Which Way Do You Pack Your Bowls?

[Bandito]

I recently got my first hookah a few days ago, and have used it a few times and they have been fine going along with the various guides I've read on this site and on others, but i have a question concerning packing your tobacco into the bowl that i haven't really gotten a straight answer to from any guides I've read

I was just wondering if it is better to pack your shisha all the way to the rim, a little over the rim, or a little under the rim? I've gotten different answers from different places, and yes i do know that gradually i will get better at heat management and that will help, but i don't know which way is better. Is it best to have the shisha touching the foil so it heats well - or does that usually just make it burn more?

Hope this isn't an often asked question, searched a few times but with no avail Edited August 11, 2009 by Bandito

[RingsMaster]

to be honest they are all good methods it just depends on the bowl and the shisha, experiment with your bowl and your shisha and figure out which one works best for you

[Arcane]

depending on the tobacco, you can be smoke fine with any packing technique...there are some brands that require you to pack a certain way, but you shouldn't worry about that right now.

if i were you, choose a brand of tobacco...pack it one way and work on different heat management techniques. if it still doesn't work, pack it a different way, then work on your heat mgmt again. and over and over. it'll take you a few sessions (maybe more) to get to the point where you don't have to think or stress as much.

just keep smoking and don't give up...if you need more help, there's people with the "HF Chat Regular" link on their sig...they are usually around HF Chat and I'm sure will be more than willing to help you out. Edited August 11, 2009 by Arcane

[gunsboy]

What shisha do you use? and what bowl do you have?

[Bandito]

if i were you, choose a brand of tobacco...pack it one way and work on different heat management techniques. if it still doesn't work, pack it a different way, then work on your heat mgmt again.

Thanks that sounds like a pretty good approach, i'll try this

What shisha do you use? and what bowl do you have?

For the most part i use Nakhla and Starbuzz shisha, and i have a 15-20 gram capacity clay bowl, this one here if it matters


Also i was wondering if it was a bad thing if when i blew on the bowl that it smoked, this was in the middle of a session and idk if that is too much heating or if that's fine

[Arcane]

Also i was wondering if it was a bad thing if when i blew on the bowl that it smoked, this was in the middle of a session and idk if that is too much heating or if that's fine

happens sometimes, no worries unless you can actually taste it burning in the smoke. if the smoke is full, flavorful...then who cares about anything else.

[Amn_sinclair]

I'm gonna get my word in on this one too, i am farely new to packing my own bowls still myself i've owned my own hookah since may and have 4 hookas now, everyone is right the way u pack a bowl literally depends on the tobacco, for example my orient tobacco i have found seems to smoke best when its sprinkled into the bowl till its just below the rim then lightly packed so the screen isnt touching. Some brands have to be packed in a little tighter to smoke well. It literally is all trial and error but with time u will figure it out and it will come naturally from there

[Bandito]

Alright, thanks a lot Arcana, sinclair, ringsmaster, i think i understand a bit more now. I was just really confused when i saw experienced members here describing packing down bowls or filling above the rim when that contradicted much of what i read, but i guess it depends on the tobacco and that there's only so much that you can learn from reading, the rest is left all to actual experience!

[RingsMaster]

Alright, thanks a lot Arcana, sinclair, ringsmaster, i think i understand a bit more now. I was just really confused when i saw experienced members here describing packing down bowls or filling above the rim when that contradicted much of what i read, but i guess it depends on the tobacco and that there's only so much that you can learn from reading, the rest is left all to actual experience!

any time bro and welcome if you need any more help dont hesitate to ask this community is great about helping others

[Arcane]

don't forget to stop by HF Chat and say hiiiii!

[delSol_si]

just keep smoking and don't give up...if you need more help, there's people with the "HF Chat Regular" link on their sig...they are usually around HF Chat and I'm sure will be more than willing to help you out.

Word! Being an official HF Chat member means we are better than everyone else right???

