photo credit: quinn.anya

Simply follow the directions below on how to smoke hookah to enjoy a smooth, flavorsome smoke.

Set yourself a good forty five minutes aside. Hookah smoking is a leisurely activity that shouldn’t be rushed. Moreover there’s a little bit of preparation time too.

Before smoking, you will also need tobacco, tongs, a foil disc, charcoal and water. If you need any of these items, have a look here. Except for water, we’ll presume you can lay your hands on some of that.

So You’ve Just Got Your Hookah And All The Equipment, What Now?

1. Firstly fill your water bowl or chamber with water.  The level of you water is critical, too much and it’ll be too difficult to smoke. Too little and the water won’t pass through the water and cool properly.

   You want to fill the water vase up so that the bottom inch of the stem, or pipe, is under water. This is pretty much the optimum level but does depend somewhat on the size of your hookah. Experiment to find what is best for you.

   You can also add ice for an even smoother smoke.

2. Now, connect the base back to the rest of the hookah and check that it is air tight. You can do this by placing your palm over the bowl and sucking on the hose / mouth piece. You shouldn’t be getting any air at all. If you are, check your connections and grommets.
3. You can shred and rip your tobacco (or shisha as it is often called) to ensure a nice even burn if you choose. Most shisha is fine straight from the packet though. Now, pack it into the bowl of the pipe.  You want the tobacco to be packed loosely but firmly.

   Again this will take a bit of experimentation, but in my experience people are far more likely to pack too tightly rather than too loosely.

   Pack the tobacco until the bowl is almost completely full, about 2 mm from the rim.

4. Cover the bowl with a foil disc (or aluminum foil) perforate 15 or 20 times with a tooth pick or your tongs or whatever.

   Generally concentric circles is a good way to go, keeping the holes really small. Lots of little holes are infinitely better than just a few big ones.

   Make sure you have a nice seal with the foil around the bowl so that no extra air can get in.

5. Light your charcoal while holding it in your tongs. Specialized hookah charcoal is quick and easy to light but it is usually recommended that you do this outside.

   Now place your lit  charcoal on the foil above the tobacco. It’s best to start of with the charcoal on the edge of the foil and move it around the outside. After half an hour or so you can start to move it towards the center..

6. You’re almost there now. Take several short puffs on the hose until you start inhaling a healthy(!) amount of smoke.
7. Now settle back and smoke. It’s entirely up to you how you smoke your hookah but generally they aren’t smoked like a cigarette, or even a cigar. Instead the smoke is drawn directly into the lungs. Not first to the mouth and then the lungs.

Because of the lovely moist tobacco and cooling water, long leisurely puffs are smooth and easy.

A Few Extra Tips On How To Smoke Hookah

photo credit: prakhar

• As you smoke move the charcoal slowly around the bowl in ever decreasing circles, ending finally in the center
• If the smoke starts to taste hot or harsh then it’s probably because you are using too much charcoal. You aren’t trying to burn the tobacco, rather warm or toast it. Simply remove one of your charcoals.
• If the smoke starts to taste a little sooty, clear your charcoal of ash using your tongs.
• Clean your hookah thoroughly after use. You can find cleaning kits here.

So that’s how to smoke hookah!

Following the above steps on how to smoke hookah will give you a perfect smoke every time. Pretty soon it will all become second nature.

You can now start experimenting with different tobaccos, flavored water and so on if you choose.

Technorati Tags: hookah smoking, Hookah Tips, how to smoke hookah, smoke a hookah, smoke hookah, smoking hookah tips

photo credit: WomEOS

The true aim of every hookah smoker should be to get the smoothest, tastiest smoke possible. The following hookah tips should help you achieve this.

Hookah Tips – Tobacco

• Rip and shred your tobacco thoroughly before packing. This will ensure a smooth, even burn and taste.

• Invest in some kind of air tight container to store your tobacco. Once it’s been opened it can dry out very quickly. Moist tobacco means a smooth, flavorsome smoke.

• Experiment with different flavors and brands of tobacco to find the one perfect for you. You can even experiment with your own blends.  Look here for some of our recommendations for both tobaccos and blends.

Hookah Tips – The Water Vase and Hose

• Try adding ice to the water vase or chamber to give a smoother smoke.

• You can also experiment with adding different flavors to the water. We particularly favor lemon juice but other popular flavors are orange juice, cranberry juice and wine.

• Always use fresh water in the water vase. Stale, used water will give an unpleasant flavor to the smoke.

• If the hose has sat unused for several minutes, blow down it gently to rid it of old smoke.

• Try placing your hose in the freezer for 15 minutes before you smoke. This gives a somewhat smoother smoke.

• You can do the same with the water vase until you get a thin layer of ice on the surface of the water. But just be careful not to leave it too long and damage it.

Hookah Tips – Charcoal

• Try different brands and kinds of charcoals. You’re looking for the best possible combination of hookah, tobacco and coals for that perfect smoke. It may take you a little while to find exactly what you are after but the journey will be worth it!

• Always use charcoal that is specifically for hookah smoking. Regular charcoal can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, not fun. These charcoals here are excellent quality but remember not to over do them. A little goes a long way when you’re smoking a hookah

• When you are starting your hookah place the charcoal piece or pieces at the edge of the bowl. Move inwards in ever decreasing circles as you continue to smoke. Consequently, their final resting place should be in the middle of the tobacco.

Hookah Tips After You Finish Your Session

One of the most important of these hookah tips. Always clean your hookah after each session. This will ensure a pleasant smoke each and every time you use it.  These hookah cleaning sets make the job very simple.

photo credit: Lars Plougmann

Technorati Tags: Hookah Tips, smoking hookah tips