How To Properly Ash A Cigar
Cigar Ash
The bigger the ash, the better! Well, yes and no. Did you know that having a big ash can have benefits? Listen, I said ash, so stop giggling. In the case of cigar smoking, having a big ash has a lot of benefits to your smokes. See, cigars that are handmade have usually gone through a delicate process of bunching, rolling, and aging and are made using a nice solid binder lead and a thick long filler leaf that is capable of holding ash for longer. This is the exact opposite of cigarettes, which are machine processed and thinly wrapped, causing the smoker to constantly knock the ash off.
When you smoke a cigarette and don't flick the ash away regularly, you could end up with those ash flakes falling onto your lap. On a cigar, however, you shouldn't fiddle with the ash at all. This is as you do; you risk breaking the ember off. This ember, also known as the cherry, needs to be lit in order for the cigar to burn. The ash helps to cigar burn cooler by filtering out the incoming air. That built-in air filter helps to keep the cigar from burning too hot. Remember the cooler your cigar burns, the better the flavor it will return to you.
What You Should Know About Ash And Cigars
In order to properly ash your cigar, you'll need to be patient. You should wait until the ash reaches a length of one inch. Otherwise, wait until you see cracks developing. If you see either of these happen, then it's time to flick the cigar in your ashtray. Say you keep waiting for the ash to grow and don't throw it away in an ashtray. Then, even the ash from a cigar can fall on your clothes or on the floor.
When you're ready to ash your cigar, place the cigar on the side of your ashtray. Lay it so that it's resting on the ashtray. Then, use your finger to tap the cigar's end. When you do this properly and using the correct timing, the cigar's weight should enable the ash to fall off easily. Should you find that the ash isn't falling off, then rest the cigar on the side of your ashtray. Then, wait for a few seconds before you try the same process again.
You could also try to press the cigar's edge against the ashtray's side. While you're doing this, rotate or turn the cigar. Remember that you shouldn't press the cigar too hard. This way, you can ensure that the ash breaks off in an even manner.
When Should You Ash Your Cigar?
Handmade cigars that are of premium quality are made of tobacco that is whole leaf, also known as long-filler. It runs the whole length of your cigar. When your cigar starts to burn, the ash that is formed is more firm compared to the papery kind of ash that you get with cigarettes. This is why you should wait before you flick the ash off from your cigar. By tapping the ash off the cigar too often, you can affect the integrity of the cigar. You could even end up cracking the cigar's wrapper leaf.
Usually, you'll need to wait until about one inch of ash develops on your cigar. Then, place your cigar in your ashtray. All you have to do next is tap on your cigar. The motion you should use in this step is a gentle one. You shouldn't bang the cigar on the side of your ashtray. When you're too aggressive, then the wrapper leaf could start to unravel.
Why You Shouldn't Ash Your Cigar Too Often
You shouldn't ash your cigar very often. It's crucial that you allow the ash to develop in order to allow the cigar to burn for longer. When you ash your cigar too often, you can end up burning out your cigar faster. The reverse applies should you leave the ash on your cigar for longer periods of time. When this happens, then the cigar won't burn properly and can go out altogether.
You also run the risk of dropping a large pile of ash either on your clothes or on the floor. There should be no more than one or two inches of ash on the end of the cigar before you go to ash it. When this is the case, the ash that's on the cigar will insulate the cherry. This allows the resulting burn to be more consistent and even.
There are also cigars that are designed to hold a large amount of ash, where you need to get rid of the ashless frequently. With cigars like this, simply placing your cigar on your ashtray could be enough to get the ash to fall off.
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