How do I light my hookah coals?

Well, this answer depends on what kind of coals you are using.

If you’re using quick lights, the easiest way and safest way to light them is outside. Grab your tongs, hold the coal in the tongs, and put a lighter to them. They’ll spark, so wave them in the air so none of the sparks hit you. Lighting them outside also means that you aren’t letting that awful smell of lighting a quick light inside your house. You can also light these on a stove, like natural coals.

If you’re using naturals, such as coconara’s, you’ll need a heating element. The best way to light these is on an electric stove. It’s as easy as turning the element on high, put the coals on. Let them sit until they’re glowing red, and then serve.

How do I pack my hookah bowl?

If you’re asking this, I assume that you have just a regular bowl. This is my way of packing a regular bowl. Take out a small salad plate, and dump some shisha on there. Separate it. By that, I mean tear apart the shisha, so it’s small loose chunks. Sprinkle those chunks into the bowl, until it’s about full. I’d say if the bowl is an inch deep, fill it until it’s about 4/5ths of an inch full.

How much water do I put in the base of my hookah?

This is a simple answer. You need to make sure the stem is submerged at least an inch, but no more than about two inches. If it’s not submerged enough, it’s not going to hit as well as it should. If it’s submerged too much, it’s going to take more to draw it, and more than likely going to make the smoke harsh, faster.

Why am I not getting much smoke with my hookah?

This can be caused by many things. The first thing I’d ask you to check is your coals. What coals are you using? How many are you using?

If you’re using quick lights, you should use two coals. Lay one flat on the foil, with the dented side down [if there is a dented side] and lay the other one half way on top of that. It should still partially touch the aluminum foil.

If you’re using natural coals, such as coconara’s, you’ll want to use three on a large bowl [such as a phunnel/funnel or vortex] or two on a small bowl. With the three coals, you’ll want to position them in a triangle figure. If you’re using two, put them on opposite sides of the bowl.

The next thing would be the tobacco. Did you pack the bowl with enough shisha? This is how I judge my packing. I don’t want the tobacco to be sticking up over the bowl, but it should be relatively close to the brim of the bowl. I always advise that if you have an inch deep bowl, fill it 4/5ths of an inch full.
If you’re still having problems after fixing these two, please contact me. I’ll be more than happy to personally troubleshoot with you.

How should I poke holes in my foil for my hookah?

Well, this is a tricky question. Based on experience, lots and lots of smaller holes are better than a few bigger holes. By smaller holes, I mean the size of a needle. I have a piece of cork I keep In my hookah cabinet with a few pins from my sewing kit. This works better for me than anything I’ve tried yet. Also, if you’re using a phunnel /funnel or vortex bowl, I would advise not to poke holes in the center of the aluminum foil. The bowls are made with the holes in the middle for a reason, and it’s not to collect air from outside of the foil. Oh, and by lots and lots of smaller holes, I mean probably close to a hundred or two. It’s really easy to do and only takes about two minutes to do once, you get used to it. And in my opinion, it’s worth it.

Is it safe to use other liquids in my base of my hookah?

Yes. It is. Even though it is safe, I would be careful with that. Mainly with alcohol, that is. If you use anything in your base, you’ll still need about 9/10ths of it to be water. I also recommend that any liquid you use to be somewhat on the cool side. I usually add a few ice cubes to my base. [Be careful with that if you have an acrylic base]

Here are some good things to try:
Kool aid, any flavor.
Wines
Liquors
Extracts; Mint, strawberry, vanilla, etc.
Juices; apple, grape, orange, pomegranate, lemonaid etc
Tea; mint, green, sweet
Coffee; COLD! It can’t be hot, of course.

Things not to try in the base:

Milk. This creates more of a mess than it’s worth. Not only is it hard to clean out of the base, but it creates bubbles when you draw from the hookah. It gets sucked into the hoses, and can ruin hoses. I honestly do not recommend it.

I’ll be adding more to this. If you have any questions you’d like to personally ask, please email me at liz@ihearthookah.com