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Recently i purchased a small hookah and possibly regret it.. i go to my local hookah lounge a lot which got me into hookah and i decided i would buy a hookah..(its pink i might add). making such a rash decision i bought one for $35 at a local head shop. PROBLEM: Everytime i get a new flavor...they all taste exactly the same.. i though it could possibly be the coals but im not sure. i have read that smaller hookahs produce more carbon monoxide (another turnoff)...do you think the size of it could be due to the lackk of flavor? everytime im at the lounge i get a FULL flavor and alot more smoke.. should i save up for a bigger/better hookah?? please give me some feed back! peace...
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just a few pointers:

same flavor sounds like ghosting, best way to get rid to the best of your ability is to clean the hookah, i usually do a hot water rinse with my scrub brush, but if the ghosting is still present then i reccomend lemon juice+water, or baking soda scrub.

The size of the hookah just gives it more length as it travels down to the base, cooling the smoke (dont quote me on this)

As far as the flavor/smoke goes, could it be the way you packed your bowl? perhaps heat management? it wouldnt hurt to re-evaluate the way you pack/manage coals.
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thaks guys for the input but i clean it after every use and i "sprinkle" it in the bowl how youre supposed to..(ive researched all this ha) so i feel that im doing everything right but im still getting the same taste..ive tried a couple of different ways and nothing has worked.. not sure what to do... wallbash.gif
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QUOTE (hookahallday @ Sep 21 2009, 01:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
thaks guys for the input but i clean it after every use and i "sprinkle" it in the bowl how youre supposed to..(ive researched all this ha) so i feel that im doing everything right but im still getting the same taste..ive tried a couple of different ways and nothing has worked.. not sure what to do... wallbash.gif


what kind of tobacco, what coals hows your foil pattern and is it sinking, how high are you letting the shisha go over the bowl, i need to low down lol
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QUOTE (hookahallday @ Sep 21 2009, 01:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
i use hookah hookah tobacco (being thats all my local smoke shop sells) and ahkla coals (again the only coals they sell ha)...as for packing the bowl.. i just pack it barely below the rim of the bowl.


well hookah hookah in my experience doesnt have the most pungent flavor, but are those coals finger style or QL or lump i havet heard of them
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You're using a cheap Chinese (read: poor quality) hookah, nasty tasting quick lights, and tobacco that is known for not having strong flavors.

You can solve all four problems by throwing money at it (i'll give you an alternative if you don't want to do that in a second).

Option 1: Buy a Mya QT Package from Hookahjohn
http://www.hookahjohn.com/product.sc?produ...mp;categoryId=5

It comes with 3 boxes of CH Coals. You can get the quick light versions if you want. Also comes with some Al Fakher tobacco.

Price: $60 - coupon code HF13 + shipping

Option 2: Spend $100 at Hookah-Shisha.com and receive a free Mya Acrylic hookah.
http://www.hookah-shisha.com/

I have about half a dozen of these hookahs floating around. They are AMAZING considering they are free. If you MUST buy quick light coals, get 3 Kings. Otherwise go down to Walgreens and buy a Single Coil Burner ($10) and get Coconara Coconut Coals. Pick up some Al Fakher, Nakhla or Layalina 50g packs. Spend $100, and use the coupon code 'free hookah'.

Price: $100 + shipping + $10 at Walgreens
----------------------------

Both of those would fix part of your problem. The other issue is that you're probably inexperienced when it comes to setting up a hookah properly. First of all, clean your hookah very well with any of the following: cheap beer, cheap vodka, lemon juice, baking soda and water, dish soap (not recommended though). Do not wash your hose. There is a metal coil in most hoses that will rust.

Second, go here: http://www.hookahforum.com/?showtopic=10119 and read the entire thread. That will teach you the basics about loading a bowl and using heat correctly.

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3rd.

You gotta give yourself some slack in selecting a hookah.

The QT and Bambino are good small hookahs you can get on the inexpensive.

For starting out on coals, if you REALLY want Quicklights go with golden QLs.

http://www.hookah-shisha.com/p-454-golden-...-box-33-mm.html

For shisha, Layalina, Nakhla, and Tangiers Lucid are good places to start. You'll get amazing flavor with minimal trouble. If you screw up Nakhla, then you're whole method must be way off. It's a heat sink.
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QUOTE (phantastik @ Sep 21 2009, 01:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
just a few pointers:

same flavor sounds like ghosting, best way to get rid to the best of your ability is to clean the hookah, i usually do a hot water rinse with my scrub brush, but if the ghosting is still present then i reccomend lemon juice+water, or baking soda scrub.

