A key element to keeping your cigar in perfect condition while you’re smoking it is proper ash management.
Knowing when to ash your cigar can be tricky at times. We’re here to navigate you through the proper cigar-ashing etiquette cigar smokers should learn.
You may think your cigar could be humidified to perfection or cut and lit properly. But if you can’t ash your cigar properly, you may be in for a not-so-fun smoking experience.
From knowing the right time to ash your cigar to understanding what the ash on your cigar is telling you, let’s dive in and learn more about ashing cigars!
Are you supposed to ash a cigar?
This may be a shock to some, but we recommend having the ash fall off on its own.
If constructed and rolled correctly, a cigar can hold a good amount of ash. If you can resist ashing your cigar off every time, it will leave for a better smoking experience.
Placing a cigar gently down in an ashtray or on a table could cause the ash to fall off on its own. If you ash too often, the cigar might burn quicker than expected, which in turn affects the flavor profile of the stogie you’re trying to enjoy.
When should you ash a cigar?
If your ash begins to flake on its own or simply becomes too long to manage, then that’s the best time to ash your cigar.
You don’t want to ash your cigar when there isn’t any build-up. Wait until there’s an inch of ash built up, then proceed to ash your cigar.
How to properly ash a cigar
When your cigar is ready to be ashed, you’ll want to gently press the ashy tip alongside wherever you may be ashing your cigar, and gently roll off the ash.
Under no circumstances do you smash or press down on the tip of the cigar to ash your cigar. Even if you are done with your cigar, let it settle to let it go out on its own.
These are delicate objects, so always proceed with gentle caution when handling a cigar to avoid damage and maintain perfection.
Where do you ash a cigar?
You want to ash your cigar into an ashtray. If you’re on the way to becoming an avid cigar smoker, then an ashtray is an accessory you should have handy.
If you find yourself out and about somewhere that doesn’t have an ashtray available, an empty plastic water bottle or cup could suffice.
When gearing up to smoke a cigar no matter where I am, I’m always prepared to have an item to ash my cigar into so I can at least avoid ashing it on the ground.
Do you tap off cigar ash?
Tapping the ash off a cigar that has accumulated a lot of ash is a popular method. However, we suggest you do it gently, much like you would when ashing the cigar on an ashtray.
If you aggressively tap the ash off your cigar, you could cause the ash to go all over the place, as well as potentially damage the outside of the cigar. One gentle tap should be good enough.
What does cigar ash tell you?
When smoking a cigar, you’ll see the ash form into a white color or into a blackish-gray color. If it turns any other hue, then you may be smoking a cigar from another planet!
White ash indicates the leaves within the cigar have a high mineral concentration. The higher the mineral concentration means a more flavorful smoking experience throughout the entire smoke.
Now what does it mean when your ash is black and or gray? The mineral content in the cigar is lower than usual. This may lead to (but not always) a bitter smoking experience, which is much less pleasant.
What are white dots in cigar ash?
If you spot white dots in your ash, that correlates with the wrapper being “toothy”. A toothy wrapper means there are pockets of oil in the cigar that cause bumps on the wrapper before being smoked.
While smoking the cigar, the bumps form into the white dots that can be shown on the ash. This doesn’t mean the cigar is “spoiled” or defective by any means. You can still smoke a cigar if the wrapper is toothy.
Does a long ash mean a good cigar?
What quantifies as a good or bad cigar is once again, subjective to the person smoking the cigar. However, if you have a good amount of ash on your cigar, then that’s a sign of a well-put-together stogie.
If the ash stays intact, doesn’t easily fall off with hand movement, and reaches one inch without falling off, then that’s the superb construction from the cigar roller while creating the smoke.
The better the construction, the better smoking session you’ll have. You’ll in turn be able to snap some photos of the beautiful-looking ash your cigar has produced.