How you pack your hookah bowl decides whether you will have a fantastic hookah session or a wholly ruined one!
So, you must pack your hookah perfectly to have the most out of your hookah session.
But how to pack a hookah bowl perfectly? We have got you covered!
After packing hookah bowls for 1000s of time, we know how you can fill your hookah bowl so that it can bake perfectly to produce thick, flavorful smoke!
So, let’s get straight into it:
5 Steps To Pack a Hookah Bowl For A Perfect Smoke!
Prerequisite: Clean Your Phunnel Bowl
Before we start, make sure you clean your hookah bowl. Of course, if you use a new hookah bowl, you can skip this first step.
However, clean your bowl if you use a traditional or an older one.
Cleaning your old hookah bowl ensures you don’t get any flavor in your new smoke from the previous session.
Also, it is a good hygiene practice.
Once you are done with cleaning, move to the main steps.
Step 1: Chop The Shisha Leaves To A Uniform Size
For this step, you will need:
- Chopping board
- Kitchen knife
- And, of course, shisha tobacco
Shisha tobacco comes in various shapes and sizes.
To get a consistent and smooth smoke, mix it well and chop it to have a perfect and uniform size for easy packing.
Using your kitchen knife, chop your shisha tobacco leaves into 1 – 2cm strips. Try to keep the size of the chopped shisha tobacco uniform.
Also, keep your hands and fingers safe while using the sharp knife.
The finer you cut, the greater the surface area of tobacco shisha to the hot air flow, making it easier for you to manage packing the shisha bowl.
Quick Tip: Don’t use a coffee grinder or scissors as it will make inconsistent chop leading to uneven shisha tobacco size.
Step 2: Dry The Shisha Mix And Load The Hookah Bowl With Shisha Tobacco
Once you have chopped the shisha tobacco for a perfect and consistent stick shape, you can place the shisha mix on one half of a paper towel.
Fold the other half and gently press down.
It will soak up the excess molasses and glycerin from the leaves.
By doing so, your shisha tobacco will heat up quickly and easily. Also, don’t dry out shisha too much, as it can hamper your experience.
Quick Tip: You must dry the shisha mix only if it has excess moisture. Otherwise, keep the shisha tobacco as it is because it will help you taste and get optimum flavors when baked under coals.
Now it is time to load the shisha mix onto your hookah bowl.
Ideally, you can use a spoon to take out shisha mix and put them into the bowl, but you can also use your hands (after wearing gloves).
Beginning with the entire base, spread the shisha tobacco inside the hookah bowl in an even manner. Do not pile up the shisha tobacco flavor just randomly in the bowl.
Step 3: Fill Till The Optimum Level
The standard way to pack a hookah bowl is the “light-packed” shisha tobacco that goes below the rim level.
The light-packed hookah bowl is sufficient for a single user for hour-long sessions.
However, for two or more users, you need to pack your hookah bowl slightly tighter.
Ensure you do not over-tight pack your hookah bowl as it will prevent direct contact with the foil and heat, further avoiding the shisha’s heating up.
As you continuously pack your hookah bowl according to your need, use a fork or toothpick to aerate the shisha tobacco, you have loaded onto the hookah bowl.
Ideally, you should not wait till packing your hookah bowl entirely because you may create larger gaps inside the stuffing.
Furthermore, ensure the shisha tobacco should not clog the hookah bowl holes.
Quick Tip: Keep the packing of shisha tobacco below the rim for about 1-2 mm in standard packing.
Step 4: Wrap The Bowl With Aluminum Foil Or Skip This Step If You Use HMD
Once you are satisfied with packing the hookah bowl, it is time to put the aluminum foil above the bowl.
To do so, get two pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil and align then align them perfectly. Now, wrap the foil firmly around the hookah bowl.
Ensure the aluminum foil is steady and flat with a tight surface on the top.
However, if you use a heat management device, you do not need aluminum foils, and you can skip this step.
Step 5: Your Perfectly Packed Hookah Bowl Is Ready!
Voila! Your perfectly packed hookah bowl is now ready.
Get some natural charcoal pieces and heat them to put them on top of the foil or in the heat management device (HMD).
However, for foil users, start poking holes into the aluminum foil circularly, and you are done.
How Much Tobacco Do You Put In A Phunnel Bowl?
Depending upon the size of the phunnel bowl, the quantity and amount of tobacco depend on the smoker’s preferences.
The general way is to use about 20g to 25g of shisha tobacco, equivalent to half of a 50g box or 2-3 tablespoons.
However, some smokers prefer to pack the tobacco tighter, while some prefer loose packing.
You can experiment with different packing methods and find the perfect way to get the most out of it.
However, the standard way is to pack the hookah lightly below the rim for about 1-2mm.
How To Make Your Hookah Phunnel Bowl Burn Slower?
If the hookah phunnel bowl is burning too quickly, it can produce harsh smoke and hamper your smoking experience.
Therefore, here is how you can make the hookah bowl burn slower:
- First, ensure you are using high-quality tobacco shisha, such as Al Fakher. It is because poor quality shisha tobacco leads to quick burning.
- Further, pack your hookah tobacco loosely in the bowl and do not over-pack it.
Following these two tips can prevent your hookah bowl from burning too quickly.
FAQs
After cleaning your hookah bowl, remove the shisha tobacco and chop it into fine pieces for about 1-2cm. Now, use a spoon to put fine-cut shisha tobacco into the hookah bowl.
Use a fork to pack hookah accordingly to your need (tight or loose). Once loaded, ensure to aerate the bowl with a toothpick.
Now, cover the hookah bowl with heavy-duty aluminum foil or use HMD. Poke holes into the foil after tightly placing it over the bowl, and you are done with hookah bowl packing!
Packing your hookah tightly can lead to a better smoking experience if you know how to do it. For example, many smokers report having thicker, richer, and smoother smoke when they pack hookah tightly.
However, over-tight packing hookah bowls can also lead to a bad smoking experience. Therefore, it is recommended that you prefer standard packing, which is neither loose nor too tight.
The standard packing method allows beginners to have a great experience of puffing hookah.
You have to pack your hookah bowl accordingly to your need. However, tighter packing allows the shisha to burn evenly, allowing it to avoid burning too quickly.
As a beginner, you can also prefer packing your hookah slightly loose to check if you have done it right.
Take out the finely chopped shisha tobacco and load them into the hookah bowl. Then, as you load into the bowl, also aerate the bowl with a toothpick.
Pack your hookah bowl accordingly to your need. And once you are done packing, take out two heavy-duty aluminum foil.
Wrap the foil around the bowl tightly so that it has a flat surface over the top. Now, use a toothpick to poke holes into the center of the foil.
You can also use a rubber band to keep the aluminum foil in its place.
Summary
Packing a hookah bowl decides your overall experience because if shisha is burning well, it will provide good smoke quality. Otherwise, you will have issues puffing it.
However, packing a hookah bowl is much easier if you know the proper steps. And we hope this guide has helped you to achieve that.
Apart from packing hookah correctly, the quality of hookah tobacco also matters for a better hookah experience which we recommend you check out from Icon Hookah.
Till then, keep enjoying hookah!
