How do you tell whether a tag is helping the bit or just delaying the next joke?

I’ve got a couple of bits where the first punch works, then I keep adding little follow-ups because they get *something*. The problem is the whole section starts feeling slower even though technically there are more laughs in it. How do you decide whether a tag has earned its place — size of laugh, whether it changes the idea, whether it sets up the next beat? I’m trying to get better at cutting lines that are fine but make the stronger stuff arrive later.