Fellow Hookah Smokers

[Ramor]

How in the shit do I smoke out of a vortex bowl? I work at a fucking hookah place and for the life of me, I can't figure this shit out. Our other bowl at home broke (regular one) and all we have is this crappy vortex bowl and I can't get it to smoke right without 2 coals (I use three kings coals if that makes a difference, not coconut or anything special just regular quick-lites) on the head, I know there's no leaks anywhere in the hookah/hose and the shi-sha burns like 5 minutes after you stick two coals on it, which doesn't surprise me but with only one coal the thing hits like shit (as in not at all). Anyone know what to do? Also hookah thread in general isn't a bad thing, here's a few of my favorite flavor combinations:
(for reference, I've only used Al Fakher tobacco, I don't know if that makes a difference)

Watermelon/Plum/Mint
Rose/Mint (more mint than rose, 60/40 I'd say)
Plum/Melon/Guava
Citrus/Mint (lemon, guava , orange etc...)
Double Apple/Grape/Mint
Orange/Grenadine (pomegranite)
Coconut/Rose (tastes like fruit loops)
Orange/Vanilla
Orange/Cardamom
Cherry/Grape/Mint
Strawberry/Peach/Mango
Mango/Grenadine (more mango than grenadine, 70/30)

plenty more, but those are a few of my favorites, as you can tell I love mint because that shit goes so well with everything if you do it right. Always open to new suggestions, plus I hear the AF 'premium' flavors are awesome, like three apple and black grape or something though I've never tried them. Starbuzz stuff is ok, but honestly I don't think it smokes as well and the taste isn't that important to me so I don't like it as much, especially considering how much more expensive it is. And Nakhla (sp) sucks all around, wouldn't let you pay me to smoke that stuff.

edit for the pot smokers: I've tried mixing weed with the shisha in a couple of ways though never Zombieland style out of a hookah. One option was to layer the tobacco then a layer of weed then tobacco then weed, it worked out really really well and I was pretty baked for like 5 hours straight on one bowl with some shitty mids, tastes like a vape hit + whatever you put in it (mint for me, smooth smooth smooth.) I've also tried just mixing the tobacco and weed like you would two tobacco flavors, it works out pretty well though I personally preferred the layer method. I hear the zombieland style works out really well, though it's obviously more expensive and would probably work best with a mutli-pipe hookah which I don't have anymore, I'd also say make sure you keep that shit clean or your hookah will get all kinds of fucked up.

[thetruepandagod]

triple apple so delicious, i have nothing else to say

[dabis]

I can back OP up on sandwiching a layer of weed between shisha in a hookah bowl. Makes for a nice high.

[Omnipotent]

You're so cool

[shepardG]

I miss you pandagod.... stay true!!!

[SephYuyX]

Do people who are trying to quick smoking weed do this stuff, or is this some sort of hipster thing?

[Heavencloud]

Do people who are trying to quick smoking weed do this stuff, or is this some sort of hipster thing?

Not sure, I don't understand the appeal though, lol.

[dabis]

Do people who are trying to quick smoking weed do this stuff, or is this some sort of hipster thing?

I don't know what the hookah scene is like elsewhere, but in my town (a decent sized college town), hookahs are very popular for people looking to relax a bit and just hang out, as well as those that want to get a little nicotine in themselves without smoking cigs or cigars. Personally, my lungs can't handle cig smoke, and every time I've tried smoking cigs even hand rolled with rolling tobacco, it has made me gag to the point of almost vomiting. However, by smoking a hookah, not only can I get some nicotine in my system which mixes great with the high from weed, but hookah smoke also tastes like candy and doesn't make me feel like I'm going to vomit blood.

[zoobernut]

Do people who are trying to quick smoking weed do this stuff, or is this some sort of hipster thing?

Why does everything these days have to belong to a scene or a group?

Not necessarily directing this at you but it seems that nothing can just be by itself. Even if Hookah's are popular with hipsters doesn't mean they have the monopoly on hookah smoking with either substance.

Hookah's are great fun at parties and social situations. It is nice when you have a bunch of friends over to bust out the hookah while you are watching a movie or playing video games and just chill.

[Zoolander]

Fuck that noise, hipsters don't get to suddenly own hookah smoking too. So tired of random shit getting attributed to some mythical group of people, that shit has been run into the ground.

Edit: lol, Zoob & I on the same wavelength.

[Franzer]

Hookah lounges are for people who are under 21 and can't get into a real bar yet.

[miokomioko]

is this some sort of hipster thing?

