This Is The Art of Cloud

Before anyone can truly become a Cloud Master and experience the magic that is the Art of Cloud, they must have the right tools.  In our case this means the perfect Hookah, Shisha, Nargile, Gelyoun, or Hubbly Bubbly.  But how do we know which Hookah is the right Hookah?  The first step is to first learn about the main components of almost every Hookah on the Planet… Please note, I will ignore aesthetics; your taste is your own (but remember that Sparx is about to blow your mind!)

Every Hookah has a “Head,” “Stem,” “Base,” and “Hose.”  Most of the better ones also have a “One Way Valve” and “Ash Tray.”  The best Hookahs always have components that fit together snuggly, usually with the aid of rubber seals.  Below is a discussion of eachcomponent and how to choose the right Hookah…

I believe that if you’re using a coal heated, as opposed to Electric Hookah Head (remember Sparx is coming!), you’re crazy not to use a “Hookah Ash Tray” to catch the falling ash that will invariably fall off the Hookah Head, and the “Hookah One Way Valve,” which is a great way to clear out stale smoke without spewing water out of the top of your Hookah.  In any case, let’s start from the top and work our way down.

The Hookah Head

The Hookah Head is where the tobacco goes, and this piece is one of the most abused and neglected components of the Hookah.  They come in various diameters and depths, but I find that the ones with a diameter of about two-inches (2″) and a depth of about 1″ – 1.5″ tend to work best.  The reason for this is that the extra depth allows you to mix a greater quantity of tobacco and maintain more flavor throughout your smoke.  The greater diameter also allows you to control your heat by allowing you to create a wider spacing between coal pieces, whereas the more shallow bowls tend to challenge the heat control techniques of more novice Hookah aficionados.

The material of the Hookah Head is also very important.  I’ve seen metal, ceramic, porcelain, various fruits (e.g. apples, oranges, pineapples, watermelons, etc…) and even clay ones.  I think they all have advantages and disadvantages.

For example, the metal heads are great if you can control your heat properly because they’ll eventually heat up the edges and cause some combustion around the edges deeper in the Hookah, this in-turn creates a richer Cloud.  The ceramic ones are awesome insulators, and the fruit ones actually add some flavor to the experience, although the heat tends to warp them; again this is an issue that anyone can overcome with time, practice, and ultimately, experience.

Finally, make sure that there are enough holes at the bottom of the bowl portion of the Hookah Head and that they are wide enough to allow air to easily pass through the bottom and into the Hookah Stem.  You can test this by blowing air into the Hookah Head to test resistance; there should be almost none.

Bottom Line: If you’re new to the Hookah world get a ceramic or porcelain Hookah Head and start playing around.  In time you can mix it up with other types of Hookah Heads.

The Hookah Ash Tray

The Hookah Ash Tray is usually a metal plate with a hole in the middle so it can rest on the stem directly beneath the Hookah Head.  The Ash Tray is not always on every Hookah, but it’s a great place to store extra coal before it’s put on the Hookah Head and it also keeps things relatively clean by reducing the amount of ash that falls around the Hookah Base.  This little baby will make your cleanup after a serious Cloud Session go much easier.  Nothing sucks more than a ring of ash on your coffee table after you’re done smoking.

Bottom Line: No matter how experienced a Hookah User you are, a Hookah Ash Tray is always advisable.

The Hookah Stem

The Hookah Stem is arguably the most important part of a Hookah.  The ideal stem will be solid and feel heavy; I would also recommend the One Way Valve (discussed below).  The welds will be clean and the pipe going into the water will be long enough to get good penetration in most any Hookah Base.  The best way to test the Hookah Stem is to blow into it from the hole where the Hookah Hose would typically go in.  Like the Hookah Head, the air should pass with almost no resistance out of the various holes on the stem.  If there is any resistance, the stem is damaged and should not be purchased/used.

In addition to air resistance, ask about the material used in making the stem.  Stay away from anything but stainless steel.  I know it’s difficult to fathom, but there are douche-bags out there that will sell you stems that will rust or stain.  It is not fun to smoke from a rusty Hookah, in fact, it will seriously F$&K up your lungs, so be careful.  Only buy your Hookah products from sources that you trust!

