For those curious about hookahs...I present, an FAQ!

[stfoley]

Yep...I know, it's not a common topic here, but I do know a few who are interested are out there, so here's some info to chew on:

1)What is a hookah:
Simply put, it's a pipe that has a water filtration stage between the bowl and the mouthpiece. The mouthpieces is on the end of a flexible hose, and the hookah pipe itself is designed to most commonly sit on the floor (the small and tiny units can be used tabletop for convenience). A special tobacco referred to as shisha is smoked through it (tobacco mixed with flavorings, glycerin and either honey or molasses as a base)

2)How do I get one?
Mediterranean grocery stores will often have the best prices, but usually lack in selection. Online shops are great selection, moderate prices. Then you have hookah lounges and the "hippie shops"....those have the highest prices...I'd avoid them unless there is something there you can't find anywhere else and must have, or you can't wait for shipping. Also note the prices hold true for Shisha and coals as well. I can get a 250g box of shisha at the grocers for almost half of what i can get it online for. That's a LOT of shisha.

3)OK I have one, how do I use this thing?
A Hookah has four major parts, The vase (looks like a flower vase), the stem (goes on top of the vase), the bowl (goes on top of the stem) and the hose (attatches to a hose port on the stem). Make sure to use the included rubber grommets to seal the parts to each other.
The vase should be filled in such a manner that the final 1"-1.5" of the stem's downtube is under water. if you have problems with water bubbling up to the hose inlets (you'll know when this happens), reduce the water level slightly. You will also need to load the bowl up before using.

4) OK I know how to smoke a pipe....stop talking to me about packing bowls you young whipper-snapper!

LOL, slow down....hookah bowls aren't packed...they are filled. You take the shisha, separate it as finely as possible, then start filling the bowl with it, leaving about a 1/16" gap from the shisha and the top of the bowl. The draw through the hookah when this bowl is put on should be super easy. If not, check how you loaded it. When the loading is verified to be OK, then you either apply a metal screen, or some aluminum foil. If foil is used, you need to punch a hole pattern into it to allow good airflow, but also allow the right amount of hot and cool air through. I usually punch two rings into the bowl, and a few holes in the middle of the inner ring.

5) OK it's ready...how the hell do I light it!
Nope....you don't light it, you heat it. You use coals. Coals come in either natural (a lump of wood or coconut charcoal), or quicklights (re-constituted charred wood or coconut with a flammable starting agent mixed in). I reccomend quicklights for a novice due to how much easier it is to get a consistant heat level out of them. Just don't put too many coals on there.

6) You didn't tell me how many coals to use!
I know I didn't....that's because the answer is dependant on the bowl size, the shisha used, and the screen or foil used...as well as the hole pattern of the foil. Try starting with two....if it doesn't give smooth but thick smoke....then either add or remove coals as needed. Sometimes you may have to break a coal in half to get the hear right (especially true with quicklight discs). Remember to keep those hookah tongs handy!

7) Cool, it's going well, how long does it last?
A bowl can last from 45 minutes for the tiny ones, all the way to 4 hours for the larger bowls. I have a 30g large bowl that I've gotten just over 4 hours from before.

can I add stuff other than water into the vase?
Yes you can. I'm not a fan of it, but some people add a tiny amount of milk (careful too much will make it foam), some add ice (helps cool the smoke down), others add fruit juices....I even know a lady that puts iced coffee into hers. It's all up to your preferences. Just avoid alcoholic beverages in there...the alcohol will vaporize off and when you inhale it, you'll absorb the alcohol VERY quickly, often making the smoker sick.

9) help, teh smoke is harsh!
First, purge....blow into the hose gently...you shoudl see some smoke pour out of the purge valves on the stem....now, remove a coal then redistribute the coals you have on top of the hookah. In extreme cases I remove all coals and wait 10 mintes for any tobacco burning to stop. What's happened is instead of toasting the shisha, it's now burning. This also means the sugary honey or molasses base is burning....this is the harshness....sugars produce some nasty smoke when burnt. During hookah you are normally heating the molasses/honey mix to the point of vaporization instead of burning it.

