What's The Advantage Of Cutting Coals In Half?

[gtm2007]

Hey all, just curious, I've smoked hookah for a few years now out of my roomie's KM, and just barely (last week) got my own AF small solid. I've been using natural coco coals and have never cut them in half. In fact, until I'd been on this forum, I'd never even heard of them being cut in half.

What's the advantage, and are there any disadvantage?

BTW, I'm smoking out of a 30g Vortex bowl with some of hookahjohn's CH naturals, and so far I've been getting great clouds, flavor, and the bowl lasts 1-1.5 hrs.

[SynysterPhoenix]

If your method is working, stick with it.

The advantage of cutting the coals in half is so that say 3 coals makes the smoke harsh, but 2 makes the smoke too weak, cut the third one into half and would create mammoth clouds, theoretically.

I personally have never cut a coal in half, always use 3 coco's on a small phunnel, 2 on a mya bowl, works just fine for me.

[no longer welcome]

i think it would be a pia to cut any cocos, why not just light them and place them on their sides rather than flat, that way you are kind of using less heat

[gtm2007]

I usually smoke my Vortex with two coals at opposing ends, and as the bowl burns I ash and rotate the coals, blowing on them if they're not glowing bright enough. Like I said, decent results, just wondering if the half coals helped any. Thnx guys.

[Evilsquirrel]

to move heat, 4 halfs will heat more evenly than 2 wholes.

[Evilsquirrel]

wtf? Edited October 7, 2009 by Evilsquirrel

[white_rabbit]

i think it would be a pia to cut any cocos, why not just light them and place them on their sides rather than flat, that way you are kind of using less heat

i thought i was the only person who thought this.. +1

[Chreees]

I don't know why it is, but ever since I started doing four Coco or CH halves I've gotten perfect sessions packing my Tangiers small phunnel with Nakhla according to mattarios2's tutorial. I packed my bowl the same way except with just two whole coals on there, harsh and smaller smoke. Three coals on there, harsh and smaller smoke. The four halves...perfect. Big-ass clouds, never any harshness. It's my never fail, go to way of doing it. I haven't had a bad session doing it this way yet.

[mattarios2]

i think it would be a pia to cut any cocos, why not just light them and place them on their sides rather than flat, that way you are kind of using less heat

It takes 1 second to put a knife over the coco and smash it with a hammer/something heavy and they chop right in two.

The point of it is to save on coals and to distribute heat more evenly. It makes the flavor better IMHO. Also when you have a small bowl like a mini phunnel, 2 cocos isn't enough, 3 is too much. So i crack 2 in half which distributes the heat more than 2 whole cocos and i get monster clouds, and the cocos still last about 50-55 min.

[thehelios]

I've been splitting AF QL coals lately and sessions are much much better. It has a greater surface area for heat and since you have 2 pieces around the bowl, you have more heated tobacco at once. My smoke has been much much thicker and flavor has been consistent. If I were to put two whole coals on, it would be too much heat and would have a burnt taste after about 15-20 minutes. With the 2 halves of coal, I can smoke the same bowl for 45+ minutes and have no burnt or dead flavor at all.

[mattarios2]

i rest my case. everyone that ive talked to and have told them to try it, has said their sessions were much better! But in my experience this is only with cocos, i've never tried it with other coconut coals but i'm pretty sure you would save coal, have just as long of sessions, and get better flavor.

[thehelios]

i rest my case. everyone that ive talked to and have told them to try it, has said their sessions were much better! But in my experience this is only with cocos, i've never tried it with other coconut coals but i'm pretty sure you would save coal, have just as long of sessions, and get better flavor.

I haven't tried with cocos yet but it for sure works with the QL's (which you've told me to do of course ). People are still confused as to why I keep a blade in my hookah travel box. They think I'm crazy for splitting coals but I'll soon make them believers! Edited October 7, 2009 by thehelios

[Stuie]

i think it would be a pia to cut any cocos, why not just light them and place them on their sides rather than flat, that way you are kind of using less heat

Genius... I am going to try that!

how come that never dawned on me?

Pulling out the old Mini Hack Saw is a pain.

[delSol_si]

i think it would be a pia to cut any cocos, why not just light them and place them on their sides rather than flat, that way you are kind of using less heat

It takes 1 second to put a knife over the coco and smash it with a hammer/something heavy and they chop right in two.

The point of it is to save on coals and to distribute heat more evenly. It makes the flavor better IMHO. Also when you have a small bowl like a mini phunnel, 2 cocos isn't enough, 3 is too much. So i crack 2 in half which distributes the heat more than 2 whole cocos and i get monster clouds, and the cocos still last about 50-55 min.

I'm with mattrios on this one. I like to conserve coals. I was using 3-4 QL CH coals and wasting a lot of coal until I started cutting them in half. Now, I can get a good session out of 2 coals cut in half. Also has better heat distribution as mentioned before. I have done the "laying them on their sides method" but found it to be a waste of coal, plus if using a windcover, sometimes that extra coal sitting in the air creates too much heat (i use a foil windcover)

As far as the work of cutting them? Not hard at all. I usually light the coal first, let it sit for a few seconds to a minute, lay it on the ground, and stab it with my tongs (I have the yahya tongs that are heavier duty with a pointy tip) and it usually either snaps right in two, or sometimes 3 pieces, either way, takes 2 seconds.

