Stigmatas Newbie Here

[stigmatas]

14) All new members must make at least 1 (one) post within 24 hours of joining to avoid removal of account. This is to help identify automated/spam registrations.

This will be my first post after reading the sticky sorry if I break any rules.

I've been searching alot on the web and talking to a friend about my particular problem i've been having.

it seems:
1.) my smoke isn't thick as I expected it to be or as i've seen in a hookah lounge
2.) it runs out very quickly
3.) severe headaches occur on first session.

From what I can understand about:
1= my heat management and shisha packing seems to be lacking. Not sure how to remedy this.
2= i've read up that shisha touching the foil is very bad, so i put a drip drab in order for it NOT to touch the foil
3= just now reading from another site that, the level of water seems to affect the smoke's rawness. I've eliminated burning my coal all the way through with naturals. Which means until it's fully grey. Hard to do with a gas stove.. thinking of getting a coil burner tomorrow.

Here is my basic setup.. I have 3 heads.. trying to figure out which works best for me and my "style" of smoke. if i've missed any bases please feel free to critique me. Answer are good too

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Stigmatas/hookah/segard.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Stigmatas/hookah/DSC08163.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Stigmatas/hookah/DSC08160.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Stigmatas/hookah/DSC08159.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Stigmatas/hookah/DSC08158.jpg[/IMG]

There seems to be a lot of dirty accumalation in these two places.. how to clean them and how to stop them from getting AS dirty would be helpful.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Stigmatas/hookah/DSC08156.jpg[/IMG]
see the white chunky dirt inside the grommet.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Stigmatas/hookah/DSC08155.jpg[/IMG]
looks like the same dirt from the last picture.

[stigmatas]

[quote name='stigmatas' date='02 February 2010 - 12:05 AM' timestamp='1265087132' post='449069']
14) All new members must make at least 1 (one) post within 24 hours of joining to avoid removal of account. This is to help identify automated/spam registrations.

This will be my first post after reading the sticky sorry if I break any rules.

I've been searching alot on the web and talking to a friend about my particular problem i've been having.

it seems:
1.) my smoke isn't thick as I expected it to be or as i've seen in a hookah lounge
2.) it runs out very quickly
3.) severe headaches occur on first session.

From what I can understand about:
1= my heat management and shisha packing seems to be lacking. Not sure how to remedy this.
2= i've read up that shisha touching the foil is very bad, so i put a drip drab in order for it NOT to touch the foil
3= just now reading from another site that, the level of water seems to affect the smoke's rawness. I've eliminated burning my coal all the way through with naturals. Which means until it's fully grey. Hard to do with a gas stove.. thinking of getting a coil burner tomorrow.

Here is my basic setup.. I have 3 heads.. trying to figure out which works best for me and my "style" of smoke. if i've missed any bases please feel free to critique me. Answer are good too

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Stigmatas/hookah/segard.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Stigmatas/hookah/DSC08163.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Stigmatas/hookah/DSC08160.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Stigmatas/hookah/DSC08159.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Stigmatas/hookah/DSC08158.jpg[/img]

There seems to be a lot of dirty accumalation in these two places.. how to clean them and how to stop them from getting AS dirty would be helpful.

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Stigmatas/hookah/DSC08156.jpg[/img]
see the white chunky dirt inside the grommet.

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Stigmatas/hookah/DSC08155.jpg[/img]
looks like the same dirt from the last picture.
[/quote]


EDIT:
order a waterproof hose, coco naras, and al-fakar 250mg watermelon to see if starbuzz doesn't agree with me.

[stigmatas]

[quote name='stigmatas' date='02 February 2010 - 12:06 AM' timestamp='1265087219' post='449070']
[quote name='stigmatas' date='02 February 2010 - 12:05 AM' timestamp='1265087132' post='449069']
14) All new members must make at least 1 (one) post within 24 hours of joining to avoid removal of account. This is to help identify automated/spam registrations.

This will be my first post after reading the sticky sorry if I break any rules.

