What Am I Doing Wrong:(

[gigi]

hello! i have a km, a vortex bowl...and i always smoke either nak double apple or AF double apple....i use natural coals...but no matter what i do it doesnt taste as good as the ones they make at the hookah lounges:( what am i doing wrong....i have Nakhla double apple today...should i pack the bowl tightly or loosely? and does it matter if the foil is shiny side down or up?? id love some tips from you experts:)


thanksssssssssssssssss!!

[EvansLight]

[quote name='gigi' timestamp='1304016081' post='507210']
hello! i have a km, a vortex bowl...and i always smoke either nak double apple or AF double apple....i use natural coals...but no matter what i do it doesnt taste as good as the ones they make at the hookah lounges:( what am i doing wrong....i have Nakhla double apple today...should i pack the bowl tightly or loosely? and does it matter if the foil is shiny side down or up?? id love some tips from you experts:)


thanksssssssssssssssss!!
[/quote]

First, what kind of coal exactly are you using?
Check the stem and vase, give them a smell; is there a lingering smell of any kind you might need to wash out?
Are you getting a lot, or a little smoke?
Check for any air leaks, they can seriously kill flavor; just before putting your bowl on, put your hand on top of the stem, and take a pull on the hose. Do you hear or feel any air leaking in?
Give the tobacco a smell; does it still smell good and fresh? Is it dried out at all?

As for your questions, I pack the bowl a little tight, but not too tight. But that is what works for the bowl I use as well as the technique i use for heat management. I have no experience with the Vortex so how to get it working great is beyond me And as for the foil, I've done it both shiny up and down, and honestly have never notice a difference.

[vendetta_revived]

Do you have any other bowl other than the vortex? I don't have one but I have only heard mixed reviews of those! Also, You can easily smoke nakhla out of an egyptian or a mod bowl easily! Just pack it tight and put some heat on it! Nakhla takes a bit more heat to smoke good!

If you pack it in an egyptian bowl, you need to flip it upside down and blow through the bottom of the bowl after you've put foil on it and poked the holes to make sure that it's breathing right.

Pics of your how you're packing it and your hole pattern would help a lot.

[Cp44]

I always pack AF DA lightly in the bowl and same goes for Nak and always smoked nice. But I never used a Vortex bowl and I put shiny side down, how often do you clean your hookah?

[r1v3th3ad]

your problem could be the bowl...vortexs are hard to work with and a bit restrictive...I'm recommend a medium to light packjob with them just so you have better airflow

shiny side up or down doesn't matter, both sides have the same properties

[UltimateHookah]

I prefer my Nakhla Double Apple in a plain Egyptian clay bowl. Packed loosely. The vortex bowl has really small holes and can restrict. Thick toothpick holes work best for me.

[r1v3th3ad]

I'd recommend getting an egyptian bowl(can get a discounted one[with a chip in it or partially unglazed] for around$2 usually) for stuff like nakhla and al fakher...get a phunnel for stuff like tangiers and fantasia...the point of the vortex is a rip off of the phunnel, made for tobaccos like tangiers and fantasia from what I understand

but ya, the holes in the bowl are too small and restrictive and you have to be careful how you pack because you can make it even more restricted...I have one and I hate it