Hole Pattern Science

[ryno]

I realized that the Germans, who morbidly underpacking their bowls are using the smallest holes they can get. Here is an example: Hookah Hookah Setup.
It seems to compensate underpacking somehow, but where is the sense in buy most expensive hookahs and hoses with a large diameter to achieve good airflow and then destroying everything by poking small holes? I've tried and the only thing I got was major headaches and thin smoke. Large holes on such a setup will result in thin harsh smoke, adding more heat will burn it.
The conclusion might be, that if your bowl is packed right you just need enough holes for good airflow. If not, you will have to find something for compensation.

WOW! that is majorly underpacked! I cant see that smoking for more than 5 minutes

[redjako]

Solid post.

I think that when you poke holes to the bottom, that makes a difference, because it makes sense when you think of it logically.

Other than that, I don't think there is any difference between hole pattern A and hole pattern B.

I'd agree with that...I just need holes (larger) to the bottom with anything tangiers (OG or lucid), while for AF I just use many smaller holes (not to the bottom, but I should try that out anyway).

[Arcane]

yeah, i think the holes are more for a better draw than actual heat transfer. i poke a lot of holes on my mini, maybe around 40-50 and around 60-70 on my small.

i just find i get easier pull with more holes, which makes perfect sense to me.

can we get a picture? please haha

sure...i'll post one up when i get home from work...but, thats in about 9 hours :\

[Stuie]

hole pattern doesn't mean a thing unless the foil is shiny side down.

[newjacksm]

GNR this has happened to being over a friend house and using the tong poker and I noticed a huge difference and it didnt work well for me.. Maybe cause I was using AF..

[gunsboy]

Holes variables:
- Number of holes
- Size of holes
- Pattern of holes

I found that those variables depend on many factors:
- Bowl type
- Amount of shisha and packing style
- Wetness of shisha
- Coals type, number and management style.

It is all random anyways. The shisha distribution will have alot to do with the pattern improtance and it changes if you blow in the bowl or not while smoking.
Dry shisha usually require smaller and fewer holes.

During the 15 years of smoking hookah, I tried many patterns and I can say it does not make a huge difference but it could sometimes give that little edge of the next person's hookah experience.

[Bookworm]

I realized that the Germans, who morbidly underpacking their bowls are using the smallest holes they can get. Here is an example: Hookah Hookah Setup.
It seems to compensate underpacking somehow, but where is the sense in buy most expensive hookahs and hoses with a large diameter to achieve good airflow and then destroying everything by poking small holes? I've tried and the only thing I got was major headaches and thin smoke. Large holes on such a setup will result in thin harsh smoke, adding more heat will burn it.
The conclusion might be, that if your bowl is packed right you just need enough holes for good airflow. If not, you will have to find something for compensation.

WOW! that is majorly underpacked! I cant see that smoking for more than 5 minutes

because that's all the hookah-hookah you can stand to smoke!

[Giant Ninja Robot]

GNR this has happened to being over a friend house and using the tong poker and I noticed a huge difference and it didnt work well for me.. Maybe cause I was using AF..

I was using AF too, esk apple to be exact. This points to my idea that people's packing techniques and the coals/bowl used bla bla bla would all need to be the same in order to prescribe a certain hole punching pattern that works across the board.

I like unicorns.

[Tyler]

In a phunnel, I use really small holes in excessive amounts that way there's no direct shisha contact to prevent burning and 1 larger hole in the center to allow for maximum air flow. On an Egyptian, I use 4 concentric rings of really small hold really close together then poke holes up though the bottom of the bowl to maximize air flow. With a Santino bowl (Don't know what else to call it?) I sort of combine the two methods, small holes but direction holes to the air valves.

[Rani]

The only correlation I can see is that the fewer holes, the less venting and therefore the more heat build-up under the foil. I do use less holes with heat loving tobacco like Al Waha and Fantasia and it seems to work. Other than that I pretty much go with whatever I'm feeling at the time.

'Rani

[mjdx88]

I always have used the least amount of holes, poked to the bottom. Normally 6-8 around the edge and 2-4 in the center of a standard bowl. I have always gotten huge clouds, when I dont it has either been bad heat management or a poor pack job.

