Been having problems with hard drawing, pealing wrappers, and a portion of the cigar becomes hard near the buring ash. The RH hunidity is around 74 %. Is there a way to tell if my cigars are too dry or too moist.

74% is too wet. Shoot for 65 to 70.

I had it lower but when I gently squeeze the cigars the wrappers sound like their cracking.........I checked the calibration and it's ok.

I had it lower but when I gently squeeze the cigars the wrappers sound like their cracking.........I checked the calibration and it's ok.

First of all Jerrya...

Is your hygrometer a digital one???

If not stop right there and buy yourself one...

The Western Caliber II is the best by far and cheap...

If it is a digital then it sounds like you might have a common

problem everybody has which is getting it too wet!!!!!

The cigars that is....

Try dropping to 65-70% humidity and make sure that your humidor is in a more stable TEMP environment...

In other words you don't want to keep it in a place where in the morning the temp is 25 degrees then by midday its at 85 degrees (dramatic example to prove a point)...

Otherwise check the humidor for leaks...

Yes a digital and is calabrated correctly.......Temp is stalbe.

No leaks, Humidity holds well......just have the buing problem with some cigars... Could it be the cigar.....Some bune well and others form a hard spot right near the end of the ash, and draw real hard.

I guess what I'm looking for is there a sign of how to tell if a cigar is too moist or not enough buy its burning characteristics.

Thanks

Generaly, the way a cigar burns and draws are good indicators of moistness. Too hot, burns too fast, way easy draw=too dry. Canoeing, goes out, tough draw= too moist. These are what MAY be happening to a cigar and it's relative moisture. These all may also happen with a poorly constructed cigar.

A cigar held in the right RH% will have a slight crisp, but not crunchy, sound when rolled in your fingers close to your ear.

A sure sign of an over moist cigar will be an noticable expanding of the foot.

Oh yeah, a good way to tell if maybe your cigars are too moist is to take 2 of the same cigar and dry box one (put it in a cigar box for an hour or more) before smoking and then smoke the other right out of the humidor and see if any of the characteristics that I mentioned occur.

I just love this hobby. 🙂