The size of the hookah just gives it more length as it travels down to the base, cooling the smoke (dont quote me on this)

As far as the flavor/smoke goes, could it be the way you packed your bowl? perhaps heat management? it wouldnt hurt to re-evaluate the way you pack/manage coals.


I agree with all of this.

I started with a crappy, small hookah. After I got a packing and cleaning regiment down, I didn't have any problems. It could be your hookah, but I feel like if it is a crappy chinese hookah you should still be able to make it perform. Better brands just make it easier I think.
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QUOTE (Zinite @ Sep 21 2009, 03:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
You're using a cheap Chinese (read: poor quality) hookah, nasty tasting quick lights, and tobacco that is known for not having strong flavors.

You can solve all four problems by throwing money at it (i'll give you an alternative if you don't want to do that in a second).

Option 1: Buy a Mya QT Package from Hookahjohn
http://www.hookahjohn.com/product.sc?produ...mp;categoryId=5

It comes with 3 boxes of CH Coals. You can get the quick light versions if you want. Also comes with some Al Fakher tobacco.

Price: $60 - coupon code HF13 + shipping

Option 2: Spend $100 at Hookah-Shisha.com and receive a free Mya Acrylic hookah.
http://www.hookah-shisha.com/

I have about half a dozen of these hookahs floating around. They are AMAZING considering they are free. If you MUST buy quick light coals, get 3 Kings. Otherwise go down to Walgreens and buy a Single Coil Burner ($10) and get Coconara Coconut Coals. Pick up some Al Fakher, Nakhla or Layalina 50g packs. Spend $100, and use the coupon code 'free hookah'.

Price: $100 + shipping + $10 at Walgreens
----------------------------

Both of those would fix part of your problem. The other issue is that you're probably inexperienced when it comes to setting up a hookah properly. First of all, clean your hookah very well with any of the following: cheap beer, cheap vodka, lemon juice, baking soda and water, dish soap (not recommended though). Do not wash your hose. There is a metal coil in most hoses that will rust.

Second, go here: http://www.hookahforum.com/?showtopic=10119 and read the entire thread. That will teach you the basics about loading a bowl and using heat correctly.


what he said...save yourself the headache and time..this is a hobby to enjoy and it doesnt sound like your enjoying it so much..get a better brand of tobacco nakhla,tangiers, al fakher,starbuzz..get some better coals..go with johns coals and a better quality hookah
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It could be your hose. I noticed at a hookah bar the other night that even though I was smoking Jasmine I was tasting rose. They used cheap Mya hoses that are probably washable but not easily so. Major ghosting of flavor in the hose. If I don't wash my hoses well, I get a lot of ghosting.
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Hookah Hookah is fine for a starter shisha. I suspect the coals are not very good. If they stink really bad while lighting them, I'd toss them out and get some of John's natural CH coals. As for everything tasting the same.. that's the hose's fault, and if it's not a washable hose, washing it after each use will make matters worse. The hose will rust if you wash it.

Cheap pipes smoke just fine with the right technique, they simply don't live up to KM or Mya's quality and lifespan. A cheap pipe will probably start falling apart much earlier than a quality pipe. But they all usually smoke fine. I've had a couple cheap chinese knockoffs that smoked fine, but started falling apart after so many uses. They're made from cheap aluminum metal, mostly.

Just get the technique down, possibly get some new coals, and maybe get a washable hose. If the pipe starts falling apart, get a different pipe. As long as the thing's air-tight, it should be fine to smoke.
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just one.. I actully had a gut feeling that it could possibly be the coals.. they light up really quick and emit a lot of smoke that smells IDENTICAL to fireworks which doesnt sound so good ha but as for the hose...it came with a shitty hose that had holes all in it so i guess you could say i got ripped on that but i recently got a new one and it hits a lot better.. but for the taste..not so much!
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Definitely agree with the cleaning after every use. Cheaper hookahs flavor stain easier than the high quality chrome, stainless or aluminum hookahs. Also, if your vase is plastic that will also stain.

One other thing that I noticed: Sometimes the weather will affect some tobaccos. Ive noticed that Nakhla for instance is much more flavorful in the winter or the summer than in the Fall. Sometimes Tangiers also has a flavor explosion depending on the time of the year.
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