John Deere Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 I just got my screens in the mail, and let me tell you, I dont think I'll use foil again except to wrap leftovers. It doesnt burn the ma'asell like the foil does, and I'm getting really thick smoke too. This goes out to all foil users: try the screens! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushrat Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 Yup..once you get the hang of them there is no going back... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runride Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 do you put the raised part facing down or up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Deere Posted June 21, 2005 Author Share Posted June 21, 2005 I put the raised part facing down, and I pack about a half bowl. It takes a little longer to get going (about 3 minutes), because its further away from the coals, but after that its smooth sailing, and the half bowl I just finished smoking, lasted almost 3 hours with 4 coals. And that was with Nakhla, so I'd say its pretty good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Mo Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 I ordered a screen to try it out. In principle I would say they would not be good, as you cannot regulate the airflow (it's already predetermined) and the holes look too big. With foil I get literally perfect Smokes. Will post my screen vs foil observations in this thread when they arrive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushrat Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 Mo, Instead of regulating air flow you regulate heat. Its all in the coals..... The nice thing about the screens is that airflow is a constant each time. No variation for foil thickness, hole sizes, number, pattern, its always the same. So once you get your heat figured out you're set for future smokes. $.02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piperdown Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 Ya Mon, Screens have been great, at least for me. I've gotten hookahs for a couple of friends, and always order screens with 'em. The fewer variables the better. One other tidbit I picked up was to use a wind cover to contain heat. Fewer coals, same results. in addition, if you're using a wind cover with a screen, bend the 5th tab UP so it doesn't ctach on the wind cover when you remove it to move or replace coals. I failed to do this and had I been inside I would have had another hookah scar on the carpet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Deere Posted June 22, 2005 Author Share Posted June 22, 2005 yeah, The windcover probably would help, which is why I ordered one last week, except UPS has been neglecting me lately....so I should have it sometime in the next 3 months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lokixragnarok Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 I wanna try the screens... I'm pretty much a noob tho... can you give me and estimate on how much coal to use? I have diamante finger coals, fumari and AF maasell... how much of each do I use... and do I pack the bowl differently? sprinkle? a tincy pack? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piperdown Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 I break up my massell, picking out all the timber. once I have about a tablespoon or so, I sprinkle it into the bowl, lightly tapping down any high spots. Then I take a 33mm coal and break it in half, light each half, and place them on the far opposite sides of the screen, then place the wind cover over the bowl. When I had the 40mm coals I only used half a coal at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushrat Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 I pack the bowl same way I did with foil. I'd say start with the same coal set up you used with foil and adjust from there. Everythign from bowl depth to how hard to draw on the hose is going to effect your hookah's performance with the screen. $.02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runride Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 i realize that heating is an issue with the screens, and i can fix that partly with a wind cover... but i heard that the flavor and taste is jeopordized by using one also, is that true or it it still as sweet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushrat Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 Still as sweet...without the hint of burning foil coating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bintang Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 My brother got a new hookah the other day and we used a screen for the first time (have been using foil with mine) and with the windscreen there was really no difference in smoke thickness, length the bowl lasted, or taste. Loading (and reloading ) the bowl was so easy and effortless that I don't see us going back to foil anytime soon! The only thing we didn't do was pay too much attention to heat management...the 2 bowls we had seemed to start off a little on the hot/harsh side and then progressively get smoother as time went on. Oh, this is off-topic, but I don't know if it's worth a whole new thread - my brother's new double-hose has a stopper to use if you only want one hose, and also has a little rubber or plastic thing that you can put over the tip of the hose to temporarily close it off, however, there's only one, and it's a pain to pass back and forth. I've seen in some pictures little "caps" that are attached to the hose yet I can't find anything like that online. Does anyone know what I'm talking about and where we might be able to find some? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bintang Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 der, I mean "flip caps". no edit button? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cypress Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 I am surprised the if he got it there that he didnt pay a little more for the autoseal ones. It would have been worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushrat Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Quick bump for the new guy.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Mo Posted July 2, 2005 Share Posted July 2, 2005 tried out the screen with my quick lite coals. It produced a decent smoke, but it burnt and gets harsher a lot quickly. If I am being on the pedantic side, you get less smoke with a screent. It's nice when you are feeling lazy and want a quick smoke, but in my opinion the foil is significantly better. You get a richer smoke, and you can use very thin holes rather than the gaping ones you get in the screen, which are big holes. I use a needle-like pin to make many holes in the foil, which does the best job in my opinion. I've bought a nice digital camera for photos, so I will get round to doing a pictorial guide from my perspective of making the perfect shisha. On a scale of 1-10 with foil being a 10, Screens would get about an 8. Better than what I expected ,but not quite the full overall quality of a smoke with the foil used correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeyhookah Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 I agree with King Mo. I was able to get some decent smoke with the screen using natural coals, but nothing compared to the foil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NERV Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 ive used em both, i tihnk its a combinaiton fo the bowl and screen/foil, ive had better result with a screen on shallow bowls and better results with deeper bowls and foil, overall i like foil, always get thicker and stronger smoke for me, but foil can occasionally go very wrong, about 2 weeks ago i was smoking, eveyrtihng was going fine, then without warning the foil melted and i got a lungful of vaporized aluminum, i had to drink a 2 lite rof soda just to get the taste out of my mouth, but still i prefer foil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushrat Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 Hmm...I personally now use a screen for everything from AF to HH and on to Nakhla. I've just had to learn to adjust the heat accordingly and have had no problems. I do use the same style bowl everytime, those deep bowls I get, so that may have something to do with it, but I'll never use foil again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Deere Posted July 6, 2005 Author Share Posted July 6, 2005 I think I'm going to have my dad cut some screens out for me on his plasma table. Im going to design them with smaller holes. Any suggestions on what metal I should use? I was thinking SS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seandoo Posted July 6, 2005 Share Posted July 6, 2005 Yum! Vaporized aluminum flavor! Where can we buy some? =) Sounds like you had one good experience huh? So screens are relatively inexpensive right? I was thinking about crossing on over... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seandoo Posted July 6, 2005 Share Posted July 6, 2005 Okay nevermind about the "inexpensive" question...I suppose it wasn't very difficult to google it and see they're like 2 bucks. Is there anywhere that would ship it out without having to order a bunch of other stuff I don't need? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cypress Posted July 6, 2005 Share Posted July 6, 2005 [quote name='John Deere']I think I'm going to have my dad cut some screens out for me on his plasma table. Im going to design them with smaller holes. Any suggestions on what metal I should use? I was thinking SS.[/quote] I was thinking the same. I think that is going to be your safest metal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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