Bottom Line: Every Hookah User should search out solid, “heavy feeling,” stainless steel Hookah Stems that have clean weld lines.

The Hookah One Way Valve

The Hookah One Way Valve is a great way to purge stale smoke from your Hookah Base.  As you spend time, sometimes hours, smoking your Hookah the smoke in the Hookah Base re-circulates and heavier particles will sometimes stay in the Cloud trapped in the Hookah Base.  It’s surprising how much better the Cloud tastes if you use a Hookah with a One Way Valve to purge the stale smoke from the Hookah Base.  Doing this is as simple as gently blowing into the Hookah Hose until no more smoke comes out of the Hookah Valve.

You can test a Hookah Valve to make sure it works properly by doing two things.  First, unscrew the Hookah Valve and visually inspect the inside.  There should be a small ball bearing in the Hookah Valve and it should move around easily.  Second, with the Hookah Valve cover back in place, place the Hookah Stem on the Hookah Base, plug the top of the Hookah Stem, and blow gently.  You should hear the air escaping from the Hookah Valve.  There should be some resistance, but not so much that you have to violently force air through the Hookah Valve.

Bottom Line: Get a Hookah with a Valve, anything else is not going to give you as good an experience!

The Hookah Hose

Of all the components of a Hookah, the one that will need the most replacement is the Hookah Hose.  Even with proper care and use, you will probably need to change your Hookah Hose(s) once every two-to-three years.  If you smoke more than two times a week, I would recommend replacing them once every six months-to-a-year.  It’s a relatively small investment to make sure that the Cloud you take in is relatively clean and that there is no dust or ash building up in the Hookah Hose.

Choosing the right Hookah Hose involves a very similar process to choosing the right Hookah Head and Hookah Stem; it’s all about airflow.  The best way to test a Hookah Hose is to take one end and plug it with your finger while you blow into the other.  Thereshould be no air escaping from any place on the hose other than where you plugged the Hookah Hose.

Other important considerations are the flexibility and durability of the Hookah Hose.  You can test the flexibility by folding the Hookah Hose.  A good Hookah Hose will bend back on itself with relatively little resistance.  You can test the durability by visually inspecting the Hookah Hose.  If you see glue, staples, tape, etc. anywhere on the Hookah Hose it means that the Hookah Hose is crap and you should search out an alternative one or find another vendor.  Again, buy your Hookah supplies from trusted sources.  The web is full of vendor reviews; use them!

Bottom Line: Try to use a flexible and durable Hookah Hose that is air tight except for the ends.

The Hookah Base

As I mention above, the Hookah Base and the Hookah Stem have to fit together in a seamless way.  It should also be noted that you want a base with enough room to mix in flavor enhancers like cola and lemons (see the recipes on our blog), and which is sturdy enough to properly support and keep the balance of your Hookah’s Stem, Hose, Head and Ash Tray.

The best way to test all the Hookah’s characteristics is to assemble the Hookah in the shop before you buy it and blow into the Hookah Hose without the Hookah Head attached to the Hookah Stem.  If there is a good seal throughout, air should shoot out the top of the Hookah Stem, and if you plug the top of the Hookah Stem, air should shoot out of the Hookah One Way Valve.

You should also select a Hookah Base that is solid, meaning that it is not thin glass that’s liable to break, or a metal that will rust or stain.  Also, if the Hookah Base has paint on it, make sure that the paint is non-toxic and lead free (remember the kids toys from China… don’t trust your eyes, buy from reputable merchants).

Finally, make sure that the Hookah Stem is long enough to penetrate fairly deeply into the Hookah Base and that the Hookah Base can accommodate the Hookah Base.  (Also take your mind out of the gutter.  If it wasn’t there you’re a better person than I).

Bottom Line: Get a Hookah Base that fits well with your Hookah Stem and which is strong enough to support all the other pieces.

I hope this article was helpful.  If you have any questions, feel free to email me and I’ll do my best to answer them.  You can email me at cloudmaster@sparxcloud.com.

Remember, every great Hookah Experience begins with the right tools and when you have the right tools you can truly experience the Art of Cloud™.

This is Sparx™!

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