Burnt taste or weak flavor

If your session tastes burnt or harsh, temperatures are too high. If the flavor is weak or watery, temperatures are too low. The fix is dialing in heat to your tobacco.

Burnt taste

Lower the temperature on whichever zone is too hot.

• Burnt at the top of the bowl. Lower the Cap temperature. Use Down (<) to access Cap setting.
• Burnt around the edges. Lower the Side temperature. Use Up (>) to access Side setting.

Reduce in small steps (10 to 20°C at a time), wait a few minutes for the change to take effect, then take another draw.

Weak flavor

Raise the temperature on whichever zone is too cool. Same controls in reverse.

• Weak from the start. Both Cap and Side may be too low. Raise both by 20°C.
• Strong start, weak by the end. The bowl may be cooking out. Raise the Side temperature to extend the bowl life.

What's the right temperature

There's no single answer. It depends on:

• Tobacco type. Dark leaf (more nicotine, less sugar) handles higher heat (200 to 240°C). Blonde leaf (more sugar, less nicotine) burns easily, so go lower (180 to 220°C).
• Pack density. Looser packs need less heat. Denser packs need more.
• Bowl type. Phunnel and vortex bowls hold heat differently than Egyptian bowls.

Starting point

For most tobacco and most bowls, start with both zones at 200°C. Adjust from there based on what the bowl is doing.