Newbie Trouble

[Blake]

Hey guys,

I'm pretty new to hookah smoking and I'm having a little trouble. When I get my hookah setup and everything and begin to smoke I get maybe 2-3 really good hits with a lot of smoke and good flavor. After the initial few hits it just declines rapidly, with less and less smoke each hit. I've tried less water in the bowl, more water, less coals, more coals, less shisha yet I just can't seem to get a consistent bowl. I literally only get 5-10 min. of enjoyment from my bowls. Anyone have any suggestions? Edited September 5, 2008 by Blake

[Stuie]

What tobacco and bowl are you using?

[Blake]

I have various brands of tobacco like Starbuzz and HookahHookah. I just have a standard ceramic bowl.

[Blake]

I've checked to make sure it is airtight several times, and it is. When I first began I used to get really good bowls going, but lately I just am having no luck.

[vin13]

When you notice a decrease in flavor does the smoke volume decrease as well, or does the smoke get harsh at all?

[SimplexCoda]

Im gonna say it sounds a little like a heat management problem. How often do you move your coals and what type of them and how much do you use?

[Hojo]

Im gonna say it sounds a little like a heat management problem. How often do you move your coals and what type of them and how much do you use?

Bingo. I had this same problem until I learned to move the coals around. Think about it, a coal in one place only roasts shisha in one place. Keep your coals in a constant rotation so that you always have your coal over fresh shisha

[modisess]

if you're using quicklites then try ashing them once in a while, i usually place them dome side up, but if you're using natural coals, keep flipping and rotating them around the bowl every 5 to 10 minutes.

[Blake]

You know what, you guys might be right. Generally when I smoke I almost never move the coal, except to ash it. It never occured to me to do that. Should I be moving it around after every few puffs? Thanks a lot for the tip guys.

[fineout]

i usually use 3 halves of QLs on my bowls if im using QLs, and rotate them every 5 mins or so.

[[Elmo]]

You know what, you guys might be right. Generally when I smoke I almost never move the coal, except to ash it. It never occured to me to do that. Should I be moving it around after every few puffs? Thanks a lot for the tip guys.

Every few puffs might be overkill. I generally wait 5-10 minutes (depending on the shisha, what coals, etc) to shift the coals.
It's all about trial and error, just keep tryin to see what works for your setup.

[Hojo]

Also, if at any time you smell burning or your smoke becomes harsh, rotate the coals ASAP. A little bit of burning can be fixed, but if you let it burn for too long it could ruin the whole bowl.