A guide to how to setup your hookah pipe correctly. Hookahs are made up of a glass base (vase), a stem, a tray, a bowl, hose used with tobacco and charcoal. They can come in a range of sizes from mini shishas sanding at only 8″ tall to large 6 feet types.

Step 1: Fill the glass shisha vase with water
- Do not over fill, leave room in the vase for the smoke.
- A rule of thumb is to leave the stem submerged about 2 inches in water.
- For a smooth smoke mix the water in your vase with a 1/3 of ice cubes.

Step 2: Verify stem is firmly in place
- Check that the plastic seal between the vase and stem isin place to prevent smoke getting out and air getting in

Step 3: Put tray on top of the stem
- You can use the tray to put charcoal on to replace used coal. Also catches any ash or other dirt.

Step 4: Attach the hose on to the shisha
- Shisha pipes can have several hoses attached. All hose ports should either have a hose on or sealed up so to not lose air and smoke.
- Some pipes have a plastic part that makes a seal between the hose and the pipe.

Step 5: Add tobacco to the bowl
- Mix the tobacco well before addign to the bowl.
- Add the tobacco in a consistent manner, slowly in small amounts. Not too tight so air has difficulty in passing down the bowl or too loose burning the tobacco.
- Leave 2 millimeters between the top of the shisha tobacco and the foil.

Step 6: Add Aluminum foil on top of the bowl
- Cut the aluminum foil into a square roughly 2 inches larger than the diameter of the bowl.
- The shiny part of the aluminum foil goes face down.
- Make sure the seal is tight and the surface is flat.

Step 7: Add holes to Aluminum foil
- Where you add the holes and the size of them on the foil will affect on the smoke produced.
- Use an object with a sharp tip such as toothpick or pin.
- Holes underneath the charcoal will direct heat into the bowl, while holes on the outside will allow air into the bowl producing mroe smoke.
- There are many different patterns you can use when maing holes, for example in a circular fashion.
- Too many holes and the tobacco will burn a lot quicker while too few and the tobacco will not burn very well.

Step 8: Check the air flow
- Check that air is circulating well trough your pipe by placing your hand on top of the bowl and sucking on the hose. You should feel a downwad force on your hand. If not check all conenctions that they are securely attached.

Step 9: Light charcoal
- To light quicklight coals: Hold the charcoal with tongs somwhere safe. Use a lighter on a corner of the coal and wait untill it stops sparkling and making smoke. Blow on the coal till its is glowing orange.
Put the coal on top of the foil and blow till the sides are orange as well.
- Never light the coal on top of the bowl as unwaned particles will reach the tobacco and change the flavour.

- For natural charcoals use a stove to light them until they are orange.

Step 10: Smoke your hookah pipe
To start pull on the hose to get the tobacco burning properly.