Ash. The annoying stuff that falls off your coals and all over the floor and couch. God forbid someone walk by the hookah too quickly and send those little grains everywhere.  If you’re outside smoking, this stuff is even worse. It ends up on your clothes, in your food and drink. Ash management is definitely annoying. But did you know that old ash is also the key to solving another annoying problem all of us hookah smokers suffer from.

Once you’ve lit your coals, they’re actually burning. Like regular fire, they need oxygen to stay lit. If you take one coal off the bowl and set it in the tray of your hookah for more than a few minutes, you’ll notice the bottom side of the coal begins to go out. It turns all black. In most situations, flipping it over or putting it back on the bowl will bring it back to life. But not always. And it’s frustrating to lose that coal you worked hard to pay for.

There’s another way.

A layer of ash in the bottom of your hookah tray will keep the concealed portion of the coal from being completely cut off from oxygen and therefore, keep it from going out. Coals that go out more quickly, or produce more ash will work best. Coals that produce a very small amount of ash, such as Coconara coals, will take more time to accumulate enough ash for this to work. Here’s what to do.

1. Don’t throw your ash away. Store it in a airtight container.

2. When you light up a bowl, pour the ash from the airtight container into your tray. The layer needs to be about a third inch thick.

3. When you remove a coal from the bowl, gently place it on the ash so that the weight of the coal doesn’t force it all the way to making contact with the metal tray. So setting it down gently is important. The coal needs to be resting on top of the ash.

4. When you need the coal again, gently pick it back up with the tongs and give it a little shake so that it drops loose ash. Now place it back on the bowl.

5. Congratulations! Your coal hasn’t gone out at all!

Obviously there are other ways to accomplish this task, but for those of us who don’t like to risk the loss of a precious coal, this is an excellent way to feel sure about that!