I've seen far more douchy/jock-looking dudes into it than the vaguely defined "hipsters." People just still like how smoke coming out of mouths looks.

http://www.electroniccigarette4u.com/images/7.jpg

[Ramor]

haters gonna hate, but growing up around a bunch of middle eastern/east african refugees they all like smoking hookah, then coming to a college town guess what people like smoking it.

i don't like cigarettes and all that noise but i've always liked hookah, it's a very social thing, i had no idea people considered it "hipster" as i'm anything but, but whatever to each his own.

i've smoked weed out if because guess what, weed smokers generally like to try all kinds of different smoking apparatuses (apparati?) so i figured why not.

i actually find it pretty funny how many people hate hookah though lol

[Korietsu]

Ok, smoking out of a vortex head.

You'll mix a little more than a standard Egyptian Clay head's worth of shisha, maybe ~5-10g. Prepare your mix as you would for an Egyptian head, making sure that you aren't using old/dried hookah and that you stir up the juices before placing in the head. Place the tobacco in the head so that it barely covers the top of holes in the center pillar. Pack it in lightly. You either need 2 quicklight coals such as 3Kings or Belgians (I prefer Belgians), or 3 Coconara natural coals if you can. Also, make sure if you aren't using HD foil, that you use two layers of foil, and that you have your holes well spaced over the tobacco, with only a small ring of holes near the central pillar.

With Quicklights place the coals such that they are across from each other on a straight line, and make sure that you don't have the coals covering so much of the shisha that they're touching a large bit of the central pillar. This should last you approx 4 sets of coals @30min or so each. With Coconara's or similar, arrange the coals in a equidistant triangle, and rotate between sets of coals. Should last for 3 or so hours.

Also, dont fucking smoke weed out of a hookah unless it's a designated weed hookah. Taints the fuck out of it and it will never smoke the same again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxamJ...eature=related as well.

[LinktheDeme]

your supposed to use the hookah to smoke weed, not hookah.

[Ramor]

With Quicklights place the coals such that they are across from each other on a straight line, and make sure that you don't have the coals covering so much of the shisha that they're touching a large bit of the central pillar. This should last you approx 4 sets of coals @30min or so each. With Coconara's or similar, arrange the coals in a equidistant triangle, and rotate between sets of coals. Should last for 3 or so hours.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxamJ...eature=related as well.

weird, this is how i usually do it (though the bowl i have is a wee bit smaller than the one in that video) and it generally ends up burning after about 10 minutes with 2 coals placed how you've stated, i try to keep them spaced far enough that they shouldn't burn it (as in they're hanging off the edge a little bit, not much but they also don't cover the middle pillar), the bowl just gets too hot and it ends up tasting like shit. about the best solution i've come up with is to split one of the coals in half and instead place them on opposite sides of the pillar though it doesn't smoke as well as i'd like, suppose i'll try two coals again after this one burns out

[Clash Perez]

your supposed to use the hookah to smoke weed, not hookah.

And here I was, smoking hookah with the hookah.

what is this...

[Korietsu]

weird, this is how i usually do it (though the bowl i have is a wee bit smaller than the one in that video) and it generally ends up burning after about 10 minutes with 2 coals placed how you've stated, i try to keep them spaced far enough that they shouldn't burn it (as in they're hanging off the edge a little bit, not much but they also don't cover the middle pillar), the bowl just gets too hot and it ends up tasting like shit. about the best solution i've come up with is to split one of the coals in half and instead place them on opposite sides of the pillar though it doesn't smoke as well as i'd like, suppose i'll try two coals again after this one burns out

Question, are you using 40mm QL's or 33mm? Another, are you putting them flat side down or rounded side down? If you're using a 40mm coal, split it in half and rotate, and make sure that you always have the coals rounded side (convex) down.

[Ramor]

33mm coals, I don't have any of the 40mm ones or I'd probably be golden just splitting one of those in half, I'm also putting them flat side down (as is customary with the standard, non-vortex heads), would you say 2 of the 33mm ones round side down should work (as I've been putting them flat-side down)?

[Korietsu]

33mm coals, I don't have any of the 40mm ones or I'd probably be golden just splitting one of those in half, I'm also putting them flat side down (as is customary with the standard, non-vortex heads), would you say 2 of the 33mm ones round side down should work (as I've been putting them flat-side down)?

Yes. Flat side down really is only good if you stack them on top of each other, or on larger clay heads, as they put out more heat. Instead, using round side down you get less heat, less burn, and a longer session. I would suggest investing in Coconara coals for specialty heads like the vortex or phunnel, as they smoke better and longer with a much better flavor.