Help!

[Mathazar]

3Kings Charcoal is the problem.  It burns very quickly and it also
imparts a BAD charcoal flavor in you smoke.  Golden Coals are the
BEST quick-light coals on the market.  You can use two of them and
not taste any charcoal whatsoever,  as they're flavorless and
virtually smokeless.  The 3Kings charcoals don't produce as much
smoke as compared Golden Coals,  because they don't burn as hot or
as long.

If you ABSOLUTELY have to use 3Kings coals,  then I propose that
you only use one coal with a half-filled bowl of tobacco.  This
way,  the tobacco won't be touching the foil and therefore it
won't burn.  If the tobacco is burning,  there's a pretty
good chance that you'll be coughing-up a lung.  Burning tobacco is
VERY hard on your lungs,  and if the tobacco IS burning, 
then I suggest you stop smoking that bowl immediately. 

Also,  in order to get a good smoke,  you have to ensure that
you don't pack the bowl too tight.  When you're filling the
bowl,  simply sprinkly the tobacco into the bowl,  DON'T PACK
IT,  or you'll get a very tight draw,  and you'll produce
very little smoke because there's not enough air space in the tobacco
for the heat to be distributed throughout the bowl.  By sprinkling
the tobacco into the bowl,  you're ensuring that the heat is
getting down to the bottom of the bowl and that the moisture in the
tobacco is being evaporated.  That's the key,  you want the
moisture to be evaporated.  If your tobacco is burning,  then
you're not evaporating moisture,  you're getting the smoke from
burnt tobacco.

I don't REALLY know what to suggest to you to get a perfect smoke,  but here's some basic reccommendations:

1.  Go to Hookah-Shisha.com and buy some Golden Coals

2.  If you want a thick & flavorful smoke,  then use 2 Golden Coals 

DON'T USE 3KINGS COALS!!!! 

3.  Sprinkle the tobacco,  DON'T PACK IT!!!

4.  Only use half a bowl of tobacco

5.  Only use HIGH-QUALITY PREMIUM tobacco:

- Romman tobacco from Hookah-Shisha.com

- Hookah-Hookah.com for some very good (Hazelnut,  Apple, 
Melon, and Grape). Stay away from their other flavors because they
SUCK!!!  After the 1rst of the year,  they'll have 10 new
flavors such as:  Cognac, Jamaican Rum, Cinnamon, Banana, 
Coconut,  Watermelon,  just to name a few.  Excellent
tobacco!!! 

- Al-Fakher Coconut & Cappuccino

All these tobbaccos produce lots of smoke,  provided that you've
prepared the bowl correctly and are using a good HOT & LONG-LASTING
charcoal,  such as Golden Coals.

Make sure that when you're poking holes with the toothpick that you
poke BIG holes and NOT small ones.  You may want to punch more
than 20 holes in the foil.

Make sure that everything is ABSOLUTELY airtight.  If you have a
multi-hose hookah,  then you've got to make sure those mouthpieces
are sealed.  Make sure the bowl is secured tightly onto the stem
of the shaft.  Make sure the rubber grommets are secured
tightly.  And make sure that when you've filled the glass vase
that the water level is a maximum of 2 inches above the bottom of the
stem.
That's about all the information I can offer you.  Hope it helps!

Goodluck 

[Mathazar]

Whoops.....a few spelling errors in my previous post 

[maxima302]

wow thanks for the quick (and helfpul reply!) I will try to use different charcoals. I also think that this is the problem because sometimes it is too hot and burns, and like tonight, i don't think it ever got hot enough!
Thank you again! I'll keep you updated.

[Mathazar]

Yeah,  please do keep me updated, as I'm really
interested to know if the coals were what was causing you the
problem 

[NERV]

i use 3 kings, i havent had a problem

[iknewmroctopus]

i use 3 kings too

[Mathazar]

I'm using 3Kings right now,  and they suck......ROYALLY!!!!  They taste like sh*t 

I just placed an order an hour ago for 6 boxes of Golden Coals, 
over at Hookah-Shisha,  and they should be here by Friday,  I
CAN'T WAIT!!! 

Plus,  I just placed an order for 500g each of Al-Amasi Banana and Memory Mix. 

Friday is going to be a VERY GOOD DAY!!! 

[To100YearsToLate]

add some ice to your base too, that will help make a better smoke.

