What'S The Big Deal With The "Shisha Touching The Foil" Debate?

[bradleyclark86]

I've been an avid hookah smoker for over a year now, and it's safe to say I have my technique down pat. I use a small phunnel for everything, packed loose, 2 sheets of foil, and 3 Coco Naras on top, and I get 2 yummy hours every single time. However, I've been reading a lot of discussion lately on the issue of shisha touching the foil. Some say it's a good thing, others frown upon in. In my own experience, I avoid it all costs. Anytime the shisha touches the foil, even a little bit, the bowl is burnt in no time. However, if I leave about an 1/8" gap between the shisha and foil, it smokes smoooooooth as long as I manage the heat properly. So what does this all boil down to? Technique? Heat management? Perhaps some of you veteran smokers can provide some insight.

[Arcane]

depends on how you pack and how you manage your heat...

as far as the debate goes - there's no debate. you do what works for you.

my tobacco and foil are pretty much all over each other......by the end of the session, the foil lights a cigarette and the tobacco hopes she can find a morning after pill...

[TheyCallMeDave]

Cant remember the last time my foil and shisha didn't touch. I don't prefer it by any means, but with the way i manage my heat, I never get bad results. It's just always like jay said, a big cluster fuck of aluminum and tobacco by the end of my smoke.

[Balthazar]

Agree with the post above. Personally I always have the tobacco touching the foil.

[ryno]

I have never figured out where the whole "shisha touches the foil" is bad. Mine probably always touches and I've never had a problem.

[ezxen]

sometimes it dose some time it dosent . Ill have a night when i go and peel the foil the charged tobacco comes out with ti yet teh bowl was an amazing smoke

[Chreees]

Mine always get jiggy with one another and I haven't had problems yet...

[PSU Smoker]

If there was a quote all button I'd use it right now. Mine always touches and comes out as a cluster fuck. But if your air gap works for you then by all means keep on keeping on brother

[bradleyclark86]

[quote name='Arcane' date='07 April 2010 - 03:41 PM' timestamp='1270669275' post='462453']
depends on how you pack and how you manage your heat...

as far as the debate goes - there's no debate. you do what works for you.

my tobacco and foil are pretty much all over each other......by the end of the session, the foil lights a cigarette and the tobacco hopes she can find a morning after pill...
[/quote]


I lol'd pretty hard when I read that...

I guess I'm just a hookah anomaly then. A little bit of a gap is pretty much a "have to" for me. Or unless y'all know of a better way to manage Coco Nara?

[Charley]

people who dont know proper heat management and use certain brands of shisha scorch there bowls then blame it on the foil touching the shisha.

its like a gun. If an idiot picks up a gun and it goes off they blame the gun not there lack of skill and training. (sorry was a debate on another forum.)

[Click]

Mine always touch and don't have a single problem with it.  It may depend on the density of the pack.  If it's packed too dense and touching the foil and the tobacco isn't cut like Tangiers to allow a denser pack then you may have problems.  

[Venger]

If it does it does. I don't pack it so it will I just pack and foil.
Ray

[dizzbizz]

Yeah, I never found out how it became a bad thing for shisha to touch the foil. Mine always does and I have zero problems. I don't know what kind of shisha or bowl you're using but I use coconara's too.

[the_cool]

Mine usually touches but i thought id try without it touching and the smoke wasnt right, neither was the flavour. But the downside to having the tobacco touching the foil is that the foil gets all crinckled up due to the tobacco fusing to the foil, causing rumbling coals.

But still, Ill take clouds and flavour over non rumbling coals anyday!

[bradleyclark86]

I use a small phunnel and a wide range of shisha brands: SB, Fantasia, AF, Rosetta, JM's, AW. I think I've got a little bit of everything minus Tangiers. I use Reynold's heavy duty foil; 2 sheets; 3 cocentric rings of holes. Coco Nara coals, 2 sets of 3.

With my current method, I only get a scorched bowl due to poor heat management, which is few and far between. Because Coco Naras are so hot coming off the plate, I let them sit on the tray for about 5 minutes. During that time I turn the burner off, knock off the old coals, refill my drink, etc. Then when I put the fresh coal on, I make sure that the cooler side of the cube that was making contact with the tray is the part on the foil. I'm good to go after that. Sometimes the bowl hasn't cooled enough so I have to take them off after a few puffs. The timing is a hassle but I'm getting it perfected. But there's been a couple times more harsh than usual, and when i later peeled back the foil, there was shisha stuck to it...hence my associating it with "bad."

[ezxen]

[quote name='bradleyclark86' date='07 April 2010 - 03:03 PM' timestamp='1270677826' post='462494']
I use a small phunnel and a wide range of shisha brands: SB, Fantasia, AF, Rosetta, JM's, AW. I think I've got a little bit of everything minus Tangiers. I use Reynold's heavy duty foil; 2 sheets; 3 cocentric rings of holes. Coco Nara coals, 2 sets of 3.

