Crackling while my cigar is burning

[Ranger_B]

So I am smoking a cigar tonight and I start hearing crackling just like a camp fire. Burn was a bit off and a real dark blister line just before my burn line. Is this just too wet or is it too dry? Flavors where great burn seemed good just the noise. Any thoughts?

[bigswol2]

beetles?

[Volusianator]

If the wrapper blew up, then it was dry and cracked, if not, it may have still been dry or beetles.

[emopunker2004]

beetles?
;s :td

[Whee]

I was thinking beetles too.

[Volusianator]

;s :td

Why's that, you can hear beetles crack.

[emopunker2004]

sorry he might have beetles

[Ranger_B]

yeah I thought beetles too. It seemed to be the wrapper though. Guess it could have been and that would suck. I am smoking a Viaje DES and they are in their own 5 finger bag. Hummm

[Whee]

On the upside, it's the best kind of beetles....dead ones.:D

[Flynnster]

Also, you now know you like the flavor of burning beetles, and you can pick up beetle filled cigars very cheap.

[Skywalker]

http://www.techdigest.tv/The%2BBeatles.jpg

[emopunker2004]

http://www.techdigest.tv/The%2BBeatles.jpg

:tpd:

[Zeuceone]

Now I'm wondering if I should still do the NST with you. I'm pretty sure I don't like the taste of burnt beetles. :)

[Ranger_B]

Yeah well ill keep all the beetle gars to myself. That is just one possibility and I don't put too much stock in it. Don't get me wrong the rest of those des are staying in the baggies. No other sign of bugs but I will be going over the smokes in that humi with a fine tooth comb.
Posted via Mobile Device

[jitzy]

It could also be hot cigar vs cold air sometimes and a little bit to dry of a cigar could cause cracking

[neoflex]

Did the wrapper crack of split at all? I find in the cooler dryer months that thinner wrapper sometimes tend to pop and crack even if it's just a hairline and you can usually hear it make a pop or snap sound when they split. When I smoke Tatuajes in the winter I tend to get this often. Fingers crossed for you that it's not beetles and just an FYI if you have live beetles in your cigars keeping them in plastic bags won't keep them from spreading as they are capable of chewing their way out.

[Volusianator]

FYI if you have live beetles in your cigars keeping them in plastic bags won't keep them from spreading as they are capable of chewing their way out.

I was just going to post the same!

[Devanmc]

bettles scare me... im gunna have to go threw every cigar in my collection when i get home now. they should be at 55-65% depending on location in the humi(top wont hold rh :( ) and about 65*. still dont want any bettles!

[Ranger_B]

Thanks for the heads up on the plastic I dont think I knew that. I am thinking it had more to do with weather or the cigar itself. Not to mention the thoughts of having a bug issue just scares the hell out of me:sad. I had a lot of tar with this smoke, i actually wiped the head of the cigar with a napkin to get some of it off. If it was beetles I would think it would be an occasional popping unless the whole stick was loaded with those damn varmints. This was more of a crackling as the cigar was smoking. When I would draw smoke through to cigar and when I purged mid smoke. I also got it when I relit just towards the end of the smoke as well. It could be a dry wrapper as we had a humidifier going in the room where I was smoking. I keep my cigars between 60 and 65%. I am going through all the remaining DES I have now and do not see a single pin hole along the smokes. I am still going to set up a small ammo can to separate these suspect smokes to be extra sure.

[HK3-]

bettles scare me... im gunna have to go threw every cigar in my collection when i get home now. they should be at 55-65% depending on location in the humi(top wont hold rh :( ) and about 65*. still dont want any bettles!

I think you're fine. As long as they stay away from heat (77+ degrees) you should be fine.

[bobarian]

Very unlikely that they were beetles or beetle eggs. The eggs are so small that you would not hear them unless you had extremely good hearing. More likely it was the burning of the leaves like in a fire. :2 This is not unusual when smoking this time of year in the cold weather.

[kaisersozei]

I'll take the "non-B-word" path and suggest that it could also be a stem or a really thick vein in the filler/binder

[Ranger_B]

Nice. Thanks Bob and Kaiser that is what I was hoping. I am still going to keep a close eye on these for a while. The next one I burn I hope to keep the camera handy incase it repeats itself

[acarr]

A little protein in your cigars yum!

[captain53]

8659

[neoflex]

What I'm the hell are these bettles that Devan keeps talking about? :D

[Salvelinus]

I've been hearing that a bit recently when I pull sticks out of my original desktop. It's winter, and it has been a pain to keep the humidity up in it. I figured it was dryness personally, never seen anything to make me think it would be beetles. I really don't think you'd hear the beetles crackling either, though I can't say I've ever smoked one.

[Ranger_B]

I am quite sure you would hear and see a beetle pop. If you have ever sat by a fire that had wood with bugs in it you see the popping and sparks as they finally explode. Im no smart person but I am sure it has something to do with the bugs hard shell and the moisture in the bugs expanding.

As far as my stick went though I am leaning towards the RH.

[jitzy]

I am quite sure you would hear and see a beetle pop. If you have ever sat by a fire that had wood with bugs in it you see the popping and sparks as they finally explode. Im no smart person but I am sure it has something to do with the bugs hard shell and the moisture in the bugs expanding.

As far as my stick went though I am leaning towards the RH.

Yes

As far as the beetles popping, cigar beetles are this big -----> *

[SmokinCozy]

Very unlikely that they were beetles or beetle eggs. The eggs are so small that you would not hear them unless you had extremely good hearing. More likely it was the burning of the leaves like in a fire. :2 This is not unusual when smoking this time of year in the cold weather.


:tpd: The Wise one has spoken