New Kit - How To Get The Best Smoke

[Cimchon]

Hey guys, so I just received my order from hookah-shisha.com and am having serious problems getting a good smoke with my setup - it smoked excellent before I get these upgrades, so it should just smoke better now! But I can't for the life of me figure it out. Three bowls tonight, and I'm still at a lose.

My setup is:

Mya Pyramid Glass Base
Generic 3 Hose Heart (new)
Phunnel Bowl (new)
Coca Nara Charcoal (new)

I smoked some Al-Fahker Bubblegum and then some Starbuzz White Grape.

My first run through I cooked 3 charcoals till the bottom half was glowing orange, poked two large howls around the outside of the bowl and one big one in the middle, then set the charcoals up in a tri-force. This gave me and my buddy two or three good hauls each and then everything started to taste like coal.

My second run through, I cooked the charcoals a little bit longer (still 3, still a tri-force) and only poked the two large circles. This time the damn thing was producing barely any smoke.

For the record, the third try was a combination of the two. It sucked too.

Long story short, with the stuff I have, how should I set up my hookah (mainly: what hole pattern should I pack, and how should I manage the coals)?

I know it's a long post, but any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[Voski]

Wait you have two and three holes only? That is your problem. Also get your coco-naras orange on both sides before you use them. Also look at this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-Ja5OUPeac

[NIGHTS OF BAGHDAD]

you need more holes..3 holes is not enough

[Cimchon]

No no no haha. I had a bunch of holes. two big circles around the outside of the bowl.

I'll try flipping the charcoals on the element so both sides are orange next time thanks. and ill check out that video.

[Cimchon]

So I watched the video. Maybe the two rings of holes I had in the tinfoil were spaced to close. Something new to try next time, for sure. Thanks!!

ANY RECOMMENDATIONS on how to deal with the charcoals now? Edited January 27, 2009 by Cimchon

[Voski]

Light them all the way. Use two across from each other with a windcover. If you feel that it can take more heat take the windcover off and add a third coal.

[Cimchon]

Light them all the way. Use two across from each other with a windcover. If you feel that it can take more heat take the windcover off and add a third coal.

i dont have a windcover.. so just start with two and go from there? - because i find two didnt really get the bowl going as it is a pretty large bowl. but maybe im just too impatient. more things to try so i can sort this out. thanks! Edited January 27, 2009 by Cimchon

[antouwan]

Hey guys, so I just received my order from hookah-shisha.com and am having serious problems getting a good smoke with my setup - it smoked excellent before I get these upgrades, so it should just smoke better now! But I can't for the life of me figure it out. Three bowls tonight, and I'm still at a lose.

My setup is:

Mya Pyramid Glass Base
Generic 3 Hose Heart (new)
Phunnel Bowl (new)
Coca Nara Charcoal (new)

I smoked some Al-Fahker Bubblegum and then some Starbuzz White Grape.

My first run through I cooked 3 charcoals till the bottom half was glowing orange, poked two large howls around the outside of the bowl and one big one in the middle, then set the charcoals up in a tri-force. This gave me and my buddy two or three good hauls each and then everything started to taste like coal.

My second run through, I cooked the charcoals a little bit longer (still 3, still a tri-force) and only poked the two large circles. This time the damn thing was producing barely any smoke.

For the record, the third try was a combination of the two. It sucked too.

Long story short, with the stuff I have, how should I set up my hookah (mainly: what hole pattern should I pack, and how should I manage the coals)?

I know it's a long post, but any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

i might be alone on this one, but before you start doing shit with phunnels, figure out how to get a good setup on a standard egyptian/generic bowl/head.

#1. make sure the coals are thoroughly cooked and are glowing red. i use cocos around 90% of the time and they don't give me any coal taste. you know why? because before i put them on those bitches are glowing red, and they are completely 100% lit. not lighting the coals completely is a noob mistake; i know - i was one...(i still have plenty to learn btw)

#2. make sure everything is air tight. you can check this by screwing your setup together and then putting your palm/thumb over the head port (where you put the head) and drawing directly from the hose port. you shouldn't be able to breathe, or if you can, you should be significantly restricted and should feel slightly uncomfortable or like your about to run out of breath before the third draw. put your head on and test it the same way. and test your hose seperately (put your thumb over the end of the hose and blow - no air should escape, NONE.)

#3. sealage. i'm not sure if you're using only one hose, maybe 2, maybe all three. you said it's a generic heart. which tells me two things. a) it probably isn't a MYA. if it isn't a MYA, then it PROBABLY doesn't have the auto-seal feature. if it does not have the auto seal feature, then whoever you're smoking with have to put their thumbs/block the hose whenever you're drawing, and visa versa.

#4 hole method. no matter the head i use the same hole method, and it never fails (yeah the diameter might change, but the pattern is very consistent). start out making a cross, and then an asterisk (*) and then if there is room, make it so that in between the vertical and horizontal bars, three rows will fit (so add two rows - one on either side of the already made asterisk - in each quadrant)

and remember. the more airtight, the better the tobacco, the better the coals - the bigger the clouds.

prego

[Cimchon]

Hey guys, so I just received my order from hookah-shisha.com and am having serious problems getting a good smoke with my setup - it smoked excellent before I get these upgrades, so it should just smoke better now! But I can't for the life of me figure it out. Three bowls tonight, and I'm still at a lose.

