It Doesnt Smell N Taste :(

[xruggiox]

hello!i m a new member!i m so hapy that there s a plce where i can talk with other shisha smokers!
I bought my shisha few years ago in tunisia,first time i was using it i had no problem!the taste n the smell was gr8! then i didnt use it 4 a while n now i m starting again but i dont like it anymore coz smthing i do is wrong.After 5 mins i put the carbon it doesnt smell n taste anymore and it starts to ve th taste of the carbon (and all the flavours seem to be the same n it was not so 2 months ago when i went to malta n i smiked a gr8 orange shisha-i could feel really the orange sweet n strong).the weird thing is that when the carbon finishes and i take off the metal foil i see that firt layer of tobacco is like burned,hard n sticked to the foil while the rest of tobacco seems to be still good.I dunno how to fix my problem,i tried with 2 layers of foil,with a smaller carbon,with more tobacco,doing holes in the foil during smoking ...then i was thinking that maybe the tobacco is old? i dunno please help me!!

[Vampy6997]

out with the old, in with the new. Just like *food* you need to buy shisha if you don't use it within 6-12 months. I'd say it's best sooner than later though. within 1-2 months would be optimal. After that, less smoke, flavor, etc.

[xruggiox]

What do u mean? I bought the tobacco lately..maybe u say that i ve to buy a new one water pipe?

[fineout]

if the tobacco is still wet and smells good while it is in the box before you pack it in the bowl it sounds like a problem with your heat management, make sure to move the coal around in a circular pattern around the outside edge of the bowl periodically. I usually move my coals about every 2-3 minutes or as much as 5 if im not smoking quickly. good luck.

Also make sure your pipe is cleaned very very well, some baking soda and lemon juice will do wonders for it. Edited July 8, 2009 by fineout

[ilikemyusername]

I would try putting a little less tobacco in the head.

[xruggiox]

The tobacco is wet n sticky..so probably it is not the problem :/
I dunno..i tried everything..
To move the carbon?but when i smoke in pubs they never move the carbon n it still smells n tastes a lot

[xruggiox]

I would try putting a little less tobacco in the head.

I tried but in this way i feel just the carbon,not the flavour

[fineout]

well i dont know what to tell you about your experience in seeing people not moving the coal...but thats what everyone here does and it works just fine for us..the lounges or pubs or whatever youve been to may have underpacked the bowl leaving a space between the top of the tobacco and the foil. Either way believe me move the coal around on the edge of the bowl and dont leave it directly in the middle for any long period of time and it will work much better..and clean your pipe. Edited July 8, 2009 by fineout

[Vampy6997]

What do u mean? I bought the tobacco lately..maybe u say that i ve to buy a new one water pipe?

I was referring to the shisha...

"I bought my shisha few years ago in tunisia,first time i was using it i had no problem!the taste n the smell was gr8! then i didnt use it 4 a while n now i m starting again but i dont like it anymore coz smthing i do is wrong."

basically, looked like what you were saying was it was the same exact containers of shisha from a couple years ago. Probably an error or symantics, but that's what I thought you were asking is why your [old] shisha wasn't smoking the way it used to.

Reasons it would have less flavor:
*you aren't putting enough shisha in the bowl (or the brand isn't good)
*not moving the coal around
*the coal can get ashy, and ya kinda need to get the ash off the coal lest it wander into the bowl.
*too much heat on a smaller bowl...ie-coal is bigger than it needs to be for the size of the bowl
*old coal
*quick lite coals leave a funny taste too
*old shisha (just because you may have just bought the shisha doesn't mean it wasn't sitting on a shelf for a year or two either...)

There might be a couple other reasons too
I'm also super tired and on a new medicine so idk...

[combs08]

Are you possibly OVER packing it?
You said that whenever you take off the foil, you have shisha stuck to it. Are you maybe burning it?

[xruggiox]

Are you possibly OVER packing it?
You said that whenever you take off the foil, you have shisha stuck to it. Are you maybe burning it?

maybe yes ... maybe it should be as usually i find it :/


for vampy:
*you aren't putting enough shisha in the bowl (or the brand isn't good) = i tried with different quantity but the result is always the same (i tried naklha and afzal)
*not moving the coal around = i never did that
*the coal can get ashy, and ya kinda need to get the ash off the coal lest it wander into the bowl = since i dont move the coal it doesnt get ashy
*too much heat on a smaller bowl...ie-coal is bigger than it needs to be for the size of the bowl = this can be a good reason coz i ve a different bowl.it s a metal one flat not like those in ceramic concave.maybe i should try to buy one in ceramic.
*old coal = i dont think so coz i tried also with natural carbon and the result was pretty much the same,maybe worser coz i could feel more the taste of the carbon (maybe the natural one is stronger)
*quick lite coals leave a funny taste too = good to know =)
*old shisha (just because you may have just bought the shisha doesn't mean it wasn't sitting on a shelf for a year or two either...) = for sure my waterpipe is old!i bought it in tunisa more than 7 years ago...and so far i washed it just once,2 weeks ago...so probably this is another reason...

[EvansLight]

If its been that long since you used the thing, i would give it a good scrub down. Get some lemon juice in the green bottle, if you don't already have some, and run it through the pipe, and slosh it around in it, and use it to clean all your accessories. Be surprised how much that can improve flavor.

Also one thing to consider, is if you have any air leaks. If you have a small one thats not big enough to really hamper the amount of smoke you get, that little bit of air can still throw off the flavor, especially of weaker flavors.

