Avoid harshness, the physics of hookah

[HookahCulture]

There's definitely a science to getting a perfect bowl, and I've done it.
Don't fill it to the rim, and use the foil pattern posted on my site and be liberal with coals.....

IN OTHER NEWS.....

 I made it to the UK and hung out with King Mo
for a day in the Arab sectors of London! What a great day! Mo was the
perfect host. We strolled Edgeware and Queensway, had a good Persian
lunch, and had a hookah at Mamounia I think it was. We had hookahs and
a pot of mint tea on the sidewalk with the gawking tourists walking by.
Despite the bombings, I wasn't afraid.
The motto for Londoners is WE ARE NOT AFRAID.

DAMN RIGHT! Besides which Brooklyn is scarier!

Anyway.... I tried to text Mo later but it failed for some reason.

MO, thank you again SO MUCH for being a great host, I had a great time!

--Reiner

[mushrat]

a quick *bump* to bring this on line with useless's post.

[Lakemonster]

From all I have learned in smoking briar pipes and making briar pipes.....
all those "bad particles" are composed of acids and alkaloids that get burned off at higher temps than nicotine does. Nicotine itself is an alkaloid.
The water does filter some of this out. but not that much.... it really is in the heat on the bowl where this is controlled.
Your smoke may come thru cool... but you may notice that you develope a slight stinging on the roof of your mouth or your tongue. This is what Pipe smokers call "Tongue Bite".
This is an instant flag going up that you are aboput to flat out burn the ma'assell.

[afrdzak]

Welcome to the forum, Lord Dorian.  Very informative information, thanks!

[BeeMinty226]

[quote name='Mathazar']I've been hooked on around 10 bowls a day for the last 9 months. 
I know that's not healthy,  but my hobby has turned into a habit
and I can't seem to be able to stop.  I've either given-away or
sold 8 hookahs sofar in an attempt to quit,  and I always end-up
buying a new hookah.   

I'm hooked on the hookah [/quote]

wanna give me one? lol

[HubblyBubbly613]

[quote name='Lord Dorian']Well wyteboy, this largely depends on the type of hookah and bowl. On my small mya-saray acrylic, a small number of small pin sized random holes seem to work best. However, my tall m-s bohemian works best with as many toothpick holes as possible. And the rotator hookah my friend furnished from egypt is always smoked with nine toothpick in a 3x3 box pattern. It also depends on the coal type, 3 kings and poorly made israeli/egyptian coals generally require smaller holes to cut down on carbon intake and embers falling in and potentially burning the shisha. Also some natural coals (lemon/orangewood) produce a lot of ash which can get sucked down larger holes. Generally, smaller holes mean more distinct flavor, but less thick smoke (less particles in the smoke so the particles resposible for flavor are more noticable). But, with adjustment you can get great smoke without comprimising airflow or taste. Also, lateral knife slits are excellent because they allow alot of air while making it hard for ash/carbon/ember to get through. I have been experimenting with those lately with excellent results. [/quote]
Thanks much, Lord Dorian for the best explanation That I've read so far in almost two years of my smoking.If you've got more info, please share it with us.
HubblyBubbly613

[sheeshabum]

