hoookah Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 I just got my hookah today. First let me say I am not a complete noob at setting up a hookah. When I was on vacation visiting family I would use their hookah every day, and I had it prodicing a nice amount of smoke.However, I cant figure out what is wrong with my hookah. I have Nahkla (spelling?) double apple flavor, and I could not get that much smoke. The first time I set it up I used the coal holder that came with the hookah but the holes were way too big and it really sucked. Next I used aluminum foil with small holes and two coals and it improved drastically, but there was still not too much smoke. I played around with the amount of shisha and how tight I packed it but still no luck.Any suggestions???? Is it just that this brand doesn't produce a lot of smoke? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malakas Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Hmm....I'm guessing it has to do with heat management....What types of coals were you using and what kind of hookah? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoookah Posted August 20, 2006 Author Share Posted August 20, 2006 I dont know I have an egyption hookah i bought from this store but I'm not sure exactly what it is.I am using self lighting coal. I put 2 on there and it helped a little but not much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GQ_Playboy Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 ... are you sure its air tight? it should be bubbling alot at the bottom when you are smoking.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GQ_Playboy Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 and are you putting in enough water?/shisha you could be packing you shisha tightley.... remember its not like packing a bowl of... um other stuff haha, you want it nice and loose so there is plenty of oxygen circulation.... hope this helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoookah Posted August 20, 2006 Author Share Posted August 20, 2006 I think it is. I didn't remember to do the hand on the bowl test until after i had packed the bowl so i did not do that. However I did try it with the bowl taken off and put my hand on the top of the hookah and everything was fine, so I have no problems from the bowl down.As far as water I may have needed a bit more, but I'm sure I had enough shisha...Could not having enough water be the problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malakas Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
web250 Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 [quote name='hoookah'] I think it is. I didn't remember to do the hand on the bowl test until after i had packed the bowl so i did not do that. However I did try it with the bowl taken off and put my hand on the top of the hookah and everything was fine, so I have no problems from the bowl down. As far as water I may have needed a bit more, but I'm sure I had enough shisha... Could not having enough water be the problem?[/quote] Could be. Water should be, in general, 1 inch above the bottom of the stem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cymptom Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 How much water you put in there is really a thing of preference, but it should be at least an inch above the bottom of the stem, or a tiny bit less if you wanna push it. More water gives a tighter pull, less is looser. It's not really something that should affect the thickness of the smoke though.Do the hand on the bowl test and make sure everything is completely air tight. Pack the bowl as loosely as you can up close to the foil. It can be touching a little but not much. Put plenty of holes in the foil -- I don't think that having too many holes can ever be a problem as much as having too few. But the number one thing I would guess is the problem is heat management. You want to heat it just under the burning point. Depending on what coals your using and the size of your bowl, you might want to break them up. Using smaller sized pieces of coal allows you finer control over how much heat you apply, but remember that two halves will burn hotter and faster than a whole. From my experience, you don't wanna burn a bowl of Nakhla -- that burnt taste never seems to leave. So start off with your usual amount of coal and slowly work your way up. If you usually use a quicklight disc, you might want to try breaking it up (before lighting) and starting with the two halves. If that doesn't work, arrange three halves around the edges of the bowl. If that's still not enough heat, turn some of the coals so that their edges are close to the center of the bowl and continue to move them close to the center until it's going good.Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzzzzT Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Try adjusting how you pack the bowl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calcartman Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Try using 2 coals on the screen; my guess is you need two coals and your foil isn't passing enough air through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuschultz Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Stick a pencil in the center hole of your bowl when packing. Leads to better air flow.SPRINKLE the shisha. DO NOT PACK IT. That restricts the air flow. I usually drag my tongs across the top of my shisha so it "flakes" off, then add it that way.Try more coals.If using foil, add more holes.If using a screen, try foil.Water level should be an inch to an inch and a half above the bottom of the stem when it is in the base.Check tightness of all seals. Wet the gromet between the bowl and the stem. Creates a tighter seal. If you need to, add papertowel or coffee filter for a tighter seal if it is loose. Or get a new gromet.Check out [url="http://www.hookahwiki.com"]www.hookahwiki.com[/url]. Join the newsletter.Welcome to the forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unleashtheclown Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Sometimes If my hookah has a tight draw I poke up at the shisha through where the bowl sits on the hookah to lift the foil a bit and loosen the shisha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonthert Posted August 27, 2006 Share Posted August 27, 2006 See, the thing is, with Tangiers Tobacco...wait OH, its Nahkla thats the problem...thats rare. Nahkla needs acclimation to the humidity, same as Tangiers, since it is ostensibly a nicotinated tobacco. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now