Thick smoke?

[Daleth]

I will admit, I have been smoking my hookah for about a year now and have still not mastered the art of getting a think smoke. I've smoked nakhla, Romman, HH and none have given me a thick smoke. I get more smoke from a cigarette.
What really got me thinking was the thread about smoke rings and I just can't get enough smoke to try them, any ideas why I'm not getting alot of smoke?
Doug

[yashman19]

Just some minor things to think of, is make sure your water level is 1" above the bottom of the stem. This is one of the best places to keep the water to ensure the most smoke possible in the chamber.
Next the obvious thing to think about when not getting a lot of think smoke, do you have enough heat? Try adding more coals just to the point before it gets too harsh. You might have to cover the whole bowl, then once it gets harsh, slowely take coals off until it hits nicely.
Also try not overpacking the bowl. Pack it lightly. And experiment with hole patterns. I like to go with a pushpin and poke about 40-45 holes evenly spaced. Others will argue different ways but its all personal preference.
Try a few of these things if you haven't already and see if anything helps. If you have tried all of these and still no good, let us know.
Good luck bro.

[wyteboy]

I agree now completely with that hole size and whatnot with Yashman.  prob 15-20 larger toothpick holes if you're using natural coals, but with quicklites I would use a ton of small pushpin size holes.  I posted my personal pattern in a different thread, the thread with SMALLER HOLES in the subject.  hope this helps!

[mushrat]

I use my metal screen for everything from Nakhla to AF. Natural bulk charcoal to the rare (and damn i gotta be in a hurry to put up with these) 3 kings and I get good thick smoke all the time...
I do use a foil chimney/dome to turn the whole bowl into more of an oven, don't know if that matters.
Not to put down the scientific approach, but less science...more art.
$.02

[Daleth]

Well I took the step and added half a golden coal to my usual one coal
while smoking romman double apple and I was happy, I got a much thicker
smoke. Thanks for the advise, but I must ask one more question, how do
you break the coals without crushing them into itty bitty pieces?

[alen]

good question i took me sometime to get it right but with some practice youll get it right -i use to break up two quicklites into eight pieces and use five to six pieces depending on the wetness of the tobacco and the smoke is getting much thicker and better than just with one hole quicklite (mr b gave me this advice a long time ago and it works very well) hope it will help you too -ps i break them up before i lit them up ofcourse otherwise its more tricky
alen

[ZAP]

The quicklites are easier to break if placed in a slightly damp tissue.

[wyteboy]

I used a screen last night and got a GREAT smoke.  I used 3  1/2 pieces of 3 kings and basically had the entire screen covered in coal, but not huge chunks, like I said, 3 1/2 pieces, so I don't think th heat burnt the tobacco as it would have maybe if it was one whole coal + a 1/2 on the screen.  Got a GREAT thick thick smoke, it was great.  too bad I didn't like the flavor! ha

[MR Bubble]

[quote name='Daleth']Well I took the step and added half a golden coal to my usual one coal while smoking romman double apple and I was happy, I got a much thicker smoke. Thanks for the advise, but I must ask one more question, how do you break the coals without crushing them into itty bitty pieces?[/quote]
How I do it is hold the discs between each thumb and forefinger with the CONCAVE FACE OF THE DISC TOWARD YOU. Your thumbs should be in the concave part. Tighten the muscles in your fingers as tight as you can and genlty snap the disc in half toward you. If you don't get 2 even pieces, don't worry. Take the biggest of the two pieces and break that in half. It will break easier. Now, just use the three pieces on you bowl. It works just as well as 4 quartered pieces.
HINT: Until you get good at it, use a serrated steak knife and gently saw into the rounded face of the disc. Now snap it in half. You will be the master!
Cheers, MR Bubble

[Daleth]

I tried to use a thumb and finger to snap the coal but ended up turning half the coal into powder and the other half into about 3 pieces. But that hint ought to help prevent that then next time. Now I've just got to find a screen while I'm in seattle since I can't find them localy and I don't want to order just a screen.

[MR Bubble]

Notch it with the steak knife
MR Bubble