Coconaras Refusing To Stay Lit

[Rayneuki]

Ok, so I leave them on for about 10 minuets... Fliping them and everything... Just like everyone has told me/shown me. THEY DON'T STAY LIT ON MY BOWL.
I'm seriously thinking of grabbing some normal natural wood coal at the grocery... It's really making my sessions more of a pain.

Once I get them going though? I don't have to mess with it, I just put on the windcover and go... But otherwise... Oh my god the anger burns in me like a thousand suns...

Any tips, tricks? I've tried blowing them to make sure they're all-the-way-done EVERYTHING... Nothing works... My BF thinks my room might be too cold, but... Well would that have anything to do with it?

[j3oomerang]

i have to keep flipping mine too but its worth it to me. maybe you should cook em longer, wait till the coal is ashy white and glowing red.

[racemyghost]

Easy solution. Get Exoticas

[SimplexCoda]

back when i used coconaras i had to flip them seriously ever 4 seconds. It was annoying as hell. So i switched to exocitcas and the cocos sold by HC. I like exoticas for using with the glass screen cause they are way way low maintance, but they taste like butt hole. The HC cocos are fantastic cause they are way low maintance, not as much as exoticas, and they dont taste. So there you have it.

[Hojo]

Your coal should have a little flame coming off of it when you take it off the burner. If not, it is not heated enough.

Personally, with my first round of Cocos, I don't have to flip at all. The second gives me a wee bit of trouble for the first few minutes, but stabilizes quickly enough. I don't know how this is happening to you.

[staygone]

I never, ever, ever, ever, EVER, ever have this problem, ever.

If they're flaming on the coils, they should be good to go.

-QM Edited December 19, 2008 by QuiltedMaple

[neffertiti]

I don't know man, that really sucks
I flip mine once about 10 minutes in, and then they just go great

[antouwan]

i've never had this problem, i really don't know what to say...wait for them to be flaming on the coils? other than that, i have no idea.

[Rayneuki]

The thing is, mine ARE flaming when I pull them off. I flip them once on the burner (When they start to flame for one side) then let them flame on the other. After that I put them on my bowl, a few minuets in they've nearly turned completely black. The sides and the top... AND the bottom. I blow on it, drop it on the burner for longer, and by the time they are actualy willing to STAY lit they've either burned my shisha (by dropping sparks from me moving them) or they're too small to use.

I dunno, I didn't have this problem with my first two boxes... It's just this last box... Every coal out of this box has been this way, a few have been alright but I'm about sick of it. I like to play WoW when I smoke, so I'm not really into the idea of fighting with the coals.

[ambuletzd2h]

i like the starlight naturals, i normally get them from mnhookah look into those. they stay lit for me all the time and low maintance

[Hojo]

Could be this box was exposed to moisture in some way, either at the factory or during shipping. That will ruin a batch of coals easily.

[vin13]

I've had this problem in the past and I've figured out a pretty good way of lighting them.

Keep them on the stove until they are almost flaming on all sides, then blow on the tops of them to almost get the edges burning nicely. Flip them on the stove for no more than a few seconds, blowing on the now red hot tops to keep them going. Now throw them on their sides when you put them on the tray so you don't burn out the top or bottoms. This seems to work really well with me as I only flip them maybe twice a bowl.

[staygone]

Do you hit the hookah consistantly? When I smoke its being hit every 15 seconds ish. Prolonged not smoing periods could possibley put out the coals.

-QM

[Rayneuki]

Do you hit the hookah consistantly? When I smoke its being hit every 15 seconds ish. Prolonged not smoing periods could possibley put out the coals.

-QM

Yeah I do. That's the weird part... I'm hitting, they get good airflow, they're flaming when I pull them off (on all sides) and they go directly on the hookah from the burner (no time to sit or cool off... Or time to go dead)

Hojo might have a point, they might be water damaged... I only have 2 left anyhow (Just goes to show how hard I've been trying with these suckers.)

[gaia.plateau]

It's the shisha juices that 'put them out'.

I use about 8 of these a day, usually on super wet shisha packed to the foil... thick, cloudy, flavourful smoke all the way through... I have never had to flip them more than once every 10 minutes, tops. Some tips for ya.

Make sure they're fully lit.

Begin the bowl by holding the coal about a milimeter above the foil, moving it circularly and drawing slowly - this dries any juices on top of the shisha. (I think Vin's idea would work but it seems like a little bit of unnecessary hassle).

Utilize a windcover - this way, even if it does go out partially you can still get adequate heat.

If these tips don't work, try packing the shisha a little lower.

If you STILL can't get it to work and are worried that you might be insane, try Nakhla- I've never seen Nakhla dampen coal. Edited December 19, 2008 by gaia.plateau

[NickReppinThe909]

best of the west nattys or CH cocos FTW

[ToncSTAR]

best of the west nattys or CH cocos FTW

+1

[Bulldog_916]

Stand on your head, do a flip, twist the coal around, eat a ham sammich, turn your computer screen on and off 4 times (only 4, any more and you'll end up throwing off the juju) then take the coals off the burner. They will stay lit for ever.

[Stuie]

I think it's a lighting problem. Here's how i do it.

Throw the cocos on the burner and when it looks like it's about half lit (the corner edges are grey) I flip them. Then wait about the same amount of time or until it flames are dancing on top of them.

I flip them on my bowl occasionally. Most of the time I don't even touch them. I will just through the windcover on and let them ash on their own.

[ryno]

Something I've found to get coconut coals going better on the burner is when they are about done, set them up on their side, like have the coal standing up. I think it gets heat throughout the coal a little better

[Voski]

I haven't tried this but I think you should since it makes sense to me. Crumple your foil up before u put it on your bowl. The ridges should keep parts of the coal off the foil so air can get to it. But I don't have this problem either. I flip them once after the bowl starts and then once again like half way through the session. I would reccomend u get the golden canarys.

[Rayneuki]

Thanks for the help guys.
I have like two coals left and I'm getting some more today (or tomorow), so for now I've got no Cocos to try and fight with. Next order some cocos are coming in, I'll let ya'll know if I have the same issues next-time. And Gaia, when I do get them going I use a wind cover... It does help alot.

Again, thanks guys, I really do like coco coals... I just wanna try some other stuff too (see if I prefer other wood coals?))

[mattarios2]

golden canarys FTW