Simple Bottom-stem Diffuser

[JonDubya]

Okay I used a nail+hammer and was able to pull it off. I used a hot knife to melt the end of the straw shut. too bad I only took 3 straws into work and messed up 2 of them drilling :[

snap.  Well, if you want to try it again, fill the hose with something like water, sand or wood chips to give it rigidity.  I should've known that before, my apologies.   

[Louis.]

whats the point of getting smaller bubbles?

[*HOT&SMOKING*]

whats the point of getting smaller bubbles?

It makes the bubbling sound quieter if you wanna have a converstion or sumthing and apparently it filters it better through the water.

-H&S

[olooko]

sounds cool, I'll try this sometime, thanks for the show and tell.

[dpsk8boarder]

WOW...this diffuser increases smoke and flavor a lot. Less harsh and it great!!! Nice Show and tell!

[Echo_419]

Would more filtration mean less flavor?

[olooko]

Would more filtration mean less flavor?

Well from what i noticed cooler smoke which arises from more filitration makes for more flavorful smoke.

[Echo_419]

Really? My sister has a mini icecube trays from her half fridge from college that she never used. The cubes are about the size or rolling dice. Should I try that with the straws? Edited July 30, 2007 by Echo_419

[frankenstein_666]

OK, I tried this tonight with some Layalina Black Grape. I used 3 small orafice bendy straws and did just as the diagram shows and even bent the straws outwards. I have to say it works! I got amazingly thick smoke, sweeter flavor and sound was almost obsolete. The only thing that I did not like was the pull was much harder. I was taking harder hits because I had to pull harder to get the smoke through the straws. I got used to it and found it to be quit nice!

Also, I can see how this would help with individuals that find a tickle in your throat because of a harsh taste...this basically eliminates that. I smoked almost an entire bowl with no harsh taste! I did miss the sound though ..I had to put my ear to the vase just to get a sound.

Very nice and everyone should try this! I did it just as the diagram shows and it totally worked!

Thanks!

[Kae]

We tried this last night with some mango Layalina with orange juice in the base, and I have to agree with the others; it greatly intensified the flavor, and it was much cooler/smoother. It muffled the sound enough that we could talk, and watch videos, etc, but not so much that we couldn't hear it. I'm anxious to try it with some of my millder flavors (like pear), and see if it kicks those up a bit. All in all, a great idea, thanks for sharing! =]

[stryet]

Okay, I just tried this with 4 bendy straws in my KM with my shop's house coconut. Wow. The smoke is a lot richer and smoother. I did find, however, that I had to use more coal on my bowl (might be the shisha), but i never had to move it. This is truly an amazingly cheap mod for people on a budget!

[bigcam112]

i reallly like this idea... it is really smart and im super sure it would work well.. the only think i could think to do is make it out of something you could reuses over and over and some way to efficiently hold the straws in the way i smoke those straws wouldnt last 2 or 3 good pulls without just floating away some where in the base

[blacklabelqlewis]

i just decided to try this yesterday and it works pretty well. except for the fact that i pushed the straws into the hole and cut them level with the end of the stem. but i may just leave the straws in lol. seems to help with the problem of the foil vibrating and making the coals move around when you take a hit. allows for more water in the base without splashing up into your hose. starbuzz peach, al amir mocha latte, taru grape, and al waha rose mixed with al waha raspberry (quite the evening session) all tasted noticeably stronger, and chokingly thick smoke was still thick but not choking anyone besides the noobs with us.

[Jonesy]

May be a silly idea but how about using a ping pong ball (perforated of course) and make a slightly smaller hole than the stem, so it should can be wedged on tight?

On a side note, I realise that ping pong balls probablly wont fit down the neck of most bottles
Any ways, just me thinking aloud. Edited August 23, 2007 by Jonesy

[Voski]

i tried this and i was getting a nasty taste out of the hookah

I think its because i just shoved the straws up there without cutting them shorter so they wont go up the stem so far but the plastic was warm when i pulled it out. Reduced the bubbling though and made the hits smoother I am going to try again tomorrow with cutting up the straws il let you guys know how it goes

[HookahCrazy]

is the smoke much thicker as well as smoother?

