Problems With My Tobacco Not Lasting Long!

[NuckinFoob]

Alright, I'm running a 3 hose hookah. I have both a ceramic and metal bowl and generally use a metal screen as opposed to foil. The Tobacco I generally use is "Hookah-Hookah Tobacco"


The coals I currently am using are the Dodo coals. Pretty inexpensive but thats all the tobacco shop in my town had.
http://www.hookahcompany.com/dodo_self_lig...s_1624_prd1.htm

My problem is that with me and a few buddies puffing away it seems i need to change the tobacco every like, 20 minutes. When I pull the metal screen off the tobacco is crusty and blackened, burned. I'll admit we DO smoke rather rapidly and like the big billowing smoke hits, but 20 minutes per bowl seems a little short?

What could I be doing wrong?
should i toss the screen and use 1 or 2 layers of foil?
do i need to use the coals in halves? or will that cut down the smoke a lot?
is the tobacco really crappy?

I have noticed it seems the ceramic bowl keeps for longer than the metal.

Any thoughts? I'm gunna crack a beer soon and light the hookah and I'm just frustrated that i go though 2-4 bowls in less than an hour!!

[mushrat]

Ok, the first problem is your tobacco. It tends to have a rather short life span.

Secondly, the screen is just fine, how much coal are you currently using. With a screen and that tobacco, i'd say very low heat, Like a 1 inch piece broken in half on the edges of the bowl.

[NuckinFoob]

Ok, the first problem is your tobacco. It tends to have a rather short life span.

Secondly, the screen is just fine, how much coal are you currently using. With a screen and that tobacco, i'd say very low heat, Like a 1 inch piece broken in half on the edges of the bowl.

I use one whole coal on top. Generally directly in the middle. I have read to keep it along the sides and have the middle be the last spot in the rotation.

But I didnt like how flimsy the whole coal was on the edge, never tried breaking one in half.

Like I said we like our big clouds of smoke, and one smaller whole coal was never enough so we had to use 2 smaller(than the dodo coals) coals but with the dodo's i just use one.

is the ceramic more desirable than the metal bowl for prolonging the life? Its a real buzz kill to have to constantly tend to the tobacco all the time.....

[NuckinFoob]

and i have a wind shield but never use it..is it common to use those inside? and will that slow the burn of the coal/lower the temp?

[erufiku]

metal bowl? never smoked from one actually but you might want to ditch it...
the wind cover is really useful for heat management. you don't need to constantly move your coals, at least in my opinion. break a ql in half, place it on opposite sides, then move the halves after about 20-25 min so that it's heating 'new' baccy. if there's not enough heat (ie., the smoke gets thin) just pop the windcover on.

also it might be your baccy... never had hh but it seems that not many people around here like it, so i was never inclined to try.

[Kusk]

I'd say try switching up the tobacco. Can't say I've heard of the coal brand, but I've haven't a multitude of glowing reviews for Hookah Hookah shisha.

Dunno about your heat management. It's possible that you may be burning the tobacco too quickly, but at only one coal, it seems unlikely. Also, there seems to be no complaint of heat management as you are getting the big clouds w/out any mention of harsh smoke, hmm.

Well, if it ain't heat management, and it ain't a strange bowl we've never heard of, it's probably the tobacco.

[Neil's butt boy.]

I smoke Hookah Hookah shisha a lot and with a phunnel bowl I can get 2 or 3 hours out of a bowl if I dont burn it

[Codename067]

Change the tobacco up! They have good flavors but tend to not last.