Fred Stoker & Sons

[RRK]

So I ordered this catalog and it seems like they could be a resource for air cured tobacco to make your own snus. They also have about every other type of tobacco, including snuf and they even have Discreet in there. I'm not sure if they are fermented.

[lxskllr]

With the 4 pounds of leaf you should be able to make about 72 50g tins of snus. I wonder how it tastes.

[bigbuyer]

How do you make your own snus, anyway?

[captncaveman]

I followed these instructions with my own modifications. i was interested in this kit ages ago but they never seem to have any. I purchased the tobacco i used at a farmers market this fall.


http://www.vikingasnus.se/brux_en.html

[bakerbarber]

I get their catalogue too. Quality tobacco. Fair prices.

I was sad to read Fred died.

[RRK]

Does anybody know about fermenting? I don't really understand it or how to tell if something is fermented. I understand what it means for alcohol but not for tobacco.

[sagedil]

Fermentation and Aging

Fermentation is a natural transformation of the chemical components that stabilizes the raw material. The process is rather deep and quite fast. When well fermented, a tobacco can be stored for years without damage.

Aging is a slow natural evolution , during which time the tobacco is going to improve its characteristics and to lose its "green" taste. Once blended in a cigar, the tobacco deserves a new period of aging in order to reach a good balance between the blend components.

Why Ferment Tobacco?

Beyond stabilization and storage capability, fermentation makes the tobacco lose its raw and green taste that nobody would really like.

Who can ferment tobacco ?

It is easy to grow a few tobacco plants in your backyard if you like gardening. But if you want to process it for smoking, you'll have to ferment it. If not, you'll have some trouble with the taste. To ferment your tobacco properly, you need either large quantities (hundreds of pounds) to build a bulk volume for natural processing, or expensive equipment for artificial fermentation. Our recommandation is to grow petunias (decorative tobacco plants, with a lot of colorful blossoms) and to buy cigars to enjoy your smoke!

How to Ferment Tobacco?

To process a natural fermentation, tobacco is piled up. The weight and the natural moisture content allow the fermentation to start in the middle of the pile. The temperature goes up. When the targeted temperature is reached, the pile is broken and rebuilt, the outside tobacco going inside and vice versa. And that as many times as is necessary, until the whole pile is properly fermented. Some heavy tobaccos can need up to six turnings. It takes months to ferment them correctly.

Fermentation and Rotting

Don't be afraid when reading that tobacco is fermented! Tobacco is not going to be rotten! Just stabilized and smokeable without giving you nausea. Fermentation considerably improves the original taste.

Fermentation and Quality

Each tobacco has its own fermentation procedure. The main factors that define the process are the texture of the material, and the utilization of the tobacco afterwards. Light wrappers and full bodied fillers are not fermented the same way.

Fermentation and Temperature

Humid tobacco leaves put in a pile are going to start fermenting, giving out heat. The control of the temperature inside the pile is a key factor of success. If the temperature goes too high, the tobacco will be cooked and deteriorate. Each type has its own optimal temperature. When it is reached, the pile has to be opened to stop the heating process and a new pile is built with cooled down tobacco. The outside tobaccos go inside and vice-versa. As an example, a dark air cured tobacco accepts a temperature up to about 130ºF. And disaster can start at 140ºF.

[RRK]

Thanks sage. Is all of the tobacco listed above most likely fermented?

[sagedil]

Not sure. But check out this thread from snuffhouse. Similar goal as yours, but folks there wanting to make their own snuff. But useful info I suspect for you....

http://snuffhouse.org/discussion/348/

[bigbuyer]

Ok, I see the kit. What I need is a recipe.
I can grind and dry out the tobacco from Fred or wherever but I need to know the water and salt proportions.

It would also be nice to know how to flavor the snus too. Make my own Offroad...

[justintempler]

http://www.alternativ.nu/smf/index.p...threadid=25146

Snus Recipes

Based on 250 grams of tobacco powder.

Mix 50-70 grams of salt in 4-5 dl warm water. Mix the salt water with tobacco powder
with stirring. Hold down the mass in a bowl and to end with happy pack. Let this then
stand and ferment in 5 days at 50-70 degrees. After 5 days, add 10 grams of sodium carbonate
(Gripen household soda) and no flavor, dissolve it in a little water so that it mixes better
in the mass. Let it then ferment in one days to. Klart.

Some recipes have only 50 grams of salt to 1 kg of tobacco powder, which is far too little. It provides a
disgusting snuff in my opinion, tastes similar to sniff cigarettet

200 - 250 grams of salt to 1 kg of tobacco powder and is approximately 15 dl water.

http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article447739.ab

To make their own snus:
1. Add 250 grams of powder ground tobacco. (To paint itself can cost you the meat grinder.)
2. Boil 4 dl water with 55-70 grams of salt. Allow to cool to about 50 degrees.
3. Take a sufficiently large containers of plastic, sheet metal, glass or porcelain.
4. Mix the salt water and tobacco powder, stirring.
5. Cover closely with foil.
6. Heat in oven at 55-75 degrees in about five days.
7. Mix in 10 grams of sodium carbonate. But mixing the first chemical in a little water so it is easier to mix with snuff mass. Mix in some propylene glycol and glycerol to snuff retains its moisture. Stir thoroughly, use electric mixer.
8. Flavor your snuff with essential oils. For example, bergamot, peppermint, juniper, or why not a tasty spirit variety.
9. Now is ready to use snus, but is beneficial to be stored for a while in the refrigerator before use. You can with advantage also freeze it down some time. "Shuffle in propylene-glycol "Source: Gandaf Tobacco

temperatures are in centigrade

I like the idea of making batches based on 250 grams at a time.
250 grams of tobacco will give you about 750 grams of snus.
if you use the percentages from Swedish Match's ingredient page

General looks like this

Tobacco - 250 grams
Sodium chloride - 34.090 grams
Propylene glycol - 25.000 grams
Glycerol - 22.727 grams
Sodium carbonate - 12.879 grams

The biggest problems using your own tobacco are getting the grind right and the flavouring.

[cyrax777]

what catalog is that? been wanting to get my hands on a single of plug and twist tobacco my google fu only comes up with boxes

[bigbuyer]

Thank you for the recipe for snus.

I see one has the glycol and prop glycol and one does not.
Any reason for this? I would have to order some of these if I was to make the batch with them, since they are not in my kitchen...

[justintempler]

I see one has the glycol and prop glycol and one does not.
Any reason for this?...

You don't technically need either but as a beginner to making snus I think I'll stick as close to the commercial recipes as possible.

One is for moisture and one is so your prilla doesn't fall apart.

[RRK]

It would also be nice to know how to flavor the snus too. Make my own Offroad...

http://www.snuson.com/viewtopic.php?t=6546