Hello distinguished gentle people, I am a newcomer to the world of snuff and have been lurking around the forum for a few days now. I’ve up a few tips already but I just wanted to ask a couple of specific questions. Having bought my first 10g tin of the modest j&h Wilson top mill no1 on Monday, and only gone through about a third of if, should I be using a different receptacle for the portion I won’t use? In other words how long will the snuff last without becoming tainted/stale in its original tin, or is keeping it in its original tin bad practice? One last query, in my excitement I have also ordered 2x SG KB original, 1x SG Almond and the peculiarly sized 3g of McC menthol. How should the unopened tins be stored? Would a Tupperware somewhere dark and cool suffice? Thank you for your time, NG
@NewGuy - Welcome to Snuffhouse If you have used a third of the tin in 4 days, and you continue to use it up at that pace, then I would imagine that leaving it in the original tin will be fine. I have no experience of J&H tins but I’m sure that someone who has will be along before too long. You have not said what size the SG containers are - if they are the 10g tapboxes then the consensus would be to decant the contents into glass jars as soon as possible or the snuff will dry out. If they are in the 25g tins then the snuff should be fine unopened but once opened you should probably decant it. Funnily enough there has been an ongoing discussion about this for the past few days and you can find the advice at http://snuffhouse.org/discussion/9674/a-few-more-storage-questions I hope that helps and enjoy your snuffs
Cheers chris, Yes they are 25gs. Thanks for the advice.
Don’t keep the menthols with the other snuffs. You will get cross contamination.
When you store snuff in Mason jars do any of you go as far as using actual canning techniques? Sealing it up and, what not.
I do sterilize the jars. Just follow the instructions on the mason jar box (boiling water, etc.). However, that is as far as I go. Let the jars cool and dry them carefully before adding the snuff. Heat from canning would not be a good thing for any tobacco product. Once the lids are on tight, they are air tight. Don’t worry about trying to get a vacuum seal, you will be opening them to add to tins or snuff boxes anyway.
@ Igglet
When you store snuff in Mason jars do any of you go as far as using actual canning techniques? Sealing it up and, what not.
I don’t store snuff in mason jars. To refill from bulk would be a pain, you would have to empty the jar of snuff and then wash it, dry it and heat it, then fill again with a fresh lid. I guess if you had 1000 grams you could break them down into smaller units of 100 grams. It be worth the hassle.You don’t want to cook your finished snuff. Aging tobacco I may consider it. Air tight is good enough for me.
FWIW, I keep my snuffs in their original containers, bag them in little ziploc bags, and store them in the crisper drawer in the fridge. I haven’t had a problem since and I go through them QUITE slowly. Some companies (Toque, Abraxas, F & T) make sturdier containers than others (SG taps, Bernard, Poschl), tho.
So should snuffs you aren’t going to use for awhile be kept in the fridge or just certain types? Or at the least in a cool, dark place? Should that also be done with casual/moderate usage snuffs? Thanks.
I keep most of my snuff - apart from those for immediate use - in small glass jars in a drawer so it is a cool, dark place. However with the artisan snuffs such as Abraxas and SWS I keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. The advice from their website is: “As with any natural tobacco product, artisan nasal snuff can be susceptible to mould if it is not stored correctly. All of our snuffs are heat treated before packing to ensure an indefinite shelf-life whilst in the original, unopened containers. Our snuffs are traditionally made without chemical preservatives and we recommend that once opened Abraxas snuffs should be kept in the tightly closed, original container and stored in a refrigerator. Only decant using a clean, dry implement.” I suspect that Old Mill snuff should also be kept in the fridge but I cannot remember if @chefdaniel has ever commented about that here. I am sure that he can give you some good advice. The most important thing with most snuff is to decant it into glass jars unless you expect to go through it quickly. Most of the tins - with the exception of the Toque ones - are not airtight once they have been opened.
When you store snuff in Mason jars do any of you go as far as using actual canning techniques? Sealing it up and, what not.
I never bother with any of that, straight into the jars and into the cellar. I have three snuffs I buy in bulk quantity and store this way and I haven’t had any problems yet. 25g tins get wrapped in kitchen wrap, placed into individual baggies and stored in an airtight cannister.
… I have three snuffs I buy in bulk quantity …
@crullers , I’m curious what are your bulk mainstays?
@crullers , I’m curious what are your bulk mainstays?
So far it’s Viking Dark, Toque Natural Toast and McChrystal’s O&G but the search continues for more!
That’s a true an tested troika. One of each basic snuff groups, as it were.
Should I jar my toques or will taping them be suffice?
If those are the 10g tins @baconpete I’d just pinch right from them and not worry about it. When they are empty hold onto them, clean them out, and decant snuffs from larger tins into them.
@crullers Thanks alot!
I have some snuffs that I have had for over a year and although a bit dried out, they seem none the worse for wear. Even some Poschl apricot in a tap box and Bernard’s Klostermischung, still use them on a regular basis and no problems. The scents aren’t as prevalent obviously, but not bad. WoS Tom Buck and Royal George have gotten really dry and fine and are bad about throat hits because of this, but the scents are still good. Toque cans are indestructible as I mentioned in my last post about one going through the wash and dryer, and still good as ever.
@Barbertrey all those dried snuff are easily hydrated.
@basement_shaman what would be your preferred method?