What Happened To My Sheisha?

[thejon]

Greetings all!

I've been smoking AF watermelon, both mixed and on it's own, for a couple of months now. I'm about 1/3 of the way into my 3rd 200g tub, and all of a sudden I can't stand the taste anymore.

I thought at first it was a problem with the hookah itself, so I took it totally apart and washed the heck out of it. Scrubbed the base, all the stem works, the bowl, even ran water through the hose a bunch. Everything squeaky clean, I re-packed, exact same issue. The taste was a really heavy...not really sure how to describe it. My gf didn't seem to notice at all, but I had to toss the bowl and start fresh with something else.

Now, I seem to be having a hard time finding something else I like. I want to go back to my watermelon, but even the smell turns me off.

Anyone else had something like this happen? Did I hit a bad 'spot' or something?

[mushrat]

Could be you have had enough for a while. Could be you havent been mixing it before you pack it and the bottom of the tub has all the juice.

[thejon]

I absolutely haven't been mixing it I didn't even know that was a consideration.

I guess I'll try putting it into some other dish and mixing well, maybe leave it out for a bit too.

I've read somewhere the stems hold quite a bit of the more 'pungent' flavor. Any truth to that? Maybe I'll pull out any I find.

Thanks!

[mushrat]

well, if you dont mix it before you load the stuff on the top is dryer and the stuff on the bottom is wetter. effects taste.

Af is washed so leaving it out shouldn't matter.

[vendetta_revived]

Erm....I just saw your other thread and read that you currently own a cheap tiny hookah? The stock hoses that come with those aren't washable. They have a metal coil inside them, so if you have been washing it, it may already be rusted and that may be affecting the taste.

Also, you may want to check your hookah for rust as well, because if your hookah is a cheap chinese rig (non-mya), then 6 months is a lot of time for it to last in good shape (more so if you have been leaving any water in the vase while the stem is on it, after you're done smoking). If you're confident that it is not rusted though, then you may want to buy a new washable hose. Nuhose/fancyhose is a good washable hose that costs like $4-$5 and it will set you right.

I am not trying to take shots at you for owning a tiny cheap hookah btw haha, if it looks like that. We all start somewhere, and more often than not, it is with chinese pumpkins. I am just letting you know what could be wrong with your hookah, and also that smoking through a rusted pipe/hose could be very unhealthy.

[Pavo21]

yeah like mush said earlier you could be just over that flavor, it happends when you smoke one flavor all the time and only it gets old and doesn't taste as good as it was before. kind of like a drug addiction, its never as good as the first time.

[thejon]

I do need to upgrade my hookah, no doubt about that! I didn't realize the hose wasn't washable though; that's sad! I'll have to order a new hose tomorrow to at least get me through. Where do you recommend those come from?

The only place I've seen any rust at all is on the weld where the stem attaches to the heart. It's all surface only though, and I try and wire brush it away as soon as I see it. I know it's a loosing battle, and really hope I'm not missing anything inside the heart.

I mixed that sheisha a bit yesterday and left it in a larger container. Even just doing that seemed to tame the smell some, so I bet it was just my lack of mixing that did it. I'm going to leave it alone for another day or so and give it another shot. In the mean time, I've found 80/20 vanilla/cappuccino is pretty tasty too!

Thanks everyone!

[vendetta_revived]

Check out 5starhookah or ultimatehookah for those. Both of em have em.

[Bawhee]

ya know both me and vimal (vendetta) like to dry out our af a little bit (kinda like you not mixing your baccy up), smokes just as excellent and leaves less of a mess, so my guess is either rust (not that likely, ive had rusted hookah before, youre gonna get chunks of rust sure, but no flavor change that big or the more likely one, youre just over watermelon give it a pause and smoke something else my man!

[vendetta_revived]

Yep, as Luka said, Both I and him just dab the baccy with some tissue paper and it works brilliantly. I have started doing it because after drying the tobacco a bit, it smokes wonderfully in an egyptian bowl.

Try mixing a bit of mint in it btw. For me, it makes watermelon a lot more enjoyable.

[mushrat]

Ive never dried my tobacco because if you mix it every time you don't get that sopping wet stuff at the bottom of your tub.

[Venger]

I am with Mush on this one. Mix before every use.distribute that flavor.
Ray

[thejon]

Not sure what did it; I mixed it and I let it air out a bit. Also, it's sitting in a tupperware type container with much more volume then it's little plastic tin would allow for. All that, on top of my taking a break from the flavor for a bit. It tastes fine again.

Thanks all!