ArizonaDave
Well-Known Member
Got them today! Thanks!
Pics of your sticks!!
- Thread starter Indianamac
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Got them today! Thanks!
Well I tried out my new batch of cigar glue, arabic gum (acacia) wow talk about sticky! This stuff has some real holding power, or so it would appear. No comparison to the pectin. I used pectin with no real issue other than when Im smokin i tend to destroy the cap, and pectin wasnt holding like store bought stogies do. I think this arabic gum stuff is gonna be much stonger hold. I rolled up a couple last night will have to fire one up today and see.
The choice of gums for cigar wrapping is an interesting topic. All gums (including pectin) are composed of various polysaccharides--long chains (polymers) of an array of sugar molecules. Some also contain protein molecules. Each varies in its spreading and bonding properties, as well as its ability to maintain its viscosity after subsequent wetting (cigar in the mouth) and distortion.
Nearly all of them (gum Arabic, gum guar, tragacanth gum, xanthan gum, pectin, etc.) can be used to roll cigars. Most beginners start by mixing the gum powder with too much water, producing a slippery, gooey mixture that needs to dry out before it can hold against shear stress--the major force exerted on a wrapper flag or cap.
A curious feature of all gums is that their polysaccharide composition (with a bonus, if protein is also present) will support the growth of a number of fungal and bacterial species. If the cigar is too wet after rolling, this may allow time for the gum to become colonized, and begin to spoil. The remedy, whichever gum you choose, is to make your initial blend of gum and water just thin enough to be spreadable, and to use only a tiny smear of it near the head, or on the flag/cap. This ability to support microbial growth is a sufficient reason to store prepared gum covered, and in the refrigerator. Any change in its appearance during storage should be seen as an indicator that it should be discarded.
If you are worried about the taste of a particular gum, just dab some on your tongue. In purified forms, all of them are food-grade, and when used properly should have no taste. (Keep in mind that a small number of individuals may taste things that most others simply cannot taste.)
SUMMARY: Select whichever gum you like or can find. Prepare it to a very thick gel. Cover and refrigerate any unused portion, and don't keep it for too long. Roll cigars with relatively dry filler, and use only a tiny dab of gum. Make sure the wrapper (and the entire cigar) dries promptly, before stashing a damp cigar into a humidor.
Bob
Nearly all of them (gum Arabic, gum guar, tragacanth gum, xanthan gum, pectin, etc.) can be used to roll cigars. Most beginners start by mixing the gum powder with too much water, producing a slippery, gooey mixture that needs to dry out before it can hold against shear stress--the major force exerted on a wrapper flag or cap.
A curious feature of all gums is that their polysaccharide composition (with a bonus, if protein is also present) will support the growth of a number of fungal and bacterial species. If the cigar is too wet after rolling, this may allow time for the gum to become colonized, and begin to spoil. The remedy, whichever gum you choose, is to make your initial blend of gum and water just thin enough to be spreadable, and to use only a tiny smear of it near the head, or on the flag/cap. This ability to support microbial growth is a sufficient reason to store prepared gum covered, and in the refrigerator. Any change in its appearance during storage should be seen as an indicator that it should be discarded.
If you are worried about the taste of a particular gum, just dab some on your tongue. In purified forms, all of them are food-grade, and when used properly should have no taste. (Keep in mind that a small number of individuals may taste things that most others simply cannot taste.)
SUMMARY: Select whichever gum you like or can find. Prepare it to a very thick gel. Cover and refrigerate any unused portion, and don't keep it for too long. Roll cigars with relatively dry filler, and use only a tiny dab of gum. Make sure the wrapper (and the entire cigar) dries promptly, before stashing a damp cigar into a humidor.
Bob
quo155
Well-Known Member
Well...Bob...you outdid yourself again with that one! I needed that...thank you!
quo155
Well-Known Member
Nice work, Quo! A custom band will really dress them up
I agree...ideas have been brewing in my mind, but I'm not getting ahead of myself just yet!
heres a tidbit that i read with regards to the gum arabic (acacia) it is good for you, has fiber content and can even be a appetite suppressor, although certainly not in the small quantities utilized for cigars.
