Hey Guys, New To The Forum. Quick Question.

[Sirscratch]

First off, just wanted to say hi, there's a lot of great info here and I look forward to digging through it.

I'm having a bit of an issue with my Mya econo gelato (1 hose) and for the life of me I can't figure out what's causing it. Right off the bat the smoke is harsh and VERY thin, nowhere even approaching what I'd consider a cloud. I'm using the standard gelato hookah and bowl, packing it lightly with starbuzz sweet melon (which doesn't get harsh in my KM), 1 33mm holland quicklight, and 2 layers of regular foil. I light the coal and wait for it to get gray all over then I place it on the edge of the bowl with almost half of it hanging off. I'll give it a minute to heat up but when I give it a draw to see how it's doing, if I get the slightest whisp of smoke, it's harsh. I don't understand why, I'll rotate it to a fresh spot and then there will be no smoke but as soon as it starts smoking again the harshness it back.

Any ideas? I've never experienced jumping straight from no smoke to harsh burnt smoke (still with no clouds) and I feel I'm adding the heat pretty slowly. I don't dare use a windcover as that'll turn it into harshcity.

HELP!!! lol, I have the KM at home and that thing is great, but I like to take this hookah to parties and things like that and crappy smoke is just plain embarrassing.

Thanks in advance guys,
-Richard

[Michel]

Might be the stern that is clogged up. Heat management sounds fine by me...
Did you give it a decent clean recently?

[Sirscratch]

Well I give it a thorough rinse after every use but I guess it is a little overdue for a good cleaning with brushes and all. Although I can definitely see straight through the stem. Thanks for the tip though, I'll give it a shot!

[vendetta_revived]

Welcome.

First, are you using just 1 whole coal? Depending on the size of your bowl (A picture with something like a coin for size reference would help), you may need to use 2. If not, even breaking the one quicklight into 2 pieces and then keeping them on opposite edges of the bowl will give you much better results than what I think you're doing. Anyway, we would be able to help much better if you could answer a few questions.

What size is your mya bowl? (Again, a picture would help)
How are you packing the tobacco? (Here as well)
What's the water level in the base?

To me, it sounds like you're underpacking the bowl, and may be, the QL isn't all the way lit. Wait till the time when it gets glowing red all over if you blow on it. There should be no black patches on it when you blow on it.

Have you ever considered using natural coals btw? They are worlds better from QL's, in every way you can imagine. Also, I don't personally like the mya bowls. If you're open to upgrading, then you can get an egyptian bowl for pretty cheap, and it is a hell lot better imo. Edited March 28, 2012 by vendetta_revived

[Sirscratch]

Thanks for the reply. I guess pictures would help wouldn't they? haha, I'll work on getting some. Yea, just one whole coal. I use Coconara's at home on my KM and you're right it's a night and day difference but since I use this hookah in differnt places, I usually don't have a stove around to light them. I have a vortex bowl that works great but I was using the Mya bowl because its MUCH smaller and the place I was at didn't call for too long of a session.

To answer your questions as best I can until I can get pictures:

It is a pretty small bowl, 2 33mm coals on top and touching in the middle would still hang off both ends a bit.

I break up and sprinkle the shisha in without packing it down, trying to leave space below the rim. With the poker on my tongs i leave a little hole through the middle of the shisha towards the holes at the bottom of the bowl (a friend showed me this to improve airflow)

The water it just about 1/2 an inch above the bottom of the stem, since it's a small hookah I try not to fill it too much since it can bubble up into the hose.

The quicklight is definitely totally lit/red but underpacking may be an issue. Everything I've heard/read advises against packing it down maybe I try to hard to do the opposite lol.

Thanks again for the info and the welcome, it's much appreciated. Edited March 28, 2012 by Sirscratch

[dizzbizz]

Well I think you should buy a single coil burner to lite the coconaras at other locations. Makes it a lot easier to get a good smoke

[vendetta_revived]

[quote name='Sirscratch' timestamp='1332970977' post='543588']
Thanks for the reply. I guess pictures would help wouldn't they? haha, I'll work on getting some. Yea, just one whole coal. I use Coconara's at home on my KM and you're right it's a night and day difference but since I use this hookah in differnt places, I usually don't have a stove around to light them. I have a vortex bowl that works great but I was using the Mya bowl because its MUCH smaller and the place I was at didn't call for too long of a session.

To answer your questions as best I can until I can get pictures:

It is a pretty small bowl, 2 33mm coals on top and touching in the middle would still hang off both ends a bit.

