So I Bought A Smokerlyzer

[mattarios2]

Tried again tonight -

 

After 27 hits = 14ppm

 

after 40 hits = 17ppm

 

INSANEEEE!!

 

So I guess what I can take out of this is that the setup I am using DOES do a damn good job but the exterior coal smoke etc was what was screwing me.

 

For comparison studies online show that a smoker that starts with 0 CO in their blood and smokes 1 cigarette every 30 minutes for 2 hours so 4 cigs total the mean PPM was ~20 with a low of 7ppm and high of 54ppm (obviously depends on how hard the user inhales and how long they hold it in)

 

So I took 40 hits smoked with 3 other people for 1 hour and 45 minutes and I read 17PPM. I am MUCH happier with these numbers.

 

I was never planning on quitting but was going to absolutely cut down if the numbers stayed in the 30+ range after only 40 hits.

 

So what to take out of this, LIGHT YOUR COALS OUTSIDE OR IN A DIFFERENT ROOM AND DON'T GO IN THE ROOM AND WAIT FOR THE COALS TO FINISH LIGHTING IF THE COALS ARE ONLY HALF LIT.

 

As I said previously, I always knew this information but didn't think 30 seconds to a minute here or there waiting for the coals to finish up would make THAT big of a difference. Or a little smell of the coals seeping through the bulk head would make that much of a difference with the bulk head completely open. Apparently the concentration of CO when coals are lighting is extremely high.

 

Fellas, I am very happy.

[DrSmokes]

Now...piggy backing.

[thehelios]

Chris: Can you try lighting cocos outside and see what the results are? I'm assuming your last test is still using Jap coals.

[â€On]

Now...piggy backing.

 

I can guarantee this is terrible for co levels. I have honestly never liked doing it and i'm not sure how others can be okay with either sucking down that gross taste (and probably other bad things) or waiting the extra 5 min it takes for it to go away.

[mattarios2]

Now...piggy backing.

 

I'll get there

 

Chris: Can you try lighting cocos outside and see what the results are? I'm assuming your last test is still using Jap coals.

 

Name is John :-)  Yes the last tests were Japanese. I will try coconuts

 

 

Now...piggy backing.

 

I can guarantee this is terrible for co levels. I have honestly never liked doing it and i'm not sure how others can be okay with either sucking down that gross taste (and probably other bad things) or waiting the extra 5 min it takes for it to go away.

 

 

It might be it might not be. One night I piggy backed for like 2 rounds, and my readings didn't change from the norm. But piggy backing for an entire session could change the numbers. I did notice that slight taste. I wouldn't call it gross, just different. Like a wood type taste.

[DrSmokes]

 

Now...piggy backing.

 

I can guarantee this is terrible for co levels. I have honestly never liked doing it and i'm not sure how others can be okay with either sucking down that gross taste (and probably other bad things) or waiting the extra 5 min it takes for it to go away.

 

I've never been a fan, but know a lot of people here have recommended it.

[mattarios2]

So i've been doing some testing every now and then, got burned out on it a bit, but just tested out whole japanese coals again with a med turkish bowl and attained the lowest readings yet. Like always every hit is a full inhale, as much as I can hold. Same hookah hose etc etc I always use.

 

after 40 hits I reached 21 ppm which is quite impressive since coconut coals and a phunnel I was running in the low to mid 40's after 40 hits. So cut it in half compared to that setup.

 

What I find interesting is cutting coconut coals in half makes them more efficient and lower CO.

 

Cutting Japanese coals in half seems to increase their CO while leaving them whole is the best option.

 

Must be because coconut coals are overly large and tall. And when you cut Japanese coals they become so small they last barely anytime.

 

But for those that find Japanese coals don't last long especially with non low heat tobacco like Tangiers ... I urge you to try them with a traditional bowl like an egyptian, saudi, or turkish bowl. I started with three then added 1 coal every 30 minutes which is not bad at all IMHO.

 

In a phunnel I had to keep adding every like 15 minutes.

 

So my conclusion is a phunnel may hold the heat better than a traditional bowl but it doesn't seem to heat the tobacco as "direct" I guess the word is?

 

I use far less coal on a traditional bowl vs a phunnel.

[DrSmokes]

Nice!! Thanks for the new update!

 

I just want to echo something. I've tried some japs after John's findings and I must say, you do feel different (better) when using Japs compared to coco's. It's quite amazing and I was very skeptical prior to trying them.

[mattarios2]

HEEYYYY I'm not the only one :-)

[DrSmokes]

And I just got back from playing racquetball after smoking. I noticed my endurance is better too...I like this! lol Played for 1.5 hours and feel like I can continue but it's 11pm now (I just got back), so it's time for bed as I gotta get to the office early tomorrow!!

[thehelios]

Nice!! Thanks for the new update!

 

I just want to echo something. I've tried some japs after John's findings and I must say, you do feel different (better) when using Japs compared to coco's. It's quite amazing and I was very skeptical prior to trying them.

 

 

HEEYYYY I'm not the only one :-)

 

I've had the same feeling along with my bro and other friends.  It's a lot lighter on the lungs, that's for sure!

[agunn1231]

 I prefer japs to cocos. On your note about how long the japs last. on my pico two japs seem to last at least a half hour. I also don't actively smoke that entire time. I kinda put on coals and puff here and there when I think about it.

[mattarios2]

 

Nice!! Thanks for the new update!

