Beginner's Guide to Hookah

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Anatomy of the Hookah:

[img]http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p40/INCUBUSRATM/Hookah/shisha_pipe_hookah_pipe.jpg[/img]


How to setup your hookah:

1. Fill the vase with water so that the downstem is submerged around an inch or so.

2. Stir the tobacco to evenly distribute all the juices. Place it in the bowl lightly, so that air can pass through it. Fill it to the rim of the bowl. Don't worry about the tobacco touching the foil – this is perfectly normal. Place a small cut out sheet of aluminum foil (or use precut squares if you have them) on the bowl, and wrap it tightly, so that it's like a drum. Now take a poking instrument (toothpicks work great) and poke holes like this, making sure to poke all the way to the bottom of the bowl:

[img]http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p40/INCUBUSRATM/Hookah/IMG_0261.jpg[/img]


After you poke your holes, blow through the bottom of the bowl. This ensures that the holes are not clogged.

[img]http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p40/INCUBUSRATM/Hookah/IMG_0267.jpg[/img]

3. Now for the coal. If using quicklights, split the disc coal into two halves using a knife, striking it with a hammer. This should result in a clean cut, making two halves. If using naturals, you'll need to use two coals. For lighting quicklights, use a standard lighter and wait until the coal is fully lit (you know it is fully lit when you can no longer see any black on the coal). For lighting naturals, use a coil burner stove or purchase a small electric coil burner for $10-20 from Walgreens or Wal-Mart. Make sure the coals are fully lit (they will be glowing red throughout).

4. Coal placement. Once coals are fully lit, this is how you will want to place them on your bowl.

Quicklights:

[img]http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p40/INCUBUSRATM/Hookah/IMG_0268.jpg[/img]

Naturals:

[img]http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p40/INCUBUSRATM/Hookah/IMG_0263.jpg[/img]


Make sure to avoid placing coals in the middle of your bowl. Keeping them on the sides will make sure you get a better smoke. Using grommets, attach the bowl to the top of the hookah, and attach the hose to the hose port. Move the hookah to where you want to smoke. Apply the coals.

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Terms and Abbreviations:

-Natural coals: coals that are made from wood or coconuts, believed to be healthier for you, last longer and smell less than quicklights. Must be lit on a heating element, such as a coil burner stove. You will often see naturals abbreviated as "nats" or "nattys."

-Quicklight coals: coals that have a powdery coating that enable them to be lit quickly using a lighter. Most people agree are not as healthy, and give headaches to some. You will often see quicklights abbreviated as "QL."

-Shisha: Also known as mu'assel, it contains tobacco and usually honey, molasses, or glycerin that gives it the "wet" characteristic.

-Hookah: Also known as shisha, nargile, argile, it is the water pipe from which the tobacco is smoked.

-Bowl: Also known as a head or a pot, it holds the tobacco.

-Stem: Also known as the body of the hookah.

-Purge Valve: Also known as the air valve. Please don't say Carb. It works the opposite way.

-Tang: Abbreviation for Tangiers brand tobacco.
-OG or Noir: Original Tangiers line of Shisha (unwashed).
-Lucid: Lower nicotine Tangiers line (washed).
-F-line: A caffeinated Tangiers line (unwashed).

-Nak: Nakhla, a brand of tobacco.

-AF: Al Fakher, a brand of tobacco.

-SB: Starbuzz, a brand of tobacco.

-HH: HookahHookah, a brand of tobacco.

-KM: Khalil Mamoon, a hookah manufacturer that makes Egyptian hookahs and hoses.

-Mya: Mya Saray, a hookah manufacturer that makes modern hookahs.

-MZ: Magdy Zaidan, a hookah manufacturer that makes Egyptian hookahs.

-Washed vs. Unwashed tobacco: Washed brands of tobacco, such as Starbuzz, Al Fakher, and Tangiers Lucid contain less nicotine. Unwashed brands, such as Tangiers Noir and Nakhla, contain more nicotine, thus packing a heavier buzz. To tell look at the package. If it says nicotine content is .5%, it is unwashed. If it says nicotine content is .05%, it is washed.

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Main types of bowls:

Standard (Egyptian or mod):


[img]http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p40/INCUBUSRATM/Hookah/EgyptianColoredBowl-Large.jpg[/img]

Phunnel:


[img]http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p40/INCUBUSRATM/Hookah/2070_big.jpg[/img]

Vortex:


[img]http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p40/INCUBUSRATM/Hookah/hookahbowlvortexb.jpg[/img]

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Tips

- Try adding ice to the vase (don't pack it full however, as it will limit your draw), as it can cool the smoke and make it smoother.

- Try adding warmer water to bring out more flavor. The smoke may not be as cool as you like, but the more intense flavor will make up for it.

- Try adding fruit to your water to compliment the flavor of tobacco you are smoking (i.e. chunks of strawberries or lemons). Add a little amount of coffee to the water when smoking coffee flavors. Also, if you're of legal age, try adding a small amount of alcohol with the water to the vase (i.e. Mike's Hard Lemonade with strawberry shisha).

- When you lay your coals on the tray, you may find that the underside of them tend to "go out." To prevent this, try laying them on a bed of ash in your tray.

- Dedicate hoses for certain flavor types. For example, have one hose for coffee flavors, one for fruity flavors, and one for floral flavors. If you have a favorite flavor you love to smoke, dedicate one hose to ghost to just that one flavor. This goes for hookahs as well.

- Buy a small rug to protect your floors from dropped coals. It's much easier to replace a cheap rug than to fix your carpet or hardwood floors.

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For a listing of different kinds of hookahs, check the hookah reviews section: [url="http://www.hookahforum.com/forum/26-hookah-pipes/"]http://www.hookahfor...6-hookah-pipes/[/url]

For different types of tobacco, look here: http://www.hookahforum.com/forum/129-new-and-improved-tobacco-reviews/

For coals, look here: [url="http://www.hookahforum.com/forum/27-coals/"]http://www.hookahfor...forum/27-coals/[/url]

This information should lead you in the right direction as to what is good to buy and how to get a great hookah session in no time.

Hope you enjoy, and happy smoking.



Note: This guide was compiled by all of the mods in the mod section, then I organized the information and posted it here. Giving credit where credit is due. [img]http://www.hookahforum.com/public/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif[/img]