Deciphering Snus Best By/Expiration Dates

[CoderGuy]

I have several over a year past it's expiration date. Most of the stuff I get now is already dry anyway, so I just spritz it and rehydrate it and just like new.

[allen200]

thanks guys. i was concerned because a lot of them still hold their dampness. and for something sitting out in room temperature to be damp for 3 months just seems there might be harmful parasites on them. i have one in my mouth now and it seems fine

also, does the nicotine still hold after being sat out for so long?

[lxskllr]

Nicotine will reduce with age. It isn't a huge amount, and I can't remember the mechanism through which it happens, but it does reduce. I don't notice a big difference the snus I have that's coming up on 3 years old if that's any indication. If it has less nicotine, it's unnoticeable by me.

[allen200]

whats the point of refridgeration if snus is fine even if you leave it out for months then?

[lxskllr]

Some of it is marketing gimmick, but it should help reduce moisture loss, especially if the room temperature is very warm. Personally, I prefer the snus cold; it just seems right to me. Others prefer the snus warm. For very long term storage, the freezer is best.

[CoderGuy]

Nicotine will reduce with age. It isn't a huge amount, and I can't remember the mechanism through which it happens, but it does reduce. I don't notice a big difference the snus I have that's coming up on 3 years old if that's any indication. If it has less nicotine, it's unnoticeable by me.

I don't know, as I've gotten older my nicotine has increased... <ba dump bump> sorry couldn't resist.

[lxskllr]

Booo!! :^P

:^D

[Owens187]

DO NOT use those portions! Using expired portions exposes you to many toxic chemicals, and causes many ailments including Ichthyosis, Neurofibromatosis, Xeroderma-Pigmentosum, and the continual shitting of ones pants. Send them to me so I can have them properly disposed of.....

[precious007]

=))

The only reason I keep the snus frozen is to keep it moist.

Probably all the cans were dead dry by now, apart from the one's I've ordered more recently.

[CoderGuy]

DO NOT use those portions! Using expired portions exposes you to many toxic chemicals, and causes many ailments including Ichthyosis, Neurofibromatosis, Xeroderma-Pigmentosum, and the continual shitting of ones pants. Send them to me so I can have them properly disposed of.....

It is so cool people like you look out for us. I here Ichthyosis sux! At least there is Scratalin you can take to relieve it.

[outbackblackjack]

I have to agree with everyone on this because I've smoked pipe tobaccos that were over 50 years old before, cigars that were over 25 years old, and tried nasal snuff that was over 20 years old before without any harmful side effects. Any type of tobacco products as long as it's not moldy is fair game and some tobacco products get better with age, speaking of which I've some nasal snuffs recently that are really really old. One of which was a 5.58oz glass jar of Levi Garrett & Sons Tobacco Scotch & Rappee Snuff I picked up a at an antique mall last Thursday and came home and popped the cork and took a few pinches of it. I also purchased 3 old sealed tins of W.E. Garrett Scotch Snuff back in October but have yet to open them.

[allen200]

thanks everyone so much for the info. for a long time i thought i had wasted this stuff when i moved my fridge and left my snus out to sit. chilling them had always been a pain for me - and a deterent from really getting into snus. im relieved now knowing that i can buy them and just chuck them anywhere for usage down the road.

[SnusHound]

Aged Snus, what you need to know.

In this day and age of uncertainty, more snusers than ever are stockpiling snus that they'll need to tap into for years to come. As such, many probably wonder how long their hoard can last and what state that nick and johhny west portion will be in 2 or 3 years after the 'best by' date.

Indeed, perhaps you make a yearly pilgrimage to the reservation two states over, perhaps you manage to smuggle a suitcase in from Sweden every couple of years, perhaps that international site managed to sneak a few dozen rolls through customs and you want to sit tight for awhile, whatever the case--you don't want to have to bother with snus procument for a very long time and you need to know about keeping very old snus.

Regardless of what snus you snag, the first thing you need to know is "FREEZE YOUR SNUS!". Immediately. Do not pass go, do not do anything but immediately freeze your stockpile as soon as it arrives. This adds literally years to its life in my estimation. I highly recommend a deep freezer from Lowes or the like. I use a 5.0 cubic feet chest freezer. It will hold years worth of snus without taking up too much space and it gets very cold. Best of all, it eliminates the 'nag factor' for those of you with significant others. Keep it in the garage--out of sight and out of mind. :-)

I hope you read this entire post before freezing your snus because you're still going to encounter vapor loss and exchange even with frozen goods (granted it is very slow). If you really want to keep it as fresh as possible you need to make that snus airtight, preferably before freezing. I started with simple ziplock bags, but moved onto 'food saver' / 'seal a meal' storage after I realized just how long I would need to keep my snus stored. Perform the airtight sealing when the S.O. is not home for best results. If your rolls are shrinkwrapped you're probably "good 'nuff" and can consider this step optional unless you plan to keep that snus for an extreme amount of time as in 2+ years.

