Lighting Alternatives?

[SupremeOstrich]

I see a lot of people lighting their coals on a stove with a flame on it. I asked my local hookah bar how they did theirs, and they do it the same way.

Unfortunately, i'm stuck with an electric stove (with coils) or one of those flex-lighters that someone posted on here recently (man they're awesome!)

The thing is, every time I light up a bowl, I seem to get at least a little bit of the coal's flavoring mixed in with the shisha. It's not harsh or anything, just kind of ruins the flavor sometimes.

I use 3-kings coals, light it with the flex-lighter, then blow on it once the sparks give out until the thing is (for the most part) completely red hot. None of it is black light it was when I began.

Sometimes I'll pick the coal up (with tongs!) and it's black on the bottom again. wtf?! So i'll have to blow on it again, meaning ash gets scattered on the table, fun fun.

Any tips?

[r1v3th3ad]

I get the same problem with three kings. I light them with the walmart special, flixible butane...
To help lessen it, I start off the light with the flexible, then toss it on my coil, electric stove for a few minutes. It still gets it, just not as bad.

[ryno]

I also have one of those flexable butane torch lighters and it does work alright, but I've also had your problem of the bottom of the coal turning black again. Usually, it takes a few times of hit the hookah, blow on the coal, and flip till it gets going. At my friends apartment, he has a stove (with the coils) and we usually light the charcoals off of that and it works just fine.

[SupremeOstrich]

I also have one of those flexable butane torch lighters and it does work alright, but I've also had your problem of the bottom of the coal turning black again. Usually, it takes a few times of hit the hookah, blow on the coal, and flip till it gets going. At my friends apartment, he has a stove (with the coils) and we usually light the charcoals off of that and it works just fine.

How long do you leave it on the stove, and what heat setting (low, med high etc) is it on?

[staygone]

Stick yer stove on high, wait about 5-10 minutes. Time isn't a good judgung factor, wait till the coals RED hot.

-QM

[mathuv]

the coal taste is normal with all quicklihts. also i've noticed mine go black on the bottom too after a while. its nothing extraordinary

[ryno]

I also have one of those flexable butane torch lighters and it does work alright, but I've also had your problem of the bottom of the coal turning black again. Usually, it takes a few times of hit the hookah, blow on the coal, and flip till it gets going. At my friends apartment, he has a stove (with the coils) and we usually light the charcoals off of that and it works just fine.

How long do you leave it on the stove, and what heat setting (low, med high etc) is it on?

Yea, i usually just leave them on there on high until they are glowing hot, and sometimes have a small flame on them

[iamscott06]

Stick yer stove on high, wait about 5-10 minutes. Time isn't a good judgung factor, wait till the coals RED hot.

-QM

+1 and sometimes I like to flip the coals over just to ensure they are flaming red hot

[Voski]

I think every coal goes black on the bottom after a while so just flip them over and they will become red again.

[SupremeOstrich]

Alright, thanks for the tips and mostly letting me know i'm not failing completely xD

Guess i'll just go buy some of those japanese coals or some Exoticas?

[austinthecity]

Please don't stick 3kings on a stove for 5-10 minutes.

It takes 1-2 minutes. They will turn red and start to flame. Then flip them over so the top is glowing.

At this point, you can take of the coals and they will be red hot all over when you blow on them.

[staygone]

Just stick them in the microwave for 45 seconds, ge5ts them going gooooood.

-QM

[mathuv]

Just stick them in the microwave for 45 seconds, ge5ts them going gooooood.

-QM

omg r u serious?

[staygone]

Scalli-serious.

-QM

[BDA88]

you puttin 3K's on a stove burner?? Just get a normal lighter and let it light itself after you get it started. they're quick lights... they don't need 5-10 minutes. Japs and exoticas take that long. In fact... just buy those.

If the coals get dark underneath it's because you hold the lighter there for too long. Just touch it until it sparks a lot and then let it do it's thing. Smoke with it and it will heat itself with each pull you take

[austinthecity]

you puttin 3K's on a stove burner?? Just get a normal lighter and let it light itself after you get it started. they're quick lights... they don't need 5-10 minutes. Japs and exoticas take that long. In fact... just buy those.

If the coals get dark underneath it's because you hold the lighter there for too long. Just touch it until it sparks a lot and then let it do it's thing. Smoke with it and it will heat itself with each pull you take

I use a stove burner for my 3K's because it gets them red hot a lot faster. If you want to get the bottom red hot with a lighter, be prepared to hold the lighter to it for like 20 seconds and blow like crazy...

[staygone]

Can't stress enough that time is a shitty indicator whether or not your coal is done.

Use a stove, boo on lighters.

-QM Edited February 26, 2008 by QuiltedMaple

[SupremeOstrich]

you puttin 3K's on a stove burner?? Just get a normal lighter and let it light itself after you get it started. they're quick lights... they don't need 5-10 minutes. Japs and exoticas take that long. In fact... just buy those.

If the coals get dark underneath it's because you hold the lighter there for too long. Just touch it until it sparks a lot and then let it do it's thing. Smoke with it and it will heat itself with each pull you take

I used to try that, but if you just let the sparking get done and then start smoking, it tastes like utter shit. Mostly because you have to blow on it awhile before the thing turns red, and all that blowing makes me feel lightheaded.

EDIT - Blowing on the coals >.< Edited February 26, 2008 by SupremeOstrich

[thecoalition]

its probably the fact that they are quick lights. with chemical based coals not all the chemical is gone just because they are red hot. i would seriously urge you to try some different brands of naturals. as far as i am concerned 3ks are the elite of the quicklights but they still have a twinge of chem taste to them.

[jordanneff]

I almost always use the 33mm 3K QLs, all I do is hold them using the tongs, grab a grill lighter (or a regular cigarette lighter if I'm feeling risky... those sparks burn yo!) and then I have a little dish I set them in to heat up, but you can always use your hookahs ash tray to let them heat up. I just let them ash over completely before I put them on the head and they're good to go. Rarely get charcoal flavor.

[Switch]

i use golden quick lites, and i dont get any coal taste really at all, i use very moist shisha though. But anyways yeah, i just use a torch lighter to get my coals going, and as long as the whole coal is "red" hot, i put it on the hookah, take a few good hits, and the smoke is rolling right away. If i dont hit the hookah right away though the coal does go black on the bottom and i have to get it going again.

[Voski]

I would like to comment that people think they are not getting coal taste from QLs actually are. I used to think that I didn't get a taste too until I had to use some 3 kings because we were at a friends house and had no naturals and the taste difference was actually very noticeable.

[HookahDude831]

they go black on the bottom because a lack of oxygen, if you want to keep it red hot prop something under a corner of your coals to keep the oxygen flowing and everything toasty!

[mathuv]

too bad my microwave doesnt work...i would have tried it.. can someone else try it?

[Stinkyfisherman]

I use the golden quick lite coals i dont really get any taste with them they seem to work quite well for quick lites. im naturals seem to be the best as far as not leaving any taste in the shisha.