Notes on snuff making;
I have considered including ashes as an alkalizer in snuff for years. I just never got around to it. The whole time there had been an abundant source of ash under my very nose. Easily overlooked due to the difficulty of separating the burnt and charred tobacco. Well what if this disgusting ashtray scent is incorporated into the snuff? How bad can it be? I will tell you! Honestly the wretchedness fades in only a few days and what is left is an amazing deep, dark, and powerful snuff. I considered the practicality of dottle collection and concluded that while possible this would be ridiculous. However a half smoked bowl that has not had its ashes dumped would be perfect. If the bowl has been sitting for some time the stinky ashtray smell will already have faded a bit and the tobacco will have dried enough for grinding. Once ground a few drops of brine will activate the alkalizer as well as introduce salt and certainly any included scent if desired. Plain water remains an option as well. At this point the horrific smell will rear up but disappears in only a day which is how long it takes to dry for insufflation anyway. All that you would need for this is a simple mortar and pestle which any snuff maker should already have.
If it seems to have too much ash you can easily add a pinch more of the tobacco in the mortar and let dry for grinding together.
Mores notes;
Melting some beef tallow then adding sliced figs and salt. Once the figs have softened the pan was deglazed with some Hennessy VS. The concoction was strained and a pinch of sodium carbonate dissolved in raisin water was added. Dumped in some tobacco flour consisting of fermented Besuki stems and aged mapacho.
Initial snuffing has minimal scents standing out. Nothing unpleasant in this easy to take schmalzler. It is soft with a very fine grind and provides noticeable nicotine with very slight “burn”. This is very pleasant sitting in the nose with no back drip. I expect the flavors to develop as this rests with the added moisture. I would estimate two weeks until its finale. I will need to report back as the alkalizer makes its changes. As it is the idea that this could be further scented has already come up. we shall see.
Six hours later and the scents are beginning to develop. It is obviously missing molasses so I mixed some in. I do think tamarind would help round it out with what I would guess would be a tanginess. I was always concerned with it adding to much acidity thereby limiting nicotine absorption. I am considering getting some to try. Searching the pantry for liquid smoke I found some tamarind sauce. It does include soy sauce in it as well. In some goes! I did find the liquid smoke of all places in my tobacco scenting basket. In some goes! At this rate I can see the addition of bacon drippings not far off. It’s not that it needs these but only to get the experience of these. They certainly have not ruined it. It’s not like I am going for a particular scent just yet. Believe it or not I formed a prilla and have some of this in my lip right now. It would bake better with some glycerin but it does hold well enough that this is not needed. This is so much fun!
The beef tallow does not come through with much beef and I think bacon dripping would be good to try.
I oiled a small amount with bacon drippings. The smell of it dominates the snuff. It may be ok to use if matched with other stronger scents. For now it is not moorish enough to want more of it. It ruins the freshness of this delicately scented schmalzler. Put on the bottom of the list I can’t see making other attempts at it.
Meanwhile the OG is slowly blooming scents that are balanced to the point of barely being able to discriminate one from another. I am appreciating the fact that the weight of oiled snuffs allow for the use of the lungs while insufflating. I intend to make samples using valerian which would add a mild woody scent and davana which can be a chameleon but expected to be a strong dominating scent.
For those interested in giving snuff making a try a mortar and pestle is highly recommended. In fact it may be the only tool that you will need. I regularly put pinches of tobaccos in to let dry then grind and test. Right now I have some VAs that have been in there for a while now. I just added a pinch of the recently made Butter Scotch Square Cut. It still needs to dry some for proper grinding. If I like it I will throw in some salt and alkalizer. All this can be done in the mortar as well as pinching from. A quick spin of the pestle always freshen up a snuff.
For new snuff makers you should know that you do not need to add anything to the tobacco to make a good snuff.
Don’t forget cigars and pipe are good for the pipe as well.
edit; not to mention snus, dip, chew, etc.
pipe tobacco works in all this stuff as well.
You might find that alkalizers can satisfy the sensation of smoke in a snuff. I say this to point out that smoke adds extra nitrosamines that should be considered. Not to discourage your experimentation which is well worth exploring.
The idea of having a pre alkalized flour is a good one. I’m curios about what difference it could make other than convenience. I imagine there would be more of a mold concern to be dealt with. Perhaps refrigeration would help while moist and active then drying after completion. The potential of flavor development in the tobacco seems quite high with this method.
I expect my beef tallow to go rancid at some point and am considering refrigeration.
Testing out the davana today. This is Artemisia pallens that is in the same plant family as wormwood. Years ago I used wormwood to make a bitter sweet snuff balancing it with anise. This stuff was awesome! Davana does not have any bitterness to offer but its scent is very strong and intriguing. Descriptions of it do not do it justice. I did go overboard with a small sample using the schmalzler but this was intentional. I do think that Davana would be better suited to dominating in a dry snuff though its potential for minute additions in any scented snuff is high. My favorite scent is geranium but davana presents some stiff competition here. I have also used these for scenting in pipe tobacco with good results. Under the lip davana presents as a little soapy and bitter but still somewhat tasty. Perhaps in smaller amounts it would be better. All this for a couple ounces of a delicious shmalzler.