[delSol_si]

Oh, and I don't think it has been added yet, but one of the most common problems in packing is under packing the bowl. When I was in the smoking lounge last semester, I was smoking my hookah and another guy came in with a small chinese hookah, he saw how awesome mine was smoking and asked if I could help him because he couldn't get his to smoke that well. I took his foil off, noticed he had wayyyy tooooo little baccy in there. I loaded him enough baccy in there, replaced his foil with a good piece, poked him a lot more hole and put his coals back on and it smoked 10 times better. I also noticed he had his coal in the center instead of the rim, so I moved it for him and it helped. Anyway, be sure you pack enough baccy in there, like I have said in other threads, I like Eric's foil test.

[Remy]

Is there some special way to load Al Fahker? I bought some tonight (along with a KM) and it seemed like it was harsh. It was odd though, it wasn't harsh on the inhale, only on the exhale. I eventually got used to it and figured it was just because my baby lungs are used to Starbuzz.

Also, how do I get as big of clouds as Codename067

[Arcane]

Also, how do I get as big of clouds as Codename067

get a KM, smoke AF, Fusion or Layalina, work on your packing/heat management....that should about do it...

[entrailsgalore]

I wouldn't say there is a right way to pack a bowl. There are different types of bowls with different sizes and different techniques for all which all work well. Now I will say there is a wrong way to pack a bowl, though. You don't want to plug the holes at the bottom of the bowl, since air flow will not travel through the bottom of the bowl. So as long as there is airflow, it won't matter. Everyone has their own techniques which they will claim is better than others but it is subjective. Now certain brands have a "most efficient" way of packing, such as Tangiers.

[Remy]

get a KM

check

smoke AF

Check

work on your packing/heat management....that should about do it...

Thats the part I'm havin trouble with I guess


edit: also, i have a phunnel bowl but dont have the "addon" thing that goes over the hole. Is that piece completely necessary? Edited August 11, 2009 by Remy

[Arcane]

get a KM

check

smoke AF

Check

work on your packing/heat management....that should about do it...

Thats the part I'm havin trouble with I guess


edit: also, i have a phunnel bowl but dont have the "addon" thing that goes over the hole. Is that piece completely necessary?

not sure...i don't think Codename uses it...

[entrailsgalore]

get a KM

check

smoke AF

Check

work on your packing/heat management....that should about do it...

Thats the part I'm havin trouble with I guess


edit: also, i have a phunnel bowl but dont have the "addon" thing that goes over the hole. Is that piece completely necessary?

Most of the time the foil will block the whole if you don't have the mod. But what I do is make a "mod" with a smaller strip of foil. Take some foil about the size of a half dollar and wrap it around your thumb or something of that shape. The idea is to have it sit above the hole in the phunnel bowl, just like the scali mod, to prevent the outter foil layer from clogging the whole. Just make sure there is airflow so you can either poke holes in the side of the mod or I just kind of fold the corners so they kind of stick up and allow air flow. I have never used the scali mod but I imagine it works the same, since it seems to smoke great.

[dizzbizz]

Is there some special way to load Al Fahker? I bought some tonight (along with a KM) and it seemed like it was harsh. It was odd though, it wasn't harsh on the inhale, only on the exhale. I eventually got used to it and figured it was just because my baby lungs are used to Starbuzz.

Also, how do I get as big of clouds as Codename067

AF is meant to be sprinkled in, but don't be stingy. I sprinkle it in and pack it down a little more to add some more to it.
You'll get the hang of it. I was the worst when I first started haha

[ilikemyusername]

wait wait wait, problems with AF?
reach in bare handed, grab a decent clump, fill the bowl to the rim, foil it, add coal, smoke.

[the_cool]

wait wait wait, problems with AF?
reach in bare handed, grab a decent clump, fill the bowl to the rim, foil it, add coal, smoke.

It used to be like that, but not recently havent had a good AF smoke in a longgg time now. When they used to have the thicker cut and was super juicy, it used to be the bomb. But the recent batches arent as juicy, thinner cut, also less red, and gives a very bad tickle in the throat.