Poor burning cigars

[Jitterbugdude]

A soil analysis would be a wise move. In the mean time here is some info on Chlorine gleaned from the book by Tso "Physiology and Biochemistry of Tobacco Plants"

Chlorine content in some studies have varied from .422% in th elower leaves to 1.011% for the upper leaves. Other studies using Burley have shown uniform Chlorine leaves but in Flue Cured Tobacco the highest level is in the lower leaves and decreases as you go up the plant. I'm thinking Ben might have marginally high Chlorine levels that go over the limit for combustibility when he reaches the top of his plants.

Chlorine content of leaves is inversely related to pH. A more alkaline soil produces less Chlorine in the leaf.

Excess Chlorine causes an excess of Calcium reulting in a skewed Potassium to Calcium ratio.

Chlorine is inhibited by rich sources of nitrogen.

So, if it were me I'd get a soil test before planting again and look real hard at your Chlorine, Potassium, Calcium and Nitrogen levels.

As far as I know once you have grown a non combustable leave there is nothing you can do other than mix it in small amounts with a fast burning tobacco like a Flue Cured... or sell it/give it to guys that make chew or snuss!

 

[ne3go]

Thanks for your input guys.

workhorse_01, the air from sea can deposit salt/chlorine only in outer surface of a leaf? Or the leaf can absorb an amount? Is just a washing enough?

Bob i'll try that, i know some people in the union of wines.The problem is that the professional agronomists here, are specialized only for vines.

Jitterbugdude, you're talking about percentage in leaves. Is there a prohibitory percentage of chlorine for soil?

 

[MarcL]

Sorry, but one of the rules for posting is to post in English. It serves very few people to post in foreign languages. .... not to mention how confusing it would be to post in multiple foreign languages in the same thread.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sorry, my bad. and thax for translating, you beat me to it.

 

[workhorse_01]

I would certainly try washing a few leaves real well then re-rolling once back in case. It might solve the problem and it cant hurt.

 

[ne3go]

I couldn't do properly the burning test that Bob suggested.And i'm running out of commercial cigars for comparison. So, i need to look at the burning and the ash of a leaf, if you put a fire on it with a lighter.
Can someone please post a picture of one of his -ready to smoke- leaves, after fire? Or maybe, as Bob said, a photo of a leaf trying to burn the lamina with a lit cigar or cigarette.
It will be usefull as a reference for good burning leaves, before rolling a cigar.

I mean something like this:

African Red




Izmir

 

[webmost]

Μου αρέσει πάντα τα πούρα μου με την ηλικία για αρκετές εβδομάδες πριν από το κάπνισμα.

Yeah, that's easy for you to say.

There's a Greek family owns a sub shop I frequent. Always have the Greek news on the boob toob when I go in there. It's a great sound. Sincerely wish I had taken Greek and Latin in high school, rather than Spanish and Russian. Spanish is great for living in SoCal or travelling in Mexico. Russian is a fascinating sound. But there's flat out no scholarship in Spanish and Russian books are unavailable; whereas all my historical interests would be served by Latin and Greek.

Ah well. Too old and stiff to jump thru new hoops now.

 

[webmost]

Hey, everyone's going on and on about salt, but... What leaf are you using?

On a rainy day here in Dull-Aware, I find that a cigar bound or wrapped in broadleaf has a way better chance of burning right along than any other. This is true whether the cigar is home rolled, machine rolled, or expensive hand rolled premium. This is true whether it's PA broadleaf or CT. It's a good thing I like that toasty leather flavor of the broadleaf; cause it rains pretty often here. But I tell you, I can spark up a skillfully made eight buck stick from Ave Maria or Torano or AJF, with a Cameroon or Sumatra or Habano wrapper on a rainy day, out in the garage, and it will certainly plug, tunnel, or canoe by half way along. On the other hand, I can fire off a BL bound and wrapped mechanizado cheapie from FX Smith or a Perdomo Lot 23, and they will burn perfect.

Ask Don to sell you some combustible binder and wrapper. Broadleaf is reasonable cheap; only thing is, by the time you hunt through a whole big leaf looking for a patch smooth enough to wrap with, you will have a lot of waste; so buy more than you need.

 

[AmaxB]

I tried some of my African Red as a wrapper, I also shredded and smoked some as a cigarette. When used as a cigarette it burned normally but as a wrapper it did not. I have some in my kiln now when finished I'll try it again. I'm of the thought that time and fermentation will make the difference. I read yesterday most cigar companies ferment two times and at least one does it three times.

