New People Faq. Check Here For The Basics...

[mushrat]

This topic will hopefully answer some of the questions we get over and over. To save time and agrivation over being told "do a search".

Contributions will be judged by the mods and the useful ones will stay...the ones not so useful will be removed.

Let the posting begin!

PS you need to read the rules, they can be found here
http://www.hookahforum.com/index.php?showforum=45

[ASUSEAN1]

Alright here is a thread to point newbies in the right direction, give tips, and to answer basic questions. If you are looking for what is the best: brand of tobacco, coals, hookah pipes, accessories, or vendors please check out the product and vendor reviews section. There will be plenty of information there to make a good decision. Also, this is not a how-to-thread either. If you want to learn how to make a fruit bowl or something along those lines try the how-to funhouse section. This thread is to teach everyone how to set up the hookah, cleaning,tips and what certain terms mean in the hookah world.

Information Websites
http://completehookah.com/
http://www(dot)insidehookah.com/site/index.php
-For the addresses with the (dot) you will have to fill in the (.) by yourself because the admin doesn\'t allow links from these sites
-more to come

If you can\'t find what you are looking for try the search function.

Now that we have gone through some of the basics I will give some tips I have learned over the past couple years..

Here are a few things I do to pack a great bowl every time:
-When you open up a tub of shisha, stir it up before you pack your bowl. This will help mix the glycerin that has dropped to the bottom of the tub.
-Take the stem from the tobacco and cut it up and put it in the bowl with the rest of the shisha. This will increase the amount of nicotine and give you a killer buzz.. it really does work. Thanks Smiley
-If you are mixing different types of shisha make sure you mix them very good so that you get a even flavor.
-After you\'re done poking your holes in the foil, blow through the bottom of the bowl. This will loosen up your tobacco making it burn more evenly
-Try putting ice in the glass base of your hookah and get the water ice cold before smoking. This makes for a smoother more enjoyable smoking experience. If the ice does not fit in your base take a blender and fill it up with ice and water to make a slushy. Pour this into your base at the desired level.
-When you first start smoking your hookah, try placing the charcoal on the outside of the bowl and working it around the edges of the bowl. The center of the bowl should be the last place your charcoal is placed.
-If your bowl is tasting burnt take off the foil, and take a few drops of water and put it on the shisha. This will save a bowl that you thought was ruined.
-more tips to come

Here is how I pack a regular bowl

i punch a bunch of holes evenly spaced throughout the bowl

Here is how I pack a phunnel bowl

i use 1 ring of holes and 1 hole in the middle

-I usually use 2 three kings coals on an egyptian bowl, one on top of the other. I also use two coals on the phunnel on opposite sides of the bowl. If I am using jap coals I use 2 on an egyptian bowl and 3-4 on the phunnel. If the bowl becomes harsh than take coals off, if there isn;t enough smoke put more coals on. Heat management is key! Make sure the coal is completly lit before you start smoking. A quick way to light three kings is to put them on there side like so..


coals on egyptian bowl stacked

I have been getting a lot of PMs lately asking for pictures that I promised so I hope this helps. If I am forgetting something let me know but I will try to keep adding information to this thread

Thanks

Sean Edited March 15, 2009 by Canon

[EvansLight]

Here is my method for setup when I smoke the hookah. This is a general kinda guide for any bowl and hookah. Remeber this is only how I go about my setup. Diffrent things work for diffrent people. Just use this as a base, and work out what works best for you :D

-----------------------------------------------------------

1.) Place clean stem and base into fridge.
2.) Place a cup of ice water in freezer.
3.) Wait 30 minutes.
4.) With the other supplies still in the fridge/freezer, get your bowl, tobacco, and coals of choice out and ready.
5.) Stir up the tobacco to get the juices going, and also to fluff it up.
6.) Lightly drop the tobacco into the bowl, till it comes up to the rim.

The next steps are split in two, one for screen users, another for foil users.

Screens:
7.a) Pack the tobacco down very good.
8.a) Use a toothpick or the poker on some tongs, and poke up through the bottom of the bowl through the holes in the bowl, and through the tobacco to give the best airflow.
9.a) Place the screen onto the bowl, and check to make sure that the tobacco is not touching the screen.

