I have quite a few questions I hope someone can answer.

Does anybody have experience with their artisan snuffs going off? Is it mainly through contamination? What are the signs that your snuff is going sideways? Will my snuff go bad regardless if I store it in the fridge or not (I currently keep mine out) If so how risky is it keeping it out of the fridge? Does any anybody have pictures of a contaminated artisan snuff?

Any help on this topic would be appreciated

I’ve had a few tins of the moister SWS go bad. They have grown a spider-web like mould, which is clearly visible. I kept them in their original tins, but not in the fridge. It happened quite quickly, but I live in a very humid environment in the tropics. Since then, I’ve always stored them in the fridge.

I’ve had them go mouldy. I don’t bother with them any more to be honest. Toque, Wilsons and Sam Gawiths are where my interests lay these days. Every artisan snuff I tried was too fine, spoiled to easily, and/or gave me a horrendous back drip. I have also had a couple of the moist F&T suffer too, so I stopped buying those in large tubs, and make sure I used up the smaller ones fairly quickly.

Fridge will definitely prolong Artisan snuff longevity.

I’ve had two separate tins of the same SWS go bad. Same as described above, weblike formations at the bottom. Any of the Old Mill snuffs that were simmered in Amish Butter should definitely be refrigerated at this point before they go rancid. My line (OSP) will have the same risks as Molens Snuffstore do, in that they will dry out eventually. Refrigeration is a good idea, but be sure to seal the tin really well beforehand, or they will actually dry out faster.

@JakartaBoy - You think metal tins of black Indian snuffs and moist ones would go bad? I’ve kept my tins taped up at the lid and in a plastic air tight box. Do you think the tins rust from within? I live in the coastal city of Mumbai where summers and rains are humid. 

Mold can’t grow if snuff is frozen. The first one was Abraxas Club, I had 3 of SWS grow mold in a short time . I had Santo domingo eat right through it’s tin. And I had some wilson tins rust before I opened them. It smells funky and mold travels fast. don’t open the tin if you can see the mold, those spore will contaminate anything moist even you. The side effects could be simple or death . Do not try to save a $15 snuff it’s not worth your health.

 I had posted pictures on Snuffhouse.org but Most pictures didn’t survive the move to .com  

Now the search feature is all messed up. the page it delivers you to is not the current page. I had to go back 12 pages to match up the month and date to find what i was looking for. Another search I only had to go back 3 pages. Apparently some ones posts in those 2 threads were deleted. haunting us with their absence.   ~X(

Thanks everyone for your responses.

Has anybody had experience adding preservatives to Artisan snuffs to extend the shelf life?

My concern is that I do pinch from a few of them daily after decanting and worried I would not notice this spiderweb type mold due to the tin being agitated on a daily basis.

@Aamon The problem with bacteriostatic agents is that just of them are designed for use in acidic environments. There are things you can use during the production process to keep it clean, but adding something after it’s finished will have little positive effect. You can add high proof alcohol directly to the snuff, or at least the insides of the tins, to some effect.

Many SWS mold up really fast. In as little as a week or two at Summer room temps and they bloom out some seriously mold. For that reason, once I’ve used up my fridge supply of them, I probably won’t order more. Fetching snuff from the fridge is a hassle when I’m most likely to use snuff while sitting at my computer, at the opposite end of the house.

What was that? A mini-fridge for the office, you say? What a compelling idea.

Old Mill snuffs seem surprisingly mold-resistant, despite Daniel not using preservatives. Maybe it’s the manner in which he applies salt. Old Mills though will just sort of lose their oomph over time, and seem dry and stale. If you have them, just use and enjoy them quickly, or trade away the ones you don’t think you’ll finish within the next year. They are not meant to be hoarded.

@cpmcdill, that sucks about the old mill snuff not lasting.

Never had a issue with Old Mill going bad. Keep sealed tight and in the fridge in original tins and a Ziploc bag. Good to go or stay fresh.

Should the SWS go in the fridge IMMEDIATELY upon receiving from the post or only once they’ve been opened? I’d rather keep them out of the kitchen fridge where our kids might get curious. So it sounds like I need to go to Costco and get a minifridge for snuffs but can it wait a day or two or is there a risk already unopened and should move to fridge ASAP?

I’m 98% sure if there unopened they safe outside the fridge, cuz they heat treated. Correct me if I’m wrong but I’m sure unopened does not need refregeration.

I have a couple on the way. I will make sure I refrigerate them.

Freeze it. That stops mold cold. I have a ton of DeKralingse, Old Mill, a pound of the now discontinued London Brown and Santo Domingo in the freezer. When I use it, I just decant 10 grams or so, let it warm up, fresh and good as it can be!

^ Totally agree as above. Just keep head space to a minimum and under glass!!

I recently cracked an old mill and 2 of the had what looked like a tiny amount of black shiny stuff in the center of the snuff. There was a little that looked a bit like tar on the lid. Didn

Not smell off. Any thoughts on that one?