It is true. We have one member who has had a bad experience with pectin. What led to this problem is unclear. Many, many members and non-members use pectin with great success, no untoward taste, and no complaints. As I have posted before, all of these various cigar gums and glues are a mix of polysaccharides, and all of them are capable of supporting microbial growth (spoiling) when maintained in conditions that are conducive to microbial growth.
Pectin is inexpensive and readily available. It's also from identifiable and FDA certified sources. Many of the gums available on the Internet are manufactured in 3rd-world countries, and may or may not be pure, or suitable for putting in your mouth. If you prefer to order some gum exotica, just do your homework on its sourcing and suitability for food use. There are certainly good ones out there.
If you're worried about the taste of any particular gum of your choosing, just dab a bit on your tongue.
Bob
Quick story of why I don't like pectin.
When I got my leaf from Don my cigars did NOT taste good. I thought it was the tobacco that was inferior and imparting a bitter, unpleasant flavor. Had I stayed with pectin I would have stopped rolling my own. They were that bad. Bitterness is a pet peeve of mine and won't tolerate it. Was very disappointed and ready to chalk it up as a loss.
So, after some research, I did just that...put a dab of pectin on my tongue and almost fell off the chair. It was bitter beyond belief. My question then was... do the people who recommend this stuff ever taste it?? Is it just me that is super sensitive to bitterness or does this really taste HORRIBLE. Why would you ever put this on a cigar?
That's when I started researching what the professionals use and NONE of them use pectin. None. So, after talking to some well respected rollers, I took the extra step and ordered the right stuff. It made such a HUGE difference on the very first cigar that I went to my humidor, pulled out my first 50 cigars and cut the wrappers and binders off all of them and re-rolled every one.
Just like that...Shazam... my once horribly bitter cigars were now enjoyable. The flavor was improved like night and day.
So I wonder... have other people started out using pectin and hated the flavor and quit the hobby because of it? Possibly. Those who have only used pectin may be unaware of how much better their cigars could be if they used the proper product. One that's flavorless and odorless and allow the tobacco flavor to shine through instead of adding this acrid, bitterness to the end of the cigar you put in your mouth. Are people just too lazy and cheap to go the extra step to get the proper product since, after all, pectin is dirt cheap and right down at the grocery store and can be had with minimal effort?
Pectin may be an excellent choice for orange marmalade or lemon pie but it doesn't belong on my cigar. However, if you like to add a touch of acrid bitterness to your cigar then pectin should be your first choice.
That's my story and I'm stick'in to it! (No pun intended.)
