Metallic Taste - Help?

[qazxcv]

Hey everyone

I have a KM stem that I bought locally, it's supposed to be new. I washed it very carefully about 3-4 times. Used water, dish soap, lemon juice, bicarbonate; every possible way with brushes.

Now, when I inspire directly from where you are supposed to plug the hose (with just the stem no shisha no vase no hose), there is no taste, which is how it should be. But if I put the stem in the vase with water and do the same thing, there is a metallic after taste every time, which I think is ruining the taste when I'm smoking shisha. Is this normal? It is because the stem is new? I really did wash every corner/hole of the stem, the vase. I also used another vase and it still gives that metallic after-taste, which means it must be the stem right?

Has this every happened to anyone else? What can I do?! Please help me out! I paid a lot for this stem! Edited March 4, 2009 by qazxcv

[inino]

you shouldnt get that taste with the hose on it and if you are then it is most likely the hose.

[Fluffy]

metalic=rust, ussually

[qazxcv]

you shouldnt get that taste with the hose on it and if you are then it is most likely the hose.

Does it mean that taste is normal if I inhale directly from the hose port without the hose?

[Dylank0010]

you shouldnt get that taste with the hose on it and if you are then it is most likely the hose.

Does it mean that taste is normal if I inhale directly from the hose port without the hose?

if your inhaling directly off the port just to try and rule out the hose, you're not going to get a very good gauge as your mouth is on metal so you'll taste metal regardless of whether it's the stem or not. to rhetorically answer your question though, no. that's not normal.

[inino]

ya with the hose port up to your mouth your gonna taste the rust but with a good non metal tip hose you shouldnt taste it by the time it gets to your mouth.

[Tyler]

Sounds to me like you washed a hose with a metal coil that is now rusted. Especially if you get a normal taste from the hose port and metallic when you use a hose...the only variable changing is the hose.

[Hippo_Master]

You just have a really shitty hookah. Trust me on this one. I bought a rig from SMoking-hookah.com once, had the metallic taste no matter what I did. I trashed it and bought a KM.

Oh, you might not have a KM hookah. Post a pic. I have never had this problem with any KM model. Edited March 5, 2009 by Hippo_Master

[duckhater]

put a paper towel over the end of the hose you inhale on....inhale through the paper towel....look at the paper towel

You will be able to see the rust if it is there

[Vampy6997]

I'm new to the forum...I haven't smoked since June, so this isn't a recent problem, but I don't want it to become a problem when I get back into smoking


You'll have to excuse me, I don't know all the jargon for parts, but have learned a bit today in my reading on here..hehe
Anywho...It's the "metallic taste" problem, so I decided to not create a new thread, but rather tack onto this one.

Started with: I forget but I'm pretty sure it was a semi-small, 1 hose, mya. The thing worked like a charm. No bad aftertaste, no ghosting, no metal taste, etc. There was every now and then particles getting through.

Then my bf pulls up this metallic-fiber scrubbing thing to the bottom of the stem (the portion that goes into the glass base when fully put together)...All of a sudden, the thing started tasting like metal.

I replaced the hookah with a newer hookah, I believe a brass stem, and begged him to not kill the stem on that one too. And he didn't, but from the getgo, that one tasted funny like metal (stem looks in tact, doesn't look like any layers were peeled off it like the stem of the 1st hookah, so he definitely never messed with it)...

I stopped smoking altogether because the taste was that bad. Never had a bad taste when I went to hookah bars/hookah lounges...

I'm wondering what the best brand would be of hookahs...not so much style (KM vs. Mya), but brand. What brand has the highest quality, and smaller hookahs (I don't want/need a show-off sort of hookah, any small hookah would be great, so long as it smokes real good, cleans up, and *no metallic taste*...which I tend to be more sensitive to than others)....Also, a specific recommended style would be great. I know there will be differing opinions. I only need a 1 hose hookah...doesn't need to be too flashy. I tend to smoke a lot, so it'd need to withstand the tests of time.



Thanks!!

ETA: is there a preferred cleaning technique to help with longevity? Edited May 4, 2009 by Vampy6997

[Sonthert]

Use water only for most cleaning applications for maximum longevity.

It sounds hose related.

You are talking about the only change you make being the hose adds the metallic flavor? Right? You aren't putting a bowl and coals on the thing.

Try different hose, or return that one and tell them its no good.

Alternately, depending on what you're doing, your description wasn't that clear, you could be using well water or a metal screen, the charcoal you are using, any one of which might cause that metallic taste. Making a few assumptions, its the hose.

[Vampy6997]

Use water only for most cleaning applications for maximum longevity.

It sounds hose related.

You are talking about the only change you make being the hose adds the metallic flavor? Right? You aren't putting a bowl and coals on the thing.

Try different hose, or return that one and tell them its no good.

Alternately, depending on what you're doing, your description wasn't that clear, you could be using well water or a metal screen, the charcoal you are using, any one of which might cause that metallic taste. Making a few assumptions, its the hose.

