Different Types of Cigar Ash and What they Mean

Smoking cigars can create some unusual ash shapes, but did you know there is a reason for these? It could be due to any stage of the cigars life; when it was rolled, where it was stored, and how it was smoked. Cigars are a handmade, natural product, and can be a bit temperamental at times. So what causes the ash on your cigar, what does it mean, and how can you prevent it?

Canoeing

Canoeing is when your cigar ash burns faster down one side of the cigar, and leaves a “canoe” shaped part of the wrapper leaf behind. It can also be referred to as “side-burning”.

Causes:

1. Incorrectly lit cigar. One side of the cigar might have been lit more than the other, or one side not lit at all. Either when the cigar was first lit, or if it has been left to almost go out.
2. Inconsistent filler leaf when rolled. The cigar might not have been filled fully, or a gap in the filler was left down one side, causing it to burn quicker.
3. Inconsistent humidity when stored. One side might have been more humidified than the other.
4. Wind could be blowing one side, or a rain drop could have landed on it.

How to prevent your cigar from canoeing:

In most cases, a quick touch up with a lighter before the canoe really starts to get going will fix it, as well as making sure to light it fully in the first place. Also, it’s good practice to regularly rotate your cigars in your humidor to ensure they are getting even humidity. Unfortunately a poorly rolled cigar can’t always be saved, in some cases you might just have to chalk it up to being a bad one. This is especially relevant if you are storing your cigars in varied climates like those found when ordering from Singapore, or experiencing rapid changes in conditions as seen with shipments from Hong Kong or the USA.

Tunnelling

Tunnelling is when the cigar burns quicker in the centre than the outside, this causes a hot hole to appear down the ash.

Causes:

1. Incorrect placement of the leaves when rolling. Some of the leaves are intended to burn faster, and some slower, so that you get an even burn overall. If the leaves are bunched incorrectly, it might cause tunnelling.
2. Slow smoking or allowing the cigar to almost go out. If you smoke too slowly, it might cause some of the cigar to go out, when puffing to get it lit again, you might not get an even burn and could cause a tunnel to occur.

How to prevent your cigar from tunnelling:

Touching up with the lighter, focusing on the edges, can help to fix a tunnel once it’s started. But some cigars might just be rolled badly. You could try letting it go out and snipping off some of the end and relighting, but might end up a fruitless effort. But some cigars, perhaps acquired during travels or imported from China or the UK, might just be rolled badly.

Running

Running is when one side of the wrapper, and possibly binder, burns rapidly and causes an ugly split or tear down the side. It can happen quickly, and when you least expect it.

Causes:

1. Smoking too quickly. If you smoke to quickly and the cigar becomes too hot, a thinner part of the leaf can suddenly ignite, or a small air pocket can cause a sudden rush of heat to singe through the delicate wrapper.
2. Veins in the leaf. These can suddenly burn and when the cigar is drawn, the burn quickly travels down the vein and singes the leaf either side, causing a big burn tear down the side.

How to prevent your cigar from running:

Slow down. It’s not a race, sip the cigar, don’t puff like a steam train. If it’s already happened, or was due to a construction issue, you can try moistening your finger tip and slightly dampen the wrapper below and around the burn, it can help to prevent it getting worse. If you find yourself in a windy city like Las Vegas, you might need to pay extra attention to how quickly you're smoking.

Splitting

A splitting ash can look quite unusual, the cigar’s ash opens like a crocodile’s jaws. It can also be referred to as a “crocodile ash”.

1. The cigar might not have been properly lit, meaning the centre burns faster than the outside, causing it to burn through and split.
2. Smoking too fast. This can cause the same issue as above.
3. Rolling error. Either the cigar is underfilled in the centre, or not rolled tight enough. Or the faster burning leaves were placed in the centre of the bunch.
4. Humidity issue. The cigar was dryer, but then humidified. If not given the correct time for the cigar to rest and the humidity to balance out, it could cause the wrapper and binder to be more humidified and the middle to burn quicker. 

How to prevent you cigar ash from splitting:

Make sure the cigar is properly lit, and smoke at a good but steady pass, avoiding sudden rapid small puffs on the cigar to keep it lit. Regularly rotate your cigars when stored, and allow your cigars to properly rest after purchasing them.

Mouse Hole

A mouse hole in a cigar is a small burn hole which suddenly appears further down the cigar when smoking it. They start small, possibly just a black dot, but can quickly grow in size into a burning red circle, and then a big singe mark.

Causes:

1. Rolling issue. An air channel is left down the cigar, where hot air travels down when smoking but gets trapped. As the heat intensifies, it escapes out the quickest way possible – through the wrapper.

How to prevent a mouse hole forming in your cigar:

Once a mouse hole starts, there’s not much you can do about it. Some can just be smoked through, and won’t affect things too much, others could cause the early demise of your smoke. If it’s near to the ash, burning around the cigar down to the hole could speed up the process of correcting it. Or if it’s a long cigar and the mouse hole is nearer enough to the end, just snip it off and relight.

Summary

There are many types of cigar ash, and the causes of them can be hard to guess; whether construction, storage, lighting or smoking. If caught early, they can usually be helped, but not always fully prevented. Sometimes it’s all just part of enjoying a handmade, natural product.