Snuff making 101

Its ok. no harm done

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Gawith Hoggarth Bob’s Chocolate Flake. Grinder. Sieve. Nostrils. I like it :slight_smile:

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Well, I just finished turning a 50 gram pouch of Drum rolling tobacco into about 20 grams of snuff, once I’d dried it and accounting for waste. I used my ball mill, originally intended for polishing rocks. A very good product, if I say so myself. Mind you considering that a pouch of Drum here costs six bucks, it’s not exactly cost efficient, considering I could get a tin of Toque for slightly cheaper. Still, nice to know that I can produce my own if and when it becomes impossible to import the professionally made stuff. Next task is to approach my friendly local tobacconist and see what he can offer in the way of a rolling tobacco that resembles Drum. I tried a few spoons of it straight from the mill, and it was already pretty good. I’m mixing in the washing soda and salt now. Oh, my advice is to not go overboard with the washing soda. You can easily produce a snuff with a nicotine hit that is just too strong for comfort. More is not always better.

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Since the demise of my mill I’ve been using a mortar and pestle for the final phase of grinding just before running through a sieve. Problem: What used to come off the mill light and fluffy is now dense and very grainy. Any thoughts on fixing this, other than mill replacement?

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I would like to add a bit of historical esoterica to all the above, highly informative posts. I have just found on Google Books a fascinating old volume on the art of perfumery. It is called, " The art of perfumery and the methods of obtaining the odours of Plants", by George William Septimus Piesse, 1862, London. The entire book is utterly interesting, and free to download or just read. The chapter on snuff making is the reason I am mentioning it. There is quite a discourse on ammonia in snuffmaking. It describes how rappees are made, toasts, Irish and Scotch, and even mentions Lundy Foote. Check it out fellow snuff historians.

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@mrmanos if you have a link, I will post it in the library. Good find!

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This is such a wonderful thread, I have a crop (can three plants be a crop?) of tobacco growing and should our British weather permit I am very excited about trying some of the above recipes out. Should definitely go into the snuffhouse librery…

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@xander: I’ll get the link soon, and put it here. I’m just leaving now, so it’ll be later tonight or tomorrow. Its pretty interesting material!

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http://books.google.de/books/about/The\_Art\_of\_Perfumery\_and\_Method\_of\_Obtai.html?id=vPzNF5jwLvIC&redir\_esc=y

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I can’t find any chapter on snuff making.

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Very intresting read thank you … After reading all the posts, re the posting etiquate I think its nice to add to old threads, as was mentioned to me … Old threads never die… commenting on them just keeps all that information in one place. The search function here is very good.

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finally able to sign in! The edition in the posted link is too early @Juxtaposer‌ : try this one (ca. page 270 ; you can research the word snuff in all the book, either). For those who read french, I didn’t read it for the moment, but it’s quoted in Piesse and seems very interesting : http://books.google.fr/books/about/Histoire\_du\_tabac.html?hl=fr&id=Pg0VAAAAYAAJ

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OMG the link didn’t pass, my deepest apologies : https://openlibrary.org/books/OL24170676M/The\_art\_of\_perfumery\_and\_the\_methods\_of\_obtaining\_the\_odours\_of\_plants

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I was just wondering about toasting. i love the old mill snuff 'pure Virginian Toast or the high dry toast.

so when do you toast the tobacco? after curing? after it has fermented in the jar with washing soda and salt and water?

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Why all the trouble fermenting/curing? Why not just use green shade-dried leaves? Much lower in TSNAs as well.

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@Radium I’m pretty sure it has to do with better nicotine uptake.

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“Why all the trouble fermenting/curing?
Why not just use green shade-dried leaves?
Much lower in TSNAs as well.”

Fermenting and Curing affect the scent and flavor … much for the better in most cases.  When leaves dry green, they retain a very grassy / chlorophyll property that is harsh.  Curing takes place while the leaves are still alive and the cell wall structure still intact.  This is an important phase of enzymatic activity and also the time that the chlorophyll exits the cells and ammonia is released.  After this slow, natural process takes place the leaves are much more aromatic and less harsh.  Fermentation is a secondary phase which occurs with aging and / or kilning.  Both processes further the enzymatic and microbial activity and smooth out the flavor and scent even more.

As to TSNA’s, there are many variables that affect their production starting with the genetics of the variety grown.  Also, the conditions that the curing takes place in such as temperature, humidity and ventilation all play a role.  Here’s a link I saved when I was researching the topic that has some good info:

http://www.imperialtobaccoscience.com/files/pdf/tobaccobreeding/factors\_influencing\_the\_formation\_of\_tobacco-specific%20\_nitrosamines.pdf

Psicko, how the leaf is processed does affect the final nicotine content and absorption rates.  One of the key factors is the final pH of the product.  A higher pH (more alkaline) tobacco will deliver the nicotine at a higher rate.  That’s why you read about people adding Sodium Carbonate (very alkaline) to their snus / snuff products.  This essentially is freebasing the nicotine and makes it readily available. 

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Thanks for the info and good post of yours. Do you know anything about the TSNA content in N. rustica versus N. tabacum? I take snuff for ADHD, I have never had the chance to try any commercial snuff, so I’m curious about this scent and flavor difference you mentioned, and if it would change my opinion (about being fanatic to only using green dried leafs + soda) after I try some commercials. Commercial snuff is not available for sale in my place, and online shopping is forbidden as well.

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Screenshot_2016-11-24-08-08-05 That’s good news for cancerphobes like me who are able to deal fine with the harshness of green leaves dried rapidly in shade.

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BTW, what’s the least nose irritating anti-caking agent for snuff? Another question: How long does freebase nicotine last in room temperature? I always feel it is susceptible to degradation, is it true?

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