[Cheese//]

This was one fine idea!
These are the best advantages for me:
- The entire Earth doesn't shake when you double pipe it. Very low vibration.
- It's really quiet. You can't hear someone else speak when they're having a drag with my friend's hub. Not with this one.
- It's smooth, oh so smooth. While you're dragging you don't even realise that your lungs are eventually going to be full.
- The puffage is insane! Compared to anything else the thickness of the smoke is noticeably greater.

My straws were a bit small, so I put more than three.

[olooko]

This was one fine idea!
These are the best advantages for me:
- The entire Earth doesn't shake when you double pipe it. Very low vibration.
- It's really quiet. You can't hear someone else speak when they're having a drag with my friend's hub. Not with this one.
- It's smooth, oh so smooth. While you're dragging you don't even realise that your lungs are eventually going to be full.
- The puffage is insane! Compared to anything else the thickness of the smoke is noticeably greater.

My straws were a bit small, so I put more than three.

Juice box straws?

[Cheese//]

This was one fine idea!
These are the best advantages for me:
- The entire Earth doesn't shake when you double pipe it. Very low vibration.
- It's really quiet. You can't hear someone else speak when they're having a drag with my friend's hub. Not with this one.
- It's smooth, oh so smooth. While you're dragging you don't even realise that your lungs are eventually going to be full.
- The puffage is insane! Compared to anything else the thickness of the smoke is noticeably greater.

My straws were a bit small, so I put more than three.

Juice box straws?

Hell yeah!
I just went to the supermarket and found that quite a few had 'fallen off' the boxes.
So I stuffed them in my pockets and left.

[olooko]

lol

[Mountain]

May be a silly idea but how about using a ping pong ball (perforated of course) and make a slightly smaller hole than the stem, so it should can be wedged on tight?

On a side note, I realise that ping pong balls probablly wont fit down the neck of most bottles
Any ways, just me thinking aloud.

I figured this might be a good idea when I read this so I grabbed a ping-pong ball, made a big enough hole to fit around the stem and a lot of holes with a pushpin. I was still pumped about the idea. However, when I stuck the ball on the end of the stem to see if it let enough air through, I blew out first then sucked in, drawing air through the ball and the air was terrible. I don't know what gas they use to pressurize ping pong balls or if it's just the celluloid itself, but there is a nasty smell on the inside of the ball. I just tried washing it out with dishsoap and it is still really bad.

So good idea but it wouldn't work because of the awful taste inside the ball.

[garykainz]

May be a silly idea but how about using a ping pong ball (perforated of course) and make a slightly smaller hole than the stem, so it should can be wedged on tight?

On a side note, I realise that ping pong balls probablly wont fit down the neck of most bottles
Any ways, just me thinking aloud.

I figured this might be a good idea when I read this so I grabbed a ping-pong ball, made a big enough hole to fit around the stem and a lot of holes with a pushpin. I was still pumped about the idea. However, when I stuck the ball on the end of the stem to see if it let enough air through, I blew out first then sucked in, drawing air through the ball and the air was terrible. I don't know what gas they use to pressurize ping pong balls or if it's just the celluloid itself, but there is a nasty smell on the inside of the ball. I just tried washing it out with dishsoap and it is still really bad.

So good idea but it wouldn't work because of the awful taste inside the ball.

have you ever lit a pingpong ball on fire? something that'll do that, I wouldn't want to smoke thru it...

[mathuv]

hmm....go look on youtube and this is a pretty good idea by dmcwebd. its as cheap as a soda! just.. make it neater than him http://youtube.com/watch?v=TEqcY4QORqc

[Dekon]

WOW! My mom just got a bunch of little straws cause my dad got some teeth pulled out and he didn't want em so i took em. Put 4 in my QT Stem and i'm smoking Nakhla mint in my phunnel and it's soooooo quiet and soooooooooo smooth! I will give you 1 gold star for this idea!

Quick edit : After i cleaned my hookah the straws smelled like i melted 1 million altoids and rubbed them on the straws.

Edited October 23, 2007 by Dekon

[Cheese//]

I found a flaw with this idea
When I was smoking with coconut milk in the base I was noticing that the hits were super hard.
So I tried emptying out a little of the milk.
Still the same.
Then I took the straws out
and bingo.
The pulls were normal again.
I think there were some chunks of something from the coconut milk trapped in there.

So,
do take note:
When smoking with coconut milk in the base, take the straws out!