A Few Tips I've Picked Up Over Time

[kudomonster]

We all have our own little tips and tricks to get great smoke from the hookah. Here are a few of mine, that have worked for me. Maybe they'll help you too!

Drying the shisha
I'll bet you recoiled a little after reading that. Drying shisha? Why?! Turns out, sometimes there's just too much glycerin. You'll be suckin' on a hookah, it'll be tasting "aite", then BAM! Mouthful of soap. My solution? Take that spare glycerin off!

I originally got this idea from washing your shisha (which I have a thread on somewhere). Instead of washing it however, I choose to use a method that leaves a little more glycerin on the shisha. What I do, is estimate the amount of tobacco I need then add a little more. I dump this all on a paper towel and squeeze it until the glycerin soaks up into the paper towels. I normally transfer this too another paper towel then, since it's in a nice sprinkle-able form, pack the bowl.
I would only suggest this method if you're getting a strong soapy taste. I get this taste with many guava flavors. If you use this for chocolate flavors I've noticed that it reduces flavor quite a bit.

The gap
Most people know to create a gap of space between the aluminum foil and the shisha. However, time and time again I hookah with people that don't do this, and they end up killing the flavor in order to have awesome clouds. Using a gap; you can have your cake and eat it too! I normally just sprinkle the shisha in, and using my standard Egyptian bowl that came with my KM, I have a gap of about 3 mm. I use a thumb tack to create a ton of small holes, and I always make sure the draw through the bowl is good (I hold the bowl up after packing and poking holes, and inhale seeing if there's any resistance) The bowl should breath like there's no shisha or aluminum foil there. The heat management on bowls with gaps.. well there is no need for heat management. None. Ever wondered why you can smoke from a hookah lounge for 20 min at a time and the smoke never changes in terms of taste or volume, even without moving the coals? The gap!

The under packing that creates the gap does NOT reduce longevity of the bowl. Using the gap I have had bowls the require no heat management, flavor lasts long, and the smoke is always top notch. I would have to say that a well packed bowl using a gap is even nicer than a phunnle, and I'm a phunnle whore.

I know that many of these are known, but I'm bored and felt like posting something up. I hope someone finds this info in some way helpful.

[ice-786]

Thanx for the info
Does the shisha have to be 3mm away from the foil to get good smoke?
If its anything more than 3mm? Will the smoke/clouds be much less?

[EvansLight]

Drying the shisha
I'll bet you recoiled a little after reading that. Drying shisha? Why?! Turns out, sometimes there's just too much glycerin. You'll be suckin' on a hookah, it'll be tasting "aite", then BAM! Mouthful of soap. My solution? Take that spare glycerin off!

I originally got this idea from washing your shisha (which I have a thread on somewhere). Instead of washing it however, I choose to use a method that leaves a little more glycerin on the shisha. What I do, is estimate the amount of tobacco I need then add a little more. I dump this all on a paper towel and squeeze it until the glycerin soaks up into the paper towels. I normally transfer this too another paper towel then, since it's in a nice sprinkle-able form, pack the bowl.
I would only suggest this method if you're getting a strong soapy taste. I get this taste with many guava flavors. If you use this for chocolate flavors I've noticed that it reduces flavor quite a bit.

As per my understanding of the tobacco, and its creation, drying it down with a paper towel isn't going to remove the glycerin. if i remember correctly, and i often don't, the glycerin is cooked into the tobacco when the flavorings and molasses/honey is cooked in. Now what your probably doing with that method is removing some of the flavor, which si more then likely where the soap taste is coming from. Either that or your using soap to clean your hookahs Unless the manufacturer really soaked that stuff in glycerin, i just can't see how this would help.

Besides, if you were actually reducing the glycerin content, you would also reduce the amount of visible smoke in your session

[Namenone]

Drying the shisha
I'll bet you recoiled a little after reading that. Drying shisha? Why?! Turns out, sometimes there's just too much glycerin. You'll be suckin' on a hookah, it'll be tasting "aite", then BAM! Mouthful of soap. My solution? Take that spare glycerin off!

I originally got this idea from washing your shisha (which I have a thread on somewhere). Instead of washing it however, I choose to use a method that leaves a little more glycerin on the shisha. What I do, is estimate the amount of tobacco I need then add a little more. I dump this all on a paper towel and squeeze it until the glycerin soaks up into the paper towels. I normally transfer this too another paper towel then, since it's in a nice sprinkle-able form, pack the bowl.
I would only suggest this method if you're getting a strong soapy taste. I get this taste with many guava flavors. If you use this for chocolate flavors I've noticed that it reduces flavor quite a bit.

I do this, but not to remove the glycerin, with brands like AF you get a lot of extra shisha juice/syrup. IMO the extra juice just makes the shisha burn quicker, i do this paper towel method to get rid of that excess stuff.

[joytron]

I disagree on both points

[joytron]

I disagree on both points

[bungiman]

I disagree with the gap.

I frequently, maybe always have shisha touching the foil. I still get great clouds, great taste, and I can be lazy with heat management too. I will agree that under packing is a problem. but I think the gap isn't necessary, atl east from personal experience.

Good post tho. Edited July 17, 2009 by bungiman

[bungiman]

I disagree on both points

I disagree on both points

Double toast.

[Stuie]

I disagree on both points

same here

I disagree on both points

same here

actually there is some validity to the gap. Smoking Scalli's Herbal A gap was almost necessary. I think it's not a must thing but a personal preference thing.

[Turkish]

Thanks for the tips, I'm going to have to try leaving a little gap tonight. I have always gotten awesome clouds but minus the taste!

[gunsboy]

I tried the paper towel with AF. I made a mess. What I do now is when I feel that shisha is too drippy, I would just squeeze it in my hand and wash off some of the excess molasses.

I did not try this once or twice. I have been doing this since 1994. Agree or don't agree, it works with wet tobacco.

I recently have been experimenting with the something similar to the gap thing , it worked for few weeks but I felt that it is harder to get it going. Also with cocos they side facing the foil goes dead quicker. I was too lazy too to make the gap, I just use two foils or one extra strong foil. Does the job. I try not to fill the bowl like all those crazy Tangiers smokers.

[rhineholt]

I always try to get the gap, but I'm never able to.. Not because I can't do it, but because I always thought that more tobacco meant longer sessions.