Making snus at home

[Mr. Snuffleupagus]

Mr. Snuff...you might just have to put a few cans on the exchange to sell!

How financially viable is it compared to the store bought snus. Price per can wise I mean.

Honestly, I paid too much. I got full "kits" instead of just the tobacco. I think I paid some taxes that probably were not necessary and paid for a money transfer. Having said that, it cost me about $2 per tin. I could do it cheaper, but it's really just an experiment so far.

Honestly (call me paranoid), I believe good snus will be either: unable to get or way too expensive, so I'm hedging my love.

[BuLLitz]

Mr. Snuff...you might just have to put a few cans on the exchange to sell!

How financially viable is it compared to the store bought snus. Price per can wise I mean.

Honestly, I paid too much. I got full "kits" instead of just the tobacco. I think I paid some taxes that probably were not necessary and paid for a money transfer. Having said that, it cost me about $2 per tin. I could do it cheaper, but it's really just an experiment so far.

Honestly (call me paranoid), I believe good snus will be either: unable to get or way too expensive, so I'm hedging my love.

...and I am taking notes... 'cause I am paranoid too.
Screw the gov... grow your own.

[Badfish74]

Honestly, I paid too much. I got full "kits" instead of just the tobacco. I think I paid some taxes that probably were not necessary and paid for a money transfer. Having said that, it cost me about $2 per tin. I could do it cheaper, but it's really just an experiment so far.

Even so, that's not a bad price, and you get to make it to your taste!

Getting tobacco won't be a prob for me! I literally live 2 minutes from several fields of at least 40 acres each chock full o' baccy during season! I'm sure I could a great price on some plants, or even get some leavings for free!

[Mr. Snuffleupagus]

Honestly, I paid too much. I got full "kits" instead of just the tobacco. I think I paid some taxes that probably were not necessary and paid for a money transfer. Having said that, it cost me about $2 per tin. I could do it cheaper, but it's really just an experiment so far.

Even so, that's not a bad price, and you get to make it to your taste!

Getting tobacco won't be a prob for me! I literally live 2 minutes from several fields of at least 40 acres each chock full o' baccy during season! I'm sure I could a great price on some plants, or even get some leavings for free!

My next step is trying to find a source for uncured (just dried) tobacco. Not many tobacco farms out here it seems (CA just grows weed I guess lol).

Not sure how much it matters to blend different types together, but that's an issue as well maybe. Over time, I think we can nail this thing

[BuLLitz]

For those who want to make their own portions from loose...

http://www.adagio.com/teaware/paper_...FeFM5QodyCMjAQ

[HK11]

That is cool man. good job and good luck on future snus making attempts. (p.s. please send snus!)

[BuLLitz]

So it went in at 7:00 PM (Pacific). I have an extra coffee grinder that I am appropriating for tobacco (I also want to make snuff). I ground up the tobacco as fine as I could get it. It's not perfect, but I'm OK with GrovSnus. Boiled and measured out 50 ml of water and dissolved a bunch of sea salt in it. The recipe called for 3/4 tsp. but I didn't measure it. Tapped the ground tobacco in and stirred it around. Sort of a brown soupy glop. It didn't seem like that much so I doubled the recipe (just did it again).

Bought this cool black earthenware bowl at Goodwill on Sunday that I'm using. Plugged the small crockpot in - added a few inches of water - wrapped the bowl in saran wrap and put the lid on it. I'll let it go for five hours and add the baking soda. I'm going to keep checking it to make sure the water doesn't all evaporate.

I'm also thinking I might have to add some sort of flavoring to it, but I don't know what yet.

I was horrified when I went to buy the rolling tobacco. The last time I bought a large tin of the stuff (Drum) I could have sworn it wasn't more than fifteen dollars. The price has TRIPLED because of the new tax. Forty five dollars!

The pack of American Spirit I wound up buying set me back $11.39. I could see six dollars being a reasonable price for it. Outrageous!

UPDATE:

Just took it out after five hours - it was pretty much the same except a little smoother and with a more even consistency. Put in the baking soda - it was pretty surprising when it started foaming up, I thought I might have a problem, but it stopped pretty quick. Added the mineral oil and some artificial vanilla flavor (second ingredient is propylene glycol). Replaced the water that had evaporated and put it back in. Going to leave it on while I sleep, I'll check it out in the morning..

I wonder how this turned out... I don't think we heard back.

[BuLLitz]

OK - I'm in!

I found a recipe for crockpot snus that I'm going to play with.

I have:

Package of American Spirit rolling tobacco
Sea Salt
Baking Soda
Mineral Oil
Small Crockpot
Small Stoneware Container
A strong desire to make snus!

I'm not going to add any flavors for the test run - I'm more of a pure tobacco taste guy.

I'll keep updating as this unfolds!

I am not a chemist or anything but I don't think that Baking Soda should be used. The ingredient that should be used is Sodium Carbonate, NOT Sodium Bicarbonate. They are similar ingredients but not the same. Sodium Carbonate is a much stronger base. Sodium Carbonate can possibly be found in the cleaning aisle at your supermarket or at your local pool supply. Note: You should wear gloves when handling Sodium Carbonate.

Sodium Carbonate is soluble in water and very slightly soluble in alcohol. Pure sodium carbonate is a white, odorless powder that absorbs moisture from the air, has an alkaline taste, and forms a strongly alkaline water solution. It is one of the most basic industrial chemicals. Sodium carbonate decahydrate, Na 2 CO 3 ·10H 2 O, is a colorless, transparent crystalline compound commonly called sal soda or washing soda. Because seaweed ashes were an early source of sodium carbonate, it is often called soda ash or, simply, soda. The Solvay process provides most sodium carbonate for industrial use. It is found in large natural deposits and is mined in Wyoming; it is also recovered (with other chemicals) from lake brines in California. The principal uses of sodium carbonate are in the manufacture of glass and the production of chemicals. It is also used in processing wood pulp to make paper, in making soaps and detergents, in refining aluminum, in water softening, and in many other applications. The Leblanc process, the first successful commercial process for making soda, is no longer used in the United States but played a major role in the Industrial Revolution.


Perhaps this is where the "glass in snus" rumor comes from? lol

.

[BuLLitz]

This is a place to buy a small qty of PG (Propylene Glycol)...

http://www.chemistrystore.com/Chemic...ne_Glycol.html

1qt for $12

[bakerbarber]

http://www.finckcigarcompany.com/fin...FWAJDR0NBV3WR3

Is this something that would work?

[BuLLitz]

Looks interesting, but at that price, not worth it. :-(

[Sacrilicious]

UPDATE:

Fail.

I screwed it up. First, I didn't use enough tobacco - it wound up being a soup. Second, it smelled terrible. I threw it out. Luckily I made a small batch.

I'll wait until my tobacco plants grow, do some more research and try again in the fall!

[BuLLitz]

Try this please...
http://www.snuson.com/viewtopic.php?t=5075&start=60

:wink:

[MrSnusNSnuff]

Can you buy air-dried tobacco leaves in bulk? I'd make snus in a heartbeat if I can get me some of that.

[BuLLitz]

I've looked and cannot find anything unless I am buying a lot of it from Pakistan or some other strange places.

If anyone knows of a local place (US) to buy such a thing I would also like to hear about it.