A burning question for many cigar beginners is identifying common cigar burn issues, what causes them, and then taking the appropriate action to resolve them.
From cigar coning to an uneven burn and struggling to keep the foot fired up, cigar burn problems hit accomplished aficionados just as much as smoking newbies.
Thankfully, these common issues can be remedied, so there’s no need to panic. Let’s shine a torchlight on some potential reasons why your cigar isn’t burning correctly and what you can do to fix it.
Why is my cigar not burning properly?
Various factors can contribute to your stogie’s poor burning performance. It could be a result of the cigar’s construction. Perhaps the filler tobacco is packed too loosely or the wrapper leaf is wrapped too lightly. Rushing through the lighting process, smoking in a windy environment, or taking puffs too quickly can also hinder the burn’s even progression.
However, it’s important to remember that even if you do everything right, including regularly maintaining humidity levels in your humidor, an uneven burn can still occur. If you know how to get your cigar burn back on track (it should be thin and even all the way around), you will be able to enjoy a satisfying smoke.
Discover solutions for common cigar burn problems so you don’t get burned.
Cigar tunneling
Tunneling occurs when the filler tobacco burns faster than the outer wrapper. While the wrapper and binder tobacco remain untouched, your cigar develops holes on the inside that resemble tunnels. A good indication of a tunnel beginning to form is when smoke from your stogie reduces.
What causes cigar tunneling?
A contrast in moisture levels between the inside and outside of your cigar is often the cause of cigar tunneling. In this case, the interior of the stick is drier than the outer layers.
Overly slow smoking can also lead to tunneling. If you aren’t taking draws at the correct pace, the cigar’s burning end cools, leaving only the core (the hottest part of the cigar) hot. Consequently, the inner filler keeps smoldering and creates a hole straight through the center of your cigar.
Inadequately lighting the edges of the foot or how the cigar is rolled can also spawn tunnel formation.
How to fix cigar tunneling
Ensuring proper humidity levels in your humidor can counteract the significant differences in moisture levels, while puffing on your cigar often will prevent the wrapper from cooling too much.
If your cigar has tunneled, you can fix it by lighting the outside tobacco with a lighter or match and taking regular, consistent puffs. This will help maintain an even burn throughout the length of the cigar.
Another option is allowing your cigar to cool and go out completely, then cutting below the tunneling burn and relighting the foot to resume your smoke. The only downside with this method is that you may have to make several cuts and lose a good chunk of your stick.
Cigar canoeing
The most common burn issue is cigar canoeing, where your stogie only burns down one side. This uneven burning pattern resembles the shape of a canoe (hence the name). Early signs that there is a faster combustion rate on one side of your cigar is if the burn line is becoming irregular or broad on one part of it.
What causes a canoeing cigar?
A humidity imbalance, lighting your cigar incorrectly, and uneven wrapper thickness can all cause your smoke to burn predominantly down one side. If you notice your cigar is starting to canoe, it can be easily rectified.
How to fix a canoeing cigar
Rotating your cigar periodically between your fingers while smoking will usually prevent canoeing, as it promotes even airflow and allows the ash to heat more evenly.
You can overcome canoeing issues by applying a little saliva on the faster-burning end to slow it down, but this isn’t considered good cigar etiquette. The classy resolution is to do a “touch-up” using a lighter. This involves rescuing the burn by toasting the side that’s burning more slowly. Just be cautious not to speed up the burn on the affected side.
In more extreme cases, you can relight the cigar. For this, set your stogie down in an ashtray and let it extinguish naturally. Knock the ashes off and re-cut it just past the affected area. Only use this as a last-ditch resort — not all cigar relights are successful.
If you’re enjoying a great cigar in the great outdoors, find a sheltered spot to shield it from direct drafts, as wind can disrupt the burn. Also consider using a wind-resistant lighter.
Regular rotation of your cigar collection within the humidor is also essential for minimizing the likelihood of cigar canoeing because it helps prevent potential moisture imbalances.
Cigar coning
If you see a cone-like shape in the ash of your cigar as it burns, you’ve been the victim of cigar coning.
It’s effectively the opposite of cigar tunneling, as the wrapper burns quicker than the filler tobacco. A sign your cigar is coning is if the smoke turns harsher as the filler heats.
What causes cigar coning?
Rapid smoking is usually the reason cigar coning occurs. Frequent puffing causes the outer edges to singe faster and the tightly packed filler to get overheated, burning away the surrounding binder and wrapper tobacco.
