How Do You Break Your Coals

[Johnny_D]

no offense taken Safe. Reason I always tell people to get the real stuff is because ive had horrible experiences with the knock offs. For example, coal taste in shisha (and yes, it was glowing red and no silver paint left), damn thing caught on fire on the bowl for no reason, one went off like a fire cracker...never had these problems with the Canarys. But hey, to each his own.

Not to play Devil's advocate....



I've personally used at least 10 boxes of the 'knock offs' and never had any of the issues
raised above. Ever.

Que Sonthert to tell me i'm wrong though...... LOL

JD

[MatthewLee]

I use these also, my go to coal.
Never had a taste problem, explosion, crumbling etc...
You may catch a faint whiff while lighting indoors but scent does not last or smell artificial.

[ghostofdavid]

When I smoke Tangiers, I exclusively use Golden Canary Charcoal Tablets. Everything else, I use 3 Kings Quicklights and Chinese knock off Easy Lights.

Why? I have trouble trying to get Tangiers to smoke well with 3 Kings Coal without it giving me the burning tickling sensation in the back of my throat.

I have yet to try Nakhla with any tablet shisha, but i may do this soon.

[Sonthert]

Scale back your Three Kings when you smoke Tangiers...3x 1/4 pieces of a 40mm is often enough! The Three Kings burn hotter. Try a little more tobacco in the bowl...it may not help, it might make things worse, but try different things.

Japanese coals have less sulfur, I think that reduces the risk of heart disease...go ahead, use your knock-offs, save your money...in thirty years you'll need the money for the cardiologists! You won't be able to spend all you're saving if you're...dead. Who's death? Who's the merchant of same? Who is familiar with hell-fire and brimstone? Yes, me to all three.





To the question at hand, the poker on the end of tongs is good. You can also use a household metal fork. as a chisel and your tongs, squeezed together as a hammer to break them apart. I've used a screwdriver and hammer, and a screwdriver by itself, for large bulk coals.

Another great banana smiley, I just found:

Edited August 7, 2007 by Sonthert

[Johnny_D]

Sonthert.

You keep refering on about how the 'knock offs' have more sulphur.

Can you prove it, or is it just another pet theory?

Some of us have to order international and get ass raped by the postman as it is.

Put up. Or shut up.

JD

PS :- If he does put up i'll never ever ever ever mention the silver-lights again. ever. period.

edit :- I have been informed (but someone, NOT MODS) that this was a bit harsh. I have fluffed it up a bit.

Here is a bunny to help :-

[Sonthert]

Sonthert.

You keep banging on about how the 'knock offs' have more sulphur.

Can you prove it, or is it just another pet theory.

I am sure it's better for you to sell canary. But some of us have to order international and
get ass raped by the postman as it is.

Put up. Or shut up.

JD

PS :- If he does put up i'll never ever ever ever mention the silver-lights again. ever. period.

Well aside from chemical analyses done by independent labs, me having a degree in chemistry and being able to observe the differences in makeup of the color of the ash, aside smelling familiar sulfury aromas in the lighting sequence in some but not all charcoal and being at least somewhat familiar with some patents and methods of making charcoal quicklights...no, I really have nothing to offer to make my point.

In fact, I make a higher margin on Chinese coals. Chinese coals I buy at $1.50 and sell at $5, Japanese coals, I buy at $8 and sell at $12. I would much rather sell the Chinese coals. I like and want to use the Japanese coals.

I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll make you, Johnny D, this deal, because I really, really like you...not in that way. I will personally send you a box of Japanese coals, probably the worst of the real Japanese coals, and I'll rely on you to honestly say if you can tell the difference...that might be the best way to settle this. Everyone's got an opinion, you like yours, I like mine. Nobody's right or wrong, its a matter of opinion.

Sulfur interferring:

C + .5O2 -> CO
CO + .5O2 -> CO2

Now, Lavoisier's Principle tells us, a reduction in O2 is going to make the entire system burn weaker, more slowly...thats why when you blow on coal it gets hotter and glows brighter. Also, realize, that the first reaction has priority...if the first reaction goes to completion, the second one will start to move. Imagine a phase change of water (not a great analogy, but lets try it). Its all water until it begins to boil, then its water and steam (carbon and carbon monoxide) heat it up enough, and it all turns to steam, then the steam can heat up. Until all the water turns to steam and resumes heating, the temperature of the system is stuck at the boiling point of water (100C). Also, in the case of polyprotic acids titrated with a base...there are three distinct peaks which each correspond to a proton removal in all the molecules. The base won't start working on any one molecules second proton (hydrogen) until every last single first proton is removed. Chemistry tends to be very oriented along "Give to the neediest first, before you give to the less needy." Some reactions are slow, some are fast. Combustion reactions are fast. So, if we find a way to remove oxygen from the system, we can affect the reactions. Adding sulfur does that...

S + .5O2 -> SO

I don't really care to look up the kinetics and thermodynamics, but my guess is that the oxygen priority goes C1 (CO), S1( SO), C2 (CO2), S2 (SO2), S3 (SO3). So, if we remove or drastically reduce sulfur, the carbon will burn to carbon dioxide all. I notice and other people smoking Japanese coals notice that they don't get drowsy...which is a prime carbon monoxide poisoning symptom. You yawn to take in more oxygen...yawning=drowsy. You need to take in more oxygen because you have mucked up your hemoglobin with carbon monoxide and it won't carry as much oxygen anymore. That would indicate Japanese coals, using human guinea pigs, including myself, are not producing as much carbon monoxide...since carboxy hemoglobin transports little or no oxygen, the effects are cumulative, how would I be able to smoke constantly for 12 hours without feeling any ill carbon monoxide effects? Resistant to it, possibly. Lower carbon monoxide emissions probably.