Bruck
Well-Known Member
Well you've seen mine - "BROHIBA." Another one I'm asking my artist wife to make is a simple yellow block M on a blue bkgnd (we're both Michigan grads).
ArizonaDave
Well-Known Member
It will be a much stronger hold. I recommend a small paintbrush, and very Little Water, like a real thick honey, Oh, and have a wet hand towel ready on the side. It can make your fingers stick together if you get the glue on them.
A little practice, and you'll have a Cigar that'll never unravel, and won't go bad in the Humi. The easiest cap is a pig tail. Get a small clamp to clamp on it while drying.
Gdaddy
Well-Known Member
A great man once said..."We choose to roll triple caps not because they are easy but because they are hard". (Actually they're not that hard.)
ArizonaDave
Well-Known Member
Ha ha~! I guess I should know that. Lived 33 years in Florida before moving out West.
ArizonaDave
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I finally got a couple triple caps down, have more practice to do! Don't forget, when you got me interested in buying whole leaf, you had a head start on me, and apparently still do!
While I'm at it, I just want to say, "Thanks" for convincing me I could actually roll my own Cigars. Just didn't realize how much I like doing this!
Pretty soon here, I'm going to start my 1st grow blog (once I'm done seeding and they sprout). That one is a thanks to Mad Oshea.
Gdaddy
Well-Known Member
Your welcome. I'm happy to help someone who shares the enthusiasm. Most people just sit on the sidelines.
Frozenthunderbolt
Well-Known Member
I like the pigtail finish, it's easy to do and looks neat, especially if you knot it
I do'em all pig tail, triple cap, no cap, ugly cap. I took one stogie apart and saw how the roller pigtailed it, stuffed the pigtail into the head and then capped it all off. A bit of overkill I thought. Just trying to figure out how those rollers make their little flag at the end of the wrapper, then nip it just right so it covers the top without cutting a separate piece. I've seen several videos online but can't get the view I need to see how the cut looks. So I've been nipping at my stogies by trial and error eventually I will stumble upon the right pattern.
ArizonaDave
Well-Known Member
That's how most of mine look right now! We'll all get there eventually.......
The 1st pattern looks like a Tobacco leaf with some tucked over the top. 2nd, pig tail. 3rd a round cap. Gdaddy, does that look right to you?
Gdaddy
Well-Known Member
Yeh, I'd say so.
This is Puro N° 4. I didn't have a lot of time the last day's for rolling. But I was busy with it in my head.
N° 1, I could smoke, I think it was beginners luck. N° 3 and 4 to loose... a mess... tried to smoke them, but eventually I trowed them in the river.
The last one is even better then the first one, looks better and is a bit tighter rolled. I left this one in the mold overnight and that made a difference.
The first one I left only one hour in the mold, and when you take it out it still expands a bit.
I put it in the attic (Rh 52) to dry .... can't wait to smoke it !!!
Thanks everybody here for everything !
PS : I have to cancel my trip to Danli this time, but will definitely go my next holiday.
Jan.
View attachment 10823
N° 1, I could smoke, I think it was beginners luck. N° 3 and 4 to loose... a mess... tried to smoke them, but eventually I trowed them in the river.
The last one is even better then the first one, looks better and is a bit tighter rolled. I left this one in the mold overnight and that made a difference.
The first one I left only one hour in the mold, and when you take it out it still expands a bit.
I put it in the attic (Rh 52) to dry .... can't wait to smoke it !!!
Thanks everybody here for everything !
PS : I have to cancel my trip to Danli this time, but will definitely go my next holiday.
Jan.
View attachment 10823
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Bruck
Well-Known Member
Getting the hang of it but mine exhibit the need for more practice!
Bruck
Well-Known Member
OTOH, the cap is optional - for my straight cylinder (PVC mold) cigars, I just omit it.
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