Joe Blizzard
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What do y'all think of this guy's technique?
- Thread starter Joe Blizzard
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Welcome to the site. Good video.
The only thing I noticed that was a little off was the filler looked to be in to high of order. Filler should be dry, but not crumbling. If the purpose is to roll a quick cigar to smoke right away, that cigar would get hot and mushy from too much moisture in the filler. The other problem with moist filler is it will compress as you roll it and make a poor draw. Other than that, it was really nice work...especially for free hand.
The only thing I noticed that was a little off was the filler looked to be in to high of order. Filler should be dry, but not crumbling. If the purpose is to roll a quick cigar to smoke right away, that cigar would get hot and mushy from too much moisture in the filler. The other problem with moist filler is it will compress as you roll it and make a poor draw. Other than that, it was really nice work...especially for free hand.
MarcL
Well-Known Member
That looks about right. rest is best ... I noticed not all of them make it to the root seller.
Gdaddy
Well-Known Member
Nice looking cigar. Never saw a double wrapper go on before. Like Don says the leaf was rather soft and seemed a tad too moist.
Welcome, Joe. Nice video. Lots of nice leaves. Is it possible that I saw Aleman written in one of his boxes?
dondford
Well-Known Member
Ended up with a good looking cigar, although most wouldn't call a double binder, double wrapper triple cap cigar a "quickie". Suspect he didn't smoke it right then, if he did it will be a bitch to keep it lit as wet as it was. Also, never seen anybody have his glue just smeared on the edge of his rolling board.
Welcome to FTT. Thanks for posting the video.
charlie G.
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the site Joe. I saw he has other videos on YouTube. Thanks for posting the video.
Joe Blizzard
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Thanks for all the welcome messages. I've been casually following the guy in the video on social media since reading his book Pennsylvania last year. (If you're looking for some good Amish sci-fi, I recommend it...) Anyway he started posting about rolling cigars recently and that's what initially piqued my interest. I've ordered a couple of blend packs to begin dabbling, so I expect to have a go at it myself soon. Since several people brought up the subject, I'll move to my first question: What's a typical wait time between rolling and smoking? I figure there must be a lot of variables, but at this point I don't know whether I'd normally be looking at hours, days, weeks, or what.
There does not appear to be a typical. There appear, instead, to be two schools: the School of Immediate Gratification (SIG) and the School of Deferred Gratification (SDG). SIGs will tell you they roll one and light it right up; whereas SDGs will tell you they wait a week or two, or better yet a month of two. I belong to the SDG school, and I think SIGs are cheating themselves out of a much better result. Sure, you can always cop out with "it's all a matter of taste". I think that's humbug. We are, after all, here to discuss taste. Even if you receive a box of cigars in the mail, you get best results if you SDG those bad boys a week in the humi before you light up. How much more so when you roll your own, where the blend has the opportunity to nestle together, the wrapper and binder have the chance to relax into shape and also dry to proper humidity. A nice nap in cedar makes a diff too. SIG is too lazy and impatient to appreciate these subtle improvements.
I like my sketty sauce simmered two days. I like my home made beer naturally krausened and settled out. I like my winee a year or two old. I like my cigars better well down the road.
SDG all the way baby -- a week to test -- month or two for best results.
Nearly all (I've never heard of one that doesn't) manufacturers of premium cigars will let their sticks rest for a prolonged period of time. I've heard numbers form 4 to 10 years, but I can't put my finger on any right now.
Some of the best cigars I've ever smoked were stripped of the stalk and rolled and smoked in the tobacco field, so I guess that makes me a SD/IG.
Some of the best cigars I've ever smoked were stripped of the stalk and rolled and smoked in the tobacco field, so I guess that makes me a SD/IG.
Raodwarior
Well-Known Member
Most manufacturers will let their sticks rest an average of 90 days depending on the age of the leaf. That said most will not use leaf that hasn't been aged in bales at least 4 yrs and some a lot longer. I know of several manufacturers that have some tobacco in inventory over 20 yrs.
I still think the best smokes I have had were either right out of the rollers hand, or something that was aged quite awhile, guess I am in both groups depending.
