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Hookah 101 Frequently Asked Questions Tips & Tricks Frequently Asked Questions What is a hookah?A hookah, also known as a water pipe, arguileh, nargileh, or shisha, is an ancient water pipe used to smoke flavored tobacco. Back to TopHow does it work?We get thi s question often, so to help the new hookah enthusiast better understand how a it works, we have provided this crash course on hookah anatomy. The main body of the hookah is made of a pipe that runs from the top where the clay bowl attaches into the glass base. Surrounding the pipe there is decorative metal. There is a port for inserting a hose and on the other side there is a one way bleeder valve. Each port has passage into the glass base. There are pipes that have multiple hose junctions and come in 2,3,4 and 6 hose versions.
When you are actually smoking the tobacco is placed into the top clay bowl and is heated with coal. The coal does not actually burn the tobacco as is the case in a pipe or a cigarette. By sucking on the hose the air pressure inside the glass base is lowered and thus water is pulled in from the only available source...the top of the pipe. The air flows around the coal, heating them up, and takes the tobacco smoke down the tube into the water of the base. The smoke is passed through the water, which filters, cools, and smoothes out the smoke before it enters into the glass base where it then is rushed through the hose. The bleeder valve acts as a one way passage for air and is used to blow the smoke that collects in the glass base out of the hookah. The reason for doing this is usually as a result of smoke that is too thick for the likes of the smoker, stale, change of tobacco flavor, or because the tobacco was starting to burn and had become harsh.
Back to TopHow to set up the hookah for a good experience?
Setting up the Hookah for a good time is easy but does require some experience, good technique, and a little luck at first. First the Hookah should be cleaned thoroughly, if not every time, then at least every few smokes and usually when changing the flavor of the tobacco. The base should be washed out and water should be ran through the Hookah pipe. Use the thin cleaning brush provided with the Hookah when purchased from Social Smoke. Initially the water running through the pipe will come out slightly yellow; continue until it is clear. Make sure that the ports for the bleeder valve and the hose are also washed out. A common mistake in the desire for the perfectly clean Hookah is to wash out the hoses. Most hookah hoses should NOT be washed, but instead they should be blown clean. The reason for this is that the water will either rust the hoses made with metal tubing or will cause the hoses constructed from composite fiber to begin breaking down. In either case this will eventually result in the need to replace the hose. Luckily, Social Smoke’s washable leather wrapped hoses are made specifically to allow you to run water through the hose and thoroughly clean them out before each smoke.
Once the base is clean put water to a level that will result in the hookah pipe being submersed in about 1.5 inches of water. Too much will result in the water bubbling up into the hose during the smoke. Once the water is placed into the base the top Hookah pipe can be attached. Sometimes it helps to wet the grommet that fits on the hookah pipe so that it easily slips into the base. After this is done the hose can be attached, and again it is sometimes better to wet the grommet.
After these steps are completed the next and most important step is the making of the tobacco "head". Before placing the tobacco into the bowl try to break up the clumps and remove any large pieces of leaf stem. The loose flake tobacco should be placed in the bowl ensuring it is evenly spread around, packed lightly, and not so high that the aluminum foil is in direct contact with it. Once this is done a piece of normal kitchen aluminum foil should be placed over the top of the bowl. The foil should be stretched tight to hold the weight of the coal and you should ensure enough foal is used so that it doesn’t easily start to become undone. After this use a toothpick to randomly place holes in the foil with a higher concentration in the center of the bowl. It is important to not make the holes too large or too small as both will result in an unfavorable smoking condition. After the bowl is made, moisten the bowl grommet and place the bowl on the top of the hookah pipe. At this point the Hookah is completely assembled and should look like the above photo.
The charcoal or coil should be lit outside or in a well ventilated area, otherwise you run a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Once the coal is fully lit, place it on top of the bowl toward the edges of the rim. This will prolong the life of the tobacco and will make the smoke more controllable. We recommend you start with two coals and then later transition to one coal to continue smoking. It is important to move the coals around the head to ensure that all tobacco is used evenly and to prevent it from burning. There is a very distinct taste different that will occur when the head is burnt. Some people have different thresholds before they consider it burnt. Find yours.
This should be used as a guide to help you set up the Hookah for a good time. Remember you will only get better by practicing and experimenting. We recommend sticking to one flavor and try smoking it various times so you can tell the difference in the smoke as a result of the way you set the hookah up.
GOOD TIMES! How to choose a hookah, shisha tobacco, or Hookah Charcoal?For more information on hookahs, shisha tobaccos, and hookah charcoals, please refer to our item specific help and information guides: Tips & Tricks |
Think you have a leak?If you notice that there is not a sound of the smoke going through the water you probably have a leak. The easiest thing is to ensure you have enough water in the base. Also check to ensure you have a tight fit at the tobacco bowl to hookah, the hose is inserted properly, and the hookah to base connection is snug. If this doesn’t fix the problem try reseating the parts by lightly wetting the grommets to make sure they fit properly over each other. If you can isolate the problem you can use a paper towel or some aluminum foil to provide a quick temporary solution, but you will need to replace these parts. Back to TopTry ice water or other liquids in the baseTry cold water or other liquids in hookah base. A nice change for the hookah is to add different liquids to the base. Adding ice to your water for example cools the smoke as it passes through the water. Milk is said to thicken the smoke. Try things out and let us know if you stumble onto anything good. Most of us here in the office like the ice water.Back to TopUse heavy duty aluminumIf you notice you are having a hard time keeping your tobacco from burning then try to use heavy duty aluminum foil and ensure that it is tightly pulled over the top of the clay bowl.Back to TopMixing multiple tobacco flavors This is where smoking really gets fun. Trying out new flavors is great, but trying your own variation is the best. Here are some other combinations you should try: apple and double apple, double apple and strawberry, mint and rose, mint and anything. Let us know your findings! Back to TopCleaning out your hookahBefore you smoke make sure you clean out your hookah. You should run water through the top of the hookah where the clay bowl is attached until the water comes out clean from the lower end of the pipe. Also wash the connection where the hose attaches. How about the hose? Most Hookah hoses are made of material that will breakdown when wet and will eventually need to be replaced, but Social Smoke washable leather wrapped hoses are made to allow you to run water through the hose. Back to TopControlling the thickness of the smokeThe thickness of the smoke can be controlled by the intensity of the heat applied to the tobacco. If the coal is placed in the center of the bowl for too long the tobacco will burn and the smoke will get harsh. Moving the coal around the bowl prevents this from happening and also allows for a longer smoke as the tobacco last longer. Back to Top |