dizzing Posted February 26, 2006 Share Posted February 26, 2006 okay, so i know a lot of traditionalists really like using bulk natural charcoal for an authentic flavor, with no weird extra tastes getting in there. i've really noticed this with nours too, but to a lesser extent. when i use these coals, and they smoke for more than about 10 minutes and need ashed, i start to get overwhelmed by this chalky thick nauseating flavor. i find that even if i ash the coals, if i leave too much ash sitting in the screen the flavor remains. sometimes this flavor completely replaces the flavor of the ma'assel - i was smoking a bowl of tangiers' kashmir peach yesterday and about 20 minutes in the ash taste took over and ruined the whole experience for me. if i keep ashing the coals every 5-10 minutes and shaking the screen off to remove any excess ash every time, i can BARELY avoid this horrible taste creeping in, but it's a huge pain, and i can always tell that it's there.does anybody else get this?does anyone have any ideas on how i could possibly avoid this nasty flavor?thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushrat Posted February 26, 2006 Share Posted February 26, 2006 I have to say, as a natural bulk and finger coal user, I've never noticed a flavour being imparted by the ash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HookahDuck Posted February 26, 2006 Share Posted February 26, 2006 To say the least- I've been struggling trying to adjust to bulk natural. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonthert Posted February 27, 2006 Share Posted February 27, 2006 Natural coals actually look like black chunks of tree. When a coal is formed into a geometric shape, it has binder added which is no good. The extra odd chemicals, indigenous to the wood will impart a slight flavor, because they steal oxygen from the oxidation process of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide. Everybody gets use to a certain amount of background flavor from their charcoal. Giving up the sweet metallic taste of Japanese coals seems like it could be difficult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HookahDuck Posted February 27, 2006 Share Posted February 27, 2006 Im using the real bulk natural stuff. Its assorted black chunks of jagged-y wood.Even with a torch, im having trouble getting them lit all the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dizzing Posted February 27, 2006 Author Share Posted February 27, 2006 tangiers, that's what i'm talking about. pure natural wood coal. it's like black pieces of tree branch. some of them even have char-bark on them too. and several have an undefined white powdery coating on them. many are prone to snapping and popping when torched, especially ones with bark and/or the powder. and i light mine on an electric burner element (8 dollars at wal mart, sold next to the sandwich irons and whatnot i believe). just put em on there, crank it up to high, and wait till they get ridiculously hot... flip them, to redden both sides, and you're ready to go.i'm just saying, once they've smoked down and leave this pure white flaky ash everywhere, the flavor of this ash seems to get into the smoke and really foul things up. it's a horrid taste. i've gotten them with every type of bulk natural OR processed finger coals i've ever used. which admittedly isnt many, but it's enough to know that it's (for me) a universal kind of attribute. I've used nours, vivi, bulk romman, and bulk social smoke (which i think may be nour). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushrat Posted February 27, 2006 Share Posted February 27, 2006 duck: are you making piles of the stuff? or trying to keep each piece lit on its own? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonthert Posted February 27, 2006 Share Posted February 27, 2006 Yeah, but ash is a collection of various oxides. They have boiling points, well, in thousands of degrees fahrenheit, they wouldn't be soluble in something organic, like the associated solvents or glycerine in the tobacco, I don't imagine, and there is no water present, so how would that ash affect the quality of the smoke? Put another way, if you stuck diamonds in the tobacco, would it affect the quality of the smoke? Maybe there is an effect that isn't obvious that is the real culprit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dizzing Posted February 27, 2006 Author Share Posted February 27, 2006 yeah, it may have something to do with the ash clogging the holes and thus causing the tobacco to not be able to "breathe" properly. but there is a definite flavor associated with this that seems related to the coals i use. when i use 3 kings, and the bowl gets ashy, the same thing happens, but the flavor is a lot more "poisonous". i think ash falling on the tobacco could probably affect the way the tobacco burns, even if it doesn't have any chemical reaction or actual burning of itself. it might insulate some of the syrups from getting as much heat as they should, i really have no clue. this sort of thing will probably cease to be a problem the more i use the coals and come up with better ways to use them. maybe i'll even figure out what's going on with that awful ashy taste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonthert Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 Yeah, actually you might have it, a lack of airflow causes the reaction to shift to a lower oxygen chemistry...yes, yes. It could be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now