HookahDuck Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 This is something I've never really understood. What causes the shisha to get harsh? Usually my hookah hits beautifully, but sometimes, set up exactly the same, it gets harsh and isnt enjoyable at all. I've noticed using 2 coals to start it, and then taking one off after 5-10 minutes helps to keep it from getting nasty. Does more water help? Less water? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lakemonster Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 Pacing the smokin.. and fine tuning your coals vs. tobacco amount. Over puffin when the coals are especially hot will burn your ma'assel. Relax...... set the hose down when that starts.. and pick it back up and try in 10 minutes. Try movin the coal too...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lakemonster Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 Oh. and the hose. Even if you have to buy one extra..... get yourself a washable hose...... a fake leather or natural....... a Mya hose......... somethin....... avoid frilly hoses that have crap materials. A good tip off to a good hose is that you will see a pronounced coil in the line. It may not be perfectly "washable" but at least it will LAST....... BTW........ 60" is much shorter than you think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lakemonster Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 never mind tha last post........ I meant to post that on a different thread....... completely irrelevant here. Sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yashman19 Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 If you use more than one coal, I suggest keeping them as far apart from each other as you can. I use finger coals (long cylindrical natural coals) and sometimes when I'm smoking, one of the fingers rolls from its spot on the outside of my bowl to the middle because of the vibrations from pulling on the hookah, and when the coal moves to the center, it tends to burn the crap outta the ma'assel. I always use two finger coals at a time, keep them on oposite ends from each other, and when it comes time to shake the ash off of em, I rotate them on a different spot on the bowl so it evenly burns the ma'assel. But every once in a while I won't be paying attention and the finger will roll from the outside of the bowl to the middle and concentrate too much heat in one spot and burn. I really can't offer too much help with the quicklight round discs, as I never really use them. Most people will light one and keep it in the center, then piggy back another one on top of it or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzzzzT Posted October 11, 2005 Share Posted October 11, 2005 For me the mistake I made when I first started smoking a long time ago was overpacking the bowl. It is really critical to have space between your aluminum or screen. The second the tobacco touches your screen you will get harshness from it burning. I really like my metal screen, one nice thing about the screen is it's stiffness so it does not have a chance of sagging into the tobacco. Also adding enough holes or maybe trying some larger diameter hole might do the trick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushrat Posted October 11, 2005 Share Posted October 11, 2005 I've noticed at my local hookah cafe, the bowl will sometimes turn nasty after I de-ash the coals. There is something about the finger-style coals they use. They emit this nasty taste when the cherry is exposed. If you are de-ashing, wait a few before hitting it again. What type of coals are you using? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lov2aclr8 Posted October 11, 2005 Share Posted October 11, 2005 [quote name='zzzzzT']For me the mistake I made when I first started smoking a long time ago was overpacking the bowl. It is really critical to have space between your aluminum or screen. The second the tobacco touches your screen you will get harshness from it burning. I really like my metal screen, one nice thing about the screen is it's stiffness so it does not have a chance of sagging into the tobacco. Also adding enough holes or maybe trying some larger diameter hole might do the trick. [/quote] i must disagree... when i leave air space between the tobacco and the foil the hookah losses its taste almost completly.. i cant even say what flavour i`m smoking when i smoke like that (thats why i never do that....) i use 3 layers of foil good hot characol (if you have a wind screen put the quick lighting cheracoal on the bowl and cover with the windscreen... wait 5 minutes and take a few hits and remove the screen when the taste becomes harsh move the cheracoal to the other side of the bowl.....!) satisfaction guaranteed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushrat Posted October 11, 2005 Share Posted October 11, 2005 love2: ahh the great debate! I leave quite a bit of air space between my ma'asell and my screen and still get great smoke and flavour with less risk of scorching or burning. There are clearly 2 schools of thought that both work quite well... I think it ends up being a personal choice rather than a technical one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzzzzT Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 There are so many ways to pack your bowl and no right one. I do use more coals with this method, I always keep two coals on and go through 4 in a bowl. I don't have any problem with flavor once the tobacco heats up. I find this method always gives me near foolproff smooth smoke, but it does take higher heat than direct contact. I also imagine it can depend on what brand is being used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soup Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 I crumble the tobacco loosely into the bowl and place the screen on top. It takes about 2 coals for the bowl. Plus it really helps when you have a wind cover to keep the heat of a small coal in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lov2aclr8 Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 well i tried the "leaving space between" technique once again... this time with 3 layers of foil... heck it worked! the smoke is not as tastyand thick or long lasting (the good taste stops after 50 mins.... ) but i can work on that.... see how it goes.... its also so very savish on tobacco... i used only a third of the tobacco i usually use... and was almost as fun.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lov2aclr8 Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 shoot forgot to tell you how to get rid of the harshness... when ever you get harsh taste put the cheracoal on the plate and grab the bowl... blow air into the bottom hole of the bowl in a way that smoke comes out of the holes you made in the foil or from the screen.... after the smoke stoped coming, out place the bowl back on the stem and put the cheracoal on top! keep enjoing the non harsh smoke... (if you use 2 coals after blowing air into the bowl put on it only one of the coals! it help 95 percent of the times (unless you overheated the tobacco or the bowl too much...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HookahDuck Posted October 12, 2005 Author Share Posted October 12, 2005 Thanks for your suggestions guys! I appreciate it. What does the 3 tinfoil layer help exactly? Just slow the heatsoak effect from the coal into the bowl? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lov2aclr8 Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 i guess so... i have no other explenation... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now