I've been searching alot on the web and talking to a friend about my particular problem i've been having.

it seems:
1.) my smoke isn't thick as I expected it to be or as i've seen in a hookah lounge
2.) it runs out very quickly
3.) severe headaches occur on first session.

From what I can understand about:
1= my heat management and shisha packing seems to be lacking. Not sure how to remedy this.
2= i've read up that shisha touching the foil is very bad, so i put a drip drab in order for it NOT to touch the foil
3= just now reading from another site that, the level of water seems to affect the smoke's rawness. I've eliminated burning my coal all the way through with naturals. Which means until it's fully grey. Hard to do with a gas stove.. thinking of getting a coil burner tomorrow.

Here is my basic setup.. I have 3 heads.. trying to figure out which works best for me and my "style" of smoke. if i've missed any bases please feel free to critique me. Answer are good too

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Stigmatas/hookah/segard.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Stigmatas/hookah/DSC08163.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Stigmatas/hookah/DSC08160.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Stigmatas/hookah/DSC08159.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Stigmatas/hookah/DSC08158.jpg[/img]

There seems to be a lot of dirty accumalation in these two places.. how to clean them and how to stop them from getting AS dirty would be helpful.

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Stigmatas/hookah/DSC08156.jpg[/img]
see the white chunky dirt inside the grommet.

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Stigmatas/hookah/DSC08155.jpg[/img]
looks like the same dirt from the last picture.
[/quote]


EDIT:
Ordered a waterproof hose, coco naras, and al-fakar 250mg watermelon to see if starbuzz doesn't agree with me.
[/quote]

[r1v3th3ad]

touching the foil shouldn't be much trouble, maybe a lil burnage...mine usually touches the foil a little bit.

1. try more foil
2. water level I use is about an in above the bottom of the downstem
3. heat can be tricky, I can't comment on how many coals to use because I only use a phunnel bowl now...but it sounds like you need some more heat possibly
4. pack the bowl full

see how these work for you

[johnp]

I'm fairly new on the forums (if not exactly new to hookah) but
To add to the above,
more heat=more smoke usually, (for me) but too much heat will burn your tobacco and also make it harsh.

If you are using quick light coals, (you may already know this) try making sure they are completely lit and burning before putting them on the hookah as they will taint your tobacco with pyrotechnic taste. Bad.

Incomplete burning can make more carbon monoxide, which can lead to headaches, nausea, and in extreme cases, death. carbon monoxide=bad.

perhaps more likely, Starbuzz is just a stronger tobacco than you are used to. I started on Nakhla double apple and Al Waha strawberry (what the street vendors had where I bought my first hookahs) so when I tried Starbuzz [i]I also got headaches and light headed[/i]. I believe it has a bit more nicotine than the Middle Eastern stuff. Which is why, no more than I smoke, I tend to steer clear of it for the most part now.

Try keeping your coal near the edge and move it periodically, also, so you are breathing in more shisha and less direct charcoal.
I'm rambling. Perhaps you can find something useful here.

[r1v3th3ad]

another thing for headaches= if you are not well hydrated, you will get hookah headaches...drink lots of fluids

[Capt. Morgan]

Make sure the coal is fully lit, the worst headache and nausea of my life was from CO poisoning. The water should ideally be a 1/2 to 3/4 inch above the bottom of the stem. Starbuzz never seems to last very long for me and seems to get used up fairly quickly. Packing and heat management comes with practice. I will only put a coal in the center of the bowl when it is close to the end of the smoke. Work your way around the edges with the coal, periodically moving t when the smoke gets thinner. You can also try cutting the coal in half and putting each half on opposite ends of the bowl, I always had better luck with that method than using whole coals. Hope this helps.

[a cliche affair]

[quote name='johnp' date='02 February 2010 - 12:03 AM' timestamp='1265090618' post='449085']
I'm fairly new on the forums (if not exactly new to hookah) but
To add to the above,
more heat=more smoke usually, (for me) but too much heat will burn your tobacco and also make it harsh.

If you are using quick light coals, (you may already know this) try making sure they are completely lit and burning before putting them on the hookah as they will taint your tobacco with pyrotechnic taste. Bad.

