Heat Management

[Misha Bellydancer]

Hi, everyone. I just discovered the site a couple of days ago, and I've been thrilled by all the great suggestions out there! I've dug through a lot of threads and several of the recommended sites, but one thing that still confuses me a bit is how to properly execute heat management on a non-phunnel bowl:

1) If I'm using a quicklight coal that's the same diameter as my bowl, do I need to break it and rotate it, or can I just stick it in the center and leave it? (I've seen several people say they use three halves of quicklite coals.)

2) When using multiple pieces (quicklight or otherwise), is it necessary to shift/rotate them?

3) How do you know when it's time to shift your coal? When the pull starts getting harsh?

4) Is it a good idea to use a double layer of foil when using heavy-duty Reynolds wrap, or is that too much insulation?


Thanks for making this site such a great resource!


--Mike

[mustang_steve]

1) definately break it up...the foil/screen needs room to breathe, and having a coal above most of the holes will often lead to a very hot burn.

2) rotation should be discovered through smoking....when the shisha starts to change, move the coals....after a while you'll be familiar enough with your shisha/bowl to know when to rotate before that happens, if needed at all.

3) The quality of the smoke will change....either volume of smoke, flavor, or if left way too long, harshness (usually a sign of burnt shisha...sometimes a major coal shift and a purge may fix it, sometimes not).

4) I'm a screen guy, so can't help you there

[DJ_HOSSEIX]

If you have gotten down how to pack your bowl heat management should be an ease. I always use regular reynolds foil on my egyption poke a few holes with a tooth pick and place two 3 kings QL's in front of each other on the edge of the bowl. I get smooth and flavorful smoke for a good hour without having to touch the coals.

Once your coals are out and you want to use the next set place them on the edge of the bowl that hasnt been used by the coals

so for instance if you started out with your coals looking like this:

O O


place the new ones looking like this:

O

O


i hope you get the crappy illustration lol (the O's are the coals so just imagine them at the edge of the bowl)

Another factor you have to take into consideration is the type of tobacco you are using, the method above is for the more wet juicer tobaccos like AF, starbuzz, fantasia etc.

Hope that help

[Zinite]

1) Break it in to pieces

2) Yes

3) Every 5 or 10 minutes drop the coal in the ash tray to get the ash off of it

4) Single layer should be fine

[joytron]

1) 3 kings: one and a half, broken up into halves.

2) yes i do whenever i ash them

3) it will start tickling your thoat when its harsh. I take a piece off and move the others around

4) no need to waste foil

[SuburbanSmoker]

Ive always had a vendetta against most QL with the exception of the 33mm 3kings. depending on the size of the bowl, i usually dont break them up unless its a funnel. I try and keep my coals moving with a dry tobacco, but with AF i can sit and smoke for a good 45 minutes without loosing flavor. O and dont double wrap....its not a good thing to do.

[mattathayde]

i dont rotate my coals too often, even with coconaras which are supposed to be rotated 5-15 mins and i let them shit for 15-25 mins easy. honestly if your bowl is the same size as the QLs you have i would look for a new bowl. you can probably get ok smoke out of it but if its that small its going to be a PITA

-matt

[inino]

1: definately break the coal up it will spread the heat better.

2: yes you should always shift your coals regardless of which ones.

3: i would recommend flipping/ashing/rotating every 10-15 minutes it will help your bowl burn evenly and keep sessions going longer.

4: 2 layers of heavy duty wont help very much, i would only double up non heavy foil

hope this helps.

[modisess]

1) If I'm using a quicklight coal that's the same diameter as my bowl, do I need to break it and rotate it, or can I just stick it in the center and leave it? (I've seen several people say they use three halves of quicklite coals.
- Not necessarily, but it does help if you seem to be burning you tobacco improperly. I break them in half and place the two pieces towards the edges of the bowl.

2) When using multiple pieces (quicklight or otherwise), is it necessary to shift/rotate them?
- Not really, but if the tobacco is burning too quickly then you would need to. I once went through an entire smoking session without having to even touch the coals on the bowl. But usually the only time that i rotate the coals are when they need to be ashed.

3) How do you know when it's time to shift your coal? When the pull starts getting harsh?
- I only rotate them when they need to be ashed. Or when, as you said, the smoke starts to get harsh.

4) Is it a good idea to use a double layer of foil when using heavy-duty Reynolds wrap, or is that too much insulation?
- If you are using the heavy duty foil then 1 layer should do it.

[Fluffy]

My shisha never burns when i dont move my coals. but if i dont move them the smoke i think becomes less in voulume and taste. when i rotate i also flip them to

[Kapten Kanel]

Welcome to the forum! It´s nice to see people who digs a little by themselves, thumbs up! Now to the questions...

1. Break it up, or else the shisha will burn hot like hell, also as many people probably already suggested, get your hands on some natural coals! Coconut coals is really nice.

2. Yes, rotate the all the coals like every 10min, also you should ash the coals when you do this.

3. When the smoke gets harsch,when the smoke amount seems to decline, when theres little flavour etc...

4. This is a very personal question, i and i think most people would would not recommend using 2 layers of heavy duty foil, one should be enough for heavy duty, heat management is key, i haven´t really got it down to consistency yet, sometimes the hookah-session just sucks smoke/flavour-wise, practice makes perfect!