 

I just want to echo something. I've tried some japs after John's findings and I must say, you do feel different (better) when using Japs compared to coco's. It's quite amazing and I was very skeptical prior to trying them.

 

 

HEEYYYY I'm not the only one :-)

 

I've had the same feeling along with my bro and other friends.  It's a lot lighter on the lungs, that's for sure!

 

Werd

 

 I prefer japs to cocos. On your note about how long the japs last. on my pico two japs seem to last at least a half hour. I also don't actively smoke that entire time. I kinda put on coals and puff here and there when I think about it.

 

Yeah 30 minutes isn't bad. Many act like it is such a hassle to keep adding coals. I always found coconuts to last about 50 minutes so 30 isn't bad imho.

 

I will test piggybacking next. That is a big one, if numbers don't go up (which I would think they would) then it's a no brainer. For me it is a no brainer either way, but to some it won't be because they don't want to add coal every 30 min.

[thehelios]

 

 I prefer japs to cocos. On your note about how long the japs last. on my pico two japs seem to last at least a half hour. I also don't actively smoke that entire time. I kinda put on coals and puff here and there when I think about it.

 

Yeah 30 minutes isn't bad. Many act like it is such a hassle to keep adding coals. I always found coconuts to last about 50 minutes so 30 isn't bad imho.

 

I will test piggybacking next. That is a big one, if numbers don't go up (which I would think they would) then it's a no brainer. For me it is a no brainer either way, but to some it won't be because they don't want to add coal every 30 min.

 

 

That is the one let down I have.  I've got Inhale Japs and these things barely reach 30 min.  They're good probably for around 20.  And my coil burner sucks (takes about 6 min. w/ foil cover to get them red hot when cut in half) so having to light more coals becomes a big hassle.

[mattarios2]

My coil burner lights whole Japanese Fumari coals in about 2-3 minutes and the silver coating flakes right off with no effort.

[synthacide]

wow great thread, I have "easy light" jap coals, that i didnt like at first... just got the big box of nara's then I found this thread... didn't think of CO at all so thanks OP! so I have a vortex and use fumari and starbuzz, using a mya QT,pretty new to this... what my best approach with that combo? I get hooka crap wholesale (work at a smokeshop) was gonna pick up a km ice world... now im kinda scared to continue with my hookah endevours! would the new setup and difeert bowl lower the CO? thanks again for all the work on this project

[mattarios2]

Well it just seems that a traditional bowl such as a turkish or egyptian bowl requires less heat. When I smoke nakhla in a phunnel it takes so much heat, when I use a traditional bowl it takes waaay less heat, ~40% less. It makes sense to me now why a lot of egyptian tobaccos are high heat tobaccos, because in the traditional bowls it works very well.

 

In a 35g phunnel I need 5 japanese coal to get it going well and in a matter of 10-15 min it already needs more heat, in a turkish I need 3 centered, or 4 off the edges and can easily get 30 minutes out of them.

 

Phunnels are AMAZING bowls, and vortex are ok. But it just seems that losing the center of the bowl for tobacco as well as having to keep the coals around the sides of the bowl where the tobacco sits causes the need for more heat. This makes perfect sense for a LOW heat tobacco like Tangiers, but for anything else that is normal to high heat tobacco, IMHO when discussing CO, a traditional style bowl is the way to go. I get incredible smoke for 30 minutes if I start with 4 Japanese coal in a turkish bowl, with the same size phunnel I start with 5 then need another after about 10-15 minutes. After the session is complete, to kill the 35g bowl it takes 8 coals in a turkish bowl, in the phunnel it takes way more than that and this is both sessions lasting the same amount of time.

 

Also and this is just my opinion, it seems some of the heat is wasted going into the phunnel hole, with a traditional bowl all the heat that is available is being used because the holes are below the tobacco.

[The Rooster]

Sooo what is ppm and co?

OP can you write a summary of your findings on the original post?

[Hassouni]

parts per million, and carbon monoxide.

[mattarios2]

Sooo what is ppm and co?

OP can you write a summary of your findings on the original post?

 

Eh, sorry man, I have provided a bunch of my findings, if you'd like you can read through it and summarize it, I just don't have time currently to run through this entire thread and do a write up. Maybe after the holidays when I have more time. I will say this though, SMOKE A LARGE PIPE, the bigger the better in terms of CO. My new nazar has even lower numbers than I was registering before.

[thehelios]

 

Sooo what is ppm and co?

OP can you write a summary of your findings on the original post?

 

Eh, sorry man, I have provided a bunch of my findings, if you'd like you can read through it and summarize it, I just don't have time currently to run through this entire thread and do a write up. Maybe after the holidays when I have more time. I will say this though, SMOKE A LARGE PIPE, the bigger the better in terms of CO. My new nazar has even lower numbers than I was registering before.

 

 

Was the pipe's height the only "major" difference?  Does the amount of water that the downstem is forced to go through cause any noticeable difference?

[â€On]

I would think that the amount of water it passes through MUST make a difference. It just makes sense. I view the water as a filter, and more filter=more filtration. I have nothing to back that up, but it makes sense to me.

[Bawhee]

That can be tested if you try smoking without water and then with... We've all done it at some point by accident.

[â€On]

Good point^ 0/10, would not recommend. 

[thehelios]

Oh, I've smoked without water once and it did not end well.  I'm just wondering if there's some plateau point where more water doesn't make any noticeable difference.