21 Shisha Smoking Tips in London
London is full of shisha bars and smoking shisha outside cafes is very commonplace in the capital. There are a number of things you can do to enjoy the experience and we’ve listed 21 of them below.
1. Ensure that all your Hookah’s connecting parts are airtight (hose-to-stem, stem-to-base, and bowl-to-stem). Rubber grommets that are specifically sold for Hookahs are used for this unless the Hookah came with screw-in parts. If there’s an air leak in any of the areas and require a homemade solution, tear a small strip of paper towel, wet it slightly, and then wrap it around the part you would like to connect. Adjust the number of paper towels that you need.
2. Dropping ice in the water of your glass base is a good way to get cooler smoke. Once you add the ice, ensure that the water level is no more than 1 to 1.5 inches above the stem line.
3. Don’t forget to mix the tobacco in its packaging prior to use since it helps keep the amount of flavour/juice consistent, and at the proper level, from one bowl to the next.
4. If you feel that your tobacco is a bit too juicy, give it a bit of a squeeze to run off the excess. It can be hard to get good smoke if it is too wet, but in case it’s too dry, it will be harsh.
5. Avoid throwing away large stems, and cut them up instead. Stems are full of flavour and will allow you to have longer sessions. Enjoy shisha smoking sessions at this London Shisha lounge.
6. Any large tobacco leaves should be cut up to make them smaller. Larger leaves tend to block airflow.
7. Sprinkle tobacco in your bowl without packing it. The amount of tobacco that you sprinkle in needs to be a slight heap above the rim of the bowl. If you put too much tobacco, it will restrict airflow since it packs down once wrapped with foil. If you put too little tobacco, it will be hard for coals to heat it up.
8. To ensure better ventilation, make a pencil-width hole in the centre of the tobacco in your bowl before you cover it with foil.
9. Always ensure that the shiny side of the Hookah foil is down.
10. Poke as many pin-size holes in the foil as you can. The more holes, the better the airflow. Bigger holes, however, should be avoided since you don’t want the coal having direct contact with the tobacco. Once you poke the holes, unwrap the foil carefully, re-loosen the tobacco, reform the pencil-width hole, and then wrap the foil back on carefully.
11. Ensure that your coals are ignited prior to use. Half-lit or weak coals will make it hard to get a Hookah started. Furthermore, burning them thoroughly prior to use helps get rid of any undesired tastes.
12. When you first start to smoke your Hookah, the charcoal should be placed around the bowl’s edges. The type of coal used and the size of your bowl will determine the number of coals you need. Move the coals around as you smoke, as necessary. The bowl’s centre should be the last place where you place your charcoal. This ensures that your tobacco doesn’t get too hot, your smoke doesn’t become too thick, and it ensures that your bowl lasts longer.
13. Keep in mind that some types of coal require occasional flipping during use. The coal’s bottom side may lack oxygen and start dying out. If that happens, you will see that the bottom side is black and no longer a nice hot red.
14. Try using 2 sheets of Hookah foil if your tobacco is too hot and burning.
15. For a fresher, less harsh smoke, blow into your hose lightly periodically to release some of the smoke from the chamber of the base.
16. Clean your Hookah every 4 to 5 uses. Both inside and out. However, you shouldn’t run water through the hose unless it is sold as a washable hose. Blow air through your hose to clean it before and after use to get rid of particles inside.
17. Hang your hose while it’s not in use.
18. If you start to get solids from the hose while inhaling, it means that you need to buy a new hose since the existing one is spent.
19. Use a separate hose for flavours in different categories of tobacco flavours. For instance, you shouldn’t smoke mint-flavoured tobacco with the same hose used for smoking tropical-flavoured tobacco.
20. Store your Hookah tobacco at room temperature, sealed airtight and never in the refrigerator.
21. If you are not getting large enough smoke clouds, take the coal off the bowl, pull off the stem, and dump out some water.
