Tighter Cigar

[webmost]

Having trouble trying to get Don's sampler pack to roll tighter. My only previous rolling experience, I wet down the filler and binder leaves before rolling. However, that made the whole stick ferment. Ack. So I don't want to do that.

My sense of it here is that the Dom. Seco and Dom. Ligero are both supple enough after a week in the bag with a water pillow so that they roll up without crackling; but not supple enough to merge. Both types of leaves, especially the Ligero, have gobs of stiff crinkles which never flatten out. Those crinkles make it so that the wad feels real tight when I roll it, but isn't tight once done.

Anyone have a suggestion?

BTW -- fired up another of those bad boys last night. Yum.

 

[johnlee1933]

Re: Tighter

My sense of it here is that the Dom. Seco and Dom. Ligero are both supple enough after a week in the bag with a water pillow so that they roll up without crackling; but not supple enough to merge. Both types of leaves, especially the Ligero, have gobs of stiff crinkles which never flatten out. Those crinkles make it so that the wad feels real tight when I roll it, but isn't tight once done.

I had much the same problem. It sounds like you have the case right.Try taking your filler bunch and rolling it back and forth with hard pressure. I roll it with a flexible mat. Let relax a minute and then roll with binder with your fingers to get the "feel". I found doing this reduced my "funny burning" cigars a lot. Thanks to Delux Bob for this suggestion, -·-

 

[deluxestogie]

Re: Tighter

I wouldn't worry about "merging" or stiff crinkles. If the filler is in high enough case to scrunch for filler without crumbling to dust (some cracking is OK), then it's perfect. With filler that dry, you can roll the cigar as tightly as possible, and it will still draw. (This approach does require a sturdy binder.)

When the filler is supple, you have to roll it too loosely, in order to avoid rolling a cigar that won't draw. I've even used crumbly filler, tucked inside a somewhat softer filler leaf to keep the fragments from falling out while rolling.

Bob

 

[webmost]

Re: Tighter

... This approach does require a sturdy binder...

Bob

Yabbut, the sampler pack includes seco, ligero, and enough bazooka to shoot off more than twice that many cigars. So I am using bazooka for my binder. I agree it would be good to have some thick and strong broadleaf for the job. But I don't.

Next batch, I'm going to double bind them. Two bazooka one on top of the other. Maybe that'll do it.

This is fun.

 

[Knucklehead]

How are they smoking?

 

[webmost]

How are they smoking?

Well, the taste is pretty darn smooth. One of the staples in my humidor is the AJ Fernandez Fresh Rolled. A favorite daily. Not the maduro; but the regular. These taste just like those but milder. All they are missing is the habano tang. Plenty of volume to the smoke. A fine aroma. Distant wood and mild tobacco with some leather.

However, they will be burning along even and slow and then suddenly cack out. They do relight easy enough. The head also gets soggy cause it starts too soft in my mouth. These things could be solved by a firmer pack, I think.

The sampler really convinces me to order from Don again, and this time to select some stout binder and a more flavorful wrapper. His seco and ligero make a good blend for filler. Just need to find a way to tighten up.

 

[Knucklehead]

You could try using a homemade cigar press while your binder is on, then apply the wrapper. That may help pack a little. I haven't used one, so maybe someone that has will weigh in. It was just a thought.

 

[SmokeStack]

My cigar rolling skills are still at the "beginners' level." So I have to rely on molds. I was just on eBay and found quite a few molds - some at decent prices.

 

[webmost]

My cigar rolling skills are still at the "beginners' level." So I have to rely on molds. I was just on eBay and found quite a few molds - some at decent prices.

If I rely on molds, my cigar rolling skills will never progress beyond the beginner level.

 

[johnlee1933]

You could try using a homemade cigar press while your binder is on, then apply the wrapper. That may help pack a little. I haven't used one, so maybe someone that has will weigh in. It was just a thought.

I tried using molds when I started rolling. For me the molds were not worth the effort. They just turned an ugly bad cigar into a presentable bad cigar. I suppose now that my skills have improved a little I should try molds again but it' just not worth it to me. -·-

 

[darren1979]

A good place i found for cigar moulds is ebay.de (the german ebay site) they seem to have hundreds on there. Type in zigarrenpresse german for cigar mould or just zigarren for there cigars. For some reason they're aload to sell cigars on there. go figure.

 

[Michibacy]

I made a mold from 2, 2"x6"s, I clamped them together and drilled 3/4 and 1" holes along the 2, 2" sides as deep as they'd go. Then drilled 2 holes on each end, slid a 1/4"x5 inch bolt and nut through to tighten down the blocks. Works well, but may require some sanding (alot of) to work out the burrs in the hallowed out areas. all in all about 1.5 hours to do the work.

 

[SmokeStack]

Michibacy, your ingenuity manifests itself once again. I bought two molds, one for coronas and one for Churchills, and I paid through the nose for them. I should have checked eBay.

 

[Michibacy]

I found one for sale in Marshall Smokestack, it was nice and old, warn a bunch and cracked in a few areas. The best the owner would offer me was $55 (that's after a barter for some whole leaf) I said no thanks, went home, drew out the design and made it.

If interested I can make one for someone.

 

[webmost]

A good place i found for cigar moulds is ebay.de (the german ebay site) they seem to have hundreds on there. Type in zigarrenpresse german for cigar mould or just zigarren for there cigars. For some reason they're aload to sell cigars on there. go figure.

For some reason, in the land of the free, we aren't. Go figure.

But what's it take to ship a mold from the Vaterland?

 

[MarcL]

Reading through this thread, I didn't see the suggestion of "paper pressing". That is, after binding, you take news paper, cut it into strips, and wrap it tight. Re-wrap if needed. I saw this on YouTube. I have some eBay molds and found them to be really particular about the amount of filler that is used. Paper pressing lets you bind how ever much filler you want, and the shape of the cigar is what it is, but it's firm.

 

[jekylnz]

Paper works all good for me at the mo,but its cool making ur own cig toys

 

[RICH]

I was looking into the Lieberman bunching machine,(or a homemade version of one). I see them being used on Youtube vidios but haven't found any for sale or plans to make one. The only thing I saw out there was for cigarettes and the diamensions were to small.

 

[Seanz]

My cigar rolling is gettig better by the day I say flag the molds and learn to roll, Hey that almost rhymes.
but seriously the more your fingers learn to feel the body the better your cigar will be.

 

[johnlee1933]

I was looking into the Lieberman bunching machine,(or a homemade version of one). I see them being used on Youtube vidios but haven't found any for sale or plans to make one. The only thing I saw out there was for cigarettes and the dimensions were to small.

Rich, I use a piece of rubber shelf liner for bunching and smoothing with fair results.