Incomplete burning can make more carbon monoxide, which can lead to headaches, nausea, and in extreme cases, death. carbon monoxide=bad.

[b]perhaps more likely, Starbuzz is just a stronger tobacco than you are used to. I started on Nakhla double apple and Al Waha strawberry (what the street vendors had where I bought my first hookahs) so when I tried Starbuzz [i]I also got headaches and light headed[/i]. I believe it has a bit more nicotine than the Middle Eastern stuff.[/b] Which is why, no more than I smoke, I tend to steer clear of it for the most part now.

Try keeping your coal near the edge and move it periodically, also, so you are breathing in more shisha and less direct charcoal.
I'm rambling. Perhaps you can find something useful here.


[/quote]


False. If you get a bigger buzz from Starbuzz than you do from Nakhla something is wrong. Starbuzz is washed (less nicotine), Nakhla is not. (more nicotine)

As others have stated, make sure the coal is fully lit before placing it on the bowl. Try cutting them in half and putting the halves on opposite sides of the bowl

Also as stated, drink plenty of fluid before and during, eating before is also a good idea.

[johnp]

[quote name='a cliche affair' date='02 February 2010 - 02:05 AM' timestamp='1265094351' post='449097']
[quote name='johnp' date='02 February 2010 - 12:03 AM' timestamp='1265090618' post='449085']
I'm fairly new on the forums (if not exactly new to hookah) but
To add to the above,
more heat=more smoke usually, (for me) but too much heat will burn your tobacco and also make it harsh.

If you are using quick light coals, (you may already know this) try making sure they are completely lit and burning before putting them on the hookah as they will taint your tobacco with pyrotechnic taste. Bad.

Incomplete burning can make more carbon monoxide, which can lead to headaches, nausea, and in extreme cases, death. carbon monoxide=bad.

[b]perhaps more likely, Starbuzz is just a stronger tobacco than you are used to. I started on Nakhla double apple and Al Waha strawberry (what the street vendors had where I bought my first hookahs) so when I tried Starbuzz [i]I also got headaches and light headed[/i]. I believe it has a bit more nicotine than the Middle Eastern stuff.[/b] Which is why, no more than I smoke, I tend to steer clear of it for the most part now.

Try keeping your coal near the edge and move it periodically, also, so you are breathing in more shisha and less direct charcoal.
I'm rambling. Perhaps you can find something useful here.


[/quote]


False. If you get a bigger buzz from Starbuzz than you do from Nakhla something is wrong. Starbuzz is washed (less nicotine), Nakhla is not. (more nicotine)

As others have stated, make sure the coal is fully lit before placing it on the bowl. Try cutting them in half and putting the halves on opposite sides of the bowl

Also as stated, drink plenty of fluid before and during, eating before is also a good idea.


[/quote]

Interesting you would say this...because when I started smoking I only smoked Nakhla etc (see above) but starbuzz routinely had a heavier kick. Perhaps times are different now (I bought my last can of Starbuzz in 2004 I believe) but even considering the wash, Starbuzz (at least then) used Virginia (US) tobacco which has been bred specifically to be stronger for perhaps generations. Pretty sure Nakhla is made of weak Egyptian stuff.

and I don't use partially lit coals ever. So that's not it.

I still do not like Starbuzz, but if what you say is true perhaps I'll give them another try-perhaps its better than it was way back when. (pretty sure the shop owner said they were a brand new brand when I got it)

[Codename067]

Nakhla is made of "Weaker Egyptian Stuff".

I'll take you to Egypt one day, you will smoke stuff that will drop you on the ground 10 minutes in [NOT NHT, all Hookah Tobacco related].

Moving on..

One good thing you can do is try to peel of the skin of cucumber, grab a few slices of lemon, and throw them in a cup filled with water, and drink slowly through-out the session.

Works well for some people that come and have a hard time coping with the nicotine levels.

[johnp]

[quote name='Codename067' date='02 February 2010 - 03:37 AM' timestamp='1265099869' post='449109']
Nakhla is made of "Weaker Egyptian Stuff".

