I have been making my own snus for a couple of years and thought i should share some pictures (found here) of the process. It is really easy to make snus and even though it might not be Swedish Match quality i am not ashamed to let friends, family and coworkers have a taste. I suppose an explanation might be in order; The water is, obviously, a humectant and the salt (NaCl) is added primarily for flavouring, but also as a preservative. The sodium carbonate (Na2Co3) is used to regulate the pH. If you want a milder snus, use less, and if you want a stronger snus, use more, but don’t overdo it. The propylene glycol (C3H8(OH)2) is a humectant and also helps to bind the snus together. The sodium benzoate (NaC7H5O2) is a preservative which is added since this snus if fermented and not pasteurised. During the fermentation the reaction of the sodium carbonate occurs and the tobacco is matured, you can tell when the process is done by looking at the colour. The snus should be very dark, almost black, and not just light brown. If you are in a hurry you can speed up the process by increasing the temperature but this will change the taste (one of my coworkers actually prefers his snus this way so there is no harm in testing it). I suppose that’s the gist of it. Feel free to ask if you are curious about anything, while i am no expert in the chemistry of tobacco i have learnt a thing or two over the years as a DIY snuser.
So you just throw all this together give it a stir and wala you got snus? Do you start with whole leaf? Do you weigh everything? What the timing with ingredients? What ratio for each ingredient? Where do you get supplies? If I wanted to flavor a snus when would I do that, in the beginning or at the end process? EDIT just found the pictures. What kind of tobacco?
Did i hide the link too good Shaman? The recipe was available there. Less hidden link would be imgur.com/a/UstMp . I buy tobacco flour, i have no means of cutting the leaves at the moment. I get the tobacco from a swedish web shop (tilbudet.nu). You should flavor the snus after the fermentation, before you put it in the fridge. The other questions are hopefully answered by the pictures at imgur.
May the forth be with you
Do you know what tobacco varieties are used in the flour? Nice use of the Arduino, I’ve been debating about buying a Raspberry Pi for the same purpose.
It’s only Virginia tobacco.