With my current method, I only get a scorched bowl due to poor heat management, which is few and far between. Because Coco Naras are so hot coming off the plate, I let them sit on the tray for about 5 minutes. During that time I turn the burner off, knock off the old coals, refill my drink, etc. Then when I put the fresh coal on, I make sure that the cooler side of the cube that was making contact with the tray is the part on the foil. I'm good to go after that. Sometimes the bowl hasn't cooled enough so I have to take them off after a few puffs. The timing is a hassle but I'm getting it perfected. But there's been a couple times more harsh than usual, and when i later peeled back the foil, there was shisha stuck to it...hence my associating it with "bad."
[/quote]
two sheets of heavy duty?

[bradleyclark86]

[quote name='ezxen' date='07 April 2010 - 06:30 PM' timestamp='1270679458' post='462500']
[quote name='bradleyclark86' date='07 April 2010 - 03:03 PM' timestamp='1270677826' post='462494']
I use a small phunnel and a wide range of shisha brands: SB, Fantasia, AF, Rosetta, JM's, AW. I think I've got a little bit of everything minus Tangiers. I use Reynold's heavy duty foil; 2 sheets; 3 cocentric rings of holes. Coco Nara coals, 2 sets of 3.

With my current method, I only get a scorched bowl due to poor heat management, which is few and far between. Because Coco Naras are so hot coming off the plate, I let them sit on the tray for about 5 minutes. During that time I turn the burner off, knock off the old coals, refill my drink, etc. Then when I put the fresh coal on, I make sure that the cooler side of the cube that was making contact with the tray is the part on the foil. I'm good to go after that. Sometimes the bowl hasn't cooled enough so I have to take them off after a few puffs. The timing is a hassle but I'm getting it perfected. But there's been a couple times more harsh than usual, and when i later peeled back the foil, there was shisha stuck to it...hence my associating it with "bad."
[/quote]
two sheets of heavy duty?
[/quote]

Yup. Anything less and it gets too hot, too quick.

[joytron]

try cutting the coals in half and using four

[bradleyclark86]

How does a person halve a Coco Nara? They're thick....and dense

[PSU Smoker]

http://www.hookahforum.com/topic/36251-the-official-how-to-cut-coconaras-in-half-thread/

[ryno]

[quote name='bradleyclark86' date='07 April 2010 - 07:12 PM' timestamp='1270681979' post='462514']
How does a person halve a Coco Nara? They're thick....and dense
[/quote]

I score the coal with my tongs, and take a 5lb mini sledge and a flathead screw driver to it. Mini sledge a little over the top? Yes, does it work very easily? YES!

[PSU Smoker]

[quote name='ryno' date='07 April 2010 - 07:40 PM' timestamp='1270683649' post='462525']
[quote name='bradleyclark86' date='07 April 2010 - 07:12 PM' timestamp='1270681979' post='462514']
How does a person halve a Coco Nara? They're thick....and dense
[/quote]

I score the coal with my tongs, and take a 5lb mini sledge and a flathead screw driver to it. Mini sledge a little over the top? Yes, does it work very easily? YES!
[/quote]

for some reason I read tongue instead of tongs and was like "damn thats badass!!"

[Codename067]

Personal preference is you ask me.

I tend to pack the tobacco just slightly below the rim, so the foil does not touch it. Other will pack above the rim and still smoke fine, with no problem.

I tried both methods, and I chose to start packing in a way where the tobacco does not touch the foil.

[ih303]

I need to find the last discussion we had about this. Hold on...

Here it is: [url="http://www.hookahforum.com/topic/36354-packing-a-bowl-space-between-tobacco-and-foil/page__hl__space%20foil"]http://www.hookahforum.com/topic/36354-packing-a-bowl-space-between-tobacco-and-foil/page__hl__space%20foil[/url]

Take a look at that.

I don't care for Coco's because they burn too hot and are overpriced. I smoked a bowl of K-Peach the other day with some Coco's and nearly scorched it because I was used to John's coals. Seems like two pieces of HD Reynolds would be the best way to go with Coco's.

I mentioned it in the thread linked above, but I think it comes down to heat transfer. When the baccy and the foil are together, I think you get better heat transfer and distribution through conduction. But hey, if it works for you, more power to ya!

Someone just needs to pack two identical bowls with the same shisha, foil, and hole pattern, but pack one full and one a little less than full. Tell us if you notice a difference.

[bradleyclark86]

I figured that's what it would come down to: personal preference. I'm definitely going to try splitting my coal tonight to see how it works. Hope it does cause that would cut my coal use in half.