Skipping lightly over the complicated questions surrounding curing and such, I’ve got a question about the secondary fermentation that so many snuffs seem to go through. I’ve done a bit of reading about the optimal conditions and such for it, but it’s not clear to me whether there’s a need to inoculate the mass of tobacco to induce fermentation. I’ve read of a homemade dipping snuff recipe which used a can of “natural” dipping snuff to start the process, but I’m unclear if that’s strictly necessary, as I’ve read of folks who get the tell-tale ammonia whiff on their homemade recipes without using a starter culture. I’ve also got some interest in the snus-steaming process as a possible alternative method to replace the fermentation, although of course I understand that the two processes are not strictly speaking analogous, and certainly produce different products. Older discussions on Copenhagen and their unfermented “Right-Cut” snuff spark these questions, plus an itching desire to get to work making my own. At present, I’m just grinding, alkalizing, and moisturizing the snuff I’m using (harsh necessity and the old-fashioned desire to potter, in equal parts), and while it’s all right as far as it goes, I suspect that the technique will be of limited utility once I move on to using tobacco hands as source material.
What kind of tobacco are you working with? Fermentation is not really neccessary. Wilson’s, for example, stopped fermenting their snuff tobaccos decades ago.
It all depends on individual wishes. A second fermentation is not always nescessary as snuff grider already mentioned, but a second fermtation can add to the flavour of the snuff. Depending which way you direct the fermentation you can get more or less ammonium generated. Most of the second fermentations are so called “wild fermentations” the naturally present microorganisms will do the trick. There is also a possebility to add microorganisms. In old receipes winelees is often added. It is the leftover of the first fermentation of the wine and consists for the major part of wine yeasts. Their fermentation products add to the flavour of the snuff. Jaap Bes.
@snuffgrinder At present, I’m just working with some twists, which certainly don’t require a secondary fermentation, having already “fermented” as it were, after the twist process. My question assumes the use of “hands” of air-cured tobacco, as I find the fire-cured to be a bit strongish. In researching hither, thither, and yon, I find that some of the rappees were subjected to a secondary fermentation after being rasped from the carrotte, and owed much of their aroma and color to the secondary one. @snuffmiller As for the desired purpose, it would chiefly be in order to mellow the vegetal qualities of the leaf. My first run with hand-tobacco, air-cured for a year, left me with a sort of vegetable note in the trial batch, and a secondary fermentation is supposed to take that out. The steaming, as in snus, also seems to achieve the same effect, albeit by a different mechanism. It’s reassuring to know that the secondary ferments can be wild ones, as I am familiar with that from my own wine-making experiences, and the thought of using wine lees is intriguing, making me wonder it might be possible to “sauce” a green snuff and inoculate it with a good wine yeast to see what we might come up with.
The problem I met with when I used “uncured” tobacco leafs was the taste of grass in the snuff. I used hand twisted tobacco chew and some of the leafs were actually still green in colour. I had to use some flavouring to make the snuff palatable. What I’m trying, or rather wishing, to do is make some pure snuff. I do not want to add anything to make it taste nice. I also want it strong in taste and not necessarily with a strong nicotine content. My ultimate goal, of course, is to make a snuff which is strong in both taste and nicotine. But I will be happy if it only tastes strong, just to start with. At present I’ve got some leafs, which was treated with a mixture of brandy and honey, sitting in an air tight glass jar underneath my desk! I intend leaving it there for at least 4 months after which I will air dry it. If this will have the desired effect remains to be seen. I might be just wasting time with this “project” of mine. I wonder what Jaap has got to say about this. I promise not to export any snuff if I can get some help from you, Jaap!!!
And to amplify and expand somewhat, the magical properties of the celebrated Lundyfoot snuff, while usually attributed to the batch’s having been scorched in the drying, are more easily explained by some peculiarity of the secondary fermentation, as no one was able to replicate it by toasting or scorching the snuff-flour or the stems, etc., thereof. So, clearly, it was in some manipulation process. The “forgetful workman” theory might well pan out if the fermentation was allowed to proceed faster or longer than usual, which is, according to at least one reference I’ve come across, the secret of many of the more exotic snuffs of the 18th and 19th centuries, or so says my Handbuch on the matter.
This is a good thread, please do keep it coming. Me…heck…I’m happy just tossing some RYO tobacco in the blender!