Crappy citation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_monoxide_poisoning

Tell me that doesn't sound like hookah smoking symptoms.

[lilbrownindian]

*Bows Down*

[Sonthert]

Sonthert.

You keep refering on about how the 'knock offs' have more sulphur.

Can you prove it, or is it just another pet theory?

Some of us have to order international and get ass raped by the postman as it is.

Put up. Or shut up.

JD

PS :- If he does put up i'll never ever ever ever mention the silver-lights again. ever. period.

edit :- I have been informed (but someone, NOT MODS) that this was a bit harsh. I have fluffed it up a bit.

Here is a bunny to help :-

#2. Oh, thats much better. It was me...I reported you to myself so I could take action.

I forgot. All coal has sulfur in. Its natural. Japanese coals appear to have removed large amounts of sulfur, approximately 1/12 of the sulfur of normal charcoal.

[Johnny_D]

Mr Eric, Sonthert aka Tangiers.

You put up... I will most defintely shut up.

Macho egotisum aside........

Your opinion on something :-

Whilst i do not profess to fully understand all the chemistry quoted. I can follow it resonably well, But what do you think to this :-

Actually. You know what. I am going to open a new thread. This is way off topic.

I bow to you Mr Sonthert.

JD

[symptom CY]

SHIZAM!!!

Damnit, I'm almost convinced to start spending ridiculous amounts of money on Canaries again.... I need a new job...

[Xeft]

I use easylites. and I prefer 3 Kings or taru brands. Point is, sometimes easylite brands come in either big or small sizes. If I happen to have small sizes I'll usually try and break a couple into havles and place 3 portions ontop. If I use bigger sizes then I'll break 1 into havles and another into like 4 pieces placing 1 half and like 2-3 pieces.

Hopefully that ade freaken sense

[MatthewLee]

Sonthert: "me having a degree in chemistry and being able to observe the differences in makeup of the color of the ash, aside smelling familiar sulfury aromas in the lighting sequence in some but not all charcoal"

My nose must be off...you can detect sulfur odor with the Chinese coals me and Johnny D pictured?
Also, in regards to ash...is that why they have a darker/brownish ash to them?

[symptom CY]

I don't know anything about all that chemistry, but I know I sure can smell the sulfur. I suppose it could be that there are good batches and bad batches, but such inconsistency would be even more reason not to use the Easylites.

Xeft: If I'm wrong I apologize, but I think you might be talking strictly about "quicklights." The "Easylite" coals being referred to here are the ones Matthew posted a picture of in Post #27. Edited August 8, 2007 by symptom CY

[MatthewLee]

I don't know anything about all that chemistry, but I know I sure can smell the sulfur. I suppose it could be that there are good batches and bad batches, but such inconsistency would be even more reason not to use the Easylites.

Crazy man...i've never smelled sulfur. Just a coal/earthy/bbq type smell when lighting.
I'm only on my first batch though so...maybe there are batch differences, who knows?
4 to go and we'll see on the next box, although I may try the Canaries, just to settle my mind for good.

[symptom CY]

If you don't want to spend the money on the Canaries, try a box of 40mm 3 Kings (they're more expensive, yea, but much more coal for your money.) I always use 40mm halves -- now when I buy a box I just cut them all in half. You should be able to notice a difference between them and the Easylites -- in my experience at least, there's a huge difference.

Tangiers: Do you know anything about the sulfur content in 3 Kings? I can't detect any kind of taste or odor, though when you've been using one kind of coal for a while it becomes hard to tell how it affects the flavor. It's been a while since I've used Canaries, but I definitely do remember the taste being a bit crisper than with 3 Kings.

[Sonthert]

Sonthert: "me having a degree in chemistry and being able to observe the differences in makeup of the color of the ash, aside smelling familiar sulfury aromas in the lighting sequence in some but not all charcoal"

My nose must be off...you can detect sulfur odor with the Chinese coals me and Johnny D pictured?
Also, in regards to ash...is that why they have a darker/brownish ash to them?

The whiter (even yellow/orange) ash is indicative of sulfur. Yellow/orange would probably be higher than just white ash. I definitely smell ash. I remember the first time I bought a case of those when they were supposed to be Japanese coals...I about shit a refrigerator. True Japanese coals have an inky, clumpy, almost jet-black ash.

That BBQ smell is from sulfur predominantly.

Three Kings...better than most for sulfur content, from flavor. Some brands may actually add sulfur since sulfur works as a cheap (and nasty) accelerant, it burns easily.

[Scoop]

what do you think about starlight jap coals? used it for the first time a couple days ago, the ash was definitely black, not as dark as canary though

[Sonthert]

Never tried them.

[MatthewLee]

Hahaaa, right on...thanks Sonthert.

This box I have now ashes dark/dark grey almost brown.
Could have a yellow tinge I suppose...not much though.
I'll try the Golden Canaries next box.