[gtm2007]

Ok, so I'm getting the idea that half coals = more efficient coal-usage and better heat distribution. BUT, what if you have say a medium-sized bowl that you're packing with something other than Nak? I just bought some Starbuzz to try it out, might try the half-coal technique on it next session. Thanks again guys

[destructo]

Ok, so I'm getting the idea that half coals = more efficient coal-usage and better heat distribution. BUT, what if you have say a medium-sized bowl that you're packing with something other than Nak? I just bought some Starbuzz to try it out, might try the half-coal technique on it next session. Thanks again guys

2 1/2s will burn faster than 1 whole mind you.

[mattarios2]

no kind sir, no they won't. If you use 2 whole coals that is 100% + 100% on the bowl = 200%.

If you use 2 coals cracked in half that is 50% + 50% + 50% + 50% = 200%.

It is the same thing, there is less heat in one spot of the bowl but it is spread out more efficiently.

As 2 coals die you have 60% + 60 = 120%

as 4 halves die you have 30% + 30% + 30% + 30% = 120%

But if you are comparing 3 coals to 2 coals cracked in half, thats a no brainer, 3 coals vs 2.

But it shows how much more use your coals get. if you need 3 coals on a bowl, try cracking three of em and laying them on the bowl (6 halves) you will burn the shit out of your bowl, but you don't with 3 whole coals, this is because a lot of that coal is being used inefficiently.

[destructo]

if 1 coal has the surface area of 6 then 2 1/2s will have a surface area of 8. burning from the outside in is the same as dissolving. and the rate a solute dissolves a solvent is inversely proportional to its surface area.

[thehelios]

if 1 coal has the surface area of 6 then 2 1/2s will have a surface area of 8. burning from the outside in is the same as dissolving. and the rate a solute dissolves a solvent is inversely proportional to its surface area.

Yeah Mattarios, gonna have to agree with Destructo on this one. You're getting better heat distribution but also MORE HEAT since you have a larger surface area but since you have more heated surface area, it's more coal being burned. But again, you are using less coal in the end if you use 2 halves rather than 2 whole coals.

[destructo]

mattarios i ran the number and best case senario you save 1 coal per 3 hours. so with out doing worst case its going to be about even after you give it error room

[Arcane]

i think it would be a pia to cut any cocos, why not just light them and place them on their sides rather than flat, that way you are kind of using less heat

Genius... I am going to try that!

how come that never dawned on me?

Pulling out the old Mini Hack Saw is a pain.

because, in essence...you're "wasting" coal...

i think its pretty much similar to people that put coals on the edge of the bowl with half of it hanging off. the half thats in mid-air is still burning, yet not heating anything...so, it's just being wasted. with the on-edge method, you're wasting A LOT more coal...

i think it'd just be more cost effective to either cut it in half or find a way to put the whol coal on the bowl...

[redjako]

i think it would be a pia to cut any cocos, why not just light them and place them on their sides rather than flat, that way you are kind of using less heat

Genius... I am going to try that!

how come that never dawned on me?

Pulling out the old Mini Hack Saw is a pain.

because, in essence...you're "wasting" coal...

i think its pretty much similar to people that put coals on the edge of the bowl with half of it hanging off. the half thats in mid-air is still burning, yet not heating anything...so, it's just being wasted. with the on-edge method, you're wasting A LOT more coal...

i think it'd just be more cost effective to either cut it in half or find a way to put the whol coal on the bowl...

I mostly agree...except that its easier to find a good "sweet spot" for great flavor and clouds with coals at the edge, versus plopping them in the center.

Just my own observation.

[JDHarding]

One problem I've noticed with cutting and lighting John's coals in half is their short lifespan. They last about 15 minutes or so when cut in half, while whole they last 30 or more minutes. So it's better to either put them on their sides, or use canarys, since canarys give off less heat, but their lifespan is pretty short too. You'll need to light the coals on their side in order that they have a flat surface to place on the bowl, otherwise the side will round off and won't sit flat.

[joytron]

cocos cut in half is the only way to do it. I use three (halves) on my mini phunnel and its perfect. Lasts about 35 to 40 mins and no need for heat management, just let em sit until they get small.

[antouwan]

cutting coals is the way to freaking go. i used to light 4 cocos for a small phunnel of nak with the edges hanging off everywhere. i saw mattarios' posts about always cutting the coal in half, but i always thought it was 'the same.' one night after seeing his tut on nak for the 5 millionth time (i like to see those clean pictures, and i love that red phunnel) i decided, 'what the hell, i'll give it a whirl.' i got great results and haven't looked back. you do save a lot of coal, and beyond that, the clouds are better, and the head burns more evenly thus more efficiently. it's also great for smaller heads, like the one on my lebanese hookah which i stopped using because i couldn't get the heat management right. i pulled it out tonight and with 3 halves of cocos, it is GLORIOUS.