The amount of water you need, and the length of time your leaves should be moistened, depends on the type of leaf you are working with. Very dry leaves will need to be exposed to more moisture than less dry leaves. Experiment with different volumes of water and periods of absorption to find out how you can get the most pliable leaf.
If you wish, you can make your wrapper even smoother by pressing it briefly with a warm iron or a rolling pin. [3] X Research source The most intact and aesthetically pleasing leaves should be used as wrappers.
Like the wrapper, the binder will need to be deveined. Cut the leaf along either side of the stem so that you end up with two roughly symmetrical halves.
Choose the most aesthetically problematic leaves for filler. Leaves with holes or uneven coloring are the best options for filler leaves. Keep your filler leaves a bit drier than the binder or wrapper leaves, but ensure they remain flexible. Since filler comprises the bulk of the cigar, flavor is an important factor when choosing filler leaves as well. Sample different varieties of tobacco to find one you like.
Put the thickest leaves in the center of the bunch, and wrap each leaf in progressively thinner leaves. This layering effect prevents tunneling (inability of the wrapper leaf to burn) when it is eventually smoked. How many filler leaves should you use? This is, again, largely a matter of preference. However, keep in mind that too many leaves will prohibit proper air flow; too few leaves will make the cigar burn too quickly and too hot. [4] X Research source
For instance, if the binder is on the table and angled diagonally toward the upper right, place the filler bunch on the binder in an elongated horizontal (left-to-right) position with the left end of the bunch against the leftmost end of the binder. Don’t squeeze the bunch too tightly when placing it on the binder leaf. If you’re using shredded filler, lay the binder leaf flat on the table, veined side up, and line your binder up as if it composed a single bunch.
Roll the cigar across the table a few more times to work it into a more perfect cylinder. Use the same technique you did the first time, taking your fingertips up and over the cylinder and stopping when you’ve rolled it into your palm. You may need to cut excess leaf if the cylinder you made is longer than you’d like. You can use a sharp kitchen knife, or a ‘’chaveta’’, the traditional cigar-cutting tool used by professional rollers.
You will refine it later, so don’t bother trying to make it look like a perfect cigar you’d pull from a box.
If you have access to a cigar press or mold, place the cigar in it when ready. Cigar presses help make the cigar more symmetrical and give them a finished look. Cigars at this stage are pressed for 30-45 minutes. [5] X Research source After the designated time period has elapsed, the cigars are removed and rotated 90° before being reinserted into the press for another pressing equal in time to the first. It is important to turn the cigar to ensure that you don’t end up with a seam jutting out of one side or the other.
Apply a light layer of cigar glue over the inside of the wrapper leaf as you roll it. Use your non-rolling hand to pull the wrapper taut as you apply it to the binder to ensure the finished product has a smooth outer surface. A good roller will roll the leaf tip towards the foot or tuck end (where the cigar is lit). Doing so will ensure the cigar gains a more robust flavor as it is smoked.
Cut a “D” shaped piece out of the wrapper leaf. The long edge of the D should be about one quarter the length of the cigar. Apply some cigar glue to the veined side of the cap. Grip the cigar in a vertical position with one hand and apply one corner of the cap at an oblique angle from the cigar. At this point, if you laid the cigar down in line with your body, with one end of it close to you and the other end further away from you, one corner of the D-shaped cap would be affixed to the cigar near the far end, and the other corner of the D-shaped cap would lie beyond the end of the cigar and slightly to one side or the other. Roll the cap around the cigar. The curvature of the D should allow you to end up with an open hole at the end of the cigar whose edge is relatively flat. Use some cigar glue to close the end of the cap. Gently pinch it closed and twist it slightly in your hand to ensure the cap comes to fine point.
Place the cigar in a tuck cutter to trim excess leaf. A tuck cutter is a device designed to precisely cut the end of the cigar that you light (the tuck end or foot). This will give the cigar its proper length. Alternately, you can simply take a sharp knife to the end and gently cut through it. Drop the cigar in the cigar press for a final pressing. You could press the cigar for up to 12 hours depending on how attractive you want to make the finished product. Turn the cigar 90° after the designated time period has elapsed and press it again on that side for an equal amount of time. [7] X Research source If you don’t want to bother with a cap, simply pinch the head again when you’ve completed rolling it, sealing it with a bit of cigar glue, guar gum, or similar agent. Turn the cigar on its long axis as you pinch it between your thumb, pointer, and middle finger to ensure it doesn’t unroll.
