The Art of Aluminum Assembly

[ofcoursetheyare]

[color="red"]To those of you out there that use aluminum foil, I have some suggestions to contribute that will (should) help you get the most out of your bowl.
The first and disputedly most important factor is tobacco density.  I've found that it is absolutely crucial to not only lightly sprinkle the tobacco in, but to tease and mince it prior to sprinkling (i.e., separating stems, and pulling apart those small tobacco nuggets that inevitably form).  You want loose shisha.
When you apply the foil, it helps to use a perfect square that is far too big (eight to ten inches squared, or so).  The rationale behind this is that with a larger surface area there is a bigger surface to conduct heat through, and this results in less scorching of both the foil and the shisha.  For the same reasons, wrapping the excess foil around the entire bowl (as opposed to just over the opening) occasionally contributes to a subpar smoke.  What I recommend you do is take the ends of your perfect square one by one and fold them back up and over the coal.  The visual is similar to petals on a flower, with the coal inside.  Not only does this look kind of neat (heh), it does two beneficial things:  keeps the heat from choking and burning the bowl, and, if you fold the petals up symmetrically, provides an even heat distribution through the foil that utilizes more of the heat without burning the shisha.
The way you poke the airflow holes through the foil is important, too.  I have a system I like to use that works pretty well universally, but I won't get into that unless somebody asks me to.  Just remember to keep your holes poked [b]symmetrically[/b].  That's the crux of a good smoke.  Symmetry.
If anybody actually took the time to read this post and try out my methods, let me know what you think.  Criticism and praise both accepted with equal grace.
Enjoy yourselves, yeah?[/color]

[Guest]

Use a fork!!!  use a fork!!!!

[wokeupwithgills]

adrock, you are right about the fork, i have tried it the last three times, and have had the thickest, non-burniest smokes of my life

[jz09]

has anyone ever tried putting the charcoal directly on the tobacco?

[PIGMA]

I have found using a high b string for an electric guitar to make many many small holes works very nice

[PIGMA]

and by high b string i meant high [b]E[/b] string.   sorry guys

[hookah_bazaar]

I've always been against using a fork. The smaller the holes the better, and the surface of the holes shouldn't be larger than the surface of your coal. Just use the tip of a tooth pick. If your looking for a short cut, let me tell you about a special home made hole poking device you can prepare for your best hookah smoke yet.

[tobbsman]

Hi everyone,
I´m new in this forum. I read some posts from you guys ... and discovered some great things ...
I just tried to put the aluminium foil as it is described above. And it really works perfectly !!
I smoke for some years and I thougth that I had all possibilities of setting my bowl up. But I never thought on to put the aluminium around all the bowl... I smoked some Al Fakher Grape mixed with Nakhla Strawberry and a little Al Fakher Lemon. - And it was long time ago that I got such a smooth and thick smoke as today.
[(I know, my English is not the best)]
 
 

[supachink]

Ive always done random patterns of holes with a toothpick or a
mechanical pencil... lol  i found a smileface works well. As for
wrapping the foil, i always use regular househole foil... pull off a
rectangle, fold it in half, then put it on the bowl and wrap it
around... then poike holes... pretty much standard, i have heard about
moving the coal around the edge of hte bowl then to the middle but to
me thats too much work...