Coal Strategy

[JamminJonah]

Hi there,
I'm new around but have been browsing posts for a few days. What have you found successful in the way of coal arrangement and foil holes? In the tobacco review section someone posted a neat little diagram involving Japanese coals and two circles of foil holes, I'm just wondering how to avoid burning the shesha whilst keeping the smoke coming. Any advice is appreciated!

[Zerodynamic]

Hi there,
I'm new around but have been browsing posts for a few days. What have you found successful in the way of coal arrangement and foil holes? In the tobacco review section someone posted a neat little diagram involving Japanese coals and two circles of foil holes, I'm just wondering how to avoid burning the shesha whilst keeping the smoke coming. Any advice is appreciated!

well, Imho..the best way is to experiment.

Personally, I like doing semi-small holes and and just punch like 50 holes randomly.... works good enough for me.

[cafesaden]

honestly, this all really depends on the tobacco you are using. some tobacco is picky and requires many many holes and little coals to get it going. but for the most part it is easy.

2 rings of holes not toothpick size a little bigger. then i put a few toothpick holes to fiill in big gaps. this works with alwaha alamir nahkla starbuzz layalina

tangiers is the exception, thats a whole different ballgame

[Johnny_D]

I normally use sewing pin and punch somewhere in the region of about 46,545,343 holes (funnel bowl with scalli mod)

4 Japenese style coals -OR- 2x3Kings cut in half to make 4 coal pieces, arranged at each quarter!

Normally works for me.

JD

[imagelessdude]

When smoking Layalina or Al-Fakher, I poke 9 holes all around... but more on one side than the other. I move the coal location as I smoke, keeping things nice. This works especially well for me when I use a small, shallow bowl. [Like the clay egyptian that came with smiley's 15 hookah]

[KaSG]

Usually I use one 40mm 3Kings coal (well.. of course I change the coal when the first one is done, so 2 in the end!!), and poke just about 60-70 holes with a thumbtack.

[Macho555]

I always just use a shrimp fork and stab holes EVERYWHERE.

As for the coal(s) I just rotate them whenever the shisha starts to taste a little burnt.

[sicklecow]

I stab about 30 holes in a random pattern, making sure they're evenly distributed across the foil.

Then I break my 3 Kings in half, and put 1.5 coals on top around the outside, rotating and moving slightly toward the center every 15 minutes. When the smoke gets a little thin, I get rid of the smallest lit coal and add a fresh half.

[Apollo]

i use a bowl screen in general, but otherwise i just poke a lot of random holes, an d it works fine... i think hole arrangement is rather unimportant, u just need to make sure u have enough of them

[Luke69]

When using a funell bowl i usually either do 2 or 3 rings of holes around the outside of the bowl then break a quicklight in half and put it on either side of the bowl and just rotate the foil around every now and then. Or I just put a circle of holes near the outside of the bowl a but bigger than the whole coal and just rotate it pretty often. Works well.

[Bruceybruce03]

im having good luck with just 3 concentric circles around the edge on my phunnel. and if it ever starts getting harsh towards the end ill poke a couple over the phunnel hole and that clears that problem right up

[meeheeheeheehee]

wow, i only put like 5 or 6 holes scattered in the mid (a lot less then from what ive been reading here), and make sure the coal covers them. I almost never havev problems with my setup, so i guess in the end its preference...

[[LB]]

i have a very picky configuration i use, it requires one 40mm three kings and 30mm three kings. Take the 40 mm and put it right in the center, then crush up the 30 mm into quarters or eigths, and dump them around the 40mm coal. The broken 30mm will kick start your bowl and youll get fluffy clouds immediately, no lie, if your foil is poked properly. The 40mm willl keep the heat stable for the entire session. When it starts to get weak, just break the 40mm into halves, then quarters, then eighths, your session should be about over by then.