I'll take you to Egypt one day, you will smoke stuff that will drop you on the ground 10 minutes in [NOT NHT, all Hookah Tobacco related].

Moving on..

One good thing you can do is try to peel of the skin of cucumber, grab a few slices of lemon, and throw them in a cup filled with water, and drink slowly through-out the session.

Works well for some people that come and have a hard time coping with the nicotine levels.
[/quote]

Honestly, I'd love to go there, but I still don't think the stuff in Nakhla is as strong as the Virginia stuff in Starbuzz. Not saying you couldn't find strong tobacco in Egypt, but doubt that's the stuff they use.
Incidentally...the first tobacco smoked...was[ Virginia ]tobacco, and its discovery and subsequent export to the rest of the world is in large part why hookahs experienced a huge jump in popularity in the 15/1600's, and during the time period if one smoked tobacco (basically anywhere) it came from the American colonies.

So...I guess if we wanted to get technical about it...Egyptian tobacco...is originally American tobacco, (all tobacco is) or a descendant of it.

Never tried drinking cucumber in water (although lemon is something everyone's tried) normally I used to sit around with friends and drink the strongest coffee I could get and we'd all stay up all night talking. Perhaps hot tea would be good if you're a tea person, but same idea....

[Scoop]

[quote name='johnp' date='02 February 2010 - 12:54 AM' timestamp='1265100846' post='449114']
[quote name='Codename067' date='02 February 2010 - 03:37 AM' timestamp='1265099869' post='449109']
Nakhla is made of "Weaker Egyptian Stuff".

I'll take you to Egypt one day, you will smoke stuff that will drop you on the ground 10 minutes in [NOT NHT, all Hookah Tobacco related].

Moving on..

One good thing you can do is try to peel of the skin of cucumber, grab a few slices of lemon, and throw them in a cup filled with water, and drink slowly through-out the session.

Works well for some people that come and have a hard time coping with the nicotine levels.
[/quote]

Honestly, I'd love to go there, but I still don't think the stuff in Nakhla is as strong as the Virginia stuff in Starbuzz. Not saying you couldn't find strong tobacco in Egypt, but doubt that's the stuff they use.
Incidentally...the first tobacco smoked...was[ Virginia ]tobacco, and its discovery and subsequent export to the rest of the world is in large part why hookahs experienced a huge jump in popularity in the 15/1600's, and during the time period if one smoked tobacco (basically anywhere) it came from the American colonies.

So...I guess if we wanted to get technical about it...Egyptian tobacco...is originally American tobacco, (all tobacco is) or a descendant of it.

Never tried drinking cucumber in water (although lemon is something everyone's tried) normally I used to sit around with friends and drink the strongest coffee I could get and we'd all stay up all night talking. Perhaps hot tea would be good if you're a tea person, but same idea....
[/quote]

all this may be fine and true, but starbuzz is a washed tobacco. relative to nakhla it has virtually no nicotine (and to be honest, it wouldn't surprise me if starbuzz had 0 Virginia grown tobacco).

Starbuzz does use different food colorings and it may be possible your body is not handling them well. Again, i'll reiterate, regarding nicotine levels, starbuzz is significantly lower.

[liquidglass]

[quote name='johnp' date='02 February 2010 - 03:54 AM' timestamp='1265100846' post='449114']
[quote name='Codename067' date='02 February 2010 - 03:37 AM' timestamp='1265099869' post='449109']
Nakhla is made of "Weaker Egyptian Stuff".

I'll take you to Egypt one day, you will smoke stuff that will drop you on the ground 10 minutes in [NOT NHT, all Hookah Tobacco related].

Moving on..

One good thing you can do is try to peel of the skin of cucumber, grab a few slices of lemon, and throw them in a cup filled with water, and drink slowly through-out the session.

Works well for some people that come and have a hard time coping with the nicotine levels.
[/quote]

Honestly, I'd love to go there, but I still don't think [b]the stuff in Nakhla is as strong as the Virginia stuff in Starbuzz. Not saying you couldn't find strong tobacco in Egypt, but doubt that's the stuff they use.[/b]
Incidentally...the first tobacco smoked...was[ Virginia ]tobacco, and its discovery and subsequent export to the rest of the world is in large part why hookahs experienced a huge jump in popularity in the 15/1600's, and during the time period if one smoked tobacco (basically anywhere) it came from the American colonies.