Foil:
7. B) Gently push the tobacco down, and add a bit more to come just over the rim of the bowl.
8. B) Snuggly place a large peice of foil over the bowl. Poke holes through the foil in one of many patterns. My most common is just random holes, with more concentrated towared the center.
9. B) Turn the bowl over and blow through the bottom to make sure there is good airflow. (thanks to Tangiers for this)

Now we move on to the rest of the setup.

10.) Get out the items from the fridge and freezer.
11.) Pour the ice water into the base, up to 1 1/2 inches above the bottom of where the stem will be (differs from hookah to hookah)
12.) Put together the hookah: Stem into base, Hose into hose port, bowl ontop. (some hookahs have more to do)
13.) Give a test pull on the hose with your hand covering the bowl to make sure that the hookah is air tight.
14.) Light your coal, however you light them. Tips for each below.
15.) Place the coal on top, and do some pulls to get the hookah going.

As with packing the bowl, heat management differs slightly from screens and foil.

Screen:
16.a) Start with the coal directly over the center.
17.a) Once you get smoke, move the coal out to the outer edges.
18.a) Once the outside of the coal is almost fully coverd in white ash, take coal off into the tray and knock off the ash.
19.a) Place the coal back onto the bowl, once again on the outer edge, but move it around the bowl in a circular patern once you put it back on.
20.a) Just keep ashing and rotating till you go all around the bowl. Once the coal dies, place a fresh one over the center, and that should last till you are done.

Foil:
16. B) Star with 1 coal on the edge, and half a coal (for quicklights, varries for natural) in the center, and get the hookah going good.
17. B) Ash the coal, and as you do move it around the smaller center peice.
18. B) Once center coal is burned out, move rest of whol coal onto center, and light the other half of the broken coal.
19. B) Rotate the broken coal around the edge of the bowl, working it like you first did the large one.
20. B) Once both are done, just keep a fresh coal and move it to where needed.

Some tips:

A.) The ice water, and cold base/stem is to condense more of the vaporized glycerin, giving you thicker smoke. It also can cool the smoke some.
B.) To keep things cool through the whole smoke, place the base of your hookah into a bucket filled with ice, water, and some salt, up to 3/4 of the way to the top of the base.
C.) Once youve gone around the bowl one time on either foil or screens, i usually take off the screen/foil and remove burnt tobacco, and mix up the bottom a bit, to give some fresh tobacco a chance, instead of burning already burnt shisha XD BE CAREFUL EVERYTHING IS BLOODY HOT!!
D.) Lighting coals differs from not only natural to quicklights, but also differs between brands. For most quicklights, a wooden match is all that you need, while others require a constant flame for longer to get all the lighting material to catch, and to fully light the coal. For natural coals, just place the coal directly on the burner on your stove. Some use propane torches you can buy at hardware stores to hand light them much faster. I use a propane torch to quickly light my quick lights :D
E.) Experiement. Just because it works for me and my hookah, doesn't mean its going to work perfectly for you. Theres so many factors; hookah design, coals used, tobacco used, your hose, the humidity, how cold your setup gets, etc, that makes this just really just a base guide. You still need to figure out what works best for you :D

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Well I hope this helps anyone new to the hookah scene, or just anyone in general looking for tips from someone who has way too much free time on there hands and therefore smokes too much XD

[disturbedguru]

Here are some additional quick tips for Beginners:

Your coal is ready when it is fully ashed and glowing red all the way around
Prep your hose by blowing through it after and before every smoke, this will dislodge and blow out any particles
Periodically move your coal this will prevent burning to a extent
Having something to munch on before/during/after a smoke session will reduce nausea (especially if you don't smoke often)
Foil or screen is a personal choice, expirament and see what you like
Finally your new to hookah and need to expirament with your set up, you wont always right from the starting line get it right...bad sessions happen, be presistent and learn from your mistakes....you'll be a hookah pro in no time.

