New Smoker

[bsamaroo]

Hi there, first time hookah smoker, having a couple of issues. I picked up a cheap pipe from a local middle eastern store, no idea what kind it is. Got some light grape tobacco and a box of 3 kings coals. I poked around 10 small holes in the aluminum foil and placed the fully lit coal off to the side.

The smoke that comes out is thick, not too harsh. The flavor is very mild, I'm not sure if it is in an issue with the way I have done the setup, or if it is the tobacco. After about 15 minutes I removed the aluminum foil in order to look at the tobacco, and the majority of it was stuck to the foil, and black or very dark already. What am I doing wrong here? Am I putting too much tobacco into the bowl? I flaked on a small amount, and it did not come above the top of the bowl. I then blew through the bottom of the bowl based on advice from other threads.

Another issue I have is sealing the bowl to the head (?) of the assembly. As you can see in the pictures, it came with a rubber grommet to make the connection airtight. However, the bowl doesn't secure tightly to the grommet. I used duct tape for a temporary solution, but will obviously need something in the long run. Any suggestions?

Please let me know if any further information is required to answer the above questions.

Thanks for your patience with a newcomer!

-Ben

(Sorry for the low resolution pictures..)

[DistortedTruth]

Hi there, first time hookah smoker, having a couple of issues. I picked up a cheap pipe from a local middle eastern store, no idea what kind it is. Got some light grape tobacco and a box of 3 kings coals. I poked around 10 small holes in the aluminum foil and placed the fully lit coal off to the side.

The smoke that comes out is thick, not too harsh. The flavor is very mild, I'm not sure if it is in an issue with the way I have done the setup, or if it is the tobacco. After about 15 minutes I removed the aluminum foil in order to look at the tobacco, and the majority of it was stuck to the foil, and black or very dark already. What am I doing wrong here? Am I putting too much tobacco into the bowl? I flaked on a small amount, and it did not come above the top of the bowl. I then blew through the bottom of the bowl based on advice from other threads.

Another issue I have is sealing the bowl to the head (?) of the assembly. As you can see in the pictures, it came with a rubber grommet to make the connection airtight. However, the bowl doesn't secure tightly to the grommet. I used duct tape for a temporary solution, but will obviously need something in the long run. Any suggestions?

Please let me know if any further information is required to answer the above questions.

Thanks for your patience with a newcomer!

-Ben

(Sorry for the low resolution pictures..)

For one thing, make sure your coals are NOT in the center of the tobacco. That will effectively burn the tobacco from the center outwards which will ruin the bowl pack. Also, you didn't poke NEARLY enough holes in the foil. I usually poke 3-4 rings in my foil. For your 3K coals, since I use the same coals at the moment, I suggest cutting them in half and using one to get it going and putting the second half on as it gets going and take it off if necessary (but they burn so quick that you won't need to take it off most likely). And for the grommet issue, make sure you're using the right grommet in the right spot. The bigger grommet goes on the top of the stem for the bowl and the smaller goes in the hose port. As I'm horrible with describing things, that's all the help I can give. Someone else will be able to assist you further. Edited August 6, 2009 by DistortedTruth

[bsamaroo]

The tobacco is El Basha Grape flavor molasses, tobacco....is this any good?

http://www.nazarhookah.com/images/CIMG0993.JPG

[DistortedTruth]

The tobacco is El Basha Grape flavor molasses, tobacco....is this any good?

http://www.nazarhookah.com/images/CIMG0993.JPG

You can't really go wrong with Nahkla, lol.

[joytron]

check out the review section

break up the coal
(if you are getting great smoke right away there is too much heat)

keep your hookah clean


might have to buy another grommet to stick on top of the existig one, mod bowls are kinda large

[bsamaroo]

Thanks for the quick replies!

So I'll poke more holes, and break the coal in half next time. Currently, after I put the lit coal on the foil I get thick smoke within the first few hits, so this means there is too much heat? How do you guys break the coal in half, with your hands or scissors or something? How long would you recommend waiting before lighting the second half and putting it on? Do you put the two halves on opposite sides of the foil?

Thanks again

[bsamaroo]

The larger grommet fits perfectly onto the head (?) of the hookah itself, and the smaller grommet fits onto the larger grommet, but it is too small to secure into the bowl. Do places like home depot or home hardware carry these?

[DistortedTruth]

Thanks for the quick replies!

So I'll poke more holes, and break the coal in half next time. Currently, after I put the lit coal on the foil I get thick smoke within the first few hits, so this means there is too much heat? How do you guys break the coal in half, with your hands or scissors or something? How long would you recommend waiting before lighting the second half and putting it on? Do you put the two halves on opposite sides of the foil?

