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SnuffTalk

Making your own snuff

The making of one’s own snuff is an easy and enjoyable task.  All you really need is a mortar and pestle, although the grinding can also be accomplished via a coffee grinder— best results will still require a mortar and pestle to finish off the initial grind.

Commercially produced tobaccos are available in myriad flavors and styles. Pipe and rolling tobaccos work fine, although I’d recommend staying away from the flavored varieties. That rum or cherry flavoring might smell great in the package or while it’s burning, but may display completely different characteristics when dried and ground. For menthol fans, there are menthol cigarette tobaccos to experiment with (e.g. “Kite”), or the menthol can be added after the snuff is ground.

First, the tobacco must be dried. The easiest way to do this is to spread it evenly and thinly on a baking sheet and put it in the oven at a low temperature (less than 200°F, unless you actually want to toast the tobacco). The length of time will depend on the moisture content and cut of the tobacco: 10 to 15 minutes is usually enough for cigarette tobaccos, 20 to 30 or more for pipe tobaccos. You’ll know it’s dry by the feel of the tobacco after it cools.

Next, mortar the tobacco. Put tobacco in the mortar to about a half-inch depth, and grind in a circular motion with the pestle, pressing the tobacco against the sides of the mortar. Keep going until the level of coarseness suits you. There will inevitably be bits of material that resist grinding at first— to deal with this, you have several choices: (1) Ignore it and use as-is. (2) Keep at it until everything is uniform (which may result in a finer grind than you actually wanted). (3) Use a sifter or screen to separate the coarse stuff out, and grind it separately. (I  consider this to be the best solution.)

Now comes moisturizing and flavoring. If you want to add standard dried spices to your snuff, such as cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, or other suchlike (most spices associated with baking will work just fine in snuff), you can add it directly to the ground tobacco. If liquid-based flavorings are called for, it would be best to allow the snuff to absorb the aroma via evaporation: place the snuff in a small shallow container, put some of whatever liquid you’ve chosen into a larger container that has an airtight lid, put the smaller container into the larger one, and seal it up for a couple of days. Vanilla extract, whiskies, very strong coffee, and baking extracts (lemon, almond, orange, and the like) all work well for this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once the snuff is flavored to your liking— or unflavored, for that matter— moisturize the snuff according to your preference by using the evaporation method outlined above, and plain water as the liquid. If you prefer to leave it dry, and have used dry spices for flavoring, it would be best to place the blend in a covered container for at least a couple of days to allow the flavors to marry.

The above is the most plain ‘n’ simple technique I’ve yet used. Once comfortable with these basics, you may wish to experiment with altering the pH level of the snuff by using sodium bicarbonate or plain table salt. This raises the nicotine strength of the snuff by permitting the nicotine to transfer more easily into the mucous membranes. Another area of experimentation might be the use of food-grade glycerin as a moisturing agent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snuff goes in small bowl and liquid in the large one. Snuff is on the left in this photo.

Bowl containing snuff goes in larger bowl. This would be a good time for a glass of Scotch, while you’re at it.

Seal larger bowl and presto, you’re ready to do the evaporation boogie.

 

These photos courtesy of Alexander Schardt and remain his property.