Got My Kaloud Lotus, Today!

[KarmaBiker]

Just how big the underneath of it is. The side in contact with the shisha/bowl. Thanks.

[ShishaFreak]

Hope these pix help!

[KarmaBiker]

Thank you very much!

[grock]

The underneath of mine from edge to edge is exactly 2-7/8 inches.

 

From edge of heat vent to edge of heat vent is  2-1/4 inches. 

[Twitchy]

alien and harmony fit perfect, but so do most tang smalls , vortex might also and i have egyptian bowls that fit

[â€On]

So, about a month back I got a chance to try my cousins Lotus out for the first time. We set it up on an alien bowl (I figured if it can make that piece of shit bowl smoke good, it's worth checking out), and I have to say, very impressed. So, I talked to Neiman at Ultimate Hookah and picked up a Lotus and a Harmony bowl and I am very happy with both. I doubt I will use the Harmony for any smoking other than with the Lotus, but it is a perfect match for the Lotus. I had a 4 hour session last night smoking Tang Birquq and I could have easily kept going and going. For my first round of coals, I did 3 Razan's stonehenged with the cover closed for half and half open for half. After that it was 2 Razans laid flat or on their sides. The entire session was gigantic clouds and big flavour. I could have gotten these same results with foil, but if I'm being honest, I'll echo Grock in that it's just easier when you're gaming or whatever. I put the coals in and I stopped thinking about it. Easy.

 

When I first heard about the Lotus I thought "what a gimmick", just like everyone else. But, I eat my words: the Lotus is worth your time and your money. That being said,  I stand by a statement I made last year: if you don't know what you are doing with heat management, you should NOT buy a Lotus. Knowing your heat management and using the Lotus can get you crazy good results. Not knowing your heat management and using the Lotus means you will stay dumb forever. 

[KarmaBiker]

How do I know I am doing heat management "right"? Any good threads to read or YouTube videos?

[kenshinx23]

Heat management is.a fancy word play for "good smoke, good flavor, longevity" if you have that your doing just fine

[KarmaBiker]

Aaah then we are a okay! :)

[KarmaBiker]

Any know where I can get one of these in Europe? :)

[getby25]

I tried lotus with alien mini which it fits pretty well, but compare to foil, using lotus feel the draw is more opened, is it because the lotus can't seal bowls tight as foil? Or maybe just depending on packing method

[A Sharrp SYBIAN]

I tried lotus with alien mini which it fits pretty well, but compare to foil, using lotus feel the draw is more opened, is it because the lotus can't seal bowls tight as foil? Or maybe just depending on packing method

 

 

        I would say packing method plays a role, but it also depends on how many coals are being used. I normally have 3 coals to start with then depending on the shisha i take 1 off. Less coals = tighter draw.

 

Still you don't want to use too little coals because less coals also = less smoke. 

Edited September 8, 2013 by A Sharrp SYBIAN

[stia]

I love mine. Some people plop 3 coals in there but I feel like it kills the bowl pretty fast. Put two flat coconut coals in it, with the lid on and let it warm up.

 

Probably about 4 minutes in its power ripping.

 

I usually smoke it with tang with my alien.

[getby25]

I tried lotus with alien mini which it fits pretty well, but compare to foil, using lotus feel the draw is more opened, is it because the lotus can't seal bowls tight as foil? Or maybe just depending on packing method

 
 
        I would say packing method plays a role, but it also depends on how many coals are being used. I normally have 3 coals to start with then depending on the shisha i take 1 off. Less coals = tighter draw.
 
Still you don't want to use too little coals because less coals also = less smoke. 

Okay I will try more shisha than I usually load when I smoke with foil, thanks always get some good info from you, btw my shika finally on the way it took like about a month, they are testing my patient...once I receive I will give you some feedback like I said before :)

[Hookah_Husky]

While an interesting concept, even since I changed my method of coal placement I have not had any problems with longevity or heat management.  2 cocos edged on the bowl across from one another and I just leave it, ash it once/twice and I get an excellent smoke up till they get too small and I need new coals.  At that point the 2 new coals go on the other edges that the first set of coals weren't.  Never have to move them.

[A Sharrp SYBIAN]

 

I tried lotus with alien mini which it fits pretty well, but compare to foil, using lotus feel the draw is more opened, is it because the lotus can't seal bowls tight as foil? Or maybe just depending on packing method

 
 
        I would say packing method plays a role, but it also depends on how many coals are being used. I normally have 3 coals to start with then depending on the shisha i take 1 off. Less coals = tighter draw.
 
Still you don't want to use too little coals because less coals also = less smoke. 

