Does It Really Matter?

[hookahandhockey]

i am convinced that it doesn't matter which side of the foil goes down but i am finding it hard to find anyone else i know that agrees with me. i have a solid ten to fifteen people that i smoke with and most everyone says "shiny side down". it has been a long debate and i am deciding to end the war. i either need backup or for someone to prove to me it does matter.

[Sherv]

i am convinced that it doesn't matter which side of the foil goes down but i am finding it hard to find anyone else i know that agrees with me. i have a solid ten to fifteen people that i smoke with and most everyone says "shiny side down". it has been a long debate and i am deciding to end the war. i either need backup or for someone to prove to me it does matter.

I don't think it will make a significant difference, the only logic I've heard is thjat the shiny side will reflect the heat back into the bowl. If heat management's an issue (in both directions) then that may help, but I can't imagine it's terribly significant.

[mushrat]

we use whatever side happens to be up when we ut it on the bowl. 10,000+ bowls and no complaints.

[fcbayern]

I ALWAYS put the shiny side down!!! but not because it makes a difference, only cuz I'm OCD like that..

[lowspeedchase]

I ALWAYS put the shiny side down!!! but not because it makes a difference, only cuz I'm OCD like that..

hahah seconded

[antouwan]

I ALWAYS put the shiny side down!!! but not because it makes a difference, only cuz I'm OCD like that..

hahaha yeah me too...my head packing has become very ritualized and rubricized (is that even a word?)

[twoapplesplease]

I'm with ya on the ocd.start coals ,pack bowl,fill water,assemble ,shinney side down,poke holes,sigh of relaxation,smoke.Ahhh

[Vampy6997]

I've always done shiny side up or not paid attention.

[RingsMaster]

i do it simply cause thats how is started to do it my very first bowl i packed, and you dont fix something that aint broken lol

[srawas89]

Like everyone is saying i do it just cuz. Some say there is reason but it doesnt matter. However if I dont do shiny side down I feel wierd and the bowl seems not so up to par but that is most prob just a placebo effect kinda thing.

[Arcane]

a majority of the time, it goes shiny side down.....but, i don't make a extremely conscious effort to make sure it happens. if it ends up shiny side up, no biggie....doesn't make that much of a difference anyways.

[Lunatic768]

It doesn't matter at all
that being said
i do shiny side down
when you first start out and everything i read would have *(Shiny side down!)* in the setup steps
it kinda sticks

[fineout]

the shiny/dull side of foil has nothing to do with the way it heats or anything, its just shiny because thats the side that goes on the rollers when they make the foil...so it has absolutely no effect on it whatsoever

*edit* from an old post of mine

ok just got the definitive answer from my Manufacturing Processes book.
"Aluminum Foil for example, is pack rolled in two layers, so only the top and bottom outer layers have been in contact with the rolls. Note that, one side of the aluminum foil is matte, while the other side is shiny. The foil to foil side has a matte and satiny finish, but the foil to roll side is shiny and bright because it has been in contact under high contact stresses with the polished rolls during rolling."-pg 355 Manufacturing Engineering and Technology, 5th edition. Serope Kalpajian and Steven R schmid.

Edited June 6, 2009 by fineout

[TizaNabi]

"WikiAnswers" say for sure shiny side down reflects and keeps the heat better.In "YahooAnswers" they wrote its no difference, just thats the way the roller at the manufacturer which contacts the foil comes out dull. (But still that's only a partial answer--we aren't asking why there are 2 sides differently made, we want heat management).
another answer is : firemen who have those shiny suits have the shiny side out, since they don't want to end up Memorial Day wieners.
The best, one person suggests is to take the same ammount of heat for both sides and use a thermometer to check!!!!

[chromecarz00]

When putting coals on the shiney side it tends to discolor, so i put it down where i cant see it as easily.