So...I guess if we wanted to get technical about it...Egyptian tobacco...is originally American tobacco, (all tobacco is) or a descendant of it.

Never tried drinking cucumber in water (although lemon is something everyone's tried) normally I used to sit around with friends and drink the strongest coffee I could get and we'd all stay up all night talking. Perhaps hot tea would be good if you're a tea person, but same idea....
[/quote]


I find your history interesting, but that's beside the point lol.


Take a strong liquor, beer, wine, whatever you please. Something that has been worked on for decades if not more to perfect it's strength. If you water it down, it will be weaker regardless of it's origin.

If you were to take the same liquid or even one slightly weaker than the original and NOT water it down it would be significantly stronger.

This is basically what's happening when it comes to starbuzz. Let's assume they are using a high quality tobacco (which I doubt simply because they are in it for the profit) with the washing of it and additives of various chemicals that don't belong the origin of the tobacco is no longer apparent.

So not hating on starbuzz because some people enjoy it and I used to and still do occasionally but facts are facts.

[Capt. Morgan]

I've never gotten a nicotine buzz off of starbuzz... or really any kind of buzz for that matter. Nahkla on the other hand has a decent buzz to it.

[mxtaylor]

To fix your smoke, I'd break the quicklight coal in half before you put it on the stove and get it red hot. Put them on opposite sides of the bowl and try that. You want to pack the bowl full, but make sure it is fluffy at the same time. Its a hard balance to find at first.

[mushrat]

try this. Water an inch to an inch and a half up the downstem, break that coal disk into 2 or 3 pieces and move them to the edges of the bowl, and when you pack your bowl, flip it over and see if you can draw air unrestricted through the bowl. If you can draw air freely, it packed properly, if you can't its packed too tight and the top layer will char giving you a little smoke, a little flavour then nothing but burn.

Also, it's ok to pack the bowl to the top, if you don't the foil will just sag there anyways as you move and replace coals. The key is that you dont hotspot the tobacco through the foil.

The burning/hotspotting will cause a lack of flavour and the headache.

Overtight packing will reduce your smoke volume because the air isn't traveling through the bowl properly.

Sorry if thi is rambling, it's early.

[Arcane]

[quote name='johnp' date='01 February 2010 - 10:54 PM' timestamp='1265100846' post='449114']
[quote name='Codename067' date='02 February 2010 - 03:37 AM' timestamp='1265099869' post='449109']
Nakhla is made of "Weaker Egyptian Stuff".

I'll take you to Egypt one day, you will smoke stuff that will drop you on the ground 10 minutes in [NOT NHT, all Hookah Tobacco related].

Moving on..

One good thing you can do is try to peel of the skin of cucumber, grab a few slices of lemon, and throw them in a cup filled with water, and drink slowly through-out the session.

Works well for some people that come and have a hard time coping with the nicotine levels.
[/quote]

Honestly, I'd love to go there, but I still don't think the stuff in Nakhla is as strong as the Virginia stuff in Starbuzz. Not saying you couldn't find strong tobacco in Egypt, but doubt that's the stuff they use.
Incidentally...the first tobacco smoked...was[ Virginia ]tobacco, and its discovery and subsequent export to the rest of the world is in large part why hookahs experienced a huge jump in popularity in the 15/1600's, and during the time period if one smoked tobacco (basically anywhere) it came from the American colonies.

So...I guess if we wanted to get technical about it...Egyptian tobacco...is originally American tobacco, (all tobacco is) or a descendant of it.