Thanks again

I use a hacksaw haha. But your tongs should do the trick with a QL. Might not work for a Natural, but yah. A knife or something sharp.

[AmunRa]

Welsome to the forum! I would try making more holes in the foil, and, depending on the tobacco, use only one 3Kings coal off to the edge of the bowl. Obviously, you have to rotate the coal around to get an even burn. Also, for your seal question, take a sliver of a paper towel and dampen it. Then wrap it around the rubber seal and see if that seals your bowl a little better. The opening in the bowl looks pretty large compared to similar bowls I've seen. Hookah Shisha sells a big white grommet specifically for mod bowls like yours, but I don't know that it will be any larger than the one you have already. You may consider getting a phunnel bowl becasue at some point, if you stick with hookah, you'll want one anyways.

Keep trying new things is the best advice I can give you. A lot of what we've learned comes from trial and error. Best of luck!

[ilikemyusername]

i used to have one of those bowls, the're notorious for not sticking to pipes. one thing you can do to help it is to make sure the grommet is clean and dry, then slide the grommet into the bowl and then onto the hookah. that should help.a new grommet is really the only way to make it fool proof though, i used to have a hard rubber grommet that was ribbed, it was great.

[bsamaroo]

Great thanks for all the feedback. I will try the paper towel trick and let you guys know how well that seals the gap. Where would you recommend buying a new bowl from, and what type of bowl would you recommend?

One other question: what do I use the air release valve for? It should be closed all the way while smoking, right?

Thanks again!

[fineout]

definately use halves, and remember to rotate them around in a circle around the edge of the bowl. the air release valve is called a purge valve you blow into the hose if the smoke gets harsh so that the bad smoke in the base can be cleared out.

[bsamaroo]

Really appreciate all the feedback....

Just for future reference, does anyone have an idea of what kind of hookah mine is? Probably just a generic Chinese one but just want to check

[fineout]

ive never seen one, i kinda like it, probably some sort of chinese one though.

[NY Hookah Fan]

Not to add on to all the advice that's been explained in this thread, but what kind of coals are you using? Are they self-lighting coals? Come from compressed coconut husks? Brand name or generic? Local or foreign coal? Your choice of coal may be another reason why you may not be getting the full flavor of your tobacco and why the tobacco sticks to your foil cover.

The coal you buy does affect your smoking experience. Personally I buy Abu Haitam coal because it's longer lasting and doesn't require a great deal of effort to light and keep burning. Usually with other coals I'm replacing them every 10-15 minutes. With Abu I'm getting over double the time. Another reason why I bring this up is because the coal is because sometimes the coal does not light to the appropriate temperature and the tobacco is not properly heated, which creates less evaporation and little smoke. If you're a hookah fan who likes thick smoke, consider these three things: 1) is the aluminum foil perforated enough, 2) are the coals appropriately sized, lit, and positioned on the tinfoil, and 3) do I need more or less coal to get that thick smoke?

Not sure if this will be useful advice, but figured I throw it out there to you. Good luck and happy smoking! Edited August 7, 2009 by NY Hookah Fan

[joytron]

Not to add on to all the advice that's been explained in this thread, but what kind of coals are you using? Are they self-lighting coals? Come from compressed coconut husks? Brand name or generic? Local or foreign coal? Your choice of coal may be another reason why you may not be getting the full flavor of your tobacco and why the tobacco sticks to your foil cover.

The coal you buy does affect your smoking experience. Personally I buy Abu Haitam coal because it's longer lasting and doesn't require a great deal of effort to light and keep burning. Usually with other coals I'm replacing them every 10-15 minutes. With Abu I'm getting over double the time. Another reason why I bring this up is because the coal is because sometimes the coal does not light to the appropriate temperature and the tobacco is not properly heated, which creates less evaporation and little smoke. If you're a hookah fan who likes thick smoke, consider these three things: 1) is the aluminum foil perforated enough, 2) are the coals appropriately sized, lit, and positioned on the tinfoil, and 3) do I need more or less coal to get that thick smoke?

Not sure if this will be useful advice, but figured I throw it out there to you. Good luck and happy smoking!

they are 3ks im pretty sure it was just too much heat on a concentrated area

[bsamaroo]

Any idea where I can get a good grommet locally? There aren't any hookah stores in my city, only Arabic grocery stores that carry some tobacco and hookah pipes. I have ordred one online but just wanted to see if I can get something locally for temporary use.

Thanks

[bsamaroo]

When I have the purge valve closed and blow through the hose, the only air I feel is coming out of a small hole in the purge valve...is this normal? When I open the purge valve and blow through the hose it comes straight out of there. Should I be feeling air coming out of the bowl when I blow with the purge valve closed?