Help Smoking Nakhla

[Deathwish238]

I just got some Nakhla mint and double apple. I'm having trouble getting it to smoke well. I've been dropping the shisha in the bowl, almost to the rim not packing it down at all. Using two quarter sticks of exotica in a normal bowl with double foil on it. Lots of small holes in a circular pattern. I place the coals on the outside of the bowl and rotate them often.

Getting rather flavorless smoke, I can get it semi thick for a few minutes before it gets harsh.

Dissapointed, but I know there are many nakhla fans so I must not be setting it up right. I've tried searching the forums for help...but I didn't find much to help



How should I setup nakhla to get the perfect thick flavorful smooth smoke you all rave about?

[jezter6]

First, Nakhla doesn't really cloud like other brands, so you may be burning the crap out of it trying to make clouds when Nakhla really is about a decent smoke and good subtle flavor that's not overpowering.

I don't know about exoticas and how much, but when I tried exoticas for a few bowls, they all had a crappy taste. Are you a regular Exotica user? If not, maybe they're not lit well enough and having nasty residual flavors?

Nakhla does not need to be sprinkled and can be packed almost as hard as Tangiers.

But as for "thick flavorful full smoke" - I think you may be expecting too much of Nakhla. Flavor = yes, Smoke = yes, thick = not so much.

[ColibriDon]

I'm not sure what kind of bowl you're using but I only use phunnels so my advice may not be that useful to a normal bowl.

Stir it up real nice, nakhla isn't that moist but stirring definitely helps. Drop it in the bowl and push it down lightly, put it just up to the brim. Use a single layer of foil with medium sized holes, two circles (one on the outisde, one towards the center) with four holes in between those circles.

I don't know much about heat management with exoticas but I throw three cocos on the outside brim of the bowl with maybe 1/5 of them hanging off the bowl. Maybe you'll know how to translate this to exotica management.

This should help you get really nice smoke from one of the best brands out there. Double Apple is one of the best flavors.

...Also...I <3 Lamb of God.

[AKammenzind]

The real difference with nakhla is that the smoke is heavier than other shisha, and is absolutely perfect for blowing rings.

That said, if you want larger clouds all you have to do is take your brick of nakhla, spread it out in the packaging, and pour a good bit of glycerine all over that sucker. Then mix it up till it's all wet and gooey; your nakhla will now put out clouds like AF.

[tinyj316]

I've had the most success with the KISS method when it comes to nakhla... its one of those smokes that's hard to screw up...at least for me...

You can smoke it out of pretty much anything... egyptian, mod, phunnel, vortex... it doesn't really matter too much, but make sure you pack it fairly tight... tighter than if you were packing AF, but looser than if you packing Tangiers...

Loose the double foil... it won't help you out in this application. You might also want to make sure your water level is okay... your heat seems to be right, but you might have too much or too little water...

[EternalSoil]

i'm not sure how big your "normal" bowl is but if it's a normal egyptian bowl then i think 2 1/4 pieces of an exotica is too much. Nakhla should cloud pretty well without being torched.

if you can find a picture of the same bowl you use online we should be able to set you strait.

[mattarios2]

First, Nakhla doesn't really cloud like other brands, so you may be burning the crap out of it trying to make clouds when Nakhla really is about a decent smoke and good subtle flavor that's not overpowering.

I don't know about exoticas and how much, but when I tried exoticas for a few bowls, they all had a crappy taste. Are you a regular Exotica user? If not, maybe they're not lit well enough and having nasty residual flavors?

Nakhla does not need to be sprinkled and can be packed almost as hard as Tangiers.

But as for "thick flavorful full smoke" - I think you may be expecting too much of Nakhla. Flavor = yes, Smoke = yes, thick = not so much.

Nakhla can produce big clouds, you just need to use a bit more heat. The clouds aren't AF sized, but the buzz is better, and flavor is more realistic. Like AK said, just add a bif of vegetable glycerin and your clouds will create clouds like AF and other brands.

Definitely pack it pretty tight, nakhla doesn't have the best smokes when packed like AF using the sprinkle or drop method. You can sprinkle if you want, but just use your palm to pack it down, then sprinkle more and pack down again until it is pretty full and packed reasonably tight.

[Fluffy]

Use 1/3 of an exotica but break it in 2 pieces.

[Deathwish238]

Thanks for all the help. I'm used to smoking Tangiers and Roman. So far, gathering from what you all have been telling me I need to pack down the Nakhla a lot more instead of dropping it in. I have some AF too, but haven't smoked it yet.

I might try putting glycerine in it...although I've never done that and am a bit iffy but I suppose it won't hurt.

I have a phunnel somewhere, but I haven't found it yet . Does Nakhla smoke better out of a phunnel?

My "normal" bowl is an egyptian bowl. I didn't realize there were any differences between the non phunnel bowls.

Exotica is similar to Coco Nara, although I've never tried Coco Nara personally, and has no taste to speak of.

I will look into this KISS method.

How does having too much water hurt my smoke?

[Deathwish238]

What's the KISS method? Does that stand for Keep It Simple Stupid?

[Sonthert]

Pack it in pretty good, like Tangiers. Not too much charcoal, more than Tangiers, less than Al Fahker.

[Deathwish238]

Just got some glycerin...hopefully it'll help

[Barnaby]

Man, I don't know what you all are talking about.. Everytime I smoke Nakhla, I get big clouds. No extra glycerin or anything. I sprinkle it in my phunnel, packing it down slight, until I get it to the rim. Single foil it, 3 rings of holes using a toothpick. Outer 2 rings full toothpick size, inner one next to the phunnel hole, just the tip of the toothpick. NO CENTER HOLE. 3 cocos, and my windshield and its banging.. Doesn't burn, tastes extreme, and one heck of a buzz.. Nakhla is becoming my go to smoke. It doesn't take anything special, and always gives good results.

[mattarios2]

Man, I don't know what you all are talking about.. Everytime I smoke Nakhla, I get big clouds. No extra glycerin or anything. I sprinkle it in my phunnel, packing it down slight, until I get it to the rim. Single foil it, 3 rings of holes using a toothpick. Outer 2 rings full toothpick size, inner one next to the phunnel hole, just the tip of the toothpick. NO CENTER HOLE. 3 cocos, and my windshield and its banging.. Doesn't burn, tastes extreme, and one heck of a buzz.. Nakhla is becoming my go to smoke. It doesn't take anything special, and always gives good results.

and this my friends, is exactly why nakhla is king

[jezter6]

Agreed. I smoke nakhla in a small phunnel with 2 cocos and the taste is just great. I may try a 3rd coco to see if I can get more out of it one of these nights, but I just love what I already do it's hard to mess with a good thing.

[MrMoodz]

I just started using glycerine with some of my older/dryer nakhla stash and it has dramatically changed it. My new favorite mix is Zaghoul mixed with Nakhla Caramel, Vanilla, Chocomint, or anything else non-fruity. Glycerine is Nakhla's best friend.