 

[AmaxB]

HI webmost
Try one binder & filler MD 609 wrapped with Ecuador Shade ring size 46 - 47 it burns well and even never mind the weather. I am finding a heavy veined binder will cause an uneven burn..

 

[workhorse_01]

I read that too. I also read that on the third ferment more was lost than achieved. That's hearsay since I have nothing more to go on other than what I read. It's Cohiba that's most known for the triple ferment.

I tried some of my African Red as a wrapper, I also shredded and smoked some as a cigarette. When used as a cigarette it burned normally but as a wrapper it did not. I have some in my kiln now when finished I'll try it again. I'm of the thought that time and fermentation will make the difference. I read yesterday most cigar companies ferment two times and at least one does it three times.

 

[webmost]

HI webmost
I am finding a heavy veined binder will cause an uneven burn..

Well that's why I say you have to hunt through your leaves to find smooth patches big enough to wrap with. Connecticut shade is a good bet.

There may be other easy burning leaves. I am just a newbie amateur, trying to pay attention

 

[ne3go]

Ask Don to sell you some combustible binder and wrapper. Broadleaf is reasonable cheap; only thing is, by the time you hunt through a whole big leaf looking for a patch smooth enough to wrap with, you will have a lot of waste; so buy more than you need.

As i mentioned a lot of times, greek customs are not allowed tobacco mail orders...unfortunatelly...See here: http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/fh_015.htm#ep1389299
That's the only reason why haven't order wholeleaf yet. I'm afraid that if custom discovers the order, i'll have law troubles, not only tax.

 

[Knucklehead]

I'll burn some leaf for you and take pictures. Tell me how you did the leaves in the picture so we can do it the same way for comparison. Should I measure the amount of time the leaf stays lit? Should I burn a Flue Cure variety and an Oriental like you did? What case is your leaf in?

 

[ne3go]

My leaves were medium case, just light them at the tip with a lighter and see where they stop. I just burned 2 randomly varieties, if you like burn the same varieties or similar. I just want to see how a whole leaf would burn if is proper for cigar.Thanks!

 

[Knucklehead]

I lit each leaf with a lighter and held it up in the air until it went out almost immediately (inside the garage, no wind). Then I laid it on the ground to take the picture. Each leaf flamed up real nice but did not stay lit over a couple of seconds.

Oriental (don't ask me which one, there's a moderator in Maryland that would shoot me for sticking a lighter to this particular variety) Air cured, medium case.



K326 air cured Flue Cure variety (mud lug). Medium case.



I realized I had never rolled a cigar from either of the top two, so I tried one of Don's Dominican Ligero leaves in low case. I know these burn well in a cigar, but same results.

 

[Knucklehead]

Do your cigars not burn at all? It's common to have to keep puffing on one to keep it lit. How tight are you rolling? Are you rolling with the veins of the leaf running from front to back in the direction of the cigar? Filler low case, binder med. case, wrapper high case? Have you tried letting your wife roll one for you? (lol)

 

[ne3go]

Thanks for the photos!They seem to produce the same black ash like mine, except from the 1st. Does the fire spread in the leaf quickly?
I'm rolling with the veins as you said, also the case is right. My wife is almost ready to kick me out of the house with all these tobacco leaves hanging,kiln working,smelling garage etc...So, not a good idea!
My cigars aren't so tight i think, they start burning, but if i don't keep puffing they put away in seconds. Sometimes they put away even if i'm puffing and have to light them again and again...

 

[MarcL]

 

[deluxestogie]

MarcL, that's a pretty scary link on that article teaser:
h t t p://info.cigaradvisor.com/t/cccbaLNvQABUcJYqEAeaB0VqBCDSaaaaa?s=3@43z22&g=kcpejcliYpcu_wcfqm.emo&j=D10&v=&t=fvrr://uyu.egiYtYftkqqp.emo/kcecxklg/z2z5/ZwppgpeAguqwcu8vsplgjkli8eYpmggpeAYpbApwlpctq?wro@qqstag=lguujgrvct&svk@ocfgwk=gkcgn&svk@eYoncgil=3y4331&wro@aqlvcpr=hccrwpg8dstlkliguqwcu

Scanning it, and feeding it into a number of evaluation engines turned up no evil.

Bob

 

[MarcL]

Yeah, can't argue that ... not a bad article though. what do you think ?