Anybody Else Rolls His Own Cigars?

[Slash McCoy]

Okay, so I never rolled a cigar before today. Cuban seed throughout, Dominican grown Seco wrapper, Honduran binder, Honduran seco and Dominican Viso for filler. Ordered from Whole Leaf. I also have some Criollo 98 seed coming and I will try to grow some wrappers under shade, and use sun grown and sub wrapper grade shade grown for binder and filler for a 100% Criollo 98 seed, Louisiana grown cigar.

The bottom one is about 54 gauge, for reference. I'm letting them dry a bit on the workbench for a couple of days, then to the humidor with them, to equalize the moisture. The little nub at the top gets smoked tonight after supper.

Here's a band design I thought up.

So it can never be mistaken for an "It's a BOY!" or an "It's a GIRL!" cigar. I'll print some up before my next rolling session. I think I have enough leaf for about 15 more cigars, and a couple more pounds on the way, including some Ligero and some Connecticut shade grown wrappers.

I don't have molds, these were just freehand, and yeah they do look like dog rockets, before any wise-acres chime in. Let's hope they smoke better than they look.

 

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

Practice makes perfect. There is a local shop where the owner rolls in front of you. We've had him out to the golf course for tournaments rolling and giving out cigars. He has his mold out but doesn't need them.

Another gent on another forum started rolling his own. His first looked like yours. His current ones look like something could buy and I don't believe he got molds either.

Keep at it and let us know how they smoke!

 

[Jer78]

Well done.. those look awesome. Definitely update us on the smoke for sure..

 

[Slash McCoy]

Yeah we have two shops in the French Quarter where you can watch the rollers, and buy fresh, or straight off the bench fresh, or aged. It never occurred to me to try to roll my own until a couple weeks ago I saw a vid on youtube that inspired me.

I am on the porch now, with laptop, bottle of tawny port, cutter, lighter, and dog rocket. I know it won't smoke as nice as after a couple weeks in the humidor to let the mosture migrate but I still anticipate a decent smoke. The geckos are out, the breeze is nice and balmy, and the crickets and cicadas are making symphony noises. The sounds of the city are all around but they just sort of blend in with nature. Ship's whistle on the river. Tug's toot on Industrial canal. Trains switching a couple blocks away. Neighbor taking the trash out. Truck making contented rusting sounds. Now, time to pour, sip, cut, and light.

 

[Possum092]

They look smokable. Hope they draw well and burn even. Best wishes.

 

[Toothpick]

They look good to me! Nicely done. I hope they smoke great

 

[Slash McCoy]

Very mild, as you might expect with all seco and viso filler. I somehow managed to get the draw just right, though like most fresh off the bench cigars, it goes out quickly. Mrs, McCoy came out and had a puff and was quite impressed, Call it a win for my first rolling adventure, The Sandemans tawny goes nicely with it, too.

 

[Toothpick]

Mmmmm Sandemans Tawny.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Final impression of this cigar. The moisture content from being just rolled a few hours earlier really caught up with it about halfway into the smoke. It got a bit hard on the draw and hard to keep lit. I rolled it firmly between my fingers to help loosen it up, but it still decided with a mind of its own that it was finished about 3/8" before I would have otherwise pitched it. So, note to myself, if I have a rolling session and will be smoking one right away, roll that one particularly loose, especially the top half or so of the cigar. If I had bought that one in a shop, I would have made a polite complaint on my next visit. (A polite and well founded complaint has more than once earned me a freebie!)

 

[Baz4262]

Much respect

I never knew you could do this yourself.

Bas

 

[Garlisk]

You're making me want to start rolling my own again. With a podcast/audiobook/music, it is fun and relaxing, and you get to smoke the result.
Good stuff!

 

[Jer78]

Very interesting.. so cool to be able to dial the draw just how you want it.. JM

 

[Slash McCoy]

Very interesting.. so cool to be able to dial the draw just how you want it.. JM

Yeah you just roll the filler more tightly in the binder for a firmer draw and more loosely for an easier draw. The style of bundling the filler can make a difference

 

[Slash McCoy]

Couldn't help myself. I have already smoked all four. The two skinnier ones were definitely rolled a bit tight. In fact, the longer of those two I had to cut about 1-1/2" from the head end for it to draw properly. The last one I smoked was the biggest one, the first one I rolled, and it was a bit too loose. It still burned nice and even, though. I will roll again in a few days. I should get it right next time.

 

[Slash McCoy]

So the next day I rolled up a few more, with a new awareness of what I have to do to make a cigar that not only tastes good, burns good, but also draws good. I just finished smoking one and it was superb. All viso filler this time, same wrapper and binder, but I built a bunching machine and messed around with it, modifying it and testing it. I apply a preliminary binder in the machine, then roll a mano in an outer binder before rolling in the wrapper.

Smoked great, and even the couple of unruly veins didn't hurt the burn. Two re-lights, even though the cigar was still fairly wet. Left alone in a humidor, the cigar alone sent the hygrometer up to 75% rel. humidity. Very tasty, just a faint hint of pepper and berry, went nicely with my glass of port. I came up with a new finish for the head that works great for keeping it together even after a long smoke.

I prepped the remaining wrapper and binder leaves, and have about 6 or 7 of each left, plenty of filler. I just got my order of Connecticut shade wrappers in, along with more binder, some Sumatra seco, and a little ligero. Looking forward to digging into the new stuff when I finish rolling what I already got prepped. I really like shade grown wrapper. It looks nice and smokes divinely and I believe that, and the increased variety in my fillers will improve my stogies quite a bit.

I think rolling my own is going to be a permanent thing now. Oh, and thanks, whoever the wiseacre is that thought my title ought to be changed. If you feel like you are being watched, that's your karma, waiting to pounce.

 

[Hirsute]

Oh, and thanks, whoever the wiseacre is that thought my title ought to be changed. If you feel like you are being watched, that's your karma, waiting to pounce.

Welcome to the club. A few of us bear conspicuous titles from our time hanging out in this forum. ;-)

 

[Slash McCoy]

Messing around with my DIY rolling machine, now in its final form, and a sample of what WLT calls Assorted Low-Grade Cigar Filler Leaf. I actually found several leaves that were usable as binders or wrappers, so naturally I had to roll a few with the low grade stuff, 1/4 lb for $2.99. I got six sticks total for my three bucks. I wouldn't say they were world class cigars, but the first one I smoked, the "foot long", was okay.

I won't be ordering the low grade again, but it is cool to know that I can roll something smokeable for half a buck, if it comes to that.

 

[Slash McCoy]

A quick and dirty video showing my first rolling machine and also my latest one. Sorry about the missing audio in the first couple minutes. Don't know what happened there.

 

[Slash McCoy]

More (im)Perfectos.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Smoked this little fella last night, rolled it a week or two ago. I was going for kind of a Clint Eastwood cheroot sort of size. Now I just need a flat crown hat, serape, and a gunslinger holster for my Pietta 1858 Remington .44.