How to Make a Hookah
Fill the vase with ice cubes and water., Add your grommet., Put the tray that holds the coals onto the hookah., Insert the short end of the hose into the hose port., Prepare your shisha., Put heavy duty only foil over the top of the bowl., Poke...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Fill the vase with ice cubes and water.
Put just enough water into the base so that the stem is submerged about 1-1/2" (38 mm) into the bowl.
You need to leave just enough room in the vase so that your smoke doesn't bubble up into the hose.
Avoid putting milk or dairy into your base.
Adding dairy will ensure an unpleasant smell, mold, foaming in the vase and ruined hoses. -
Step 2: Add your grommet.
The grommet is a seal that joins the stem to the vase.
Most hookahs come with a rubber or plastic seal.
Silicone is the best material for a seal, but you an also simply seal the vase to the stem with electrical tape. , You need to put it on before you put the bowl on because the bowl may not fit over the tray. , If your hookah has 2 ports, then you can purchase a rubber seal to close off the other port. , Follow all of these steps for the best smoking experience:
Evenly mix your tobacco so that all of it is covered in flavoring and molasses.
Fluff up your tobacco and drop it loosely into the bowl.
Leave 2 millimeters of distance between the top of the tobacco and the bowl so that the shisha doesn't touch the foil when you put it on.
Burned shisha will add a nasty flavor to your smoke.
Buy a good quality shisha.
The quality of your shisha will determine the flavor of your smoke.
You can also mix and match flavors for a great-tasting smoke.
Buy 50-gram portions of shisha so that you can try it out without spending a lot of money.
You can cut up your tobacco leaves with kitchen shears to more easily pack them into the bowl.
However, don't cut them too small or they'll fall through the holes and clog your bowl. , Your foil piece should be 2" (5 cm) larger on all sides so that you can form a tight seal around the bowl.
Keep the foil tight so that wrinkles don't distort the heat distribution.
If you only have thin foil on hand, then double it up.
When you're finished, your foil-covered bowl should resemble the head of a drum. , Take care not to shred your foil.
You can try a couple of different patterns based on the kind of bowl that you have:
Egyptian bowl:
Start with a circle of holes around the perimeter and spiral inward.
Funnel-style bowl:
Make 3 concentric rings: 1 around the edge, 1 around the spire and 1 between the 2 circles that you've already made. , Hold the coals with a pair of tongs and light 1 corner with a match or lighter.
Because sparks will be produced, you should either go outside or stand near a window.
Always use the tongs that come with most hookahs to light or move your coals.
Avoid using kitchen tongs, which may have been coated in a polymer to provide a non-stick coating for food prep and easy cleaning.
When the coal starts to sparkle and emit smoke, pull the flame away.
The coal should continue sparking until all of it turns bright orange.
If the coal still has some blackened patches that aren't burning, then blow on the coal to encourage it to heat up. , The sides that were covered by your tongs should be unlit.
Blow on these parts to cause them to burn orange.
Let the coal sit on the foil until each one has a coating of ash over it.
Never light the coal directly on top of the foil.
The particles released from the coal will get into the bowl and change the flavor of your tobacco.
If you're in a place with no stove, lighter or matches, then you can use instant-light coal.
Natural coals burn much longer than quick lights but require something much hotter than a lighter to ignite them.
Most people use either a single coil stove burner or a butane torch to light their naturals. , Avoid washing the hose unless you know that it is washable. , Allow the bowl to heat up naturally.
Don't take hard pulls to accelerate the heating process because you'll just end up burning the tobacco.
Take your time while you smoke.
A good hookah can last between 45 minutes and 1 hour. , Apples, mangoes or oranges make good choices, but you can use any large round fruit that you have on hand. , Leave about 3/4 of the fruit intact.
Dig out the flesh, leaving a 1/2" (13 mm) of flesh attached to the sides. , You can use a corkscrew, potato peeler or another sharp object.
The hole should be the size of your index finger. , Leave about 2 millimeters of empty space at the top. , Poke small holes throughout the foil that are evenly spaced. , Light the coals and smoke the hookah.
Because of the coolness of the fruit, you may have to use a few more coals than usual to get your smoke going., Dig out the flesh, leaving a 1/2" (13 mm) thick layer on all sides. , Use a potato peeler, a corkscrew or a paring knife. , Screw the apple onto the top of the hose, and seal the connection with some plasticine. , You can use a burning cigarette or other concentrated heat source to make the hole. , The connection should be tight.
If you see a gap between the plastic and the straw, then seal the gap with more plasticine. , Cover it with foil, poke holes in the foil, light your coals and place the coals on the foil.
Enjoy your homemade hookah. -
Step 3: Put the tray that holds the coals onto the hookah.
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Step 4: Insert the short end of the hose into the hose port.
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Step 5: Prepare your shisha.
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Step 6: Put heavy duty only foil over the top of the bowl.
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Step 7: Poke about 15 to 20 holes into the foil with a toothpick
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Step 8: a pin or a sharp-tipped pen.
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Step 9: Light the coals.
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Step 10: Set the coal down on the foil using your tongs.
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Step 11: Blow through the hose to clean out any dust or particles that may have settled.
