Stir the shisha.Choose any flavor of shisha, or tobacco packed in molasses and glycerin. Before removing any from the container, mix it together to bring the flavorful syrup back up from the bottom
Break it apart.Take a small pinch of the shisha and gently break it apart between your fingers, over a plate. If you see stems, cut them into small pieces or discard them.Repeat until you have enough to loosely fill the bowl.
Sprinkle the shisha into the bowl.Leave it loose, not packed, so air can flow through it. Add tobacco until it forms an even layer about 1/12—1/8” (2–3 mm) below the rim of the bowl. If stacked too high, it will stick to the aluminum foil and scorch.
If there are a few pieces sticking up too high, gently knock them down with a damp paper towel.
You may want to practice with tobacco-free hookah molasses until you’ve learned the process. This is less likely to burn.
Cover the bowl.You can buy a reusable hookah bowl screen for this purpose, but a homemade foil cover may control heat more reliably.Wrap aluminum foil tightly over the bowl to form a taut surface. Using a paper clip or needle, punch holes in the foil to allow air flow. Try a circle of holes near the outer rim, then more holes spiraling inward.
More holes means more heat on the tobacco, and therefore more smoke. Try starting with about 15 holes.If inhaling is difficult or you’d like more smoke, you can add more holes. Some people prefer 50–100 holes.
Make the holes small to avoid letting in flakes of ash.
Finish assembling the hookah.Attach the ash-collecting tray to the top of the hookah shaft. Fit the bowl over the top hole, making an airtight connection.