[King Mo]

[quote name='Guest']Hello, great forum here!
There has to be somthing I'm doing wrong here. I can't, for the love of god, get my hookah(s) to produce the quality of smoke I get from a local hookah lounge. I have tried everything: Not filling the bowl the top, using various amts of charcoal, different good quality tobaccos, differnt amts and sizes of holes in the foil, everything! But whenever I smoke, I can't get any flavor!  
Currently, I am using a good tobacco which I got from a local hookah lounge, with 2 halves of 3kings instant light coals, and about 20 small toothpick sized holes. I have 2 hookahs, so I know it isn't the machine. One is a 30" and one is a small one. Can sombody help?  
I know that the tobacco shouldn't burn, but it almost always does, how can I prevent this??? These things can't be THAT complex to get working!
Thanks in advance[/quote]


well, stating the obvious. First of all make sure you actually use the same tobacco as your local shisha cafe. If you use different tobacco, then you will clearly not get the same smoke, as different m3assal gives different quality of smoke.
if you use fakher tobacco, and one of those instant coals (if your head is a small head). Rotating the coal around the edge so that about 2/3 of the piece is on the head should do the job.
20 holes sounds a bit much if it's a small head. Try up to 15 evenly spaced holes. You could be burning too much.
sprinkle the coal in when you put it, so using your thumb and 2 fingers seperate it as you pack it.
make sure you are not getting too much air escaping, so if need be, put paper or tissue around the hose and head where it plugs in (if your grommets dont work too good). Make sure everything is a nice snug fit.
finally a crucial point. NEVER EVER EVER put a coal that is not lit fully on the shisha. Try to get it as orange as possible, before it touches the head. If you do not do that, then you f**k up the flavour greatly.
only place coals that are fully lit and orange on the shisha. Even the cheap stuff will work GREAT if you do that. I sometimes light the cheap coal on the gas cooker, so it will be completely lit.
clean your shisha every 5-10 smokes, and blow through your hose before and after every smoke. also think about cleaning the hose if you find that it imparts a strong flavour. (if you clean the hose with water, then leave to hang dry for 2 days before u smoke)
Use Al Fakher Apple, Grape or Coconut.
follow these tips, and you should have a great smoke guaranteed.

[Mathazar]

Al-Fakher Grape

Just kidding 

[maxima302]

Thanks again for the tips. I used only half a bowl, but i dont' think it heated up enough.

Tahnks again

[slicerd]

I'm confused by your logic Mathazar first you say 3 kings dont get hot enough but then you say he should put on less so the tobacco doesnt burn becuase its too hot?  Personally I have had great luck with 3 kings and Mathazar is the first person I have heard say he really didnt like them.  But then again Mathazar definitally has some different opinions from a lot of people on the board.
Personally I'm using 3 kings coals with Fakher massel and I have had a great experience.  Usually I only light one coal at a time because other wise it gets to hot and burns.  I put the coal on the outer sides of the bowl and work it around the bowl to evenly cook the massel.  I use a 13 hole pattern via a tooth pick that I will post below.  I suspect that maybe you are using to many holes and getting to much excess airflow.  I usually put a lot of massel in the bowl and pack it down just a little but not to tight.  Also I have found that certain flavors burn very easilly like strawberry burns very easily but I had some rose last night and it was very juicy and I dont think I could burn it if I tried.  Good luck and keep us posted.  Also maybe you should go the hookah bar and ask them for tips for the massel they use.
[url="http://www.hookahforum.com/uploads/slicerd/files/2004-12-16_192728_hole_pattern.zip"]2004-12-16_192728_hole_pattern.zip[/url]

[Mathazar]

[quote name='slicerd']But then again Mathazar definitally has some different opinions from a lot of people on the board.


[url="http://www.hookahforum.com/uploads/slicerd/files/2004-12-16_192728_hole_pattern.zip"]2004-12-16_192728_hole_pattern.zip[/url][/quote]

Such as? 

Exactly whom might you be speaking of?

What is a forum worth if you don't have differences of opinion. 
This would be a pretty boring place if everybody always agreed with
each other.  And as far as my telling him to put on one coal and
half a bowl of maassel,  it had to do with the fact that if his
maassel is burning,  then he should definitely use less coal and
less tobacco.  What part of that equation do you not
understand......DORK 

 

[Mathazar]

maxima......I'm now using 2 (3kings coals) and half a bowl of
tobacco,  and I'm getting a TON of smoke and lots of charcoal
flavor.  That's specifically what I don't like about 3Kings, 
it's the charcoal flavor that gets added to the smoke.  I don't
get charcoal flavor with Golden Coals,  all I get is the flavor of
the tobacco.

maxima.......if you're getting no flavor whatsoever,  then that
has to do with the kind of tobacco you're using.  I'm mean let's
face it,  you tried everything possible to draw the flavor
out,  the next thing you should try is some different
tobacco.  I suggest either ordering some Hookah-Hookah.com (
Hazelnut, Apple, Melon and/or Grape),  or possibly some Al-Fakher
(Coconut,  Cappuccino,  or Orange).  I can almost
guarantee you that you'll definitely get some flavor out of those
flavors I mentioned.  If you some Al-Fakher,  you can go to:
www.SocialSmoke.com .  Just order the flavors I mentioned, 
and stay away from Al-Fakher Strawberry,  it doesn't taste very
authentic, or even good for that matter

[Mathazar]

Sorry for the typing errors in my previous post 

[King Mo]

[quote name='maxima302']Update-- OK I tried it again, and had no success. I have a deep bowl, and I filled it up half way, used 1 3kings instant lite, moved it around, the foil is on tight, it isn't touching the tobacco, and still, I get no flavor. So now I really don't know what to do...[/quote]


