Bad Draw, Weak Flavor

[al-bab]

Hey guys,

I know this seems like it is a common problem around here but I have to ask it
again as I’m about to have a party.

My hookah seems not to be able to produce the same amount of draw and
flavor  as other Hookahs I have used. I tried using both Nakla and Waha Tobacco.
Its not like it is a "tiny" amount, it just doesn't produce large
amounts. Many friends who have used it, commented on it (they are also newbs
though and couldn't suggest what i might be doing wrong).

Could it be due to the crappy coals that came with my hookah? They are some
Russian brand called Pegasus (or something like that). The coals don't seem to
produce that much heat and turn “grey” very quickly.

My bowl also seems to be a little shallow compared to most. Could that be a
reason?

I do not think I have a leak in the Hookah (I've done the covering the top of
the hookah test).

Any input would be greatly appreciated

-Al-Bab

[mushrat]

its a heat issue. You need to add more of the crappy coals or get better coals.
.02

[HookahDuck]

I found this when I first started smoking as well.. I never understood why the smoke was so wispy.


Double the ammount of heat you have... I guarantee you'll see results.
Then, work back from there to get the right ammount of heat without
burning the ma'assel

[MR Bubble]

If you do decide to increase heat (you should), one way t ogo about it is to start breaking your coal discs up into 1/4 pieces. This is how I always smoke. Break up your first coal into 4 evenly sized pieces. Then take another disc and break it up too. Light a total of 5 pieces and see what that does. Then just light another small piece as you go and see how many it takes to get a good smoke. Remember that number, so the next time you smoke your machine, you can just light up that many pieces initially. I also find that preaking them up into 1/4 chunks helps with heat also.
MR Bubble

[Sonthert]

1. Perhaps your head has a leak or is seated improperly. Try the hand over the top test with the head on, but without foil or tobacco on. It should still be tight.2. Perhaps you are packing too much or too little tobacco in the bowls. Try varying your packing technique.3. If the hookah is new, and the bowl is new, inspect the bowl:   a. Check the small holes in the bottom...make sure they are open and clear.   b. Check the bottom of the bowl...if the choke point in the neck is too narrow, it will hit poorly.4. A hose problem: Take the hose of of the hookah, plug the stem end with your hand and suck through the head end. It should be tight and feel like no pressure is leaking.

[ZAP]

Make sure you sprinkle it in and don't totally cover up the hole.  Another thing is making sure you put enough holes in the foil.  I also used to get very weak smoke before and it was a combination of lack of heat and foils.

[al-bab]

Thanks for the help guys. I'm going to try it out tonight.

[iheartvarg1]

i would recommend getting some hotter-burning coals. i recommend royal
olive seed coals or romman lemonwoods. also check the water level in
the base. i like to keep mine around 1". the more water i use, the
harder it is to pull and the less smoke you get

[al-bab]

Update:

So I tried breaking up the coals into 4. I ended up using 4 small pieces. I was
able to get a larger amount of smoke. However, after about 15 minutes, it got
very harsh and the base filled with smoke. Removing some of the coals did not
help. The flavor was still weak. Could it be the tobacco?

This time I also used a bowl grommet.

If you need pictures of my setup, let me know.

Ian


 

[mushrat]

never hurts...bring on the pics.

[al-bab]

Pics:

[Sonthert]

Not enough tobacco, the tobacco needs to touch the sides of the bowl. If you want to pack less tobacco, leave the center open. The main way the tobacco smokes is the bowl heats up and provides the driving power for the smoking. Thats why some brands starts slowly (until the bowl gets hot) or smoke harsh or strangely. If the bowl has a gap between the side and the tobacco, convection has to accomplish the heat transfer rather than the direct contact (conduction). Also wastes charcoal.

[dizzing]

wow, i learn something new on here all the time.. thanks for that
point, tangiers! i've been smoking hookahs for 4 years and never really
thought of that before 

[Sonthert]

Just for the record, I was going to be a chemical engineer BEFORE I started smoking hookah. It just worked out really, really conveniently.

[cafedelmar]

Thanks for the tip, Tangiers! 

[al-bab]

Thanks for the help Tangiers. I got a new shipment of AL Fakher and 3
kings coals so i'm going to try it out tonight. I will let you know how
it goes.

[al-bab]

So i discovered the joys of "non-quick light" coals and Al Fakher last
night. As tangiers recommended, I made sure the shisha covered the
sides of the bowl. I used 2 squars of easy lite coals and AF
strawberry.

The strawberry gave everyone who smoked a pretty big buzz. It was
actually the first time i ever felt anything from Shisha before. The
smoke was thick and flavorful.

Thanks for all the help guys.

[iheartvarg1]

naturals>quicklites any day in my book. theyre just more solid coals that seem to produce more heat

[alen]

[quote name='Tangiers']Not enough tobacco, the tobacco needs to touch the sides of the bowl. If you want to pack less tobacco, leave the center open. The main way the tobacco smokes is the bowl heats up and provides the driving power for the smoking. Thats why some brands starts slowly (until the bowl gets hot) or smoke harsh or strangely. If the bowl has a gap between the side and the tobacco, convection has to accomplish the heat transfer rather than the direct contact (conduction). Also wastes charcoal.[/quote]
so true i always put my coals a little on the side so it get contact with the bowl in the beginning so the bowl heats up fast then i slowly move the coal to the center when the bowl is hot and the tobacco start to boil (a old trick that really works well )
Alen