Jul 07 , 2021
How to Transform your Hookah into the Shisha of a Lounge
Many people are enticed with hookahs following their introductory trysts at a shisha lounge. The captivating first impressions often lead to buying a hookah and setting it up at home. Unfortunately, a lot of effort and a considerable sum of money tend to end up in an unsatisfying reality check that the hookah at home does not feel like the shisha of a lounge. In theory, the hookah at your home should not feel any inferior to the shisha of your favorite lounge. The reality is slightly more complicated than that.
Practice to Perfect the Basics
Get familiar with all the essential components of a hookah. Practice setting up a hookah so you do not err in the process. Maintain a spotlessly clean hookah and ensure all the parts are perfectly functional. You will also need every component and accessory to be of a certain reliable quality, be it the shisha tobacco, the charcoal pieces, the aluminum foil, or the essentials such as hookah bowl, pipe or stem, base, and hose. Once you master these basics, it is time to learn the trade secrets of a shisha lounge.
The Simple Secrets for Satiating Shisha
There are four quintessential elements in a hookah that can make your day or ruin a session. These are the water level in your hookah base, the shisha tobacco packing in the clay bowl, the aluminum foil and the holes you make, and the charcoal pieces as the heat source.
- Regulate to Attain the Perfect Water Level
Fill your hookah base with some water. Insert the pipe and check the down stem. The down stem or the lower tip of the pipe should be half an inch submerged into the water. Do not let any more of the pipe be under water. If the down stem is barely touching the water in your base, then add a bit more and check again. Half an inch of the down stem or lower tip of the pipe should be inside the water. This is the optimum water level. An inch is too much and you will not draw enough smoke out of the hookah.
If you are using a hookah that has a diffuser at the end of its down stem, then this entire feature should be under water. A diffuser is supposed to create bubbles and break the generated smoke into parts for better filtration and cooling. If any part of the diffuser is not submerged in water, then some smoke will not get filtered and may pass directly into the hose. These are some of the standard best practices.
- The Tactics for a Perfectly Packed Bowl
Do not put shisha tobacco into your bowl in any random manner. You must sprinkle it in. First, you should break shisha tobacco into smaller bits and pieces. If you are using a flavor made by a brand that already has fine cuts, then you can only recheck that the bits and pieces are small enough. Large chunks of shisha tobacco take longer to burn, do not generate sufficient smoke, and also hinder smooth flow of air inside the bowl. Prepare the tobacco without extracting any of the juice or molasses in it. Do not dry the tobacco. The juices are crucial for a flavorful smoking experience.
Sprinkle the shisha tobacco into the bowl. Avoid blocking the holes inside the bowl. Do not press the tobacco down to pack more. You need to have some air inside the bowl for easy heat distribution. Aeration is also necessary for voluminous clouds of smoke. Pack the bowl up to just below the edge. If you think some parts of the bowl are densely packed, take a fork or a sharp tool and poke through the stuffing. You need to make enough air pockets inside the packed tobacco to transform your hookah into the shisha of a lounge. Avert large empty spaces inside the bowl, as that would lead to flavorless smoke.
- Wrapping the Foil and Poking Holes
Use heavy-duty aluminum foil. You may use two for better heat management. Poke holes using a very thin and sharp tool. The holes should not be visibly large circles. They should be holes, like pores. The holes should be evenly distributed throughout the top surface area of the aluminum foil.
- Thoroughly Lit Charcoal and Heat Management
Do not use half-lit or over-burned charcoal pieces. Keep rotating hot charcoal pieces depending on how hot your hookah is. Get rid of excess ash as and when needed. Always start with thoroughly-lit red-hot charcoal pieces, wait for a few minutes for the heat to produce sufficient smoke, and then start drawing lounge-like shisha from your hookah at home.