit.

What is the Solution for Keeping Your Cigar Lit?

Several connoisseurs believe spongy cigars are fresher. However, this belief is not true; cranking up the humidity in the humidor only makes the cigars too moist to smoke, thus making them not burn as expected. To allow gradual evaporation of moisture to escape, you can leave the humidor lid slightly open. Mostly, cigars won’t stay lit because of how they are stored rather than their construction. Usually, the storage of the cigar is a critical part of preserving its freshness.

Some of the ways to deal with the reasons mentioned above include;

Humidor

A Humidor helps maintain relative humidity for the tobacco used in making cigars. Naturally, tobacco will expand and contract depending on the relative humidity. Smoking immediately after they have been taken out of the humidifier makes them too wet to light. When the humidity is extremely high, the cigar can rot, grow mold, or are infested by tobacco beetles.

To avoid a “wet” cigar, you can take it out of the humidor and sit for a while before smoking. Letting the cigar rest will allow it to conform to room temperature and humidity and let the excess moisture in the cigar evaporate. You can also dry box your cigars and ensure your humidor RH is between 65% and 72%.

The Manufacturing Process

The manufacturing process of the cigar also plays a significant role in how it will burn. Some cigars will burn like dry grass on fire, and some will require big puffs. There is nothing much you can do about double bunching—too much ligero in the cigar or damp and oily wrappers. However, most cigar labels will be willing to send you a better batch of cigars to replace the ones you bought. Alternatively, you can also try another cigars brand since most manufacturers have different ways of manufacturing their cigars.

Drawing Procedure

The way you smoke your cigar might be another reason the cigar does not stay lit. Each cigar enthusiast tends to have different customs and traditions when it comes to roasting, lighting, or even how they draw puffs from a lit cigar. Is there a standard way of really doing it, though? I believe time builds experience, and with experience comes knowledge of how to enjoy your cigar.

Nevertheless, you might consider a few things if you have been running into some trouble with a cigar that does not stay lit.

• Type of lighter– First, ensure you are using the right lighter during the toasting process. This might seem obvious, but the choice of lighter goes a long way in affecting the cigar’s flavor and burning.
• Drawing-Ensure you are drawing well from the cigar, if you are pulling too hard to draw smoke, something is wrong.
• Intervals between puffs– At least, puff twice on your cigar per minute. This allows it to stay lit and to smoke nice, allowing you to relax and enjoy the exotic flavor that comes with each puff. A well-lit cigar will burn okay on its own, making constant huffing unnecessary. Also, do not ash your cigar. Unlike cigarettes, the ash on a cigar acts as heatproof enabling the cigar to burn longer. The ash should be left to fall off naturally, and much as the urge to knock it off may exist, try and resist it. Most cigars can hold a spectacular amount of ash, and just placing it on an ashtray will do the work for you. Also, note that you should not leave it on the ashtray for a long time unless you intend it to go off.
• Rotation of cigar-Try to spin or rotate your cigar occasionally when smoking. This ensures an even distribution of heat and a notable refinement in the flavor of the cigar.

Conclusion

Experienced cigar smokers know the importance of moisture in cigars. Whether you’ve just discovered cigars or have been smoking for a while, it is paramount to understand the humidity’s significance for you to enjoy a good cigar. A high-quality draw is dependent on the interaction of essential oils, sugars, and tobacco. The three elements are all affected if the cigar is too damp.

A good humidor with the right settings is a good investment for any partaker of cigar smoking. It is a good guarantee for exquisite taste and a good burn.