No Flavor With Starbuzz?

[combs08]

Alright so last night was the first time I tried SB. It was X on the Beach. Now SB, as I've heard, you should get amazing flavor, which I didn't. It was hardly any flavor. I was smoking from my Mini Mya, an Eygptian bowl, a Nammor hose, and 3 Coco's to start then took one off when it was getting too hot. So, I have a pretty decents setup and the down stem was an inch in the water (basically to the second line for those who have one). I made sure EERYTHING was airtight and it was. I was getting great, great clouds with this which is a sign that I was doing things right, but no flavor I let it sit out in the open for about 45 minutes (it's a 100 gram tin) before smoking. So the only thing I can come up with is the packing technique. I packed it like AF and packed it just below the rim (maybe SB needs more)?

So, I was wondering if you experienced SB people could maybe point something out that I'm doing wrong. Thanks!

[fcbayern]

So, I was wondering if you experienced SB people could maybe point something out that I'm doing wrong. Thanks!

I guess that would be me or FSU...LOL

Alright combs so I got a couple issues here. First off X on the beach is the only SB flavor I have found that I dont like. That being said it should have plenty of flavor (it just might not taste good) SO another concern I got is that I read your review on Romman Goodtimes and you also said it had no flavor (or very little). So this makes me think its a setup issue.

Setup concerns:
#1 I think 3 whole cocos may be too much heat for SB. This depends really on the size of the bowl. I personally use 1/2 pieces when smoking. I end up using 3 halves on a standard bowl or small phunnel (thats 1.5 whole coals) I'd like to see a pic of your bowl.

#2 Packing an egytian isnt rocket science but, I try to pack a good amount into the bowl. I put just enough in there so that is doesnt restrict the draw or pull through the bowl. So try packing a little more next time. And poke holes all the way down to the bottom of the bowl.

#3 Try using room temp water instead of cold or ice cube water. Cold water makes the smoke smooth but tends to kill a little of the flavor.

try taking sum pics and let us know..

[dakur001]

I don't think you need to set it out before smoking, I never do that and I've always had good sessions when using Starbuzz. The best thing to do is just mix it up a little bit before smoking to distribute the juices evenly, then pack it (I usually pack it pretty loosely, that seems to work best). So basically, I would recommend not acclimating it and packing loosely, just below the rim as you're already doing. Hope this helps.

[combs08]

Yea, I smoked it after I reviewed Good Times so I'm definetly starting to think it's my set-up. Once I get it down, I'll do another review for Good Times. I'll delete that review if can right now. I'll get you a picture of my bowl later but it's just the discounted Egyptian bowl from H-S (which, btw, had like 1 tiny mess up! yay!). I'll get you pictures later fcb. And the water issue, I just used plain ol' luke temp. water with Good Times bt put ice cubes in with SB. Didn't notice a difference at all in the smoothness. So with that being said, next time I'll use 3 half coco's to reduce the heat. Opp topic kinda but how many coco's to you use on a Eygptian bowl with AF?

And darkur: the way I see it, it couldn't hurt any. Edited July 28, 2009 by combs08

[combs08]

Ok well I'm heading off to the gym right now so I won't be back for about 1 hour and 15 min or so (I HATE leg day ) I'll get on here as soon as I get back though.

Looking forward to your input!

[fcbayern]

Yea, I smoked it after I reviewed Good Times so I'm definetly starting to think it's my set-up. Once I get it down, I'll do another review for Good Times. I'll delete that review if can right now. I'll get you a picture of my bowl later but it's just the discounted Egyptian bowl from H-S (which, btw, had like 1 tiny mess up! yay!). I'll get you pictures later fcb. And the water issue, I just used plain ol' luke temp. water with Good Times bt put ice cubes in with SB. Didn't notice a difference at all in the smoothness. So with that being said, next time I'll use 3 half coco's to reduce the heat. Opp topic kinda but how many coco's to you use on a Eygptian bowl with AF?

And darkur: the way I see it, it couldn't hurt any.

COmbs I use 3 halves on just about everything to start. Then I adjust in 1/2 coal increments from there. But SB and AF smoke very similar for me. I say take your time and make small adjustments you'll get it. Also I know your smokin a new pipe that also takes some getting used to.

Get me some pics when u can.. BTW do u got a Phunnel? If you do you should use it for drippy shishas like SB, so the juices dont drip down the stem.

[fcbayern]

I have found that acclimating SB for a while helps with increasing the flavor. Not for hours or days like Tang but for at least a couple hours when you first open the pack, so the shisha can adjust to its new home. And I will usually open up a tub and stir it up for about an hour before I smoke it.

I find this works for me.. I live in S.florida where we have high heat and High humidity. You might not need to do this

[fcbayern]

You should get about 3 bowl out of that 100g tin dpending on the size (sure wish i had a pic) So if u wann know if your packing the right amount, you should divid the shisha into 3 equal parts and pack 1 part, or slightly less. (obviously now u have to compensate for the shisha you already smoked)
But just for refference..

[joytron]

You should get about 3 bowl out of that 100g tin dpending on the size (sure wish i had a pic) So if u wann know if your packing the right amount, you should divid the shisha into 3 equal parts and pack 1 part, or slightly less. (obviously now u have to compensate for the shisha you already smoked)
But just for refference..

She's got an egyptian not a phunnel, there is no way you can fit 33 grams of shisha into an egyptian.


Id say start off with 2 halves and give it a while to heat up. Be patient and dont expect giant clouds right away. If 5 minutes in you still arent getting a good amount of smoke bump it to 3 halves

[fcbayern]

You should get about 3 bowl out of that 100g tin dpending on the size (sure wish i had a pic) So if u wann know if your packing the right amount, you should divid the shisha into 3 equal parts and pack 1 part, or slightly less. (obviously now u have to compensate for the shisha you already smoked)
But just for refference..