[Vampy6997]

and it could be you need a new hose?

...I'd say possibly that you also might need a new bowl. Heat maintenance is an issue for some people around here, so they might be able to throw some other advice. I'd get a good ceramic bowl....either phunnel/egyptian/or anything else, so long as it has a deeper bowl.

There was stuff I missed, I just was giving some ideas on it.

If you've tried packing the bowl every way possible, it's also possible the shisha isn't mixed really good. Flavors and stuff can separate, though not as bad in nakhla in my opinion.

I'd look into the flavor ghosting issues that you may have due to an improperly washed hookah, old hose. The hose would need replacing, as it's most likely not one that is washable (and I wouldn't recommend washing an unwashable hose, as they can rust and/or fall apart).

Usually you can tell if there's a leak by removing the bowl, etc, but leave the rest set up. Hand on the area the bowl would go, make a tight seal, and suck through the hose...........(sig?...lol)...if you hear any noise, figure out where it's coming from. Try to patch it up

If no noise, then it's possible ghosting, and mix your shisha just to be sure.

Not all natural coals are all that good. There are some crap nat. coals, but we have a few favs in the forum for coals if you look around. My personal favorite is coco nara. I didn't like the natural lemonwood coal in the red bag. too messy.

good luck!

[srawas89]

You said that your bowl is metal and does not cave in? So it is flat? If that is the case I would strongly say you need a new bowl as those kind of bowls are used with very traditional tobacco (they are pure tobacco leaves and the coals sit right on the tobacco). THis would most likely solve all your problems along with a good cleaning of your water pipe.

[fineout]

vampy i think a critical problem in your help is that overseas people say shisha describing what we call the hookah i.e. the waterpipe..

ruggio, please take pics of your setup, although it sounds like you probably need a new bowl at the very least and maybe even a new pipe since it seems it is quite old..good luck

[xruggiox]

In first place i say thanks to all!
Yes,my metal bowl is flat!
Today i smocked again n after smoking i checked the tobacco which was burned (black) in the first layer but at the bottom it was like new,still wet.how should the tobacco be after smoking?is it normal to find it so?
Anyway tomorrow i will post few pics..4 sure my waterpipe is old..
Btw maybe i m wrong but 4 shisha i mean the waterpipe (which i call it in italian narghilè) n not the tobacco!

[EvansLight]

In first place i say thanks to all!
Yes,my metal bowl is flat!
Today i smocked again n after smoking i checked the tobacco which was burned (black) in the first layer but at the bottom it was like new,still wet.how should the tobacco be after smoking?is it normal to find it so?
Anyway tomorrow i will post few pics..4 sure my waterpipe is old..
Btw maybe i m wrong but 4 shisha i mean the waterpipe (which i call it in italian narghilè) n not the tobacco!

In the US we tend to call the tobacco shisha. Its been argued to death before, needless to say its what region your in determines how the words are used.

[Vampy6997]

vampy i think a critical problem in your help is that overseas people say shisha describing what we call the hookah i.e. the waterpipe..

ruggio, please take pics of your setup, although it sounds like you probably need a new bowl at the very least and maybe even a new pipe since it seems it is quite old..good luck

I have yet to complete reading the thousands of forum posts. Didn't know! Sorry

[fineout]

i hope i didnt come off being a jerk vampy, just explaining that since you both seemed to be confused on the matter..sorry if i did

[Vampy6997]

i hope i didnt come off being a jerk vampy, just explaining that since you both seemed to be confused on the matter..sorry if i did

oh...this medicine I'm on has me about as space cadet as possible when it comes to reading. lol...no worries.

[xruggiox]

So does anybody know how i should find the tobacco after smoking?

[jmorandall]

So does anybody know how i should find the tobacco after smoking?

The top layer will looked burned but it should not stick to the bottom of the foil every time. Depending on the length of time you can burn all of the shisha in the bowl, however, it should still taste good throughout your smoking session. Try mixing the shisha very well before packing. After you mix it up roll it between your fingers and then sprinkle it into the bowl making sure not to plug any of the holes to full with shisha. you should leave at lease 3 mm between the top of the shisha and the foil. Start with your charcoal in the middle of the bowl until you get some good smoke and then move it to the outside. I sometimes let the corner of my charcoal hang over the edge of the bowl but this can be dangerous. Move the charcoal around the outside slowly durning the first 45 minutes of smoking. After that you can return the charcoal to the middle. I hope this helps!

P.S. There are many brands of charcoal out there, make sure to get a premium one or else you will taste the chemicals from the ignition material. I use Three Kings charcoal as my quick light option and they are world reknowned. Maybe switch a a natural wood or coconut husk charcoal to enhance the smoking experience. Edited July 9, 2009 by jmorandall

[xruggiox]

i am a bit late but finally i ve the pics!:)

[xruggiox]

here u ve the link for the other pics:

http://img505.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=58551980.jpg

[EvansLight]

I see all kinds of wrong in some of those photos. For starters, unless its some new fangled design i don't know about, or its permanently attached, the tray right under the bowl is upside down. So if you can, id flip that over

Now on to the flavor issue; that bowl you have, if i am right, is for both a different kind of tobacco as well as a different method of smoking then what most users here could help you with. Eric would know more. But this also explains the lack of flavor. How you are setting up the bowl, i can almost guarantee you are burning the tobacco. And once you burn the tobacco, the flavor goes right out the window.

I would suggest getting a new bowl for sure, but a new hookah and hose wouldn't hurt either, both of which currently could be contributing to the lack of flavor.