Jump to content

Packing Bowls


Recommended Posts

I noticed that a lot of people have different things to say on how to pack bowls. I also noticed that a lot of hookah smokers these days don't seem to know what they're talking about. I've seen people pack the piss out of their Egyptian bowls. Some break it up. Some just throw it in there and see what happens. So tell me what you think is the best way to pack an Egyptian bowl.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

depends on the tobacco. Al Fakher seems to like a lighter, looser, pack much better than something like nakhla, which seems to perform better with a tighter more dense kind of pack.

different strokes for different folks really; i mean, if it works it works. the point of smoking the hookah is to enjoy the session and to have everything perform well, whatever means, not getting all tangled up in the 'rubrics' of head packing and pipe assembly.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (antouwan @ Apr 3 2009, 11:24 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
depends on the tobacco. Al Fakher seems to like a lighter, looser, pack much better than something like nakhla, which seems to perform better with a tighter more dense kind of pack.

different strokes for different folks really; i mean, if it works it works. the point of smoking the hookah is to enjoy the session and to have everything perform well, whatever means, not getting all tangled up in the 'rubrics' of head packing and pipe assembly.




Right, Al Fakher is what I usually go for.

And I understand that but I think knowing an efficient way to pack your shisha is important.
Thanks
Link to comment
Share on other sites

AF - I pack it this way.

Break it up and sprinkle it in about 1/4 inch above the rim and push it down with foil and poke deep holes through the foil towards the holes in the bottom of the bowl.

Add Coals...smoke!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (Stuie @ Apr 3 2009, 11:34 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
AF - I pack it this way.

Break it up and sprinkle it in about 1/4 inch above the rim and push it down with foil and poke deep holes through the foil towards the holes in the bottom of the bowl.

Add Coals...smoke!


That's all I need to know.
Thanks

Happy Birthday
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Personally, I have been having very good luck with the "pack the piss out of their Eqyptian" method; both with Nakhla and Al Fakher, though I will most likely stick to phunnels for wetter stuff like AF once I get my real phunnels (today! yippie!).
Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (evilded777 @ Apr 3 2009, 11:39 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Personally, I have been having very good luck with the "pack the piss out of their Eqyptian" method; both with Nakhla and Al Fakher, though I will most likely stick to phunnels for wetter stuff like AF once I get my real phunnels (today! yippie!).


I used to go that way but people kept telling me I was going to burn the shisha.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (Jess Saes @ Apr 3 2009, 12:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (evilded777 @ Apr 3 2009, 11:39 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Personally, I have been having very good luck with the "pack the piss out of their Eqyptian" method; both with Nakhla and Al Fakher, though I will most likely stick to phunnels for wetter stuff like AF once I get my real phunnels (today! yippie!).


I used to go that way but people kept telling me I was going to burn the shisha.


People who burn shisha need to learn heat management, not packing. Trust me... I am one of those people!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

AF is one of the most forgiving tobaccos imo. for the egyptian you can pack it damn near any way you want. most efficient way is stuies way no doubt. nakhla is more of a pack and pack method. but if your heat management sucks, theres not much a nicely packed bowl can do for ya.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the cut and moistness (right word?) is very important. Nakhla you can pack the hell out of, relatively coarsely cut, dry tobacco. With most Al Waha for example, medium cut, more moist stuff, it messes up the air flow when you overpack. Very wet or very finely cut tobacco can't be packed too tightly in my opinion, that hurts the airflow.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

if you dont know how to heat manage the no.

and NO. I dont know why people insist this REALLY helps...it doesnt

break your coal in half and put them on opposite sides of the bowl.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (shaffaaf27 @ Apr 5 2009, 04:03 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
can one school me on heat management?


Honestly, it's going to be a lot of trial and error until you find something that works for YOU.

Many things can affect how much heat youll need including...

+type and size of bowl
+type of shisha
+smoking outside vs. inside (there's no breeze inside to cool your bowl down)
+type of coal used (different coals burn hotter/cooler)
+packing and foiling method

When starting out, it's always best to start out with a little heat and work your way up until you're getting good smoke and flavor. If the bowl gets harsh you'll know it. If this happens, remove heat. Everyone has their own method that seems to work for them.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (Tom16689 @ Apr 3 2009, 01:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Packing Nakhla like tangiers in a phunnel has been working pretty well for me lately.



this has had the best results for me; i get impressive clouds with nakhla without adding anything to it. i just literally cram the shit out of it in there.
the steps are as follows:
1. add a bunch of nakhla
2. cram/smush down
3. repead steps 1 & 2 until you get to the rim, or a little above the rim
4. add foil and smush
5. make the foil taught
6. holes
7. ad 3 cocos to the small phunnel and enjoy the hell out of never burnt, always tasty, puffy, cotton candy-like clouds
Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (shaffaaf27 @ Apr 5 2009, 05:03 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
can one school me on heat management?


Ok, bare in mind that I'm still a noob, but I've learned a lot in the last month or so here.

  1. take whatever coal you are using and figure out a way to split in half
  2. ignite the coal and wait for it to be going pretty well (little to no black left)
  3. place the two halves on the bowl, towards the edges, opposite each other
  4. wait a few minutes (you many hear some sizzle, this is normal)
  5. rotate the coals around the bowl, meaning if you started with a half in the north and a half in the south, rotate so you have one in the east and one in the west
  6. Take a pull....or a few
Hopefully, at this point you will have some good smoke. If you don't, you may need more coal. You shouldn't need more than 1 on most Egyptian bowls. A phunnel is a different story.

YMMV, but this is what I have gathered from research here and experiments at home. And I am a much happier hookah smoker because of it.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...