Never tried drinking cucumber in water (although lemon is something everyone's tried) normally I used to sit around with friends and drink the strongest coffee I could get and we'd all stay up all night talking. Perhaps hot tea would be good if you're a tea person, but same idea....
[/quote]
actually, Virginia tobacco isn't really a "breed"...it's flue-cured brightleaf tobacco. And it wasn't the first type of tobacco smoked. In fact, it was discovered by accident and gained popularity after the Civil War (IIRC). It's popularity increased because 1) the soil used to grow the tobacco leaf is crap (there's a lot more crappy soil than good soil 2) the curing process produced a tobacco that was milder and lighter in flavor.

It's probably used by Starbuzz because it has a milder flavor than other tobaccos that undergo different curing processes, thus imparting less of the tobacco flavor to the vapor. Even though the curing process produces a tobacco leaf that's fairly high in nicotine, the fact that Starbuzz has been washed to remove the nicotine, makes it a moot point.

My guesstimation is there is probably an ingredient contained in Starbuzz that is not used in Nakhla, which resulted in the headaches/lightheadedness. There are a few people that get headaches when smoking different brands such as Al Fakher, Starbuzz, or Fusion. It may be the dye, something to do with the flavorings used, or maybe a preservative. Either way, I doubt the nicotine (or lack thereof) in Starbuzz is producing the buzz.

[cypherkk]

well, to answer you questions...

I get headaches to from starbuzz, if I smoke constantly without a break. Its a very easy to smoke tobacco so you can put too much heat on it and not even notice.

Now your bowl is shallow, I have heard the more shallow the bowl the more towards the edge you need the coals, the deeper the bowl the more towards the center you can place the coals... works well for me too.

The size of the coal seems huge for the bowl. I'd break it in half, put the two pieces on the edges of the bowl. Make sure the coals are well lit (red all around, no major black spots). Even not quicklite coals leave a flavor if they aren't burning completely.

My shisha pretty much always touches the foil to some extent. maybe it burns out faster than it should but I can usually smoke 2-3 hours with flavor. Remember not to use too much coal and to rotate them when you ash or add new coals.

That dirt as you say in the pictures looks like calcium build up. Is your water hard where you live. To remedy that You want to make sure when you clean your hookah you let it dry completely don't have water standing in the stem or base. I had a base like that and the corners were caked with calcium... If its calcium you can remove it with the proper cleaners, I won't tell you how to do that, find out yourself, it would take to long to go through all the procations just make sure you rinse it out very very well afterwards.

different shishas require being packed differently. Fumari for example need to be very sparse and lightly packed, Tangiers needs to be densely packed(even compressed). I've never noticed any issue with starbuzz, so I'd say just pack that sucker full.

On a final note, I personally hate round coals, I can't seem to manage them, the explode or break apart when moving the, and don't seem to stay long enough. I prefer squares or even better fingers broke into smaller pieces. Naturals are difficult as you need to keep them stoked or they will stop burning, I don't have the ability to deal with that, so I tend to stay away from them.

[Venger]

use the bowl with the lock down screen. Pack it tight with NAK put the metal screen on an one 3k 33m. smoke will be thick.flavor is great.open wind screen if it gets too hot.close it as coals die.
Ray

[stigmatas]

So to remedy the situation I am using al fakar, 4 ice cubes instead of 3, the head with the built on windscreen, heavy duty instead of normal reynold's wrap, and for a hole pattern i'm using the screen as a blueprint for my holes in the foil. Oh and only used one 33mm 3kings QL.

I make sure i poke ALL the way down to hill hit something or went too far.

Smoke came out beautiful.

Namoor hose to arrive soon, and i get my new brush so I can clean this bad boy out.

yay

[johnp]

Glad you found a solution that worked!
The rest of us arguing what sort of tobacco is in starbuzz or nakhla don't really matter so long as you've found a solution you enjoy.
I do know my tubs of Starbuzz had Virginia tobacco (it's on the ingredients...) but it would just be subjecture as to what is in Nakhla. Nakhla is easier on me, but if it genuinely has less nicotine than Nakhla...wash process or no, then I will simply say I did not like it last time I tried the stuff.
Grain of salt, though, as that was a few years ago. Lots can change in a few years. Nakhla has been around a LOOOONG time. When I tried Starbuzz it had been out less than a year....so perhaps I've judged it too harshly based on the favorable reactions it is receiving now...