@Guanxi88 Tobacco curing involves two processes first the tobacco is air dried (not to dry because humidity is needed for the second step).Tobacco which is only air dried doesn’t smell like tobacco it smells just like any other dried leaves. The second process is the fermentation, very similar to the heating of hay. Micobiological, enzymatic and chemical processes are involved. It is normally carried out by piling up large heaps of air dried tobaccoleaves and carefully control the fermentation temperature. There is information to find on the internet. There are even directions how to build your own fermentation chamber, I have no experience with it. The Lundyfoot story might well be true because in snuff manufacturing cured tobacco’s like Virgina and so on are often dried over a dryingoven before grinding and further processing. Jaap Bes.
Adding yet more elements to the thing, the fermentation process appears to be the secret of at least one of the more common black rappee snuffs out there. The carrotte would be rasped, the raspings fermented, then the fermentation stopped at a point based on the workman’s estimation of the process and the desired final product (shorter for brown rappee, longer for black). The nicest judgment was needed in fermentation, as the process can easily get out of control and end up “scorching” some or all of the snuff-mass (usually at the center, where heat can rise to quite high degrees, but the scorching wasn’t heat, but rather excessive fermentation causing some of the snuff-mass to convert to a sort of black humus (think of a compost heap going full-tilt). Salt and regular turnings helped to regulate the process. The finished product was then spread on trays to dry (usually by air, although some used forced heating), then sifted again, then slightly moistened before being put up in kegs and barrels for transport.
@snuffmiller But the scorching of the stems and so forth would be a comparatively simple matter, and yet, no one seems to have ripped off the Lundyfoot process. The dark color reported color of the snuff, and reports of its pungency, can be explained by either method (scorching or fermenting), but I’m inclined to lean more toward the fermentation theory, as it seems to be the most consistent process for coloring tobacco snuff without use of dyes or pigments. Scorching can be hap-hazard, although I confess coffee roasters seem to be able to do it fairly consistently.
@Guanxi88 Your remarks about the colouring are quite convincing. I agree with that Jaap Bes.
What’s amazing about snuff, when you get right down to it, is that it’s just ground up tobacco, some moisture, and (occasionally) some alkaline salts or materials. The British were quite stringent in their laws about tobacco, and enforced very heavily, so dyes and such are out of the question, and only essential oils from plants were permitted for use in scenting tobacco. Everything their snuff-makers achieved was with the simplest of ingredients, skillfully handled. Scorching might have been a factor with Lundyfoot, as my coffee roasting quip reminded me. Perhaps some portion of the stock was scorched (say, the stems, maybe) before being re-fermented, or possibly the scorched stems were added to the feedstock after it underwent its secondary fermentation. Testing of original samples would be ideal, but that seems impractical, and so the secret may have to re-discovered via experimentation and trial and error, although without an original sample in good condition, we may never know. (I’ll add here that some folk were reported to make their own snuff from twist tobacco, which, according to one source, greatly resembled Lundyfoot. See: http://books.google.com/books?id=C9sGAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA464&dq=snuff+twist+bottle&lr=) The process is referred to as “gradan” which refers to a method of drying grain practiced by the Scots. The stalk would be set afire and then, when the grain was lightly toasted, it would be extinguished and then ground into meal. The reference to snuff as gradan could be explained by the similarity in appearance of snuff and meal made this way, and might even hint at some roasting of the stems of the tobacco in the process of snuff-making. Deep waters.
HA! Found a reference to the over-fermentation theory for Lundyfoot: http://books.google.com/books?id=PNJMAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA45&dq=lundyfoot+snuff&as\_brr=1 Other kinds, however, such as ’ high-dried,’ ’ Welsh,’ ’ Lundyfoot,’ &c., are chiefly dependant on the peculiar circumstances under which they are dried. In relation to the last named snuff, Mr. Barlow states—" The celebrated Lundyfoot snuff derives its particular flavor chiefly from having the fermentation carried to a very high pitch before the batch is turned ; and it is said that its first discovery was owing to the neglect of the man attending upon the batches, and who, by getting drunk, made his master’s fortune. Another story also prevails with respect to the discovery of this snuff, so much esteemed by inveterate snuff-takers, which attributes it to an accidental fire, which, by scorching; some hogsheads of tobacco, gave them a peculiar flavor when manufactured. This story is, however, evidently without foundation, as the snuff manufactured by Lundyfoot still continues to retain a peculiar flavor which cannot be imitated by other manufacturers ; a circumstance which is not likely to continue if the effect simply depended upon the degree of drying."
