I have a humidor with an active humidification system and I keep it near 67%RH. The system seems to be working properly.
Lately, every cigar I smoke seems to have a gush of tar while smoking them. All brands seem to have this happen. I have never noticed before. If I don't notice the tar, and get a mouthful, it is a very bitter experience.
Could my Relative Humidity be too low and therefore, the cigar burns too hot? I thought that a tar problem would be more likely with higher humdity.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
Thanks
Doc

You might try periodically purging [gentle blow out] to reduce tar problems
#Maybe this should be called a "puzzler" [maybe you've started noticing it more {{???}} ]

Ridgerunner65, thanks. I have noticed before, but this seems to be with every cigar. I have purged cigars before. Most "off-brands." But these are Ghurka's, Padron's, La Aurora, AVO's... Sometimes the tar gets so thick that it will drip. I am not a cigar sucker and try to keep the end "dry" with minimal "chomp" - just a preference, for what it's worth.
Thanks
Doc

Do you cut them or punch them? I have noticed that this happens more in punched cigars.

KC

I am sure that you have a calibrated hygrometer in your system and that you are only using distilled water - right?

Plus, what the flightless slippery one said - cut or punch?

Are you sure it's tar? maybe it's melted beatles...

sorry - where are you storing them? what temp?cello on or off?

Penguin13 notes something I've experienced on rare occasions. Sometimes with a punch or a shallow v-cut, the tar seems to accumulate more in various individual cigars.
Still puzzled about the apparent regularity, recent development in non-cheapo cigars [not that I've experienced more tars, on average, in more humble sticks] I can't think of a particular reason the humidity being low end of average would create the problem, but I'm no "rocket scientist"

the only thing that I've seen that comes close to this is when a friend was smoking a gar that had some soft black stuff in the middle - when I cut it open and looked inside - it was all rotted - he'd kept the humidity too high and temp way too high - but it doesn't appear this is the case...

Stop Hot Boxing the Damn thing.. Cigars are to be cherished while smoking them.. occasionally rolling them in your fingers holding the ash end up in the air and enjoying how the smoke rolls around the wrapper of the cigar while you exhale that bit of smoke your holding in your mouth to please your pallat... then taking a sip of your Coffee,Burbon,Scotch or Brew...
then take in another amount of smoke.. allowing the Cigar to Breath...

Your not roaching a joint before the bell rings!!!

one of my Cocky Ass Nephew's tokes the life out of a cigar every time he comes to visit... and every time he ends up with Tar oozing out and on his lip and sometimes enough of it that it drips out of the cigar itself... then he helps himself to Cigars to take back home with him... gready little ****... I give him Dog Rockets and let him clean up my bad buy's from Cbid...

the Key os to plan time to spend with the Cigar in question.. this will give you an idea of sizes you will enjoy more then others... Rothchilds are a nice size for compatable smoking times...

Hog

It really sounds like your RH is too high. Your hygrometer may need calibration. Take a cigar from your humidor, remove the cello, clip the cap, and let the cigar sit out, unhumidified for a couple of days. Smoke it. See if you still are getting moisture ooze. If the cigar is fine, it's pretty clear that your humi's RH is too high.

Tar dripping out of the cigar????? Ewwwww, thats friggin nasty! If anything dripped from my cigar, I dont think I could continue smoking it.

Hope you get it figured out.

TubeDoc - So, what's the verdict?

Sorry guys, but I had company this weekend, so I did not respond in a timely fashion.
I cut all my cigars with a double blade cutter about 1/8th to 16th inch from end. I smoke all at about the same speed. I used to huff and puff in the beginning, but getting a cigar ashtray helped me put 'em down and enjoy them.
My active system did not have to work because, for some reason, the humdity in Dallas has been high lately. The RH was reading 72% on Friday, and I guess that was the main problem - too wet. My system does not remove moisture, only adds it. And the suddeness does kinda coincide with the time the RH shot up. I did not think that the wood (Mahogany and spanish cedar) would let that much humidity through. jBut Nanook just blew through, and I have a feeling that the RH is down for the count.
Thanks for your suggestions. I have learned alot about storing cigars lately.
Doc