Okay I will try more shisha than I usually load when I smoke with foil, thanks always get some good info from you, btw my shika finally on the way it took like about a month, they are testing my patient...once I receive I will give you some feedback like I said before :)

 

          Well its not about more its about how you pack it. The funnel must be evenly packed up almost up to teh spire. Don't pack above the spire. Make sure the tobacco is even overpacking isnt good either because it burns the tobacco. Next use a little less coal i recommend 3 Stonehenged or 2 laying flat if your using a lotus. Also after a few minutes once its smoking dont use more than 2 2 coals is perfect once the lotus is going. 

     

Also, Really a month to ship? WHaaaaaat? Idk that sucks im not affiliated with them i just bought a few hookahs from them in the past. Honestly you shouldnt wait more than 2 weeks if they didnt send it or messed up you should demand your money back. I thought you got your shika. Hey If you want a good hookah you can just get  a refund from them and Buy my Syrian Its sold out everywhere smokes amazingly and looks even more amazing on a Jumbobase. plus im lowering the price it will be Stem and Jumbo base only for 100+ shipping. I just have to pick it up from my dad's summer cabin it sat around there all summer lol Still it is super shiny. I will make a new for sale thread once i pick it up and take updated pictures. 

[getby25]

 

I tried lotus with alien mini which it fits pretty well, but compare to foil, using lotus feel the draw is more opened, is it because the lotus can't seal bowls tight as foil? Or maybe just depending on packing method

 
 
        I would say packing method plays a role, but it also depends on how many coals are being used. I normally have 3 coals to start with then depending on the shisha i take 1 off. Less coals = tighter draw.
 
Still you don't want to use too little coals because less coals also = less smoke. 

Okay I will try more shisha than I usually load when I smoke with foil, thanks always get some good info from you, btw my shika finally on the way it took like about a month, they are testing my patient...once I receive I will give you some feedback like I said before :)

 
          Well its not about more its about how you pack it. The funnel must be evenly packed up almost up to teh spire. Don't pack above the spire. Make sure the tobacco is even overpacking isnt good either because it burns the tobacco. Next use a little less coal i recommend 3 Stonehenged or 2 laying flat if your using a lotus. Also after a few minutes once its smoking dont use more than 2 2 coals is perfect once the lotus is going. 
     
Also, Really a month to ship? WHaaaaaat? Idk that sucks im not affiliated with them i just bought a few hookahs from them in the past. Honestly you shouldnt wait more than 2 weeks if they didnt send it or messed up you should demand your money back. I thought you got your shika. Hey If you want a good hookah you can just get  a refund from them and Buy my Syrian Its sold out everywhere smokes amazingly and looks even more amazing on a Jumbobase. plus im lowering the price it will be Stem and Jumbo base only for 100+ shipping. I just have to pick it up from my dad's summer cabin it sat around there all summer lol Still it is super shiny. I will make a new for sale thread once i pick it up and take updated pictures. 

I meant it took about 4 weeks since the day I made the order first. One week for receiving another week for returning shipping label, this was ridiculous. Another week for returning, and final week for receiving new stem, on the way.

[A Sharrp SYBIAN]

 

 

 

I tried lotus with alien mini which it fits pretty well, but compare to foil, using lotus feel the draw is more opened, is it because the lotus can't seal bowls tight as foil? Or maybe just depending on packing method

 
 
        I would say packing method plays a role, but it also depends on how many coals are being used. I normally have 3 coals to start with then depending on the shisha i take 1 off. Less coals = tighter draw.
 
Still you don't want to use too little coals because less coals also = less smoke. 

Okay I will try more shisha than I usually load when I smoke with foil, thanks always get some good info from you, btw my shika finally on the way it took like about a month, they are testing my patient...once I receive I will give you some feedback like I said before :)

 
          Well its not about more its about how you pack it. The funnel must be evenly packed up almost up to teh spire. Don't pack above the spire. Make sure the tobacco is even overpacking isnt good either because it burns the tobacco. Next use a little less coal i recommend 3 Stonehenged or 2 laying flat if your using a lotus. Also after a few minutes once its smoking dont use more than 2 2 coals is perfect once the lotus is going. 
     
Also, Really a month to ship? WHaaaaaat? Idk that sucks im not affiliated with them i just bought a few hookahs from them in the past. Honestly you shouldnt wait more than 2 weeks if they didnt send it or messed up you should demand your money back. I thought you got your shika. Hey If you want a good hookah you can just get  a refund from them and Buy my Syrian Its sold out everywhere smokes amazingly and looks even more amazing on a Jumbobase. plus im lowering the price it will be Stem and Jumbo base only for 100+ shipping. I just have to pick it up from my dad's summer cabin it sat around there all summer lol Still it is super shiny. I will make a new for sale thread once i pick it up and take updated pictures. 

I meant it took about 4 weeks since the day I made the order first. One week for receiving another week for returning shipping label, this was ridiculous. Another week for returning, and final week for receiving new stem, on the way.