[MAKCuMG]

HEAT MANAGEMENT FOR SCREEN USERS (OR DOUBLE FOIL)

I've recently purchased the windscreen,screen, and bowl combo. The screen is removable and I now use it on my regular ceramic bowl insead of the double layer of tinfoil I used to use before (the newly purchased bowl is waiting for the correct grommet to arrive in the mail).

Like many, I had alot of trouble with heat management in the beginning, but have found a paticular set up that works quite well when using a screen It also works very well when using a double layer of foil, which is another thing I've found that keeps the shisha from burning.

I find that 33mm quicklites just don't do the trick for me. One is too little and two is too much.

Switching to using one 40mm 3 kings quicklite, split in half has increased the amount of smoke I get, without burning the shisha.

1. Split the 40mm coal in half.

2. Light it over a stove until glowing red.

3. 40mm 3 kings quicklites are round on one side and have a lip on another.
Place coals lip side down (as shown in the image).

4. Let them sit for a minute. Blow on them a little from the side if you didn't get the job done at the stove =).

5. Take 3-4 slow deep pulls. Move them counter clockwise about 1/4 inch around the edge of the bowl.

6. Take another 3-4 slow deep pulls. Your are now smoking. If the smoke is not thick, just lite a little more shisha by nudging them another 1/4 inch around the edge of the bowl.

7. When ever you feel like you are loosing flavor, just nudge them 1/4 inch more around the edge of the bowl to lite more fresh shisha.

8. Move them in this way around the circumference of the bowl a few times. The point is to not keep the coals in one spot for too long. Smoke the shisha, don't burn it.

9. Move to the center toward the very end, when the coals are tiny.


The point in my opinion is to light just enough shisha to get a good amount of smoke, moving the coals to light fresh shisha and keep the lit shisha from burning.

Really hope this helps. Edited April 27, 2007 by MAKCuMG

[L'Oignon]

I'm still pretty inexperienced at the whole hookah thing, but I had it going really well the other night. So far my best sessions have been with QLs and double foil.

Use two layers of foil. Take 2 QLs and break 1 in half. Light 1 and a half, and put then on the bowl with the half in the middle and the other half not in the middle I guess. It'll be smoking really well in only a couple pulls.
Although I should say that this last session was outside and it was a bit chilly outside so I'm not sure if that helped regulate things. It got colder for the second bowl and that one didnt go that well, but still pretty well in general. Ah well, I guess we'll have to see.

[tkato]

Preserving Shisha

Smoking nargila is fun, but it sure costs alot if you smoke everyday like me, this is why using coil to manipulate the burning of tobaco is used.
The trick is to manage your shisha, put the coil and make the holes, take another coil and cover half of the head with it, this way less heat will come to the rest of the shisha and your head should last longer burning all the tobaco, in a large clay head you should also put little coil balls in your head since they will help burn the tabaco better making your smoking sessions even more plesureable.

[ezie]

Preserving Shisha

Smoking nargila is fun, but it sure costs alot if you smoke everyday like me, this is why using coil to manipulate the burning of tobaco is used.
The trick is to manage your shisha, put the coil and make the holes, take another coil and cover half of the head with it, this way less heat will come to the rest of the shisha and your head should last longer burning all the tobaco, in a large clay head you should also put little coil balls in your head since they will help burn the tabaco better making your smoking sessions even more plesureable.

tkato could you explain more on the coil method thanks for the tips bro peace

[RayVer]

RayVers Guides

alright guys here I will put up all the guides/reviews with pictures and videos that I have done.


Acclimating Tangiers – Step By Step With Pictures - Pictures
http://www.hookahforum.com/index.php?showtopic=14245

How To Set Up Tangiers Shisha On A Tangiers Bowl - Video
http://youtube.com/watch?v=CjF8kRw1Q7A

Installing a Heba Diffuser on a Mya Gyro- Video
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qZCcASkIgcM

Inserting a Heba Diffuser down the vase of a Mya Gyro- Video
http://youtube.com/watch?v=cYK06Ke0Yf4

Nammor hose review- Video
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3PihLvF4Er4

MNH Funnel Bowl Review- Video
http://youtube.com/watch?v=gaIHsvy1Kyo

if you have any video requests send me a PM

[Canon]

Re opened for the time being, if any members wish to put up a guide to help others then post it here, this thread will be closed soon. any comments or questions will be removed.