No, I think I was saying even when I use a modified plastic hose from Lowes or Home Depot (which isn't metal or rusty at all), still has the same metal taste. The metal taste obviously isn't coming from the glass, and I can literally smell the metal on the stem. I cleaned it last night in an attempt to see if it would stop, but I'm pretty sure it's toast. This one I've never used "harsh" chemicals on, only recommended stuff, or mild dish soap (my hands are not even tolerant of harsh chemicals)...I separated the stem into two parts....both parts of the stem were soaked in lemon juice and appeared to me that the top part is leaking a mix of brown and green well after cleaning. Probably would be easier to clean if I still had my hookah cleaning supplies... Anyways, the part that literally gets immersed in water smells 95% better after it's dip in the juice (and nothing odd/leaky now from it). The top part (part where the grommets go), appears to have leakiness from somewhere, but it's an unknown. I saw metal flakes come out when I tapped it on the counter, which were shiny, which doesn't explain the gunk.

The metal taste is originating from the top of the stem, and all the way down to where the holes are. The smell is noticeable from the four locations: top, bottom (about where the stem grommet is. One flaw with the hookah I have that's having this problem: it's a Havana stem, it's really nice. the grommet on the stem itself (where it sits on the base) isn't removable though. Also metallic smell/gunk from where the hose comes out (though that seems fairly well cleaned now. At this point, that is the least of the metallicky-issue. The area where the ball bearing is had some gunk and I cleaned it (and the twisty part) and that did nothing. What's the point of the ball bearing part? Not the ball itself but even having a little nob there. It doesn't release air, the ball bearing doesn't move/turn/anything (looks pretty much perma-stuck in there)...seems rather pointless. :-p

Other than that, I noticed I got money in my account now , so I might spend some monies on a hookah and stuff.

Any recommendations?

[Charley]

Use water only for most cleaning applications for maximum longevity.

It sounds hose related.

You are talking about the only change you make being the hose adds the metallic flavor? Right? You aren't putting a bowl and coals on the thing.

Try different hose, or return that one and tell them its no good.

Alternately, depending on what you're doing, your description wasn't that clear, you could be using well water or a metal screen, the charcoal you are using, any one of which might cause that metallic taste. Making a few assumptions, its the hose.

No, I think I was saying even when I use a modified plastic hose from Lowes or Home Depot (which isn't metal or rusty at all), still has the same metal taste. The metal taste obviously isn't coming from the glass, and I can literally smell the metal on the stem. I cleaned it last night in an attempt to see if it would stop, but I'm pretty sure it's toast. This one I've never used "harsh" chemicals on, only recommended stuff, or mild dish soap (my hands are not even tolerant of harsh chemicals)...I separated the stem into two parts....both parts of the stem were soaked in lemon juice and appeared to me that the top part is leaking a mix of brown and green well after cleaning. Probably would be easier to clean if I still had my hookah cleaning supplies... Anyways, the part that literally gets immersed in water smells 95% better after it's dip in the juice (and nothing odd/leaky now from it). The top part (part where the grommets go), appears to have leakiness from somewhere, but it's an unknown. I saw metal flakes come out when I tapped it on the counter, which were shiny, which doesn't explain the gunk.

The metal taste is originating from the top of the stem, and all the way down to where the holes are. The smell is noticeable from the four locations: top, bottom (about where the stem grommet is. One flaw with the hookah I have that's having this problem: it's a Havana stem, it's really nice. the grommet on the stem itself (where it sits on the base) isn't removable though. Also metallic smell/gunk from where the hose comes out (though that seems fairly well cleaned now. At this point, that is the least of the metallicky-issue. The area where the ball bearing is had some gunk and I cleaned it (and the twisty part) and that did nothing. What's the point of the ball bearing part? Not the ball itself but even having a little nob there. It doesn't release air, the ball bearing doesn't move/turn/anything (looks pretty much perma-stuck in there)...seems rather pointless. :-p

Other than that, I noticed I got money in my account now , so I might spend some monies on a hookah and stuff.

Any recommendations?

I had this same problem with one of the hookahs I have now it was supposed to be a 2 hose hookah but the ball bearing was fixed in with what appeared to be some kind of tile putty that was rock hard and the hose port was "glued" in with this same stuff I had to use pliers to take it off. once I got it off I had to stick the head of a nail onto the backside of the ball bearing and hit it a few times with a hammer to knock it out of there then clean it with my dremal I got all this putty out. also found out my stem is made of copper and was only painted silver. the coper was turning green insode the stems chamber and the green was mixing with water and making a black goo. this also made a metalic ranced smell (kind of like detroit tap water those of you who live in or near detroit know what I am talking about) I did have some sucsess in cleaning it by
1. taking the ports off with a pair of pliers.
2. using a nail to pop the ball bearing out.
3 using a dremal to cleen the inside of the ports
4. cleaned the chamber with lemon juice and Q-tips.
5. setting all metal parts inside a stock pot and boiling the shit out of them for 20 minutes.
6. reapeted both 4 and 5 about 3-4 times
7 let air dry
8. bought a new hookah.

[Vampy6997]

Yep, I already am on top of #8 :-p

Got a bambino lined up, shisha and coal to last me at least a month...==...
But it's getting here by UPS ground, no bells/whistles Probably will see it in 3-5 bus. days. So excited!! I give up on the metal tasting/smelling hookah, but yeah. Detroit water is right up there