How Much Room Do You Leave From Foil To Shisha?

[Cloud9]

When packing a bowl...I figured it's best to leave as much room as you can so the foil is not resting right on the shisha. Otherwise it would probably burn, right? I'm trying to figure out the best way to pack it. Sometimes I go to my buddy's house and have an awesome smoking session...and other times it just isn't right. We always use Starbuzz, and we're always using the same hookah. So it must be the way we pack it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Cloud9]

Also...maybe it's where we put the coals. Do you guys place them in the center or on the sides?

[twoapplesplease]

None...foil and tobacco are touching alot

[jorlyfish]

I hadn't really thought about it before. I don't avoid letting the foil touch the shisha though... I think it's supposed to. I just fill up the bowl til its full but not overflowing (if I look at it from the side, very little [if any] shisha should be visible).
Coals I usually keep on the sides and rotate around. I don't smoke Starbuzz, so I'm not sure about how it should be packed or how much heat it takes, but try backing off the heat a little bit by either less coal or moving the coals over to the edges - even letting them hang off the edge of the bowl a bit. How many/what kind of coals are you using?

[Stuie]

If there's room... there is room for more tobacco. Foil and tobacco touching is like the French Kiss of the Hookah World.

[Chreees]

I always have my tobacco and foil touching. It just doesn't smoke well otherwise.

[Cp44]

no room, the tobaccy touches the foil, just make sure to fluff the tobacco. I put the coals on the rim of the bowl and go around.

[Matto]

Yep everyone said it, my foil and shisha are all up on each other like a couple from jersey shores.

[dizzbizz]

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[size=2]Anybody a fan of No Country for Old Men?[/size]

[noodle]

Does any of this matter when using a phunnel or vortex?

[ryno]

Foil and shisha are always touching. Coals go on the sides of the bowl opposite of each other. It's the same for phunnels and vortexs.

[TheyCallMeDave]

+1 to majority

[Arcane]

conduction > convection

[Travis]

I use a phunnel 99% of the time. Foil touches 100% of the time. 3 coals in a triangle pattern right over the tobacco. 87% of the time, it works every time.......
..
just kidding, but seriously.

[mushrat]

unless its a phunnel right to the top with tobacco, foil touching, and I dont give a shit which side is up, shiny or dull.

[antouwan]

it depends on what kind of tobacco i'm using. if it's AF then there's probably 0 space. if i'm using nakhla then there's negative space. yeah, that's right.

coals ALWAYS on the edges...unless it's the end of the session, then center coal placement is justifiable. rules of engagement, man - learn them.

also, try some good japanese coals. i recently started using them again and i was extremely surprised in the best of ways. they're basically my favorite coal now. use high quality coals like abu hitam's or golden canary (if they're available)...i heard fumari's are good, too.

[Barnaby]

SHINY SIDE UP!!!!!!!!!


but, on topic. foil and shisha touch.. no biggie. heats more evenly, and smokes better.

[r1v3th3ad]

I used to care and pack my phunnels lower so the tobacco doesn't touch...mistake...I get better sessions with the foil touching, although for me they tend to burn more frequently

[ih303]

Holy frijoles! Do we have a consensus? This must be a first.

When I pack, I make sure to leave enough room for a wet papertowl. So 1337!










Sorry guys... it's been a while, and I couldn't resist.

[jorlyfish]

[quote name='ih303' timestamp='1287759719' post='485921']

When I pack, I make sure to leave enough room for a wet papertowl. So 1337!

[/quote]

[img]http://www.hookahforum.com/public/style_emoticons/default/perfect10.gif[/img]

[thatonethere]

Shisha and foil touch, coals situated near the edges of the bowl and over time, I'd work them towards the center of the bowl.

[Stuie]

[quote name='thatonethere' timestamp='1287762668' post='485929']
Shisha and foil touch, coals situated near the edges of the bowl and over time, I'd work them towards the center of the bowl.
[/quote]

That is the perfect answer.

[Cenk Manisalı]

İ think it refers to the setup.

İ always put some room between foil and tobacco. Otherwise it burns rapidly and gives the burnt smell.

My setup:

[URL=http://pic-hoster.com/show.php/16136_11022011016.jpg.html][IMG]http://pic-hoster.com/out.php/t16136_11022011016.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[b]Clay bowl[/b]


[URL=http://pic-hoster.com/show.php/16137_11022011017.jpg.html][IMG]http://pic-hoster.com/out.php/t16137_11022011017.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Charcoil ( Oak tree )
Rosanna tobacco

[magick777]

I don't have a hard and fast rule, it does depend on how hot your coals are and how much coal you use vs. how much heat your tobacco wants and how easy it is to scorch. I've also never smoked Starbuzz so no comment on how much heat it requires. However, contrary to the majority opinion here, I get best results with a 4-5mm gap below the foil and a fair bit of coal on top, certainly for Tang and AF anyway. Nakhla likes more heat, I tend to pack right up to the foil but have to move the coals around a lot.

One other thing I find is that if I pack up to the foil, the holes in the foil clog with ash and the draw of the bowl suffers, often needing more holes punched. Leave an air gap and you may get some ash fall through, but it won't block things up. This matters if your bowl is going to last for several sets of coals...

[Chreees]

The coals get downright dirty with my shisha... if that makes any sense. I just woke up and I feel kinda out of it.