[EternalSoil]

Packing Tangiers The Noob Method, By EternalSoil

Also added to the Wiki

[Priapus]

even though this topic was started in 07, i cant help but notice that there are no cleaning tips.

ok, so here's what i do.

i use the one on the left to clean the stem of my hookah after every 3-5 uses;


you can buy these at your local hookah/shisha store for about £3 or less. ($5ish?)

to clean the base, i use something similar to the above right, but have found that one of these works better for me.



i find that the above can reach all the way to the very edges of my base to clean out the residue left in the base. this will set you back about £3 ($5ish) or less from any superstore

i also use hot water from the tap.

there are better way to clean your hookah, and i'm hoping that our members here will add to this thread.

[delSol_si]

Here is a tip for using the search engine:
1. Click on the "Search" button an the top right of the screen
2. Click on "More Search Options"
3. Type in what you are looking for in "Search by Keywords." Make sure you enclose what you are looking for in quotation marks. ie. if you are looking for hookah, type "hookah"
4. Click on the little bubble under "Search Where" that says "Search titles only"
5. Click "Perform the search"

Thanks to Mush, Canon, jester6 and ryno for helping me with this. Mods, if this doesn't conform to the purposes of this thread, please delete it, I just thought it may be useful as it has tremendously helped me.

[sine]

Also, as far as cleaning goes, I will soak my stem and base in just plain distilled vineager for 24 hours a couple times a year. This does a great job of removing any residual taste baked into the hookah without damaging anything.

[abico_effect]

I put lemon juice in the stem and swish it around a bit.... its crazy how much crap will come out.

[rcracer_tx]

[quote name='Priapus' date='26 April 2009 - 06:56 AM' timestamp='1240750601' post='364375']
even though this topic was started in 07, i cant help but notice that there are no cleaning tips.




[img]http://www.ctrend.com.cn/images/B031_s.png[/img]

i find that the above can reach all the way to the very edges of my base to clean out the residue left in the base. this will set you back about £3 ($5ish) or less from any superstore

i also use hot water from the tap.

there are better way to clean your hookah, and i'm hoping that our members here will add to this thread.
[/quote]

Anyone know where to get that brush online? I have several of the blue ones, but they don't work that well on my bohemian base.

[thatonethere]

Another tip:

When looking for new hoses, please be ware that some manufacturers will tell you that a hose is "washable" when it really isn't. That means if you try to run water through the hose, it will rust. When they say "washable" it means the outside can handle water, and not the inside. The following brands of hoses can have water ran through them:

Grand Caravan "washable " hose
Narbish
Nammor

Or, if these brands are hard to find. You can use the search engine to find a suitable design for making your own washable hoses.

[Pacman48]

I like hoses made from only plastic. They're easy to wASH

[maddog1711]

[quote name='mushrat' date='18 April 2007 - 07:43 PM' timestamp='1176950619' post='120991']
This topic will hopefully answer some of the questions we get over and over. To save time and agrivation over being told "do a search".

Contributions will be judged by the mods and the useful ones will stay...the ones not so useful will be removed.

Let the posting begin!

PS you need to read the rules, they can be found here
[url="http://www.hookahforum.com/index.php?showforum=45"][url="http://www.hookahforum.com/index.php?showforum=45"]http://www.hookahfor...hp?showforum=45[/url][/url]
[/quote]


very nice

[retrokali]

This was great, thanks!

[quote name='ASUSEAN1' timestamp='1176967458' post='121027']
Alright here is a thread to point newbies in the right direction, give tips, and to answer basic questions. If you are looking for what is the best: brand of tobacco, coals, hookah pipes, accessories, or vendors please check out the product and vendor reviews section. There will be plenty of information there to make a good decision. Also, this is not a how-to-thread either. If you want to learn how to make a fruit bowl or something along those lines try the how-to funhouse section. This thread is to teach everyone how to set up the hookah, cleaning,tips and what certain terms mean in the hookah world.