She's got an egyptian not a phunnel, there is no way you can fit 33 grams of shisha into an egyptian.


Id say start off with 2 halves and give it a while to heat up. Be patient and dont expect giant clouds right away. If 5 minutes in you still arent getting a good amount of smoke bump it to 3 halves

I agree 33g is too much depending on the bowl, although she should be able to get 25-30g in there. So I think its a good refference. Thats why i would like to see a picture. I have seen some huge ass egyptians.

The 2 coal halves is a good way to start off, I agree 100% with Joytron. Start slow be patient.

[combs08]

Thanks for all your replies! I really appreciate it. And my bowl is just this http://www.hookah-shisha.com/store/pc/view...p;idproduct=489 except the discounted one (which has basically no defects! ) I'm not sure if I'll soke SB today, but I'll give AF a shot using 2 halves to start it with. Oh, and me using 2 coco's, it never got harsh....only a few hits, so I immediately took off the coals, purged it, then used 1 coal for a bit then popped the other coal on there. and 30 grams seems like a tooonnn of shisha for that bowl. It's not like it's Tangiers haha and no, I don't have a funnel. Just the Egyptian and the MYA Standard bowl that came with it which is what I used to smoke Good Times out of.

[rhineholt]

I think you should also invest in a different bowl. For my experiences with SB, i noticed that deep bowls aren't as good as wide bowls with greater surface area.
Also, I've never once accimilated my SB and I've had some pretty amazing sessions with them.
If youre worried about flavor, try a stronger flavor from them like Mint or Blue mist.

[combs08]

Well I used my Eygptian with SB and it's not really deep. My MYA is much deeper. And the way I see it, acclimating something really can't hurt it. And I only did it for an hour, if that.

[dakur001]

Well I used my Eygptian with SB and it's not really deep. My MYA is much deeper. And the way I see it, acclimating something really can't hurt it. And I only did it for an hour, if that.

Huh, maybe I'll try acclimating Starbuzz the next time I get some, I guess I had just never thought to do so since it was always working fine enough as it was. Sounds like it's worth a try.

[combs08]

Yea and honestly, I don't even know i I need to or not. I just know that acclimation is not my problem. I'll try less heat and more shisha.

[fcbayern]

I'll try less heat and more shisha.

DING DING DING we have our winner!!!!!

its not rocket science.. I very wise,, very old man (LOL Mush) once told me "A hookah is not a complex machine" he was,, and always is ,, RIGHT!

[combs08]

I'll try less heat and more shisha.

DING DING DING we have our winner!!!!!

its not rocket science.. I very wise,, very old man (LOL Mush) once told me "A hookah is not a complex machine" he was,, and always is ,, RIGHT!

Haha oh I know it's not. But then again, I'm not very good at science all together lol I'll probably be smoking before I leave for work at 5:30 so I'll let you know how it goes (most likely smoking AF Starwberry....smells fantastic!)

[Sonthert]

I set your Romman post invisible. The best course of action is to click the report button on the post you want to remove. I didn't delete, I just set it to invisible, so if you decide that review is correct, we can revisible it.

What brands have you smoked at home and had success with?

[Tyler]

FCB hit the major points.

1) Know that SB is a low heat shisha, if you over heat it, you might get good clouds, but you'll burn out the flavor.

2) If using an egyptian, make sure after you pack the bowl, the first holes you poke should be through the bottom to the top to enure unobstucted air flow, poke the rest of your holes (I use the poker on my tongs and poke them down to the bowl in a tic-tac-toe style pattern then 1 slightly larger hole in the little boxes, after that, blow through the bottom

3) Make sure you're not packing it too dense, SB likes to be sprinkled in then slightly pressed down, not PACKED like Nahkla or Tangiers.

4) Room temp water will help the flavor, cold water makes it smoother, warm water makes the flavor come out more, room temp provides a nice middle ground.


5) I personally use 2 full 3K to start then 1 3K after that and it's more than enough heat

Make your way to Cincinnati and Hookah Cafe will show you a nice SB experience :-P

[combs08]

Eric: I smoked some AF Strawberry.....still not much flavor I seriously don't know what I'm doing wrong. I'm going to make a video today maybe. Other than the AF, I smoked the Good Times and X on the Beach. Only 3 times I've smoked at home.

FSU: Next time I'll smoke SB, I'll use less heat. I used 2 halves coco's with AF Strawberry but didn't get much flavor. Do you recommend poking from the bottom to the top with every shisha or just SB? My temp. was around room temp, maybe a little colder, but not much. Now I REALLY need to go to Hookah Cafe and see what SB is supposed to taste like.....dumb work

[ahwahoo2006]

So youre getting good smoke, but no flavor at all or a bad flavor?

[FactorE]

SB = small phunnel, sprinkle, foil, use sewing needle and poke holes all around all the way to the bottom of thhe bowl. 3 cocos. perfect flavorful thick smoke. after 40 mins put a windcover on and it can go another 20 mins.

[Sonthert]

Huh. If the smoke is good, but the flavor is weak, it might be some contaminant in the hookah, like soap or detergent. Don't use these to clean. If the smoke is weak, too, its lack of tobacco or lack of heat.

[combs08]

Eric: No, I only use baking soda and lemon juice and flush it hardcore.

I probably should have updated this thread a bit ago bt I found out what I was doing wrong. Too much heat. I now use 2 half coco's on basically everything and get good smoke and amazing flavor. Thanks to everyone who had input! I really appriciate it!