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Step 12: Smoke your hookah.
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Step 13: Find a circular fruit.
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Step 14: Cut off the top of the fruit.
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Step 15: Poke a hole in the bottom.
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Step 16: Sprinkle the shisha into the bowl.
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Step 17: Cover the fruit with foil.
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Step 18: Put the fruit bowl onto the stem.
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Step 19: Cut the top 1/4 off of the apple.
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Step 20: Poke a hole into the bottom of the apple.
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Step 21: Cut a piece of garden hose to the desired length.
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Step 22: Burn a hole into the side of a plastic bowl near the bottom.
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Step 23: Insert a straw into the hole.
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Step 24: Fill the fruit bowl with tobacco.
Detailed Guide
Put just enough water into the base so that the stem is submerged about 1-1/2" (38 mm) into the bowl.
You need to leave just enough room in the vase so that your smoke doesn't bubble up into the hose.
Avoid putting milk or dairy into your base.
Adding dairy will ensure an unpleasant smell, mold, foaming in the vase and ruined hoses.
The grommet is a seal that joins the stem to the vase.
Most hookahs come with a rubber or plastic seal.
Silicone is the best material for a seal, but you an also simply seal the vase to the stem with electrical tape. , You need to put it on before you put the bowl on because the bowl may not fit over the tray. , If your hookah has 2 ports, then you can purchase a rubber seal to close off the other port. , Follow all of these steps for the best smoking experience:
Evenly mix your tobacco so that all of it is covered in flavoring and molasses.
Fluff up your tobacco and drop it loosely into the bowl.
Leave 2 millimeters of distance between the top of the tobacco and the bowl so that the shisha doesn't touch the foil when you put it on.
Burned shisha will add a nasty flavor to your smoke.
Buy a good quality shisha.
The quality of your shisha will determine the flavor of your smoke.
You can also mix and match flavors for a great-tasting smoke.
Buy 50-gram portions of shisha so that you can try it out without spending a lot of money.
You can cut up your tobacco leaves with kitchen shears to more easily pack them into the bowl.
However, don't cut them too small or they'll fall through the holes and clog your bowl. , Your foil piece should be 2" (5 cm) larger on all sides so that you can form a tight seal around the bowl.
Keep the foil tight so that wrinkles don't distort the heat distribution.
If you only have thin foil on hand, then double it up.
When you're finished, your foil-covered bowl should resemble the head of a drum. , Take care not to shred your foil.
You can try a couple of different patterns based on the kind of bowl that you have:
Egyptian bowl:
Start with a circle of holes around the perimeter and spiral inward.
Funnel-style bowl:
Make 3 concentric rings: 1 around the edge, 1 around the spire and 1 between the 2 circles that you've already made. , Hold the coals with a pair of tongs and light 1 corner with a match or lighter.
Because sparks will be produced, you should either go outside or stand near a window.
Always use the tongs that come with most hookahs to light or move your coals.
Avoid using kitchen tongs, which may have been coated in a polymer to provide a non-stick coating for food prep and easy cleaning.
When the coal starts to sparkle and emit smoke, pull the flame away.
The coal should continue sparking until all of it turns bright orange.
If the coal still has some blackened patches that aren't burning, then blow on the coal to encourage it to heat up. , The sides that were covered by your tongs should be unlit.
Blow on these parts to cause them to burn orange.
Let the coal sit on the foil until each one has a coating of ash over it.
Never light the coal directly on top of the foil.
The particles released from the coal will get into the bowl and change the flavor of your tobacco.
If you're in a place with no stove, lighter or matches, then you can use instant-light coal.
Natural coals burn much longer than quick lights but require something much hotter than a lighter to ignite them.
Most people use either a single coil stove burner or a butane torch to light their naturals. , Avoid washing the hose unless you know that it is washable. , Allow the bowl to heat up naturally.
Don't take hard pulls to accelerate the heating process because you'll just end up burning the tobacco.
Take your time while you smoke.
A good hookah can last between 45 minutes and 1 hour. , Apples, mangoes or oranges make good choices, but you can use any large round fruit that you have on hand. , Leave about 3/4 of the fruit intact.
Dig out the flesh, leaving a 1/2" (13 mm) of flesh attached to the sides. , You can use a corkscrew, potato peeler or another sharp object.
The hole should be the size of your index finger. , Leave about 2 millimeters of empty space at the top. , Poke small holes throughout the foil that are evenly spaced. , Light the coals and smoke the hookah.
Because of the coolness of the fruit, you may have to use a few more coals than usual to get your smoke going., Dig out the flesh, leaving a 1/2" (13 mm) thick layer on all sides. , Use a potato peeler, a corkscrew or a paring knife. , Screw the apple onto the top of the hose, and seal the connection with some plasticine. , You can use a burning cigarette or other concentrated heat source to make the hole. , The connection should be tight.
If you see a gap between the plastic and the straw, then seal the gap with more plasticine. , Cover it with foil, poke holes in the foil, light your coals and place the coals on the foil.
Enjoy your homemade hookah.
About the Author
Frank Stewart
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow practical skills tutorials.
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