Can you directly light the molasses on sheesha instead of using coal ??????

Question:

Can you directly light the molasses on sheesha instead of using coal ??????

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

No! that would be awful. If the sheesha in your pipe bowl catches fire it is known as a 'cherry', and the water in the pipe will not stop you getting a lungful of smoke like a garden bonfire.

Make sure you use sheesha charcoal (Not the barbecue variety!) and put a piece which has been previously lit till it is glowing, on top of the foil (or on the platform, if you have the old fashioned type of Egyptian pipe). I think in some places they used to put charcoal directly onto the tobacco, but probably not with the sweet molasses sheesha you get in the cafes these days. Draw the hot air down from the charcoal through the sheesha and then up through the water bowl and you will get a decent smoke.