hookah newbie here, looking for advice

[hoopyfrood]

Hi guys, I just bought my first hookah last week off of my hookah
expert friend.  I know how to set it all up and how to clean it
all, but I still had some lingering questions I was hoping you all
could help me with.

First thing, how long does shisha last after I've opened the
packet?  I bought some Al Fakher shisha, but I'm not sure if I
should refrigerate it to make it last longer.

Also, how much time should i spend cleaning the vase and hose? 
For now I'm trying to clean it every time i use it, but it's usually
just a quick rinse.

And does hookah smoke tend to get into furniture?  While I love
the smell, I'm not sure my roommates want to have their couches
smelling like jasmine and apple.

Finally, how many coals do you use for a bowl of shisha?  I found
out that a set of coals doesn't last long enough for one session so I
have to smoke using two sets.  Do you use 2 blocks?  3
blocks?  Does it even matter?

Alright, that's all I can think of for now.  I appreciate the help if anyone answers.  Thanks again!

[Mathazar]

Go to:  www.Hookah-Shisha.com and at the top of the page click on
"User Guide".  This information will answer many of your questions.

Also go to:  www.SocialSmoke.com and click in the upper right corner of the page on "Hookah 101".  Very informative.

But,  just to answer a few of your questions:

1.  Call one of the above dealers and ask about shelf-life. 
I'm not sure about Al-Fakher,  I think after opening the bag it's
got a shelf-life of 2 months.  But I could be wrong about
that.  You don't have to refrigerate this stuff,  because
it's in a base of either molasses or honey,  and you would not
want to refrigerate either if it were in the bottle,  and you
certainly wouldn't want to refrigerate tobacco.

2.  Just rinse out the vase and give it a quick swishing with the
brush.  You only need to clean the hose when it starts getting a
gurgling sound when you puff on it,  or if you get black sediment
coming out of your mouthpiece.  It means that condensation has
formed from the smoke and you want to get that stuff out of there
ASAP.  As a matter of RULE,  I wash all my hoses once a
month.  The only time you ever have to get serious with cleaning
your hookah is after smoking licorice-flavored tobacco,  such as
Double Apple.  You'll want to scrub everything out real
well.  And,  if I were you,  I would designate certain
hoses for different flavors.  Like,  I've got 5
hoses. 1 for Double Apple/licorice,  1 for citrus
flavors, 1 for mild flavors like melon/banana/etc, 1 for Apple, 
and 1 for Nutty flavors. 

Remember,  not all hoses are washable.  If you want some good
durable washable hoses,  go to:  www.Hookah-Hookah.com and
click on "Accessories".  Then click on Plethor Hoses.  These
are the BEST hoses I've ever used,  and for only 10 bucks, 
it's a real steal of a deal.

3.  To the best of my knowledge,  hookah smoke will not hurt
the furniture or get into the rug.  It's not a cigar you're
smoking,  you're not burning the tobacco,  you're vaporizing
it.  The goal of shisha smoking is to vaporize the moisture in the
tobacco,  NOT burn it.  That's why you don't want the tobacco
touching the foil.

4.  For Al-Fakher I use either 1 or 1 and a half coals. 
Yes,  it does matter how many coals you use.  Never use more
than two coals.  The more coals you're burning,  the hotter
the tobacco is going to get,  the more likely it is to burn. 
One time I used 3 coals with a metal bowl, and I melted the rubber bowl
grommet.  You can use two coals with Al-Fakher,  but it'll
just make your smoking session shorter.  With one coal,  you
can always add a second coal later after the first one has burnt-out.

Hope that helps

[NERV]

not only should you not refridgerate the tobacco, but if you get one
that doesnt come in an airtight container, get one, those ziploc
reuseable/disposeable containers are really good, i got em on sale,
like 10 for $2, also help in breaking up the tobbacco, just shake it up
some.

most important par tof wahsing the hookah is running your brsuh thru
the stem, thats where the worst stuff gathers, there and in the hose,
like math said, washable hoses are practically a must. unless you got
the $ to replace hoses

ive never had any hookah scent stick to my furniture, and i smoke 4
times a day in a small room, it will stay in the air for a while
depending ont he siz eof the room and if its ventilated or not, but it
wont get into furniture

i have never needed more than 1 coal, i personally dont like recoaling,
it doesnt taste as good if you add a second coal later, but if you need
to, start the bowl with 1 1/2 or 2

[hoopyfrood]

thanks guys, lots of good information!

one thing about the coals... mine come in sticks of 4 pieces. 
when you say "1 coal," do you mean 1/4 of the stick?  or do you
mean the entire thing?

[cypress]

[quote name='hoopyfrood']thanks guys, lots of good information!

one thing about the coals... mine come in sticks of 4 pieces. 
when you say "1 coal," do you mean 1/4 of the stick?  or do you
mean the entire thing?[/quote]

Sounds like you use japanese coals. In my opinion they taste bad
because the coating in the outside of it leaves a funny taste. If you
can try using Nours fingers or lemon wood. If you must use a quicklight
use Golden. 3 Kings i have heard leaves a funny flavor too.

[cypress]

Oh I forgot to answer the question. In your case yes. It would mean to
that eqivalent. If its divided in quaters, in my experience is
equvalent to about 1.5 of the other coals I use.