My Cigars Won't Burn

[koceff]

Second try. The plastic mold is 54 the wooden one is 42. Trying to get the hang of the bunching, just how much filler should i should use. Haven't tried these yet, they are now wrapped in paper to help them dry out a little. How can i know when the cigar is good to light it up? I can see if the wrapper is wet or dry but can't tell about the inside.

 

[GreenDragon]

@koceff Unfortunately, due to the number of variables, experience is the only way to tell when they are ready to light. You have to take into account the local humidity levels, how wet the tobacco was cased prior to rolling, and how thick and tight the bunch is. Some people put their rolls into a "dry box" for a week or two before moving to their humidor. If you use the absolute minimum moisture when rolling, you can light up immediately. It all depends on your location and technique. Experiment and have fun!

 

[koceff]

3 out of 8 cigars pictured above are still unsmokable. The flame goes of in 3 seconds and i think the draw is to tight but i think it will still pass. They are drying out for 5 days now wrapped in paper in about 40% rh and the wrapper is bone dry. Don't know what to do. I rolled one this morning with filler that almost crumbled and actually did a little bit and binder on the dry side so the moisture wont be a problem. I'll apply the wrapper later this afternoon and it will also be dryer then it should be. I hope it will be ok because if not, i don't know what is the problem.

 

[deluxestogie]

With low case filler, the binder can be a bit more hydrated, and the wrapper in high case (fully stretchy), and still be smoked immediately. I would suggest rolling without a cigar mold, and aim for a good draw. A wider ring-size cigar is easier to roll with a good draw, compared to a thinner ring cigar.

Bob

 

[Knucklehead]

Did you use chlorinated water when you were growing? That could cause combustion issues.

 

[koceff]

@Knucklehead In the seedling stage i used tap water. After that, in the garden i used well water.

 

[Knucklehead]

@Knucklehead In the seedling stage i used tap water. After that, in the garden i used well water.

Did you fertilize late in the season? That can affect combustion but I forget which nutrient.

 

[koceff]

@Knucklehead I only fertilised once right after transplanting outside with 15:15:15 and that was it. I am going to try to burn one leaf with a lighter and see if it burns. Hope it does.

 

[koceff]

The leaf wont burn for more than 2 seconds...

 

[koceff]

I am cluttering this thread with off topic posts. Can they be moved to appropriate thread?
After puffing they get very soggy, soft and bendy. I rolled a loose 54 ring with very dry leaves. Same problem, hard to light and goes of right away. Tore that apart and rolled it tight into maybe 25 ring and it got better. It is still hard to light but it stayed lit longer. I saw something about misting the leaves with Potassium Nitrate to eliminate this problem. Is this a thing?

 

[deluxestogie]

Some possible issues:

• persistently high ambient humidity
• leaf in too high a case
• leaf not well cured (residual proteins and carbohydrates)
• excess chlorine content of the fertilizer used

Bob

 

[koceff]

• The ambient humidity is around 40-50%
• Tried it with almost dry leaf and still the same.
• The curing and fermenting had some issues but the leaf is dry, the color is ok and the smell is sweet
• This is the fertilizer used:

Nitrogen 20%
Phosphorus 20%
Potassium 20%
Iron 400 ppm
Copper 150 ppm
Manganese 250 ppm
Zinc 250 ppm
Boron 100 ppm
Molybdenum 10 ppm

I have rolled before with sun cured Prilep, lightly kilned, and the burn was ok, not great but smokable. I have some cigar leaf that was grown in a different place with no fertilizing, cured and then kilned in a plastic bag for a couple of months. I'll roll one and see how it burns.

 

[GreenDragon]

A few thoughts:

1) Let's settle the question of casing. Try placing a few leaves and a completed cigar in a low oven (200F) for a few hours. That should drive out any residual moisture. See if they burn. If yes, then it's a moisture problem, if no then we continue on.
2) What is your blend of leaves by position - the percentage of Seco (lowest leaf, best burn) to Viso (middle leaf, medium burn) to Ligero (top leaf, worst burn)?
3) Stop using molds until you can achieve a consistent burn. It is very easy to make your cigars too tight using them.

 

[deluxestogie]

The source of the potassium can be an issue. "Muriatic acid" or "Muriate of potash" are derived from a chloride salt (KCl). Potassium sulfate is a safe source of K:
"Potassium sulfate (US) or potassium sulphate (UK), also called sulphate of potash (SOP), arcanite, or archaically potash of sulfur, is the inorganic compound with formula K2SO4, a white water-soluble solid. It is commonly used in fertilizers, providing both potassium and sulfur."

Material	Chemical formula	Approximate K2O
Potassium chloride	KCl	60 to 62%
Potassium sulfate	K2SO4	50%
Potassium-magnesium sulfate (K-mag or Sul-Po-Mag)	K2SO4�2MgSO4	20%
Potassium thiosulfate	K2S2O3	17%
Potassium nitrate	KNO3	44%

Potassium for crop production

Potassium (K) is an essential nutrient for plant growth. It’s classified as a macronutrient because plants take up large quantities of K during their life cycle. Minnesota soils can supply some K for crop production, but when the supply from the soil isn’t adequate, a fertilizer program must...

extension.umn.edu

Bob

 

[koceff]

@GreenDragon I will "bake" some leaf and a cigar later. That's an easy one.
The blend is one of each, i know nothing about blending, never done that but i know that there should be different priming levels.
I'll roll some without the molds. The few I have rolled with Prilep, last year were not put in a mold and they were smokable.

@deluxestogie I have no idea about that. I can check on the bag if I find it.

 

[deluxestogie]

Most chemical fertilizers are formulated (if one can call it that) by combining crushed rocks from one or several natural mineral deposits.

If it is a solution, it is often simply the same process, with the added industrial step of dissolving the minerals and suspending them.

Bob

 

[koceff]

Baked 2 sticks, 200f for two hours, still nothing.
Made one without mold and baked that also, still nothing, no burn.
I can sell my tobacco to the fire department, they can make suits out of it.

 

[Van]

Baked 2 sticks, 200f for two hours, still nothing.
Made one without mold and baked that also, still nothing, no burn.
I can sell my tobacco to the fire department, they can make suits out of it.

 

[koceff]

" Studies found both calcium and magnesium salts improved the moisture content of tobacco , but generally, though magnesium and calcium salts play an important role in the burning process, they are thought to be inversely related to quality. Potassium correlates highly with high combustibility which favors good quality and good taste. Potassium salts also favor combustion. Potassium chloride in large amounts inhibits combustibility, but small amounts of potassium chloride, especially in the presence of calcium and magnesium, promote combustion"
So, since nothing else works, should i spray the leaves with potassium nitrate? If I can find some here...

 

[Alpine]

Sorry if this has been asked or answered before, but did you kiln the leaves? If so, how long have they been kilned?

pier