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raisin a flame

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webmost

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Got a crapload of WLT H2k wrapper leaf that smells just wonderful raisiny but will not burn. I remember someone saying a raisin odor means it hasn't finished fermenting. I'm wondering :


  1. How would I make it finish fermenting?
  2. How would I know when it's finished?
  3. Once made to finish, would it burn better?
 

greenmonster714

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When I smoked cigars and they would not burn I would clip the end and stuck it in the microwave for about 9-10 seconds. Pull it out and exhale through the cigar and you'll have steam coming out. Do not inhale it will burn you. I'd do this a few times till the steam stops coming out the end or at least until the steam slows down. Let it sit for about 10 minutes and it should smoke just fine. This worked well with those cigars that would not burn from being to green and it would help get rid of that bitter green taste most unrested cigars have.

Just a suggestion. It always worked for me. I learned it from some of the old timers at a site I used to frequent.
 

deluxestogie

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My WLT Habana 2000 wrapper burns just fine. Sometimes I use it as filler. It has a raisinish smell. I'm not sure what the problem is. I'm pretty sure it's already fully fermented. (Otherwise, it would have a grassy smell.)

You could try a dashboard cure--basically cooking it slowly, then let it dry crispy, and rehydrate.

Maybe it's just too humid there.

Bob
 

webmost

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When I smoked cigars and they would not burn I would clip the end and stuck it in the microwave for about 9-10 seconds. Pull it out and exhale through the cigar and you'll have steam coming out. Do not inhale it will burn you. I'd do this a few times till the steam stops coming out the end or at least until the steam slows down. Let it sit for about 10 minutes and it should smoke just fine. This worked well with those cigars that would not burn from being to green and it would help get rid of that bitter green taste most unrested cigars have.

Just a suggestion. It always worked for me. I learned it from some of the old timers at a site I used to frequent.

It ain't the inside. It's just the wrapper. Doesn't matter what innards I wrap it round.
 

webmost

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My WLT Habana 2000 wrapper burns just fine. Sometimes I use it as filler. It has a raisinish smell. I'm not sure what the problem is. I'm pretty sure it's already fully fermented. (Otherwise, it would have a grassy smell.)

You could try a dashboard cure--basically cooking it slowly, then let it dry crispy, and rehydrate.

Maybe it's just too humid there.

Bob

The older WLT H2k no prob. Used to be my favorite wrapper. Then his supplier switched up on him. Next batch no better. If you think you can make it burn down there, I would be elated to send you several pounds of it. Can not make a go of it here. Just say the word. Hate to toss it out; more than happy to put it in the mail. Be doing me a favor.

Can not do a dashboard cure since I ride motorcycle exclusively. The wife has a car; but using her dash would go over like a fart in church. Spose I could improvise a box. Or use the attic.

Easiest and best solution would be to send it to you.
 

deluxestogie

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I'll tell you what. Send it on down. I'll run it in my kiln with my next batch for 4+ weeks. If it burns better after that, then I'll send it right back to you. That would certainly answer the question about fermentation.

Bob

EDIT: I remember a fuss about H2K when it first came out. I believe it was not burning well, but they eventually remedied that by...I forget. I don't know what else it could be, besides fermenting it some more.
 

deluxestogie

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Yaha!

John Oliva Jr. said:
“The problem was the bad reputation that Havana 2000 had for not burning well. People blamed the seed strain, but that wasn’t the problem at all. Cigarmakers were putting the wrapper on their cigars right out of the barn and weren’t giving it all the extra fermentation time it needed.”

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/webfeatures/show/id/17576
So, you were correct. It needs more fermentation.
 

webmost

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PM me your address, I'll shoot you a couple three pounds.

I'll tell you what. Send it on down. I'll run it in my kiln with my next batch for 4+ weeks. If it burns better after that, then I'll send it right back to you. That would certainly answer the question about fermentation.

Bob

EDIT: I remember a fuss about H2K when it first came out. I believe it was not burning well, but they eventually remedied that by...I forget. I don't know what else it could be, besides fermenting it some more.
 

SmokesAhoy

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I don't think that answer by the cigar company is correct every time. I got some one sucker from bigbonner that had a heavenly scent and raisins was prominent there. His one sucker is very well aged, and if you bring it to high case and let it sit in an airtight container it goes raisiny in a few days.

Different strains? I don't know but I've always associated the raisiny smell with aged, high quality tobacco in high case.

Also, my kilned vuelta abajo that is sprayed with water to prepare for binder is pressed to get all the air out of the bag has raisin on the tail end of the vuelta scent when the bag is opened. So both tobaccos are expressing that scent when moist. Mine is the equivalent of a year old but his is like 8 or 10 years old if I'm remembering right.
 
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