[quote name='Lord Dorian']Hello everyone, this is my first post and I would like to introduce myself as both an avid hookah smoker and physicist. Much of the information in this post will seem like common knowledge to hookah veterans, but even experienced smokers might find some of this interesting. 
No one likes a harsh hookah, but to many why this occurs remains a mystery. For many smoking hookah is a hit or miss endevour and people seem to get wildly variant results from bowl to bowl. However, with a little experimentation and proper scientific method (change one thing at a time) one can drastically improve the quality and consitency of the hookah experience. First we must ask, what makes a hookah harsh? There are two main causes: too much heat (this causes the dry, pinching sensation in the back of the throat) or too much carbonized matter in the smoke (this causes the "harsh" taste and usually forces a coughing reaction). As we will see these two are closely related, too much heat makes the tobacco burn as opposed to smolder and puts more "bad" particles in the smoke. But it is still possible to have one with out the other.
Managing Heat: Heat must be controlled on two ends, pre and post water filtration. First I will deal with how to maintain cool smoke proir to its entry into the water. This mainly has to do with the amount of heat on the bowl, we want the tobbacco to be heated and smolder evenly, never to actually burn like in a cigar or cigarette. The main factors responsible for heat on the bowl are air flow across the bowl, and amount and postion of heat sources on the bowl. For air flow, you want a moderate amount, too little and all the heat will get "stuck" at the top and burn the tobbacco, too much and the coals will get over stoaked and burn the tobbacco. Hence, you want a loose pack that allows the heat to be drawn deep into the bowl, as well the optimum solution for holes in the foil. To keep the tobbacco cool, one must learn the proper amount and postion of holes in the foil, as well has how to best orient the coal throughout the course of the bowl. This is different for every hookah and every different bowl design, and can only be learned through individual experimentation. However, it is a general rule the the higher the depth to surface area ratio of the bowl, the more central heat the bowl can tolerate. Most female bowls have a low depth to SA ratio, keep the coal to the edges. Most males have a better depth:SA, so keep the coal more centralized. Also experiment with amount of coal (very important with lemon/orangewood coals), and if you get too harsh a smoke from three kings style coals, try inverting them so that the smaller top portion of the coal is in contact with the bowl. Also, water level can effect the temperature of the bowl. If the down-tube (the bottom part of the stem that goes in the water) is too deep, when you cease hitting the hookah it will fill with water and drive air up the stem re-stoaking the tobbacco which can exacerbate an already harsh bowl. This is why you may see smoke puff out the top when you stop inhaling. Normally this is not a problem, but many try to fight harshness by raising the water level, and going too far in this direction is a bad idea. My next post will focus on how to keep the smoke cool once it has left the water, and how to manage the amount of particulate matter in the smoke[/quote] Great going  Lord Dorian. Thanx
Sheeshabum

[hookah123]

jesus... never knew it could get so complicated! hahaha
mucho props to lord dorian.
One thing struck an interesting thought to me ... adding honey to the tobacco?
is this the same syrup honey you buy from the grocery store? if so, how much do i apply to the tobacco? i have to try that foil slit method and warm water in the base next time. sounds like everybody is lovin' it.

[MR Bubble]

I have been doing slits for a long time. One of the drawbacks I found is my smoke doesn't last as long as with small holes. I like my tobacco to be just a bit warmer than most people's (just on the edge of burning, but not quite) so the slits work great. But as I said before, it smokes it up faster, but you get an awesome rush from Nakhla double apple like that, especially if your slits are 1/2 inch long.
MR Bubble

[Canon]

good guide, though i disagree about the water and the filtration. i find that with cooler water comes better smoke, ive tried it with and without ice and with ice makes much of a difference.

[EternalSoil]

you realise it has been over 2 years since this thread was last active?

[Canon]

the guide has some good pointers in it imo.

[Voski]

so does no one use the slit method any more?

[Geiseric]

So.. desire... to... make... sexual ... comment....

[EternalSoil]

hehehe, you must be dirtier than I!

[colinrgodsey]

very interesting post. the air flow description makes perfect sense

[Giant Ninja Robot]

this is a great revival - very informative and gives some new methods to try out

thanks colin!

[Cybersist]

Sweet! info to outsmart my hookah buddies with!

[Bookworm]

Bump. Hot water for the win. I fill my bowl with water that's nearly scalding, since I smoke outside and its in the 40s at night.

[ih303]

So let me see if I understand this. Lots of small holes produce less smoke and more flavor?

And what about natural coals? First he said smaller holes were better for nats because the big holes let all of that fine ash inside the bowl. Then he said bigger holes were better for nats because the smaller holes clogged with the fine ash. Which one is it?

[mattarios2]

i would think it depends on what kind of coals you are using, some ash big chunks and some ash small pieces.

Personally I say big holes around the outside, smaller holes towards the inside, and 1 bigger hole in the middle.

[fcbayern]

doesnt hole pattern vary depending on the type and size of bowl you use?

[erufiku]

This is the first time I've read this post... great info, I think it should be linked in the stickied post for beginners. Wouldn't have found it if someone hadn't bumped it!

[jellywerker]

Same Erufiku

[Scarecrow]

Anybody try hot water yet? I'd like to see some reports on that.