“Adding yet more elements to the thing, the fermentation process appears to be the secret of at least one of the more common black rappee snuffs out there. The carrotte would be rasped, the raspings fermented, then the fermentation stopped at a point based on the workman’s estimation of the process and the desired final product (shorter for brown rappee, longer for black). The nicest judgment was needed in fermentation, as the process can easily get out of control and end up “scorching” some or all of the snuff-mass (usually at the center, where heat can rise to quite high degrees, but the scorching wasn’t heat, but rather excessive fermentation causing some of the snuff-mass to convert to a sort of black humus (think of a compost heap going full-tilt). Salt and regular turnings helped to regulate the process.” Alois Pöschl, in writing about snuff manufacture for the journal Tobacco, lists and describes the following methods: Carrot Paris Rapid Schmaltzer The Paris Method produces the black varieties of snuff. The tobacco, cut in brine is left to ferment in cool conditions for several years. The temperature and length of time over which the tobacco ferments is crucial. He also describes American snuff as incompatible with European snuff, and that the former is not intended to be used nasally. The complete text is listed as document T156251755 and is available from the following link: http://tobaccodocuments.org/
Yep, the brine fermenting thing appears to be a standard of the days of yore. There was reference to snuff makers collecting the refuse from cigar works (stems mostly) and bundling these, by the hundredweight, for fermentation aided by a mild salt solution. Others mentioned the use of sal ammoniac (ammonium carbonate, if memory serves) and other alkaline salts, to get the process going. Seems a lot of snuff-stock was the refuse from other tobacco manufacturing processes. BTW, I found at least one reference to the use of smalls and returns (tobacco scrap) being fermented on this system, with the stems fermented separately, to be removed, dried, scorched, and then, once they were dry again, being reincorporated with the other fermented smalls, also previously dried, then the two stocks being ground together, to make the darker brown and black snuffs so beloved of the Irish. This suggests a combination of techniques, which could explain the persistence of scorching reported for the Lundyfoot process. I will add, however, that it is also possible to scorch snuff in making high-dry varieties. Overall, I’m leaning more and more to the idea of a heavily fermented feedstock, some portion of which is scorched or even lightly carbonized, prior to initial grinding for the whole Lundyfoot and kindred snuffs. It would fit available materials and technologies, and could easily be accomplished without too great an effort, in light of the success of coffee-roasters in maintaining their consistency of product. The sheer volumes of the stuff produced, though, makes me think scorching was probably not the primary mechanism.
The Scots were fond of rappee, particularly the black variety, after about 1750, but these were just standard rappees. Lundy Foot’s or any other commercial HDT is, & always has been, a light coloured snuff. Some “scholar” who didn’t squat about snuff promulgated the idea that Lundyfoot’s was a dark snuff from it’s popular name of “Irish Blackguard” and the idea it was toasted. Old Lundy’s secret could’ve been anything from a special tobacco blend to an aromatic additive. I doubt that it had anything to do with fermentation. Even ex-employees of the firm who went into the snuff business were unable to exactly duplicate the snuff. Any number of people would’ve known how the tobacco was fermented. Oh yeah, if you actually try scorching tobacco until it’s dark colored, the results are foul & nasty. The classical method of making Irish HighToast was to moisten the stems with lime water, allow it to ferment, & then, to toast & grind. Cigar stems aren’t of much use in snuff except as a filler to tone down the strength of dark heavy tobaccos.
@Snuffgrinder Yes, I think the scorching hypothesis is definitively excluded from consideration, as I’m just now remembering the stink from a half-burnt cigar or cigarette - no one would find that appealing at all. Looking more deeply into the Gradan Snuff, I find at least one definitive Scots Gaelic reference that specifies this as a high-dried, but unfermented snuff made from common twist tobacco. So, the secret is in the feedstock, at least for gradan, which has consistently been compared to Lundy’s famous snuff. Given how cheaply the stuff was sold (indeed, 19th century economists were staggered at the low cost per unit of most snuffs, given known prices for tobacco and labor; the use of wastes and residues from other tobacco industries was assumed to explain a large part of it), I think we can rule out exotic feedstocks; aromatic compounds other than alkaline salts or essential oils would be excluded from use by law, so, it may all come down to careful handling of cheap feedstock.
Sometime in the middle to late 18th century, manufacturers started using midribs for snuff. This converted a waste material into pure profit. According to Fairholt, the sweepings etc. were primarily used in the moist rappee snuffs that were heavily fermented. Here is an entry from Robert Southey’s Commonplace Book p. 595, that refers to one brand of snuff as available both toasted & untoasted. “A Friend from Edinburgh sends Shenstone, A.D. 1761, as a small stimulus to their friendship, " a little provision of the best Preston Pans snuff, both toasted and un-toasted, in four bottles; with one bottle of Highland Snishon, and four bottles Bonnels. Please to let me know which sort is most agreeable, that I may send you a fresh supply in due time.”—Hull’s Select Letters, vol. 1, p. 313."