Hookah Preparation, Smoking and Cleaning Tips

As the popularity of Hookah bars swept across the country, Hookahs have found their way into our homes. Here are some Hookah smoking and care tips that will help you get a Hookah bar-quality smoke in the comfort of your home.

• Make sure all the connecting parts of your Hookah are air tight (bowl-to-stem, stem-to-base, and hose-to-stem). Unless your Hookah has screw-in parts, this is usually done with rubber grommets specially sold for Hookahs. If you have an air leak in one of these areas and need a home-made solution, try tearing a small strip of paper towel, wet it a little, then wrap it around the part you want to connect. Adjust the amount of paper towel you need wrapped.
• A good method for getting a cooler smoke is to drop ice in the water of your glass base (after adding ice, be sure the water level is no more than 1 to 1.5 inches over the stem line).
• Make sure to mix the tobacco in its package before using. This helps to keep the amount of juice/flavor consistent, and at the right level, bowl after bowl.
• If you feel the tobacco is crazy juicy, don't be afraid to give it a little squeeze to run off some of the excess.  If it's too wet, it may be hard to get a good smoke. But if it's too dry, then it will be harsh.
• Don't throw away large stems, just cut them up. Stems are soaked with flavor and will help keep your session longer.
• Cut up any large leaves of tobacco to make them smaller. Large leaves can block airflow.
• Sprinkle the tobacco in your bowl. Don't pack it. The amount of tobacco you sprinkle in should be just a slight heap above the bowl's rim. Too much tobacco and it will restrict airflow as it packs down after wrapping it with foil. Too little tobacco and it will be hard for coals to heat it up.
• Before covering the tobacco in your bowl with foil, make a pencil-width hole in the center of the tobacco for better ventilation.
• The shiny side of the Hookah foil should be down.
• Poke as many pin-size holes in the foil as your patience allows. The more small holes, the better the airflow. Avoid bigger holes since you don't want the coal to have direct contact with your tobacco. After poking the holes, carefully unwrap the foil, re-loosen the tobacco, reform the pencil-width hole and then carefully wrapped the foil back on.
• Make sure your coals are fully ignited before using. Weak or half lit coals will make it hard to get a Hookah started. Also, burning them thoroughly before use helps get rid of any unwanted tastes.
• When first starting to smoke your Hookah, place the charcoal around the edges of the bowl. the number of coals you need will depend on the type of coal you use and the size of your bowl. Move the coals around as you smoke, as needed. The center of the bowl should be the last place your charcoal is placed. This helps keep your tobacco from becoming too hot, your smoke too thick and helps make your bowl last longer.
• With some types of coal you may need to flip occasionally during use. The bottom side of the coal may lack oxygen and start to die out. If this happens, you'll see the bottom side is black and no longer a nice hot red.
• If your tobacco is too hot and burning, try using two sheets of Hookah foil.
• For a fresher, less harsh smoke, lightly blow into your hose periodically to release some smoke from the base's chamber.
• Clean your Hookah every 4-5 uses.  Inside and out.  But, do not run water through the hose unless it is sold as a washable hose. To clean you hose, blow air through it after and before use to remove particles inside.
• Hang your hose while not in use.
• If you start getting solids from your hose while inhaling, this means it's time for a new hose. Your hose is spent.
• Use a different hose for flavors in different tobacco flavor categories. Example, don't smoke a mint flavored tobacco with the same hose you use to smoke a tropical flavored tobacco.
• Store your Hookah tobacco at room temperature, sealed airtight. Remember, a fridge is for food...not tobacco.

Enjoy your Hookah!For more Hookah smoking and care tips, check out the Fumari Hookahpedia.