My setup is:

Mya Pyramid Glass Base
Generic 3 Hose Heart (new)
Phunnel Bowl (new)
Coca Nara Charcoal (new)

I smoked some Al-Fahker Bubblegum and then some Starbuzz White Grape.

My first run through I cooked 3 charcoals till the bottom half was glowing orange, poked two large howls around the outside of the bowl and one big one in the middle, then set the charcoals up in a tri-force. This gave me and my buddy two or three good hauls each and then everything started to taste like coal.

My second run through, I cooked the charcoals a little bit longer (still 3, still a tri-force) and only poked the two large circles. This time the damn thing was producing barely any smoke.

For the record, the third try was a combination of the two. It sucked too.

Long story short, with the stuff I have, how should I set up my hookah (mainly: what hole pattern should I pack, and how should I manage the coals)?

I know it's a long post, but any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

i might be alone on this one, but before you start doing shit with phunnels, figure out how to get a good setup on a standard egyptian/generic bowl/head.

#1. make sure the coals are thoroughly cooked and are glowing red. i use cocos around 90% of the time and they don't give me any coal taste. you know why? because before i put them on those bitches are glowing red, and they are completely 100% lit. not lighting the coals completely is a noob mistake; i know - i was one...(i still have plenty to learn btw)

#2. make sure everything is air tight. you can check this by screwing your setup together and then putting your palm/thumb over the head port (where you put the head) and drawing directly from the hose port. you shouldn't be able to breathe, or if you can, you should be significantly restricted and should feel slightly uncomfortable or like your about to run out of breath before the third draw. put your head on and test it the same way. and test your hose seperately (put your thumb over the end of the hose and blow - no air should escape, NONE.)

#3. sealage. i'm not sure if you're using only one hose, maybe 2, maybe all three. you said it's a generic heart. which tells me two things. a) it probably isn't a MYA. if it isn't a MYA, then it PROBABLY doesn't have the auto-seal feature. if it does not have the auto seal feature, then whoever you're smoking with have to put their thumbs/block the hose whenever you're drawing, and visa versa.

#4 hole method. no matter the head i use the same hole method, and it never fails (yeah the diameter might change, but the pattern is very consistent). start out making a cross, and then an asterisk (*) and then if there is room, make it so that in between the vertical and horizontal bars, three rows will fit (so add two rows - one on either side of the already made asterisk - in each quadrant)

and remember. the more airtight, the better the tobacco, the better the coals - the bigger the clouds.

prego

thanks. but what's with all the hostility?

[Cimchon]

just to clarify.

i bought my first hookah off ebay, i've been through 3 bases so far (clumsy me) and bought my current replacement base off southsmoke, it's a mya pyramid base. the new shipment i just received was 3 nammor hoses, the phunnel bowl, and the coca naras. i dont think it matters, but it might, who knows.

[redjako]

just to clarify.

i bought my first hookah off ebay, i've been through 3 bases so far (clumsy me) and bought my current replacement base off southsmoke, it's a mya pyramid base. the new shipment i just received was 3 nammor hoses, the phunnel bowl, and the coca naras. i dont think it matters, but it might, who knows.

I agree with the above post in getting used to a egyptian vs a phunnel first, as a phunnel is advanced...

Play with the shi-sha levels, the number of coals (I just use two, then vary the covering for heat management) etc.

those pyramid bases break ALL THE FKING TIME. Both of my friends got them, both broke them (or drunk friends) number of times, and just got the circular replacement bases.

[Narguilezeiro]

maybe u should make smaller holes all around the bowl instead of making some big holes

[joytron]

is it a small or medium phunnel?


try being patien withe the bowl/, i find that to cocos is prefect on the small but if i dont have a windcover with me it takes a while to heat up. no need to rush it.

[chinamon]

use three rings of holes around the outer rim of the bowl.. each ring having about 12 holes.
use three coconaras and make sure each coal is FULLY glowing red.... not just one side.

[Sylren]

I think that your biggest problem is the coals. I use coco's too and I am also a relatively new smoker. Just heat both sides until they are glowing red and then blow on them before putting them on. Simple.

[ColibriDon]

I don't know if I would call the phunnel "advanced" it just requires different technique.

Make sure you're packed nicely to the brim of the center hole. Make sure your foil is tight and do one ring on the outside, go into the center, make a small circle (With enough space inbetween the two cirlces). In the newly created space, put four holes across from each other in a cross pattern.

I use this pattern for everything but Tangiers and it never fails. Seriously.

Use 3 cocos, make sure they're fully lit, orange on both sides. A little trick I use is to light them in an area where you can turn the lights off. If, after flipping once, and letting cook some more, the coals are bright orange all over but the top (This will look darker because of the accumulating ash) then you're good to go. You can turn the lights off to see the orange more clearly.

Throw them on the bowl in a triangle pattern and enjoy the smoke from your first pull.

Hope this helps you out. Edited February 18, 2009 by ColibriDon