As another note, I have read that TSNA levels increase as the tobacco ages. I do not know how great this effect may be or how it may vary between white/normal portion or frozen/non-frozen snus, etc. but it is worth mentioning if you are concerned about this aspect.

Other than that advice, I can only share my experience with age-ed snus:

About 60% of my remaining snus is approximately 2 years, 4 months old. I ordered a fresh supply to supplement the stash right before PACT kicked in and that is now probably around 6 or 7 months old.

As soon as the snus came in, I froze it. I have moved twice since and have re-frozen it immediately upon move-in. I started out using ziplock bags to seal the snus but moved to food saver bags (home 'shrinkwrap') after the original batch was around 8 months old. The latest stash was immediate shrink wrapped before freezing. All were ordered directly from swedish match.

The results:

My main supply, Ettan White, has a best before date of october 2009. The nicotine has been preserved nicely, there is very little drop-off in nicotine levels that I can tell, and I am happy with the results. I am confident that it will continue to perform as long as it lasts. The taste is still great and I believe the simplicity of this snus' flavor profile contributes to it aging gracefully. 90% of the time I am using this snus until it runs out.

My next source, Claq Qui, is still going strong. It has a best before date that is almost identical to the Ettan. The flavor is noticeably staler, but I believe that the extra nicotine in a strong portion is the most ideal for aging. YOU WILL LOSE NICOTINE OVER TIME but I am certain it varies depending on white/normal portion (white is better unless you are careful to shrinkwrap your snus based on my anecdotal experience) and how you store it. So a principle is learned, sterk white portions are the most ideal for aging. Claq Qui is not a white portion but keeping it from drying out by sealing it well has likely eliminated that weakness.

My newest snus (~7 months old) is some 02 and roda lacket that I have yet to tap into so there are no results for them at this time.

What snus went 'bad':
Some snus has most definitely gone bad after aging for a long time. These examples were stored with no sealing beyond the shrinkwrap they came in which is great but not truly air-tight:
LD Enbar portion with best before sept 2008: Was not frozen for many weeks after procurement. Takes 4 portions to get decent nicotine. Tastes horrible and obviously well beyond its prime.
LD Black portion with best before nov 2008: Was not frozen for many weeks after procurement. Takes 2 portions to get decent nicotine. Still tastes ok, the strong licorice flavor no doubt helps.
Nick & Johnny West with best before july 2009: It's ok, but the flavor is almost gone and the nicotine is like a non-sterk portion. These were once proud and strong portions but alas they are no more.
Nick & Johnny East with best before july 2009: Still my favorite flavor and favorite snus, ever, oh how I miss thee and thy cellphone shaped tin, but these are noticeably weak in nicotine. I am rationing these very slowly for the flavor alone, however.

Conclusion:

You may have seen articles discussing freezing snus to keep it for maybe a year down the road. Based on my experience you can keep snus for 2 of 3 years of solid enjoyment-maybe more. I beleive the key is to immediately seal it airtight, freeze it, above all, and purchase sterk white or sterk normal portions for maximum effect.

So when that awesome deal arrives, be ready, hoard up, and enjoy that snus for years to come! I only wish my cash investments have appreciated at the rate of my snus! ;-)

[WickedKitchen]

Nice post!

That about sums it up fairly well. I have to say though...I'm extremely jealous of the N&J East/West. That too was my favorite and since it's demise Grov and of course N&J original have been the only ones to come close to the satisfaction that those brought. I did notice that I experienced a lot of busted open portions with the N&J e/w but the flavor more than made up for it.

[Premium Parrots]

Great post and pretty accurate. One thing I have to disagree with is the loss of nicotine when vacuum sealed. I bought some snus about 4 years ago, put it in a ziplock freezer bag and stashed it in my deep freeze [out in the garage]. I bought a vacuum sealer a little over a year ago and resealed them with the machine. About a month ago I grabed a tin and tried it. Thankfully it was hadn't changed at all. It was still nice and moist and it had the same nic hit. So zipp locked for bout 3 years and vacuum sealed for another year and the snus was great. I firmly believe that fresh bought snus imediately vacuum sealed can be kept in the freezer for way longer than 5 years and still be fine. Actually it should be good for 10 years.

Get a vacuum sealer. Once you use it and see how it sucks every last molecule of air out of the bag you won't trust zip lock bags again. One of the best purchases I ever made and it was only $100. Its also been great for sealing other items, including snuff, for long term storage. I even vacuum sealed 2 rare old hyacinth macaws that passed away bout a year ago. They have a bare patch on the face that is a good indicator of age and condition. They still look great. And of course all the macaw heads I have collected are vacuum sealed too. All the face patches are perfect.

Needless to say I'm phasing out the "blue barrel" storage and am only using the barrels by filling them with acid, to remove all evidence of past failed relationships. If you know what I mean. Dalhmer would eat his own heart out if he only had a vacuum sealer. And his friends would never leave him.