Hey guys, First question is would it be possible to miss mold if any were present in your snuff? Second question would be is it possible to add a little moisture to some snuffs (some rehydration methods) that I find hard to take?
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If you are talking about snuff you have bought it would be very unlikely to the point of certainty to get mould in it. In 40 years of using snuff of all types in all conditions I have never come across any mould in a bought snuff. If you are making snuff from scratch and the right conditions were present you could get mould growth and most, but not all, tobacco for snuff is kilned before milling to destroy mould spores. In a bought dry snuff the conditions just don’t suit mould. Could it happen? I suppose so given the right conditions but it is very unlikely to say the least. I think the snuff would have to be damp, at the right ph level and seriously contaminated by spores. It doesn’t really happen.
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It’s very easy to re-hydrate snuff. You can just add a small amount of water to the snuff in a container, give it a good shake and leave for a while or spray a light water mist onto the snuff. You can also use a condensation method and just leave the water (or any liquid that you want to flavour the snuff including alcohol) in a small container near to the snuff, in sealed conditions, and given the right ambient temperature the liquid will condense and hydrate the snuff. I would only hydrate a moist snuff gone dry, not try to make a moist snuff out of a dry one. Rehydrated snuff will always lose a little of the original flavour because the mositure that is lost has the flavouring in it. You can still get it back to a useable format though. Personally, if I ever have a snuff that is dried out I just put a peeled apple into the jar, in two halves, and this will give some moisture as well as flavouring it a touch.
Bear in mind dry snuff is meant to be dry and hydrating it would not be the best way to enjoy it, far better to buy snuff at the moisture level you like. Adding water to a dry snuff like Dholakia White would probably give a fairly sour smell that would suggest mould but it would actually be the aromatics in the harsh rustica base being liberated by the mositure.
Hope that helps.
I’ve had a jar of Bon Bon mold up on me, it was hard to miss with the smell and appearance.
- Rehydrating snuff is a perfect way to introduce mold into a snuff. Be sure to use distilled water and clean containers for rehydrating. A vanilla bean or tonka bean is a good way to introduce a little moisture into a box of dry snuff. I have a crock with an island in the middle to set a tin on for systematic rehydrating of older opened tins. I only rehydrate if I am planning on using right away otherwise I leave my old tins alone.
To answer your original question in my own opinion, yes and no. Mold spores are certainly in your snuffs as they get opened frequently. Mold growth is another story, requiring specific conditions and will be easily detected by the sponging together of the grains and as cstokes4 has suffered, smell and appearance.
Whats bon bon?
Bon Bon From Jaap ?
Yes, Molens Bon Bon, it was a 100g jar.
@ cstokes: Why didn’t you take it up with me? Since Bon Bon is made without any salt in it, mold growth can occur under humid conditions. I will gladly replace it with a new jar or refund you.
Jaap Bes.
No worries Jaap. I should have used it quicker, I ordered some Bon Bon from Mr. Snuff, but in the 12g container.
Thank you very much, answered my questions perfectly guys
what other of your snuffs don’t have any salt if any? I ask because Bon bon is the most gentle on my nose of all snuffs I’ve ever tried. I think the lack of salt might be why it feels that way.
I would be more than happy to see a picture of a moulded can. I mean the description of seeing white spots is not enough. For example I have a Toque Toffee tin and has some lightly brown feckles but I seriously doubt thats mould since, I have it just 2 weeks and smells as it should
I seem to remember that after making that response I introduced a snuff that went promptly and comprehensively mouldy when opened. You live and learn…
A very experienced snuff user once said that when he stores some bulk F&T, he sometimes gets white sugar crystals forming. Could that happen and could it look like mould?
^ they are actually salt crystals and yes some salted F&T snuffs like Santo Domingo are prone to get them and some people mistake them for mold though they don’t look like mold. Mold is hairy or fuzzy, salt crystals look like … crystals
Also those salty F&T snuffs wreak havoc on the aluminum tubes they come in. The oxidation sometimes results in oxidized aluminum in the snuff, which too has been mistaken for mold by some.