Information Websites
[url="http://completehookah.com/"]http://completehookah.com/[/url]
[url="http://www(dot)insidehookah.com/site/index.php"][url="http://www(dot"]http://www(dot[/url])insidehookah.com/site/index.php[/url]
-For the addresses with the (dot) you will have to fill in the (.) by yourself because the admin doesn\'t allow links from these sites
-more to come

If you can\'t find what you are looking for try the search function.

Now that we have gone through some of the basics I will give some tips I have learned over the past couple years..

Here are a few things I do to pack a great bowl every time:
-When you open up a tub of shisha, stir it up before you pack your bowl. This will help mix the glycerin that has dropped to the bottom of the tub.
-Take the stem from the tobacco and cut it up and put it in the bowl with the rest of the shisha. This will increase the amount of nicotine and give you a killer buzz.. it really does work. Thanks Smiley [img]http://www.hookahforum.com/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif[/img]
-If you are mixing different types of shisha make sure you mix them very good so that you get a even flavor.
-After you\'re done poking your holes in the foil, blow through the bottom of the bowl. This will loosen up your tobacco making it burn more evenly
-Try putting ice in the glass base of your hookah and get the water ice cold before smoking. This makes for a smoother more enjoyable smoking experience. If the ice does not fit in your base take a blender and fill it up with ice and water to make a slushy. Pour this into your base at the desired level.
-When you first start smoking your hookah, try placing the charcoal on the outside of the bowl and working it around the edges of the bowl. The center of the bowl should be the last place your charcoal is placed.
-If your bowl is tasting burnt take off the foil, and take a few drops of water and put it on the shisha. This will save a bowl that you thought was ruined.
-more tips to come

Here is how I pack a regular bowl
[img]http://farm1.static.flickr.com/225/464866326_2984627032.jpg[/img]
[img]http://farm1.static.flickr.com/224/464866330_9bb961ddde.jpg[/img] i punch a bunch of holes evenly spaced throughout the bowl

Here is how I pack a phunnel bowl
[img]http://farm1.static.flickr.com/177/464866350_9556cf2234.jpg[/img]
[img]http://farm1.static.flickr.com/201/464866354_0a6a13c269.jpg[/img] i use 1 ring of holes and 1 hole in the middle

-I usually use 2 three kings coals on an egyptian bowl, one on top of the other. I also use two coals on the phunnel on opposite sides of the bowl. If I am using jap coals I use 2 on an egyptian bowl and 3-4 on the phunnel. If the bowl becomes harsh than take coals off, if there isn;t enough smoke put more coals on. Heat management is key! Make sure the coal is completly lit before you start smoking. A quick way to light three kings is to put them on there side like so..

[img]http://farm1.static.flickr.com/202/464876446_43f46c9e57.jpg[/img]
[img]http://farm1.static.flickr.com/184/464877134_5b89743e5b.jpg[/img] coals on egyptian bowl stacked

I have been getting a lot of PMs lately asking for pictures that I promised so I hope this helps. If I am forgetting something let me know but I will try to keep adding information to this thread

Thanks

Sean
[/quote]

[moroccanoasis]

Hello,

I'm posting from work just so I won't be deleted. But I will come back later and actually post.

[SmokingShaolin]

[quote name='thatonethere' timestamp='1268734268' post='457382']
Another tip:

When looking for new hoses, please be ware that some manufacturers will tell you that a hose is "washable" when it really isn't. That means if you try to run water through the hose, it will rust. When they say "washable" it means the outside can handle water, and not the inside. The following brands of hoses can have water ran through them:

Grand Caravan "washable " hose
Narbish
Nammor

Or, if these brands are hard to find. You can use the search engine to find a suitable design for making your own washable hoses.
[/quote]

I would also like to add to the list
Nuhose

[BankerT23]

What would be the best brand of Shisha? I'm fairly new to this. i just got my first Hookah last weekend and am trying to figure out the best brand of everything.

[altamash]

guys what shall i do if the base of the hookah cracks??

[IainUM]

depends on where the crack is. i'd say easiest thing to do is just get a new one.

but it is fixable. i fixed my first hookah that had a hole in the base with some packaging tape, marine-grade putty, and some more packaging tape. it worked great until i threw it away cause i got a much better one. lol