For a phunnel, which i only use for nak and tang. Lots of large deep holes. Again always large thick clouds.

-Mike

[vin13]

My roomate and I both have pretty different methods and are bowls tend to be great regardless. I tend to just poke decreasing circles with a toothpick and it works great with AF and pretty much everything else. I use a larger skewer type stick for Tangiers and try NOT to poke through the shisha like I've seen some on here do and I get great results. Thats what makes hookah fun for me though and for many others I'm sure. If it was simple and one method worked perfectly then I would have gotten tired of this hobby long ago.

[Pilgrim]

It kinda depends on the foil as well, if I use heavy duty foil I make sure my holes are bigger..

[Sherwood]

In a phunnel, I use really small holes in excessive amounts that way there's no direct shisha contact

Interesting. Edited June 2, 2009 by Sherwood

[redjako]

My roomate and I both have pretty different methods and are bowls tend to be great regardless. I tend to just poke decreasing circles with a toothpick and it works great with AF and pretty much everything else. I use a larger skewer type stick for Tangiers and try NOT to poke through the shisha like I've seen some on here do and I get great results. Thats what makes hookah fun for me though and for many others I'm sure. If it was simple and one method worked perfectly then I would have gotten tired of this hobby long ago.

More art-science then science art...well, that could be a gigantic off topic debate really.

[Barnaby]

I typically use the oyster fork and go crazy for tangiers.. Everything else, i use a toothpick, do 2 rings of holes on my phunnel. 12 on the outside, 8 on the inner, and none over the middle. Smokes like mad, and is generally and easy hit. I would think too many holes, and you would suck in too much air, diluting the smoke? Or would it just cause everything to burn hotter, thus releasing more smoke and compensate for that? obviously you'd need less coals if that was the case, which by Eric's comment, it is..

Sound about right?

I mean, really, after I poke my holes, I suck thru the bowl to make sure I get good airflow, with little to no resistance, and no problems with the foil going over the middle.. However that is achieved is probably irrelevant.

[twoapplesplease]

I've been smoking for ten years and never really gave it much thought it really more depends on how lazy I am or how fast I can get my hookah up and smoking, big holes ,small holes ,really I thought its more up to the gods to decide if you deserve a good smoking session.When I first started smoking I used big holes than after awhile I found myself making a 1000 little hole with a thumb tack these days I just jam 15-20 holes with the poker on my prongs.Gonna do some serious test now that you really mention it.I think the key really is to smoke good tobacco with good coal

[RingsMaster]

I've been smoking for ten years and never really gave it much thought it really more depends on how lazy I am or how fast I can get my hookah up and smoking, big holes ,small holes ,really I thought its more up to the gods to decide if you deserve a good smoking session.When I first started smoking I used big holes than after awhile I found myself making a 1000 little hole with a thumb tack these days I just jam 15-20 holes with the poker on my prongs.Gonna do some serious test now that you really mention it.I think the key really is to smoke good tobacco with good coal

im with you on that one, what i have found though is that many little holes makes for a smoother smoke, it doesnt burn as fast and kinda roasts the shisha, as where big hole produce great clouds the shisha gets burnt alot faster. did soem testing this week tried about 15 different patterns. im gonna stick with meduim holes and a medium amount of them. that produced the best session for me, the shisha got good heat but not too much and produced great clouds.

[twoapplesplease]

Did a couple test bowls now.a couple small couple big with a couple different tobbacos and a couple different coals.Not a perfect science test and nothing conclusive for everyone.But my conclusion is that the poker that came connected to my tongs is perfect for the job with 15-18 holes on a med bowl.thats just me though I like big smoke

[DGreekStallion]

No pattern here, just use a bunch of random holes with a pretty densely packed bowl. Edited June 4, 2009 by DGreekStallion

[Cenk Manisalı]

İt depends on setup. Bowl, Tobacco and coal.

My experience is;


Little but more holes ( With 0.7mm pencil )

-Harder to burnt the tobacco
-Gives thin cloud

Larger but less holes ( With toothpick )

- More easy to burnt the tobacco
- More thick clouds
- Heat menangment is more difficult.


İ use clay bowl.
Charcoal ( Oak tree )
Rosanna tobacco

[Yasseah]

When it comes to hole patterns, I just try to get it to pull the way I want.