I still think the best smokes I have had were either right out of the rollers hand, or something that was aged quite awhile, guess I am in both groups depending.
dvick003
Well-Known Member
After rolling my own for a while, I prefer to start smoking mine immediately. It might take a while to get through that particular batch but I love them right off the rolling table. Personally, I find it easier to taste the various nuances the younger the cigar is. The longer I wait, the more mundane and "blended"/washed out it becomes to me. Maybe I just like hodgepodge flavors.
MarcL
Well-Known Member
Yes. variables are the determiners. optimum combustibility. I think tobacco wants to burn well and, yearns our facilitated encouragements.
Nuestros estímulos facilitadores.
Being able to fairly determine a tobaccos body, oils, moister, and presser placement to each other for combustion is a hands on learned perception.
Times progression in relation to this can be tricky.
Nuestros estímulos facilitadores.
Being able to fairly determine a tobaccos body, oils, moister, and presser placement to each other for combustion is a hands on learned perception.
Times progression in relation to this can be tricky.
Ten years sounds about right. Just be patient.
Seriously, I agree with Roadwarior, in that some of the more volatile aromatics tend to dissipate with time. Some of my own tobacco varieties, after resting for a few weeks out of the kiln, possess delicious flavors and aromas that vanish within a year. Others are harsh at that point, and really need a year or more to develop.
The "vintage" industrial cigars (properly stored) in the 10 to 25 year-old range are usually interesting, but seem to have lost their distinctive character.
All this notwithstanding, I believe that different varietals benefit from different aging. The aged leaf that Don sells is ready to be smoked after you roll the cigar--provided you roll it in the correct case. Setting them aside for a week or two usually improves their appearance, but seems to my jaded senses to have little impact on the flavor and aroma.
Rolling home-grown leaf requires experimentation to determine an optimal aging. Little Dutch and PA Red require very little time after kilning. Jalapa needs at least a year to tame down.
In terms of learning to roll cigars properly, "roll one; smoke one," is by far the most educational way to go. Roll them free-hand. Discover how you did (firmness, draw), before you roll the next one. Worry about cosmetics after 30 to 100 one-off cigars. After that, play with cosmetic accessories, such as a cigar mold. But, by all means, do the learning with good quality leaf.
Bob
Seriously, I agree with Roadwarior, in that some of the more volatile aromatics tend to dissipate with time. Some of my own tobacco varieties, after resting for a few weeks out of the kiln, possess delicious flavors and aromas that vanish within a year. Others are harsh at that point, and really need a year or more to develop.
The "vintage" industrial cigars (properly stored) in the 10 to 25 year-old range are usually interesting, but seem to have lost their distinctive character.
All this notwithstanding, I believe that different varietals benefit from different aging. The aged leaf that Don sells is ready to be smoked after you roll the cigar--provided you roll it in the correct case. Setting them aside for a week or two usually improves their appearance, but seems to my jaded senses to have little impact on the flavor and aroma.
Rolling home-grown leaf requires experimentation to determine an optimal aging. Little Dutch and PA Red require very little time after kilning. Jalapa needs at least a year to tame down.
In terms of learning to roll cigars properly, "roll one; smoke one," is by far the most educational way to go. Roll them free-hand. Discover how you did (firmness, draw), before you roll the next one. Worry about cosmetics after 30 to 100 one-off cigars. After that, play with cosmetic accessories, such as a cigar mold. But, by all means, do the learning with good quality leaf.
Bob
Hey Joe, I watched that video and all I can say is WTF?? He takes a pretty simple procedure and turns it in to some God awful time consuming endeavor. How long did it take him to roll 1 cigar? 10 minutes? and a pound of glue too? If you are just starting off, find someone else to learn from. Hand rolling a single cigar (without a mold) should take about 2 minutes. Bunch your filler, wrap a binder (no glue needed) and wrap a wrapper with a tad bit of glue and you are done.
Ive seen Steve Saka say that the secondary fermentation can take up to 60 days depending on how heavy of tobaccos they're using. So I figure to do it right you should give them at least that to get through their sick phase. Cant say Ive totally followed this myself but I'm stocking up to get the pipeline going.
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