Tastes Like Dust

[noodle]

I just started up a phunnel bowl of Al Fakher apricot. Although the shisha smells nice in the bag and I'm getting decent clouds, it tastes like dust. What am I doing wrong?

[ezxen]

[quote name='noodle' timestamp='1286745961' post='484605']
I just started up a phunnel bowl of Al Fakher apricot. Although the shisha smells nice in the bag and I'm getting decent clouds, it tastes like dust. What am I doing wrong?
[/quote]
probably dust in the hose or the heart. Wash out the hose and the heart of your hookah

[noodle]

I'm not getting any taste otherwise. I figured if the heart and hose were dusty, I'd get dusty apricot, but it's just dust.

[dizzbizz]

I've never had apricot from AF. Maybe its just bad? You could also try packing another bowl of a different flavor to make sure its not your hookah. But if there was literal dust in your rig I'm sure you'd be able to feel the particles in your mouth.

[Chreees]

How old is it?

[noodle]

It's about a year old, but I only just now opened it.

[Chreees]

Hm, shouldn't be the tobacco then... What pipe are you using? Are you sure it's totally clean? Have you checked for buildup of any kind?

[mushrat]

too hot. less coal.

[noodle]

The pipe is a Mya QT with maybe four sessions ever smoked on it. I used a pair of Golden QLs on top of heavy-duty foil. Bowl is a small Tangiers phunnel. Edited October 11, 2010 by noodle

[Venger]

switch to Nak apricot it is wonderful.
Ray

[mushrat]

Phunnel and 2 ql's? WAYYY too much heat.

[noodle]

[quote name='mushrat' timestamp='1286759249' post='484620']
Phunnel and 2 ql's? WAYYY too much heat.
[/quote]

Okay... so how should I be doing this differently? Should I try to find some coconaras and try again?

[Epoch]

Coconaras are always better. Try breaking a single QL coal and using the pieces instead.

[noodle]

So, are you guys saying that I was burning the shisha instead of "cooking" it?

[Epoch]

Too much heat will make your smoke taste acrid.

Perhaps AF Apricot isn't the flavor for you?

[noodle]

There are a couple local shops where I can get coconaras. I'll try that. I think I followed Eric's video correctly on packing the bowl.

[dizzbizz]

You dont pack AF like Tangiers. AF needs to be "fluffed" into the bowl, even in a phunnel. I always get better sessions if its fluffed.

[agunn1231]

[quote name='Venger' timestamp='1286758078' post='484619']
switch to Nak apricot it is wonderful.
Ray
[/quote]
^
i agree with this....never really liked AF apricot, but nak is good

also give cocos another shot, if not keep experimenting....or maybe it's just nota good flavor

[noodle]

It seems that Al Fakher has a reputation for having widely-varying likability. I'd like to get some Tangiers, of course, but right now all I have are three 250g tubs of Al Fakher (apricot, grape-mint, and berry) and some 50g packets. At Flame and Skewers a couple years ago, someone offered me a pull of Romman's "Berry Breeze", which I loved -- a chilly fruity mist. When I tried to fire up a bowl of that same shisha for myself, I got the taste of dust. What do you guys think of Romman's offerings?

[mushrat]

Just use 1 ql broken in half, move up to 1 1/2 if you dont get the desired result. Different bands take different heat levels.

And I pack WHATEVER im smoking the same way in a phunnel. Tangier, af, sb, doesn't matter. The physics of a phunnel are different than in a reguar bowl, but thats just my personal experience. If it works fluffed by all means try it that way too.

Oh and Ive noticed the apricot has almost a ginger spice to it, that may be throwing some folks.

[ih303]

[quote name='Venger' timestamp='1286758078' post='484619']switch to Nak apricot it is wonderful.[/quote]
Just as long as it's not Mizo…

[quote name='mushrat' timestamp='1286759249' post='484620']Phunnel and 2 ql's? WAYYY too much heat.[/quote]

You think so, Mush? He said he was using HD foil and a couple of Golden Canaries. If you ask me, he's not using ENOUGH heat.

When I start a bowl of AF, I generally throw on three full CCN's to get it ripping then pull one off as I feel it start to get hot. The remaining two CCN's will keep the bowl ripping for a while before anymore heat is needed.

OP, a lot of people around here dig coconut coals and for good reason: they burn hotter, cleaner, and longer than any other coal on the market. But Goldens are good coals. I know Eric, for one, swears by them. I keep some at the crib for when I'm out and about without a coil to light me nats. As long as you know how to use them and understand how they differ from nats they're just fine.

[quote name='dizzbizz' timestamp='1286772427' post='484631']You dont pack AF like Tangiers. AF needs to be "fluffed" into the bowl, even in a phunnel. I always get better sessions if its fluffed.[/quote]
BOOYA, Dizz! I couldn't agree more.

IMO, AF delivers some of the best smoke in existence IF you know how to correctly handle and pack extremely wet tobacco and how much heat to put to it. Dizz has got the first part of the equation right here.

[quote name='noodle' timestamp='1286857521' post='484761']It seems that Al Fakher has a reputation for having widely-varying likability. I'd like to get some Tangiers, of course, but right now all I have are three 250g tubs of Al Fakher (apricot, grape-mint, and berry) and some 50g packets. At Flame and Skewers a couple years ago, someone offered me a pull of Romman's "Berry Breeze", which I loved -- a chilly fruity mist. When I tried to fire up a bowl of that same shisha for myself, I got the taste of dust. What do you guys think of Romman's offerings?[/quote]

There's absolutely NOTHING wrong with AF, man. Like I said, I consider it to be one of the best brands currently on the market HANDS DOWN. It's easy to look around the forum and get the impression that Tangiers is boss and everything else is inferior. But that's simply not the case. Tangiers is a great brand, don't get me wrong. But it's not the only one.