 

well I personally think if they messed up the order they should have given you a discount or at least some free shisha. This does sound ridiculous sorry to hear. When do you get it? next time if they mess up just send it back ask for a refund exchanges are a pain in the ass in my opinion. 

[Anxiety]

I got mine for the lazy factor of it, not gonna lie was tough to shell out the 45$ or w/e it was. I have absolutely no regrets. I can play games while smoking and never have to touch the coals. I also get much longer sessions, and it works wonder with tangiers :) Only complaint I have about it is it works alot better with my medium phunnel, than my small one. So a little bit more shisha, but a lot longer sessions and hassle free :D

[getby25]

I got mine for the lazy factor of it, not gonna lie was tough to shell out the 45$ or w/e it was. I have absolutely no regrets. I can play games while smoking and never have to touch the coals. I also get much longer sessions, and it works wonder with tangiers :) Only complaint I have about it is it works alot better with my medium phunnel, than my small one. So a little bit more shisha, but a lot longer sessions and hassle free :D

I haven't tried it on medium phunnel but crown cloud I recommend to everyone who use lotus. I know it is pricey but I think it worth

[Sonthert]

I tried one that the inventor gave me (with a red rubber piece :) ) . Now, I never use coconut coals. Everybody that seems to get something out of the Lotus uses coconut coals. I use Japanese Fumaris/Golden Canaries and they don't do much in there. The smoke is kind of anemic and flavorless. I would surmise that they trap and collect the heat that was previously being lost due to the inefficiency of the design of coconut cubes. In short, I think that they make coconut coals smoke more like Japanese coals. Now in this heat-trapping process, they slow down the rate of oxidation of charcoal, but if they are choking off the flow of oxygen, might they be increasing carbon monoxide production? Its a rather complicated chemistry evaluation involving kinetics, which I don't feel comfortable doing without more information about the design, but since the inventor wanted me to sign a Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA) to talk in specific about things that I know quite a lot about in the first place from my engineering studies and experience, I figured the NDA was more of a muzzle than a sharing of information. 

 

I would say the item warrants caution. Carbon Monoxide is probably one of the largest health risks from hookahs. I use Japanese coals specifically because they presumably produce less carbon monoxide that normal charcoal. 

[Sonthert]

I had a few more thoughts I wanted to share:

 

The chemical reactions governing the burning of charcoal are as follows:

 

C + 1/2O2 -> CO + Heat

CO + 1/2O2 -> CO2 + Heat

 

These types of reactions are called exothermic in that they evolve heat. This is problematic for chemical kinetics because higher temperatures for a reaction IN GENERAL increase reaction rate. Lavoisier's Principle tells us if we increase the amount of a product, it slows the reaction. So, heating up an exothermic reaction may increase the rate of the reaction or slow it down. Since the charcoal take longer to burn in a Lotus, we have to assume that it slows the reaction down since empirically this is what's observed. If you constrict the airflow to the charcoal it will also slow down the reactions. Its possible that the end result is that the first reaction will predominate and the second reaction will be reduced. That being the case, the amount of carbon monoxide produced will be increased. 

 

The question that is important is this is the reduction of the oxygen slowing the reaction down more than the retention of the heat? If so, then the amount of carbon monoxide being produced will be increased. If the constriction of oxygen/air negligibly affects the system, than the carbon monoxide produced in excess over normal will be negligible or non-existent. My pure bullshit-guess on the matter from my chemistry experience and education is that it increases the carbon monoxide a small amount. I could be wrong and it could be non-existent or disturbingly high too. The other problem is that since the adjustments are made by the user, one user could be getting relatively high carbon monoxide amounts produced while another user gets relatively low amounts, depending on how constricted the air intake is. The product was not likely designed to eliminate the possibility of restricting airflow to the point of increasing carbon monoxide production. 

 

If you are getting dizzy, headaches, discoordinated, drowsy or your exhibiting acute or chronic symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning from smoking hookah with the Lotus, open the airways up on it more or discontinue its use. Likewise, if you are experiencing symptoms and NOT using the Lotus, change charcoal, ditch your windcover, do something. Its your long-term health at issue here. 

 

Wikipedia has a description of symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_monoxide_poisoning

[Stuie]

Eric, that is an epic post... and at 5am at that.... nothing i could think or say at 5am would be coherent... the rest of the day is questionable too.

 

[grock]

huh, well that is definitely a concern. Never thought of it possibly increasing the output of moxodie...

 

You have me a bit worried now. I love my Lotus :(

 

I'd like to hear from the creator, maybe an email or something. 

[Sonthert]

Like I said, I wanted to get more information out of him, but he wouldn't discuss specifics unless I signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement, which would have then prevented me from telling what information (usually bad stuff) that I was able to glean from them. If you did ask him, they would probably say it didn't and if you asked for more information they would say its proprietary information.