ahwahoo2006 Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 Any suggestions on getting the huge billowing clouds of white smoke Ive heard people talking about on here? Ive tried more heat, less heat, more holes, less holes, and still cant seem to get it. The volume of the smoke I get isnt bad, it just seems really wispy. Occasionally I get like one or two great hits, but thats about it. Any help would be appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yashman19 Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 If you've tried all heat managing tricks and still no luck, just make sure your water lvl is 1" above the stem. But just remember, certain brands and flavors put out much more smoke than others. I smoke a majority of Al Waha, and most flavors I get a ton of smoke, but their mango flavor for some reason gives off about half as much. What brand/flavor of tobacco are you using? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afrdzak Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 I would have to say that lung capacity has a little influence as well. But yeah, type of tobacco would have to be the biggest factor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afrdzak Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 Oh yeah, play around with the amount of coal you put on top and the density of tobacco you put into the bowl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR Bubble Posted July 17, 2005 Share Posted July 17, 2005 Make sure your machine is as air-tight as possible. Manage your coal/hole combination until you get the thickest you can get, then manage your breathing. What I mean by this is, take your drags as slow and gentle as possible. If you suck in too fast/strong, you may get more air coming down the foil holes that aren't covered. If you keep your inhale slow/gentle and deep, it seems that I get less waste air and more smoke coming in which= more/thicker smoke. Works for me and I get wonderful smoke from Nakhla products. MR Bubble Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahwahoo2006 Posted July 17, 2005 Author Share Posted July 17, 2005 Thanks everyone, Im gonna try all your suggestions out on some al-Waha Peach (which smells amazing) this afternoon, and then on the al-Fahker Ive got coming on Monday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahwahoo2006 Posted July 17, 2005 Author Share Posted July 17, 2005 so MR BUBBLE, on your principle, would it be better to have less open holes, and only make holes that would be covered by the coals? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR Bubble Posted July 17, 2005 Share Posted July 17, 2005 Only make holes that are covered by the coal? That might hurt. That's when you invite burning. If it don't burn, it will surely be very strong. I like several holes open for a little fresh air to come it and keep it somewhat cool. Everyone is different and you would do well to just experiment. Different brands/flavors require different techniques too. All you need to do is keep a few basic principles in mind and experiment from there. Let us know what you do and how it turns out. If you're a melencholy personality, then by all means keep a log, entering in what brand, hole pattern, number of coals, etc.. you used and alter it slightly the next day. Let us know what happens. MR Bubble Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahwahoo2006 Posted July 18, 2005 Author Share Posted July 18, 2005 Alright, so I smoked two bowls of al-Waha Peach yesterday (which smells and tastes amazing - totally peachy) and I tried mixing things up a little to see if I could get better smoke. First bowl I punched my standard amount of holes and used less coal than usual. Not a huge difference there - the thing that seemed to make the most difference was waiting a little longer than usual in between hits. MR BUBBLE's technique also didnt seem to make a noticeable difference. For the second bowl I only made holes that would be covered by the coals (I have a pretty big head that needs 2 33mm coals to work right) and then sparingly added and few extra air holes. Wow. First hit was absolutely monster. I had to open up the air valve all the way, which I had never had to do before. My next step is to test a theory I have that maybe I should only make air holes - i.e. no holes under where the coals sit. The foil obviously transfers heat well and that might help reduce burning potential. I will report back after I have smoked later today. Unfortunately Im now out of the Peach (I only got a 50g box), but I get to try some really interesting new flavors like mango and guava. Happy Smoking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yashman19 Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 [quote name='ahwahoo2006']I had to open up the air valve all the way, which I had never had to do before. [/quote] Not sure I follow. On my hookah, you can unscrew the carb (air-valve) and take it off, and see a little ball bearing in there. If you take the ball bearing out, you won't get ANY smoke out, as there will be air coming in through the carb. Is this what you are talking about? Or is your carb different? I guess I'm saying, I haven't seen any other carbs that let in small amounts of air. They all let in all air or no air at all, to make your hookah air tight. If any amount of air is able to enter the carb, then you don't have suction and won't be able to get smoke. See what I'm getting at? Just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahwahoo2006 Posted July 19, 2005 Author Share Posted July 19, 2005 At least on mine, when I loosen it I generally get thinner smoke, and can vary the amount it's open - I usually keep it open about a quarter turn. By "all the way" I didnt mean off, just opened a lot more than usual. So I got my order in today, al-Amir guava, mango, and strawberry. So far I've smoked the mango and strawberry, which have been amazing. The tobacco was cut super fine and was nice and wet, and the taste was amazing. I was kinda in a bad mood this afternoon cause some guy ran into my car, so I smoked a lot more than usual. The nice tobacco definately brightened my mood - huge clouds of smoke and some spiffy rings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HookahCulture Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 Small holes, good coal coverage. I posted a perfect foil hole pattern here somewhere...... It's on my site too with a complete strategy. Product counts a lot too - Layalina provides for dismal smoke density. With this strategy, practically any other brand smokes dense and flavorful! Symmetrical hole pattern provides for a LOT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahwahoo2006 Posted July 20, 2005 Author Share Posted July 20, 2005 I found a hole pattern that works really well. I make a small cluster of holes in the middle that can be covered by a 33mm coal and then about 6 or 8 larger holes around the very edge of the bowl - works really well, almost no burning at all, and I was able to use less coals. You just have to remember to keep moving the coals around to distribute the heat right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seandoo Posted July 22, 2005 Share Posted July 22, 2005 hmm I haven't had the most experience in the world with Layalina (except when I first got my hookah earlier this year and was still using quicklights...bleh) but I do remember the vanilla was out of this world - both in flavor and density. haha nothing beats af gs esk though when it comes to density. good Lord I should start using my hookah again - it's been like 3 weeks now! gotta get a new bowl...or use my mini 4-inch hookah! yea it just depends on what kind of bowl you have as well as the rest of your setup. I don't know if you've ever played any musical instruments like trumpet or sax, but one specific part might work wonders on one person's instrument yet completely hinder the other person. just keep in mind everybody's hookah is generally going to be unique, especially the bowl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yashman19 Posted July 22, 2005 Share Posted July 22, 2005 [quote name='Seandoo']yea it just depends on what kind of bowl you have as well as the rest of your setup.[/quote] Don't think that bowl has anything to do with smoke thickness. Maybe the way you pack the bowl, but not the shape/size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapmaster Posted July 24, 2005 Share Posted July 24, 2005 [quote name='Yashman19'][quote name='Seandoo']yea it just depends on what kind of bowl you have as well as the rest of your setup.[/quote]Don't think that bowl has anything to do with smoke thickness. Maybe the way you pack the bowl, but not the shape/size.[/quote] I used to have a tiny bowl that I used a single coal on. I graduated to one about two or three times hte size and have since had to use two coals on. I think it does matter. If he does have a metal one, the amount of heat he needs to use is different as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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