I’d like to take the big leap to grinding my own. There’s an organic RYO Tobacco I found that would make a wonderful Snuff, but I was curious as to whether I would need to adjust the PH balance, making it a little more nose-friendly. Any suggestions?
Try it as is first. Adding alkaline additives will actually make snuff slightly more irritating, but enhance nicotine release.
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A good base tobacco should not need any ph adjustment, just get it dried to the level you want and see how it goes.
@snuffgrinder I’d be interested in making something with an extra Nicotine kick to keep the smoke cravings down. Just wondering if I picked up something to do it with, would I have Homeland Security at my door, wondering why I was buying the stuff? Do I add the salts when I’m grinding it? Curing time and sifting techniques? (I’m just getting started, so anything would be helpful.) @Ashrael. Lol! I’m an old Hippie. The Non-Organic version with Perique Tobacco would also be fantastic.
I’ve had good luck grinding RYO tobacco in a Vita-Mix blender, it makes excellent snuff. In fact, I enjoy it over commercial brands. Because it was moist, I set it in our hot attic for awhile to dry out, dry tobacco grinds very easily into powder. Also, I added a small amount of baking soda, it did seem to increase the nic hit. You can do a goggle search on adding baking soda to your home ground snuff. (PS: I bumped up the “Home Ground” thread for you to check out.)
I haven’t made snuff in weeks, I think I’ll have to dig out the coffee grinder tonight.
You can just use plain old sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) starting at 1/2 gram to 25 grams of snuff. You can double this amount altho’ it will increase the burn. I prefer to add the bicarb to the finished snuff and sieve a couple times to mix the soda in thoroughly. You can use the snuff immediately. Some tobaccos will cause ammonia to generate. If this is unpleasant, just let the snuff set for a couple of weeks until it dissipates.
Thanks for the info, all! One more question. Will I need Glycerine if I’m making an English style, or will getting the grind right suffice?
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Snuffypants; English snuffs don’t contain any oils like the German snuffs. It’s forbidden by law in the UK.
Ahh. So no glycerine it is. Now a trip to the natural health care shop for some essential oils is all I need to plan next. I remember quite a bit from my aromatherapy training, avoidance of the ones that can be caustic, etc. Bergamot and Sandalwood would be good alongside the plain. Didn’t know about the additive requirements in the UK. Does that law go back several centuries like the German Beer purity laws?
I think that the British regulations date from the early 19th century. BTW, if you do want to add an oil to snuff, food grade heavy mineral oil (liquid paraffin) is odourless, tasteless, & a lot cheaper than glycerin. I’ve also seen an old American recipe that calls for olive oil.
I’ll probably keep my first attempt on the dry side. Olive oil might work for a sun dried Tomato and Basil Snuff. Come to think of it, that might be nice… I was watching the Poeschl corporate video that shows Gletscher Prise in a couple of stages in it’s manufacture. Aged in plastic tubs. A little off-putting, but at least I can afford a small scale version.
I wouldn’t recommend mineral oil, it is toxic and a petro. It as carcinogenic properties and despite that is is used heavily in many cosmetics…
Guess that’s why Swedish Match and Poschl use it in their snuffs.
I’ll get some just to see if that’s why Poschl clogs me so bad. Have any idea what Bernards uses? I don’t have a problem with those. I want to try the Poschl Schalzlers since they’re becoming available, and am wondering if there’s any point. Thanks in advance.
Most Schmalzers contain it nowadays. Poschl’s also uses a blend of various tropical plant oils in some of their other snuffs.