New To Anything Hookah Related

[upinsmoke]

Hi,
My friend owns a hookah lounge and after spending some good nights there i decided to buy a hookah. Recieved it today and everything and anything i smoke tastes like... poop. I have al amir shisha and some coals that came w/ the hookah, nothing tastes like it should everything tastes horrible. What in the world is going on? any help is greatly appreciated
THANKS!

[ahwahoo2006]

If we could get a little more info, we could probably help more. What sort of coals are you using? Describe exactly how you set it up. Can you elaborate on the taste a little more than "poop"?

[upinsmoke]

coals are instant lite belgian charcoal. i have a coal screen and i'm using 2 coals. I tried al amir double apple and another with nakhla fruit something or other. both tasted like smoke from a camp fire or something. nothing like what i smoke at the hookah lounge

[leadpipecinch21]

most likely too much heat. next time try one coal instead of two. if it's not smoking, or just barely, add on a half of a second coal.

[upinsmoke]

too much heat could cause it to taste like that? i mean both bowls tasted horrible. two different brands, two different flavors. both tasted exactly the same.. like poop!

[leadpipecinch21]

yeah, if you've got too much heat you're burning the tobacco, rather than cooking it and getting the glycerin, honey, and flavorings that are all over the shisha to to evaporate. Too much heat gives you plenty of smoke, but it tastes like ass, less heat gives more flavor, but comes with a trade off of smoke density. Though, once you find the right temperature for your bowl, you're going to have some nice thick, flavorful clouds.

Hookah is kind of a mastery and an art. Once you get it down, you'll have it, but like anything you've got to learn how to do it well.

[upinsmoke]

It wasnt burnt when i looked at it though, the 1st boal was a little bit the 2nd bowl wasnt at all. Could the coals themselves be making it taste horrible?

[leadpipecinch21]

could be...you should always make sure that when your coals are lit, they're all the way red hot and have a layer of ash on them(which should be blown off before putting on the shisha), and absolutely no black.

[Sonthert]

Did it taste like pooooop or craaap? Its important!

Is the draw hard or easy? Is the smoke thin or thick? Are there any other things that seem out of place?

[upinsmoke]

Did it taste like pooooop or craaap? Its important!

Is the draw hard or easy? Is the smoke thin or thick? Are there any other things that seem out of place?

It tastes like shh... the rules said not to use that word! no black on the coals.. maybe that was it.. the coals also seemed to burn reallly quick, they were completly ash in like 15 min? I donno what the draw should be like but nothing noticibly weird. smoke was decent, not super thick but not thin. Im not sure if the gromets on my bowl are on right haha, seemed like it wasnt on very well? Edited August 28, 2007 by upinsmoke

[chinamon]

im guessing use less heat and better coals.

[Glottis2]

If you aren't already a cigarette smoker, then you will know easily if the tobacco is getting too much heat because it will give you the urge to cough. If you follow this crash course, you should be golden.

1) make sure the stem is clean by rinsing the inside
2) fill up the water so that it overlaps the stem only by 1-2 inches
3) sprinkle the tobacco lightly in the bowl, when in doubt- put less in
4) try using foil instead of a metal screen, and poke a bunch of holes in it with a pushpin or something really small
5) try breathing in through the hose when it's not hooked up to the hookah or anything... it shouldn't taste like much of anything (but if it's really dirty the air will taste bad)
6) keep in mind that it can take several puffs to get the tobacco going, so try not to get impatient and pile on the coals to get it going
7) try different coals
19) if all else fails, smash the hookah on the ground to exorcise the demons

[upinsmoke]

tried a few different flavors, some tasted a little bit better, i think its the coals giving off a gross taste. Thank you all for your help.

[Scoop]

If you aren't already a cigarette smoker, then you will know easily if the tobacco is getting too much heat because it will give you the urge to cough

not really true, all my friends smoke cigarettes and still cough when they smoke hookah.

[upinsmoke]

If you aren't already a cigarette smoker, then you will know easily if the tobacco is getting too much heat because it will give you the urge to cough

not really true, all my friends smoke cigarettes and still cough when they smoke hookah.

I've noticed I cough at the smallest hint of harshness, so i doubt its burning, i would die coughing if it was.