In regards to Romman, I've been on a HUGE Romman kick lately. IMO, they're doing a lot of flavors RIGHT that I've seen so many other companies do WRONG. The biggest gripe you'll find around here is the price – it costs slightly less than Starbuzz. My biggest gripe is the ultra fine cut of some flavors and how ridiculously juicy it is which results in less tobacco in the syrup:tobacco ratio per gram. But other than that, they've got some fantastic flavors. My favorite at the moment is Summer Crisp.

[quote name='mushrat' timestamp='1286880919' post='484777']I pack WHATEVER im smoking the same way in a phunnel. Tangier, af, sb, doesn't matter.[/quote]

Hmm… this is very intriguing to me.

A few weeks ago one of my employees told me he did the same thing so I challenged him to a bowl-off to figure it out. We both packed small phunnels of Noir K-Peach; I packed mine using the same techniques illustrated by Eric & John's video, and my employee just packed his like we pack everything else.

As we started smoking, the differences were nominal; mine required slightly less heat to get ripping and his had more of a tickle then mine. The big differences became obvious as the session progressed. My employee's hookah seemed to require more heat management to maintain than mine. In addition, his smoke became noticeably thinner while mine remained thick with the same amount of heat.

At the end of the day, my employee had changed his mind about how to pack Tangiers Noir. But you're not the first person who's told me they don't do anything special with Tangiers so it's got to just be a personal preference thing.

[quote name='noodle' timestamp='1286745961' post='484605']I just started up a phunnel bowl of Al Fakher apricot. Although the shisha smells nice in the bag and I'm getting decent clouds, it tastes like dust. What am I doing wrong?[/quote]

And to answer your original question, my advice would be to repack your bowl (loose in density yet consistent in distribution) all the way to the top of the bowl, foil it with two concentric rings of holes around the edge of the bowl, then throw on four, well-lit Goldens. If you've done it right, your first pull will produce epic smoke. Once you feel it start to get hot, pull back the heat by removing a coal and then let it coast. AF Apricot is a damn good flavor, IMO. See if you can get a good session before you throw in the towel.

[Travis]

[quote]
[quote name='mushrat' timestamp='1286759249' post='484620']Phunnel and 2 ql's? WAYYY too much heat.[/quote]

You think so, Mush? He said he was using HD foil and a couple of Golden Canaries. If you ask me, he's not using ENOUGH heat.

When I start a bowl of AF, I generally throw on three full CCN's to get it ripping then pull one off as I feel it start to get hot. The remaining two CCN's will keep the bowl ripping for a while before anymore heat is needed.

OP, a lot of people around here dig coconut coals and for good reason: they burn hotter, cleaner, and longer than any other coal on the market. But Goldens are good coals. I know Eric, for one, swears by them. I keep some at the crib for when I'm out and about without a coil to light me nats. As long as you know how to use them and understand how they differ from nats they're just fine.[/quote]

Actually OP said he was using 2 golden quicklight disks....If you ask me thats too much heat on any bowl without being broken up and spread out.

[mushrat]

[quote]Hmm… this is very intriguing to me.

A few weeks ago one of my employees told me he did the same thing so I challenged him to a bowl-off to figure it out. We both packed small phunnels of Noir K-Peach; I packed mine using the same techniques illustrated by Eric & John's video, and my employee just packed his like we pack everything else.

As we started smoking, the differences were nominal; mine required slightly less heat to get ripping and his had more of a tickle then mine. The big differences became obvious as the session progressed. My employee's hookah seemed to require more heat management to maintain than mine. In addition, his smoke became noticeably thinner while mine remained thick with the same amount of heat.

At the end of the day, my employee had changed his mind about how to pack Tangiers Noir. But you're not the first person who's told me they don't do anything special with Tangiers so it's got to just be a personal preference thing.[/quote]


You may have mis-understood me. when im using a phunnel no matter what the tobacco, i pack it down hard and to the top. no fluffing.

[mushrat]

[quote name='Travis' timestamp='1286891229' post='484790']
[quote]
[quote name='mushrat' timestamp='1286759249' post='484620']Phunnel and 2 ql's? WAYYY too much heat.[/quote]

You think so, Mush? He said he was using HD foil and a couple of Golden Canaries. If you ask me, he's not using ENOUGH heat.

When I start a bowl of AF, I generally throw on three full CCN's to get it ripping then pull one off as I feel it start to get hot. The remaining two CCN's will keep the bowl ripping for a while before anymore heat is needed.

OP, a lot of people around here dig coconut coals and for good reason: they burn hotter, cleaner, and longer than any other coal on the market. But Goldens are good coals. I know Eric, for one, swears by them. I keep some at the crib for when I'm out and about without a coil to light me nats. As long as you know how to use them and understand how they differ from nats they're just fine.[/quote]

Actually OP said he was using 2 golden quicklight disks....If you ask me thats too much heat on any bowl without being broken up and spread out.
[/quote]

Ya, thats what i read, 2 whole ql's. too much heat concentrated in 2 places.

[noodle]

I found some coconara naturals. Now I just need an opportunity to give them a try. The QLs won't go to waste in any case. I'll use them for burning incense resins. That's really what they're good for with the cavity on top.