Hookah Pig

Follows is a detailed narrative of my Tangiers experience: First, I followed RayVer's instructions on how to acclimate Tangiers: http://www.hookahforum.com/topic/14245-acclimating-tangiers-step-by-step-with-pictures/ Here's my initial setup: [URL=http://img641.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tangiers1.jpg][IMG]http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/738/tangiers1.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Next, the opened bag: [URL=http://img641.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tangiers3.jpg][IMG]http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/50/tangiers3.jpg[/IMG][/URL] My first impressions were sort of mixed. I didn't think the stuff smelled like strawberries, but it didn't smell like KC Masterpiece either, so that was a plus. Next, the tobacco before being stirred: [URL=http://img402.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tangiers4.jpg][IMG]http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/9462/tangiers4.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Next, the tobacco after stirring: [URL=http://img690.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tangiers5.jpg][IMG]http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/9523/tangiers5.jpg[/IMG][/URL] I let the tobacco acclimate for just over 2 and a half hours. Now, you'll see my my packed phunnel bowl and the tool I used to pack the tobacco. I packed the tobacco until it was as dense as it was in the bag. [URL=http://img402.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tangiers6.jpg][IMG]http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/5209/tangiers6.jpg[/IMG][/URL] The next photo is slightly out of focus, but it shows how high the bowl was packed relative to the rim of the bowl: [URL=http://img690.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tangiers7.jpg][IMG]http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/1918/tangiers7.jpg[/IMG][/URL] I used a single layer of foil, shiny side down, and poked these holes in it (note: no hole in the middle): [URL=http://img163.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tangiers8.jpg][IMG]http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/4151/tangiers8.jpg[/IMG][/URL] The coals I used were quick-lite coconut coals. First, I placed three on the bowl: [URL=http://img163.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tangiers9.jpg][IMG]http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/3060/tangiers9.jpg[/IMG][/URL] This was a bit harsh, so I removed a coal: [URL=http://img682.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tangiers10.jpg][IMG]http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/1415/tangiers10.jpg[/IMG][/URL] This worked out ok. There was plenty of smoke, and, though I felt like the smoke was right on the verge of being harsh, it didn't actually get "harsh". I did get a sort of "warm" feeling in my chest. With these two coals, I moved them in a circle around the outside of the bowl. That seemed to work out ok. I think this stuff is worth another try. Definitely not the best smoke I've ever had, but it's potent stuff.

Quick update: Was able to add just enough heat to produce plenty of smoke and not feel harsh. Throughout the session, it felt like it was right on the verge of burning me, but it never quite got to "harsh". Pictures and details later, when I have time to compile them. Verdict: Not sure, need to smoke more.

Definitely make sure you're putting enough tobacco in there. Right at the rim of the bowl is good. Too much of an air space will cause a lack of flavor. And quick-lites aren't bad. They put out plenty of heat. Just make sure you don't put a hot quick-lite right in the middle of the bowl. That's a quick ticket to a burning throat.

I've been a hookah enthusiast for about four and a half years now. I've gone through four hookahs and more bowls, coal types and tobacco brands than I can count. Most of my knowledge has come from reading posts on this forum and experimenting with things. One of my more frustrating experiments has been Tangiers tobacco. I've ordered four or five different kinds of Tangiers over the past few years (various flavors, F-line, etc...), and each time I've had the same experience: [list][*]The tobacco smells like BBQ sauce[*]It burns my throat[/list] I've kept going back because I've read such glowing reviews on this site, and up until now, I've thought to myself, "Well maybe I really am acclimating it wrong/packing it wrong/lighting the coals wrong/opening the package wrong/looking at it wrong/etc...". I've never had this sort of experience with any other type of tobacco, but I kept reading about how great this stuff was when properly handled. So each time, I've blamed myself, waited a few months, then went back for another package and tried again. No more! Tomorrow, (assuming my order isn't screwed up, again), I will receive a package of Tangiers Cool Strawberry. I'm going to document every single movement, from the time I first lay my hands on the Tangiers package to the time I take my first pull on the hookah. Once and for all, I'm going to see which is flaw: my technique, or the tobacco itself. Excelsior! [img]http://www.hookahforum.com/public/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif[/img] Smoking a leaf shouldn't be this complicated.