10) this is frickin awesome, but how do I clean it?
The vase can be cleaned with a brush. I use a brush from a camelback cleaning kit since it's got very dense and very stiff bristles...it makes cleaning simple.
The stem needs a special stem brush, you should have gotten it with the hookah. To polish brass, make a paste out of tapwater and baking soda...this will remove tarnish from brass without scratching it..I use an old toothbrush to apply it to the stem. One alternative to brass maintenance is buying a stainless steel hookah instead
The bowl is just a soak and rinse job...maybe some scrubbing to remove charred matter. Gaskets are a soak/rinse job as well.
Hoses....those are to have the moisture blown out of them after every session, and left to air dry. SOmetimes you can run a folded mass of pipe cleaners into the pipe end of it to remove any residue, but if you blow it out immediately after each session ends, that shouldn't happen for a very long time.

Well, there you go....the basics explained. if anyone has more questions, feel free to ask them so this ball can get rolling. Hookah is a fine relaxation experience, one that should be tried at least once.

[Jack Straw]

In college we won a 4 person hookah at a battle of the bands type thing. It was OK but not really my thing.

Keep in mind, though, from a cancer perspective, these are terrible for you.

[stfoley]

Originally Posted by Jack Straw

In college we won a 4 person hookah at a battle of the bands type thing. It was OK but not really my thing.

Keep in mind, though, from a cancer perspective, these are terrible for you.

I figure any smoking is bad for us. While many of the studies about hookah are very unscientific (some of them having the lack of shame to claim that one hookah session is equal to 200 cigarettes....give me a break, that level of toxicity would make a 3-4 hour extended session fatal)...they do have a point in how deeply inhaled hookah smoke is.

That said, take up any smoking at one's own risk.

[jfserama]

I've always been interested in trying a hookah, but it seems like too much work to me. A pipe's about all I can handle! lol
I might try it sometime over the summer with friends, but the though of lugging a hookah around, setting it up, lighting the coals, etc is kind of daunting. Very informative FAQ though! Thanks for posting it!

[stfoley]

There are smaller hookahs availible...the Mya ones are priceys but good. There's also a model called "the witch" that's designed to use any available bottle as a vase. That may be a good travel model.

The most popular models though are the 19"-32" models for the performance and display value.

Of course the best place to try it is a hookah lounge. There they will handle almost all of the worries...all you have to do is enjoy...and occaisionally shift/ash the coals.

[Reverie Forest]

Excellent run through of the essentials. Myself being what I consider an expert of the art the nargileh (due to my being stuck setting it up every damn time) can vouch for these guidelines.

As a couple of you have mentioned, yes, it is a huge pain to set up, between chilling the water in the vase, packing the bowl, lighting and maintaining the coals, assuring a consistently smooth smoke, etc. And nine out of ten times, you're the one stuck with all the responsibility. The only time I could justify the hassle was when I had a small group who actually appreciated the smoke.

On the lighter side, the hookah always made for a relaxed time with a group of friends, whether chatting or watching a movie. With a huge variety of flavors, you can always enjoy experimenting and keeping it interesting. There is no easier and smooth smoke to learn how to blow smoke rings with.

Anyways, great FAQ. And hookahs can make for a great social time when you're willing to dedicate a little effort.

Cheers

--
Rev

[jfserama]

Originally Posted by stfoley

Of course the best place to try it is a hookah lounge. There they will handle almost all of the worries...all you have to do is enjoy...and occaisionally shift/ash the coals.

Very true. I will probably try to got to a bar sometime in the near future, but there aren't really many near me - most are about an hour or so away. Definitely something I will try at some point though.

[postoak]

Good run-down.

The health problem with these is that in order to keep the thing going you pretty much have to inhale -- and inhale deeply.

It is, however, probably my favorite smoking experience. I just don't do it much because of having to inhale.