Beginner hookah smoker, need some help.

[Thomaswiese]

So I got a hookah for my birthday, its fairly large and I love it.

I'm having some troubles though. I've started it up a few times by now, but I cannot for the life of me, get the balance right. Usually it goes one of two ways, either i get good flavour, and minimal smoke, or i get huge smoke clouds but end up burning the shisha. I'm using a single layer of heavy foil, with quicklight coals. Sometimes i use 1, sometimes 2. For packing, i use a fork to loosen the shisha and then lay it loosely in the bowl, leaving about 5mm from the top. I always let the hookah sit for 4 to 5 minutes before starting to smoke.

Any suggestions on how i can get more smoke while keeping flavour?

[Growley Monster]

You are not going to make a gigantic cumulonimbus looking cloud on every puff. Concentrate on enjoying the taste and feel. Especially that thick syrupy feeling of the exhale. If you are burning shisha, try a bigger and deeper bowl. 5mm, that is about 3/16" or so, I am guessing. Should be enough gap but you could try a bit more. I go about 1/4". Me, I don't pack. I just put it in and spread it out so it has a fairly flat surface and consistent distance from the top of the shisha to the foil. It is not really packed at all. Also, if there are any stems, such as are often found in cheaper brands like Nakhla, I remove them. If you don't want a fire in the bowl, don't let there be any wood in the bowl.

What are you smoking? That could make a difference. I prefer Al Fakher Double Apple and I always get a very nice smoke. Reasonable clouds, and pleasant smoke that never irritates the throat as long as I don't burn it. I usually use pre-punched foil but if I use unpunched aluminum foil from the kitchen, I apply the foil and seal it good around the bowl, then I just make about 12 to  15 holes with a safety pin in a loose circle 2/3 of the way out toward the rim of the bowl. Then just 3 or 4 closer in toward the center. I use a safety pin or large sewing needle, never one of those big pokers that are often connected by a ring to the tongs. They make a huge hole and tear the foil.

I don't use quick light. I usually use Coco Nara or similar coconut cubes. Light those coals on the kitchen stove or with a butane torch or an electric coal lighter. Or light a couple of quick light disks in a fire can and pile the cubes on top. Give them a half hour to catch and develop a good ash layer before use. You can also use a few hot coals from the hibachi or barbecue grill to start the hookah coals, in the same manner. Never use any sort of charcoal lighting fuel to start them. Coconut charcoal works really well. It puts out consistent heat and burns for a long time. Natural lemon wood charcoal is great but TBH I prefer the cubes. I start out with three coals, distributed around the edge of the bowl, and add one or remove one as needed. Move them around occasionally. If you use the quick light tablets, I suggest you don't put any holes in the center of the foil, just a dozen very near the edge of the tablet. Use just one tablet at a time. Light the next one before the first one is done so you get a good ash layer before putting it on the foil. I light the coals FIRST, then fill the base, load the bowl, attach the hoses, and do all the other setup chores. Then the coals already have a head start when the hookah is ready and you don't have to wait so long.

Many beginners allow too much heat to pass through the center of the bowl. You want to spread that heat out. Let the superheated gas from the coal enter the shisha near the outer edge of it and travel toward the center as it passes through to the holes in the bowl. I am not a fan of the vortex, phunnel, etc bowls but you could try one.. I like the regular 5 hole bowl, not too shallow.

Make sure your foil is sealed good, and all joints seal well so you are not sucking a bunch of air into the system.

Don't be greedy. When it is done, it is done. You want the used shisha load to still have some moisture at the bottom when you quit smoking. Unless there is a breeze that is causing them to burn quickly, I usually call  it quits when the first set of coals is done. I seldom light additional coals. Remember though, that the coconut cube charcoal burns a lot longer than the quicklight tablets.

Lastly, you can put ice cubes in the base along with the water. Try adding a diffuser to the bottom of the riser tube. You might also try higher or lower water levels. I like mine on the high side but low enough to never get any water splashing up into the hose ferrule.

At the first sign of the shisha burning, stop smoking for at least 10 minutes. Have a snack or a beer or juice or soda. Start a conversation. It should go out if it is not dry and you are not still smoking it.