I've tried three different flavors of Tangiers: - F-Line Cocoa, very harsh, sorta tasty - Blackthorn, very harsh, tasted like beefy jerky - Tropical Revenge, very harsh, smells/tastes ok, nice buzz But it's all really harsh. I'm in the middle of my Tropical Revenge batch. I stir it really well, it's definitely acclimated, and I load it right up to the rim of my bowl (medium funnel). I've tried using plenty of coal (2 3K 33mm broken in halves) and a little coal (1 33mm broken in quarters). No luck, it's bad harsh. I watched some video on YouTube about how to properly set up a bowl of Tangiers, but that didn't do any good either. Is it just me? Are there some people that just can't handle Tangiers?

It's been 24 hours, and it smells like beef jerky. Not really an improvement, but I'll still smoke it because, from what everyone says, Tangiers is amazing.

I got a batch of Blackthorn in the other day. When I opened it up, it smelled awful. Very very spicy, no fruit at all. I haven't let it acclimate yet. It's sitting out right now. Even after an hour, though, it doesn't smell any better. Has this happened to anyone else?

I'm in the middle of a bowl of the starbuzz, and it's smoking amazingly. Amazingly. Never going back to Hookah-Hookah. Beautiful, absolute beautiful. This thread can now end. No problems anymore.

OK, an update. I now have some F-Line Cocoa and some SB X on the Beach. With the Beach, the bowl smokes fine. Not as much smoke as I'd like, but at least it works. With the F-Line, it's super harsh. Unbelievably harsh. Even in my other bowl (the regular ceramic bowl), this stuff burns hard. Any thoughts?

QUOTE (Zildjian @ Nov 7 2007, 09:04 PM) where are u from? maybe find someone local on the forum and show em Fayetteville, AR

The coals light up when I pull. The air is definitely hitting the coals. If I work with the bowl long enough,k the tobacco does barely get hot and burn a little bit. A very little bit. I get some Starbuzz and Tangiers F-Line in Friday. If the bowl still doesn't work then, I'm going on a crusade to bring down the entire Hookah conspiracy. I'm taking this to the Hill.

The tobacco works just fine if I put it in a standard ceramic bowl. I've never had trouble out of it (Hookah-Hookah) until I used it in the Phunnel bowl. The only other thing I can think of is that, since my ceramic bowl holds much less tobacco, the coals are much closer to the tobacco when they're sitting in the foil. Maybe there's a greater spacing in the phunnel bowl between the tobacco and the coals since it's a bigger bowl. I don't know...........I really am flabbergasted.

The coals get hot enough. There're definitely no clogs (or leaks) anywhere in my setup, and my stem isn't submerged very deep in the water. I have no trouble taking pulls from the pipe, I just don't get any smoke. Like I said, the bowl and the glass mod get hot, but the tobacco doesn't. I'm an engineer, and I can't figure it out. All of my friends are engineers, and they can't figure it out. I just ordered some new tobacco, so in a few days I'll see if that works.

I've packed a couple more bowls, this time looser. It didn't work. I also tried lots and lots of holes (again), and it still didn't work. The only possibility at this point is that the tobacco really isn't juicy enough, but I have a hard time believe that's the case. I'm about ready to just give up and give my opinion that the Phunnel bowl is a rip off. I've blown through at least 24 coal tablets and lots of tobacco trying to get it to work.

Here are some pics First, my gear: The empty bowl w/ mod: Filled bowl: Foiled: And w/ coals (not lit): Like I said, I get no smoke. Thanks for the help. NOTE: the coals aren't lit. Normally, I light them until they're thoroughly red. Also, I've tried all different types of hole configurations, not just the one pictured. I've tried multiple circles, random places, big holes, small holes, etc... Lots of configs.