We don't have 3kings here, but even so, remember to light it fully to impart no charcoal flavour when it is placed on the shisha. The cheap instants from here are called exelsior, and are really sh*tty but when fully lit will do a fine job. It's just the smell when lighting is a bitch. once orange then put on the shisha, then I'm smoking happily.
If you half fill the bowl, then you will struggle to get it burnt. Fill it up to very nearly level with the rim. (sprinkling it in as you fill). you can get a little too technical here, but with experience you'll get the right amount. If some foil is touching then don't worry, It rarely affects the shisha too much, as long as the tobacco is up to the rim or below (not above).
The main thing is the coal, and start with as little coal as possible, e.g. one that is off centre, and puff for 2 mins, it will get going. Once it does, then you keep puffing away till your hearts content. if the flavour messes up or you get a burnt taste. Then shift the charcoal to a fresh side, and/or blow a couple of times into the shisha.
Also, try to remove ash when you can, if it gets alot, by blowing, or picking up the coal and tapping it (although with magic coal it's not that necessary as it tends to keep it's shape pretty well and picking it up may crumble the coal).
 
There can only be 2 reasons why you will not get flavour if you follow my tips.
1) you are using crap tobacco. If you use Fakher Grape, Coconut, Apple, I guarantee that you should get a great flavour, as with that tobacco, you can NEVER EVER say there is no flavour. You'll know the fault is something else.
2) you are not puffing hard enough. You should be inhaling deeply, as much as you comfortably can. Not little puffs. This way you'll get rich thick smoke, and best flavour.
Getting zero flavour is never a problem. if you follow these tips then you will get a great smoke. The only way you wont is through a faulty shisha, or dirty equipment.
good luck
 
 

[piperdown]

FWIW....

I had similar difficulties when I first got my hookah - about two weeks
ago (early Christmas gift from my wife - even after almost 20 years of
marriage, she rocks ).  I called
Ali at socialsmoke.com (where I purchased my hookah), and he gave me
some tips that haven't failed me yet.  The customer service they
provide is most excellent.  I wish my vendors at work were that
conciencious (sp?).  The guy is awesome.

What happened was that the smoke would be ok at first, and then I'd
practically hork up a lung.  It was like inhaling from a really
bad cigar.  No bueno.  I knew this was my own ignorance in
action

Ali told mne that if the smoke gets harsh, stop immediately, remove the
coals and foil, and see if the ma'assell is burning.  If so,
remove the burning bits, replace the foil and coals(making sure the
foil is tight), and try again (Ali, if I dorked this up please feel
free to correct me).

Actually, that's about it in terms of solving my own issues.  The
only other problem I have had is with the hose grommets that came with
the hookah.  It's a big f*cker, 35" 4 hose hookah bros cyclone (my
wife spoils me), and the hose grommets were too small (perhaps meant
for a smaller hookah).  Ali corrected this immediately, sent me
replacements at their own expense,and the smoke is good, thick, and
smeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyuuuuuuuuoooooooooooth

Bottom line - I was overfilling the bow!

I've got a pot of chicken cacciatore on the stove - I'm thinking an after dinner bowl might be just the ticket!

[MR Bubble]

Hey Maxima,
I have been though all the burning and not hot enough games with Golden and 3 kings. Don't feel bad. I use 3 Kings and consistantly get good results. I firmly believe it is the technique of punching the holes and handling the coals. 20 holes aren't a bad number. It depends a lot on how large the holes are you are punching. I mainly use my tongs for this. Instead of holes, they are a series of little cuts abou 1/8 inch in length. Or about 2mm. To do this, I always keep my bowl positioned the same. My cuts are running up and down. I stard about 1/4 inch in from the edge of the bowl and make my fist little slice at the 12 o-clock position. Keeping the bowl in the same way, I make the next cut about the 10 O-clock position, and so on around the bowl, making sure the cuts are abou 1/4 inch (or maybe 5 mm) in from the edge. Next, I move to the center. I put a cut in the very center and 4 cuts surrounding the center cut. You may want more or less depending on what you feel the optimum airflow is for you.
For the coaling, I take a 3 Kings coal and gently snap it into 4 equal pieces. Sometimes if I screw up the first break, I may have to settle for 3 pieces. No big deal. Light them off really good and place them on the bowl in such a way as to look like you are trying to fit them back together into one piece, only give them a separation of one or two mm. If you put your cuts or holes inside from the edge in the right place, most of the holes will be covered by the coals. A couple or three holes exposed along the edge is okay as if the are all covered, you may get the burn. Breaking them up into 4 pieces will distribute the heat more evenly across the bowl, resulting in better cooking, while avoiding the pin-point hot spots that can cause burning. When you go to a shisha pit, they usually lay a couple or three coals on the bowl, and not one big hot chunk.
Good luck and happy smoking.
MR Bubble