Hi, Dope! I’ve noticed that sometimes my cigarette has a very visible glowing ember and sometimes it seems like it’s not burning at all. It seems that the ember is less likely to be visible on sunnier days, so I’m trying to find out what factors cause the difference. Is it to do with the humidity in the air, or the way I roll/light it, or is it simply because it’s harder to see in brighter conditions? Is smoke visibility affected by similar factors?
That’s been my observation. Compare smoking in the dark in both humid and dry conditions, I think you’ll see the ember is equally visible.
It really depends on how you light it, and the rate that the paper is burning in relation to the tobacco.
If you ash frequently, you are knocking off the burning bits of ash that glow as you pull air through them, so that might be the case.
Next time, try wetting the paper a bit with your lips before you light it. This will initially cause the tobacco to burn faster then the paper, causing the main part of the burning to occur inside the paper, away from sight. After that, light up another one and dont ash for a while. You’ll notice a big buildup of the ember.