I break up and sprinkle the shisha in without packing it down, trying to leave space below the rim. With the poker on my tongs i leave a little hole through the middle of the shisha towards the holes at the bottom of the bowl (a friend showed me this to improve airflow)

The water it just about 1/2 an inch above the bottom of the stem, since it's a small hookah I try not to fill it too much since it can bubble up into the hose.

The quicklight is definitely totally lit/red but underpacking may be an issue. Everything I've heard/read advises against packing it down maybe I try to hard to do the opposite lol.

Thanks again for the info and the welcome, it's much appreciated.
[/quote]

Perhaps, an air leak? Have you tried checking it for any?

May be you know this, but here's how you do it:-

Set up your hookah normally, but don't put the bowl on. Cover the bowl port with your thumb tightly and try to take a pull from the hose. If it's airtight, then you shouldn't be able to draw any air, but if you can still draw air, then there is a leak somewhere, and is the reason for your dilemma.

By the way, I should mention that the econo line of mya is something we advise people not to buy, because while the standard mya hookahs smoke beautifully (I myself have a QT and love it!), the econo hookahs are constructed using low quality materials, and go bad in a short period of time.

I myself had an econo QT, and it was a pain in the ass to be honest. The coating on it started to flake after just 1 month of regular use, and the stem somehow started developing this nasty white gunk inside no matter how much I washed it.

Aren't you experiencing any of this?

[Sirscratch]

[quote/]
Perhaps, an air leak? Have you tried checking it for any?

May be you know this, but here's how you do it:-

Set up your hookah normally, but don't put the bowl on. Cover the bowl port with your thumb tightly and try to take a pull from the hose. If it's airtight, then you shouldn't be able to draw any air, but if you can still draw air, then there is a leak somewhere, and is the reason for your dilemma.

By the way, I should mention that the econo line of mya is something we advise people not to buy, because while the standard mya hookahs smoke beautifully (I myself have a QT and love it!), the econo hookahs are constructed using low quality materials, and go bad in a short period of time.

I myself had an econo QT, and it was a pain in the ass to be honest. The coating on it started to flake after just 1 month of regular use, and the stem somehow started developing this nasty white gunk inside no matter how much I washed it.

Aren't you experiencing any of this?
[/quote]

I usually check it for air tightness although come to think of it, I can't remember doing it last time.

I'm sure with anything "econo" the quality won't be all that great but I got it for free with my KM from H-S. I haven't experienced any funky flakyness yet although I did on another chinese hookah I had before it. I'm just using it as the "beater" that I can take to parties and not really worry about if it gets a bit banged up. It's just so frustrating that I can't seem to get it going right.

[Sirscratch]

[quote name='dizzbizz' timestamp='1332971175' post='543589']
Well I think you should buy a single coil burner to lite the coconaras at other locations. Makes it a lot easier to get a good smoke
[/quote]

I've been considering it. Maybe it's time...

[Sirscratch]

Alright so...came home last night, gave the hookah a thorough cleaning, checked it for air tightness and packed the bowl just a tiny bit more and tighter than I was doing before and BAM insta-clouds. SSOOOOOO much better. I'm assuming it was that I was underpacking the bowl but I'm sure cleaning it helped, it was starting to get a little nasty.

Thanks a ton for the tips guys, I obviously had thought to clean it originally but the underpacking issue would never have occurred to me.

Happy smoking!!

[vendetta_revived]

[quote name='Sirscratch' timestamp='1333030048' post='543658']
Alright so...came home last night, gave the hookah a thorough cleaning, checked it for air tightness and packed the bowl just a tiny bit more and tighter than I was doing before and BAM insta-clouds. SSOOOOOO much better. I'm assuming it was that I was underpacking the bowl but I'm sure cleaning it helped, it was starting to get a little nasty.

Thanks a ton for the tips guys, I obviously had thought to clean it originally but the underpacking issue would never have occurred to me.

Happy smoking!!
[/quote]

Glad you got it working. You should also try breaking up the quicklite in half and putting the pieces opposite each other. It helps the session go on a bit longer.

[A13lackFish]

Clean the hookah, make sure you have enough water in the base, pack the bowl lightly (fluff packing, look it up), make sure the foil isnt touching the shisha, use 1 layer of heavy duty foil, and dont position the coal directly in the middle but rather a little to the side of the bowl. Make sure to rotate every so often as you will learn when the shisha is getting too hot with time. And just in case, make sure to light your coal and place it on the tray, once the coal is done lighting fully then place it onto the bowl.

