Need Help - Not Sure What I'm Doing Wrong

[LondonShisha]

So i've been smoking for a while now, and lately I seem to be stuck in a bit of a rut where whatever shisha I make just doesn't taste right. I used to be able to get good strong flavours out of AF, but nowadays it tastes quite bland and not up to how i'd like it. Sometimes it's even harsh from the word go and I have to make it again.

My setup is a KM trimetal with medium phunnel (tealight mod), AF coconut coals, and nammor hose. I have AF grape, mint, double apple, grenadine, orange, coconut and store them in airtight containers (the type you can take the air out with a pump). The juices usually are at the bottom of the jars so I have to mix them manually before using them - i've found this can make a bit of difference.

I'm thinking maybe the AF is getting a bit old or dry, or maybe i'm not mixing it properly prior to using it. Or maybe I shouldn't use a phunnel or tealight mod? I don't know!

Any suggestions?

[thehelios]

Yeah, tobacco's shelf life is drastically cut once it is opened. The expiration date is solely for shelf life purposes but once that bag is opened, that date becomes meaningless. For me, tobacco goes bad after opening at about 3-4 weeks. After that, you'll still have decent smoke but the flavor is at most mediocre.

[mushrat]

i must disagree.. many have preservatives added and glycerine is a natural preservative.

Is it possible your coals have changes? ALso ditch the tealight and just pack the phunnel full.

[abzy]

maby try packing in an egyptian bowl seeing how it is. mbay its just not being packed right in the phunnel

[Tikhman]

So while this is somewhat unlikely, its still worth mentioning.

Does your shisha smell like its supposed when you open the container, or does the flavor seem weaker?

The reason I ask is that the molecules that give something flavor a very volatile, if you seal your container and suck out all of the air every time you smoke, you may be pulling out the flavor molecules with it. It's a fairly unlikely scenario, but its a possibility in your case.


Also, when was the last time you gave your hookah a good cleaning? That might help too.

[kmccoy90]

3-4 weeks? That's a bit hasty. You must be leaving the lid off. I can usually get good flavor out of most brands for 2-3 months. As long as you keep it in something with a lid, the tobacco will be fine. I bought a 250 of AF Gum in October and it still smokes wonderfully.

[Skoozle]

[quote name='Tikhman' timestamp='1296840617' post='496775']

The reason I ask is that the molecules that give something flavor a very volatile, if you seal your container and suck out all of the air every time you smoke, you may be pulling out the flavor molecules with it. It's a fairly unlikely scenario, but its a possibility in your case.

[/quote]

This was my first thought. Also the reduced pressure will make it easer for liquids to evaporate. Try sealing it up with out sucking out the air. Edited February 4, 2011 by Skoozle

[Arcane]

[quote name='thehelios' timestamp='1296837771' post='496770']
Yeah, tobacco's shelf life is drastically cut once it is opened. The expiration date is solely for shelf life purposes but once that bag is opened, that date becomes meaningless. For me, tobacco goes bad after opening at about 3-4 weeks. After that, you'll still have decent smoke but the flavor is at most mediocre.
[/quote]


I agree with mush....sorta. The tobacco, glycerin and sugar base should contain enough preservatives (either natural or artificial) to stave of "spoilage". However, the flavorings themselves may be susceptible. Depending on the quality of flavorings, 3-4 weeks could be probably. Cherry flavorings shelf life is horrible, btw.

[magick777]

This may or may not be relevant, but I've recently realised that I didn't make sufficient allowances for moving to natural coals and had developed a tendency to burn the hell out of the shisha, plus a tolerance for detecting it happening and stopping it before I really scorched the bowl. Your coconut coals are pretty hot and dense and the same might apply.

I recently tried a bowl that pretty much forced me to leave an air gap between the foil and the shisha, and was pleasantly surprised by the flavour I started getting. Leaving aside the design of the bowl, this suggests to me that I had got into the habits of using too much heat (possibly caused by a change of coals), overpacking, or both. I don't want to trigger a debate on the merits or demerits of over/under-packing as compared with moderating the heat one uses in the first place, and I can't guarantee that this has any bearing on your problem - but nothing would be lost by trying less heat, either through fewer coals or underpacking.

[LondonShisha]

Thanks for the replies!

A bit of an update, I had a think about what I was doing and tried to change it around a bit to see if it would help. I think my coal / heat management is good and hasn't changed much at all - I use AF coconut coals which aren't too bad. Anywa

y, I decided to mix up the shisha by hand quite a bit before putting it in the bowl. Previously i'd use a fork or a spoon to do this but this time I used my hands and really gave it a good mix. Packed the bowl as usual and put the coals on. I could definately taste the difference! Ok, it's not as good as it was when the tobacco was first opened, but definately an improvement.

I think thats where i've been going wrong - the shisha is probably drying out too much with the juices at the bottom of the jar, and i'm not giving it enough time when i'm mixing it. Also mixing by hand vs a fork seems the way to go, although it's a lot messier!

[Skoozle]

Ditch the storage containers and keep your shisha in zip-loc bags. The juice won't drain down as bad and you can mix it up by squeezing the bag around, keeping your hands clean. Edited February 7, 2011 by Skoozle

[Kapten Kanel]

3-4 weeks? Dont store your shisha on the floor I have smoked 2 year old AF (several flavors) and they all tasted as they should and produced good smoke, same goes for nakhla.