If the manufacturer uses high priming tobacco in the cigar’s core, this can also result in the cigar ash forming a cone. A cigar’s construction is fairly complex, with manufacturers often using different tobacco leaves in various parts of the cigar that all burn at different rates.
A core that contains slower-burning tobaccos may be compensated by more combustible outer layers. Since the wrapper and binder leaf will burn faster, the shape of the ash might form a cone while the slower-burning fillers catch up.
How to fix a coning cigar
Adjusting your smoking technique by taking longer intervals between draws will fix the coning. Around 30-60 seconds between puffs is ideal, but you can drop the pace further if needed.
It’s important to note cigar coning isn’t always a negative thing. If cone-shaped ash breeds due to the blend or construction and doesn’t significantly impact your smoking experience, you can enjoy it like you would a cylindrical stogie.
Cigar splitting
When your ash explodes out of the foot and splits into two, it’s not just unsightly — it also affects your burn. But what causes the binder and filler of your cigar to expand and split the wrapper?
What causes a cigar to split?
An overhumidified cigar filler and dry wrapper are far from a match made in heaven. As cigars absorb moisture from the inside out, this scenario results in the filler expanding faster than the wrapper. While this usually occurs at the foot, it can happen anywhere along the cigar’s body.
Substantial differences in humidity levels between your cigar storage and smoking environments can cause the wrapper to expand, leading to its splitting.
Finally, fast smoking can be another cause of cigar splitting. Rapid puffs cause the filler to overheat, expand swiftly, and burst through the wrapper leaf.
How to fix a split cigar?
Try dry boxing your cigars before smoking or lowering the humidification levels inside your humidor.
Repairing a split cigar in the moment requires a bit more attention to detail. Touch up the flame at the bottom of the split ever so slightly and work your way up quickly. Attend to both sides of the divide and wipe away the outstanding ash you created on the wrapper.
As the split has been cauterized, you can expect your stogie to burn without triggering the split to grow.
If your cigar does split, stop smoking. While the heat travels up the cigar, the split will get longer like a window crack.
Cigar burning too hot and fast
Cigars can burn faster, hotter, and stronger as you get within a few inches of the nub. If a cigar burns too fast, it can interfere with the taste and leave a sour bitterness on the palate. This isn’t a pleasant experience for anyone, let alone beginners.
What causes a cigar to burn too hot and fast?
The way you smoke your cigar is likely the reason it’s burning too hot. Our advice is to be patient between puffs. Drawing strongly on the cigar is another no-no. This will likely increase the heat level and negatively affect its taste in the middle and latter stages.
Drier tobacco burns quicker than properly humidified tobacco, so the conditions inside your humidor may be awry. Another reason could be a cigar manufacturing issue. If you feel around the stick and notice soft spots, your cigar may have been underfilled and is smoking faster because of the lack of filler blend.
How to fix a cigar burning too hot and fast
This global pastime is meant to be relaxing, so take your time smoking your cigar so the flavors can caramelize more leisurely. You will be rewarded with a much more flavorful smoke that holds up longer, too.
Exposing as much cap as possible when you clip your cigar can also be beneficial for alleviating this problem. This allows more smoke to pass through, preventing the build-up of excess moisture.
Just remember cigars wider in ring gauge like Churchills tend to have much more tobacco to filter the smoke.
Cigar won't stay lit
A cigar that keeps losing flame is frustrating. It stops you from getting into a rhythm and enjoying the smoke as it’s intended — without interruptions from start to finish.
What causes a cigar to go out constantly?
A cigar that won’t stay lit points to the overhumidification of your collection.
Feel your stick. If it feels soft and spongy and you constantly have to put flame to foot, it’s too wet. This means the different cigar properties won’t burn in harmony (or burn at all), destroying the aroma, smoke, and taste profile.
Improper lighting, smoking speed, and smoking outside in the wind can also cause your flame to fail.
How to fix a cigar that won’t stay lit
Humidity levels play a starring role in cigar storage. Aim to store your premium stogies at 70 Degrees Fahrenheit and 70% RH (Relative Humidity). If you’ve plucked a cigar from your humidor, carried out the pinch test, and determined it’s too moist, you should leave it out of the humidor for a day or so before you smoke it.
If the flame is extinguishing during smoke, set your cigar down in an ashtray for 15 minutes and allow it to acclimate to its surroundings. Relighting your cigar should then be more successful.