[Pavo21]

Something i notice a lot about people with Mya bowls is the either over pack or under pack the bowls. i work a lounge and we let people pack there own bowls if they bought a hookah from us and usually about 20 minutes in they say oh well its not hitting right or its harsh or what not and so i instantly look at it first bowl over or under packed most the time its under packed because we tell them sprinkle it in and make sure its full.

So i tell them that and a little trick i do idk about other is once the foil is on and holes done i shake it then blow through the bottom of the bowl and you can tell if its under or over packed by the sound it makes, and even with never doing that before you can just hear what it sounds like if its right or not also if ur using the quick lights cut them in half so u dont have to have it sit off the side split the difference on the bowl and should be great smoke

[Christopher Mason Taylor]

[quote name='Sirscratch' timestamp='1332972508' post='543592']
[quote name='dizzbizz' timestamp='1332971175' post='543589']
Well I think you should buy a single coil burner to lite the coconaras at other locations. Makes it a lot easier to get a good smoke
[/quote]

I've been considering it. Maybe it's time...
[/quote]

If you want something a bit easier to carry around, Japanese-style coals like Fumari can be lit with a butane "windproof" lighter easily enough (just use the tongs to hold it while you light the various sides, and blow on it to make sure it's nice and lit all around). If you want to stick with QLs though, I'd definitely recommend going with Three Kings. Holland is just awful, awful stuff by comparison. Unless you're happy with what you've got; in that case, don't let our pretension get in your way.

But yeah, I definitely echo the recommendations to ditch the Mya bowl. I've owned two of them, and had nothing but heat management troubles with either, even compared with a standard mod bowl, let alone a funnel or Egyptian. Edited April 2, 2012 by Christopher Mason Taylor

[A13lackFish]

[quote name='Christopher Mason Taylor' timestamp='1333389838' post='543916']
[quote name='Sirscratch' timestamp='1332972508' post='543592']
[quote name='dizzbizz' timestamp='1332971175' post='543589']
Well I think you should buy a single coil burner to lite the coconaras at other locations. Makes it a lot easier to get a good smoke
[/quote]

I've been considering it. Maybe it's time...
[/quote]

If you want something a bit easier to carry around, Japanese-style coals like Fumari can be lit with a butane "windproof" lighter easily enough (just use the tongs to hold it while you light the various sides, and blow on it to make sure it's nice and lit all around). If you want to stick with QLs though, I'd definitely recommend going with Three Kings. Holland is just awful, awful stuff by comparison. Unless you're happy with what you've got; in that case, don't let our pretension get in your way.

But yeah, I definitely echo the recommendations to ditch the Mya bowl. I've owned two of them, and had nothing but heat management troubles with either, even compared with a standard mod bowl, let alone a funnel or Egyptian.
[/quote]

Even easier than this, buy those coals, light them a bit, then buy a coal "spinner" that you place the coal in and then spin it in a big circle. Not only does it look impressive, but you can light natural lights just with a small bit of heat and like 3 minutes of spinning

[Teknofiliak]

Coal Spinner? Care to elaborate?

[Christopher Mason Taylor]

[quote name='A13lackFish' timestamp='1333410357' post='543942']
[quote name='Christopher Mason Taylor' timestamp='1333389838' post='543916']
[quote name='Sirscratch' timestamp='1332972508' post='543592']
[quote name='dizzbizz' timestamp='1332971175' post='543589']
Well I think you should buy a single coil burner to lite the coconaras at other locations. Makes it a lot easier to get a good smoke
[/quote]

I've been considering it. Maybe it's time...
[/quote]

If you want something a bit easier to carry around, Japanese-style coals like Fumari can be lit with a butane "windproof" lighter easily enough (just use the tongs to hold it while you light the various sides, and blow on it to make sure it's nice and lit all around). If you want to stick with QLs though, I'd definitely recommend going with Three Kings. Holland is just awful, awful stuff by comparison. Unless you're happy with what you've got; in that case, don't let our pretension get in your way.

But yeah, I definitely echo the recommendations to ditch the Mya bowl. I've owned two of them, and had nothing but heat management troubles with either, even compared with a standard mod bowl, let alone a funnel or Egyptian.
[/quote]

Even easier than this, buy those coals, light them a bit, then buy a coal "spinner" that you place the coal in and then spin it in a big circle. Not only does it look impressive, but you can light natural lights just with a small bit of heat and like 3 minutes of spinning
[/quote]

We're talking about ease of smoking portably more than cool factor. That would be fine at home, but not as feasible on the go.