Gil-
No ash issues thus far. I generally will give the charcoal bowl a good whack with the end of my fist when walking by (do this quickly, it's hot!), when I remember.... When adding more coals, I try to do it somewhat gently, but I don't fret what little ash might get stirred up. Also, pre-light or not kind of depends on my mood and how far along my original coals are when I notice I may need more. Sometimes, if you catch it late, you need a lit chimney added to get temp up. If I see it earlier, I'll just add unlit (figure that's how I was burning them before anyway using the Minion method.)
You will figure out the routine that works for you, I'm sure. Hopefully this gets you started off.
R