Anyone have suggestions on re-hydrating older snuff that has gone really dry?
http://snuffhouse.com/discussion/7788/hydrating-snuff/p1
The simple method is to use a lid from a water bottle Place it in a bowl or container with a lid. fill the cap with water ,surround the cap with the dry snuff,cover and let sit overnight. You can open and stir the snuff around if you like but not necessary. there may be water let in the lid. if further hydrating is needed repeat. Best to use distilled water.
awesome thanks!!!
I love using citrus peels. But you do not want to leave it in over a day or so.
Here’s what I do. It’s simple and cheap. Take a square of bathroom tissue. Fold it up so it’s about half inch square. Soak it with water. Squeeze the excess out and pop it in your snuff tin. After about 2 days, whatever is in your tin, should be back to normal. I’ve done this with snuff that is about a year dry and it’s fine.
I forgot to mention, I also give it shake once in a while to mix it all up. It doesn’t bother the snuff to be touching the damp tissue.
I put a few drops of booze (whiskey, vodka, as you wish) and check back in a few days to see how it’s going. You can always add more but it’s hard to add less so be patient, add a little, shake well, and check the progress.
I threw out a lot of old snuff over the past couple of weeks and I have more headed to the great trash bin in the sky shortly. They were all things I didn’t like much and never used so they got old and stale. Of all that only the SG High Mill was worth saving. Suprisingly, Toque’s Toast & Marmalade and Pomegranate are still pretty good at the five year mark from previously opened tins. Some of the Wilsons’ florals also held up well but I just don’t like them (Jockey Club, Rose, Wallflower, Kendall Brown.) I find I like strong menthols and moist, coarse grinds like Gawith KB etc. and you have to pay attention since they don’t age well. The ones I prefer such as Snuifmolens Latakias I wrap with plastic wrap upon receipt and use them steadily until they’re gone and then order again as my small supply dwindles. With Wilsons I find they actually improve for a few weeks since when fresh they seem to have a lot of ammonia. When it evaporates you get the full benefit of the menthol and flavoring and they are wonderful. But it’s best to go through the tin steadily and enjoy it while it’s fresh to get the most enjoyment.
I read about people stockpiling snuff and I think that mostly doesn’t work very well. It seems to be a lot better to buy only a little ahead and make sure you get it fresh from the mill because old snuff is never the same as new snuff and unlike pipe tobacco or wine snuff doesn’t seem to age very well.
I wonder if those little teddy bear shaped clay thingies would work. I see them in cigar stores, liquor & cooking stores. Also used for adding humidity to brown sugar. I’d break off a piece and store in snuff until moisture is just so.
@Valiant anything that holds moisture will work, so it would be fine.
My dedicated rehydration chamber is a tupperware box. Place open tin/snuffbox in one side of the box, and wet kitchen roll or paper towel with excess water squeezed out in the other side of the box. Pop the lid on and leave overnight. No direct contact required. A fine snuff will be fully refreshed overnight. A coarser snuff might take a couple of days or more. For coarser snuffs or pipe tobaccos for example, replace the wet paper towel every couple of days if the tobacco isn’t back to the required moisture content.
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I’m impatient. I just add a couple of drops of water from the kettle and stir like crazy for 30 seconds, shake the tin and snuff. I’m not particularly recommending this, as there are probably lots of reasons it’s not the right way, it’s just how I do it.
@Omgroma I see no harm in your method if it just a snuff box full. Although that is the only time my snuff gets dry. I will for some reason put a snuffbox down and find it weeks later in need of some TLC. Air tight glass jars prevent having to hydrate your snuff. Unless you like it a bit damper . I often hydrate D white with fruit zest and sometimes flavor concentrates. The possibility of hydration methods are endless.