Do you think smoking a cigar is a great way to unwind? 8.7 million Americans are in the same boat as you.

Smoking cigars is a common hobby but many people are unsure of how to dispose of one properly.

Here is everything you’ll ever need to know about how to put out a cigar.

When To Put Out Cigars

How much of the cigar should you smoke before you put it out?

You paid for it, so you should enjoy as much of it as you want! That is the general rule of thumb for puting out cigars: smoke your cigar until its taste is no longer appealing to you.

Some smokers only finish about half their product before calling it quits. Others smoke it all the way down to the band, and others smoke it to the bitter end.

Each smoker is different. What may be best for someone else may not be the case for you. But when smokers put out their cigars may have something to do with flavor profiles.

Cigars tend to go through varying flavor profiles as you smoke them, often becoming more intense the longer they are smoked. This is attributed to the oils in the tobacco and their inherent strength. Premium cigars tend to maintain a desirable flavor profile while cheaper cigars may not.  

Bottom line, if the cigar maintains a flavor that is appealing to you, go ahead and smoke it. If not, it may be time to put it out. 

Techniques for Putting Out a Cigar

A cigar can be relatively expensive, so you should always make the most out of your experience without wasting any.

Never stub a cigar (put it out against something hard) unless you have to. Doing so will waste some of the filler and misshape the burn line. It will also make it inconvenient to relight. 

Stubbing a cigar or mashing it against an ashtray will release oily odors. Many people associate this with an unpleasant smell, and may be considered bad manners depending on your environment. For example, strangers might be annoyed if you do this in a cigar lounge.

In short, it’s not generally considered an acceptable behavior for putting out cigars in social settings.

Instead, the best thing to do is let the cigar sit in an ashtray and wait for the flame to die. A few minutes after using it, the burn will dissipate without wasting too much of the filler. 

Letting it die is the best way to put a cigar out.

Keep your cigar away from flammable materials while you wait. Don’t throw it out until the fire has extinguished.

Never underestimate the potential for a fire hazard if you leave a cigar unsupervised.

If this method isn't quick enough for you, two others should do the trick. These are using cigar snuffers and dipping the cigar in water.

Cigar Snuffers

Cigar snuffers are small ceramic sockets that hold cigars upright. The cigars are placed flame side down in a chamber.

The socket prevents oxygen from reaching the flame, which kills it. Cigar snuffers work quickly and easily, and these devices won't tamper with the quality of the paper. 

Snuffers are a better alternative if you think letting your cigar die out would take too long.

Dipping Your Cigar in Water

Dipping a cigar in water is the quickest way to extinguish a flame. The moisture will cool the heat in a matter of seconds.

Dipping a cigar is convenient for people who aren’t looking to relight it anytime soon. The core cools down the further you dunk it into the water.

It’s important to note that dipping a cigar in water can also cause problems with relighting. When your cigar is damp, it becomes difficult to relight and may also burn improperly. If the wrappers are too damp, this can cause tunneling.

Tunneling is when the middle of your cigar burns too quickly without burning the outer layer. Tunneling creates a hole, or tunnel, in the middle of your cigar.

Dipping your cigar in water is quick and free if you aren't worried about potential drawbacks. It is also more cost-effective than buying a cigar snuffer.

How To Relight a Cigar

If you want to relight a cigar, make sure you cut the burnt tip off first. Place the cutting utensil just above the ash line and clip it.

Clipping at an uneven angle might make the flame spread slower on one side of the cigar than the other.

After you cut it, light it the same way you lit it the first time. Smooth, rotational burning heats the filler slowly.

How To Put Out a Cigar for Later

You should know a few things about how to put out a cigar to save for later.

Before you do anything, ash your cigar. Cigars are sturdier than cigarettes. So instead of tapping forcefully and rhythmically, tap gently once an inch or more of ash has settled on the end of it.

You can even wait for the ash to fall off itself. Make sure it falls into an ashtray and away from your lap or the ground.

Clip the end of your cigar before storing it. You want the next draw you take to be fresh and tasteful.

You can put out a cigar for later in cigar tubes. These tubes keep the smell from leaking into the air. 

Cellophane is a good wrapping material to protect the quality of your cigars. Some people like to wrap theirs in this and put it in a ziplock bag.

Never store smoked cigars in humidors. Smoked cigars will stench up your humidor and potentially ruin it.

Final Thoughts

Now that you have gone through the basics, you should be ready to enjoy a trip to the lounge. You’ll have more than a pleasant experience if you know what you're doing. 

Practicing good etiquette tells the people around you that you aren’t a novice. People will enjoy being near you and bonding with you over a stogie.

The last thing you want to be is wasteful. In 2009, 38% of the debris found on roadways was tobacco-related. Have class and take care of your products.