Newbie Questions

[bitblt]

Like many of you, I'm using snus to kick my smoking habit. Today makes it a week since my last cigarette! Being a new snus user, I have a few questions.

1. I have 10 cans of snus. 8 of them are open. How do I keep them all fresh while sampling only a few each day? At the moment I have them all in zip lock bags in the refrigerator.

2. I've been smoking at least half a pack of cigarettes a day for 15 years, but quite a few snus brands make me queezy. I'm not sure if it's from the salt or high nicotine content. Suggestions?

3. My taste for snus seems to change on a daily basis. Some days I prefer Grov, others Goteberg's #2. I love Onyx after a meal and I have an unopened can of Ettan that I can't wait to try. What, if any, low salt snus do you recommend to a beginner?

[chadizzy1]

Re: Newbie Questions

2. I've been smoking at least half a pack of cigarettes a day for 15 years, but quite a few snus brands make me queezy. I'm not sure if it's from the salt or high nicotine content. Suggestions?
3. My taste for snus seems to change on a daily basis. Some days I prefer Grov, others Goteberg's #2. I love Onyx after a meal and I have an unopened can of Ettan that I can't wait to try. What, if any, low salt snus do you recommend to a beginner?

#2 - its the nic. sometimes i get a CRAZY craving for a cigarette, and i'll smoke, and still crave nicotene and have to use a snus immediately after smoking, because cigarettes just don't hit like snus. you'll get used to it though.

#3 - i suggest trying to get used to the salt. in all the best snus, the salt is a major part of the flavor. ettan is very mild, i suggest you open that can.

[lxskllr]

Welcome to Snuson :^)

Chad covered 2 and 3 well, for 1 just keep doing what your doing. I keep several tins open in my fridge with no bagging. They don't keep indefinitely, but they'll always be usable if not optimal.

[snupy]

Re: Newbie Questions

quite a few snus brands make me queezy.

I stick to mini portions almost exclusively, because the regular portions are too strong for me.

What, if any, low salt snus do you recommend to a beginner?

I heard loose doesn't have nearly the salt content that portions do. I know that's true with Roda Lacket, but that's the only loose I have so far tried.

[chadizzy1]

the salt ISNT a bad thing, which is why i suggest just getting used to it. the BEST snuses have a mild salt taste, and it's just like when you add salt to food, it enhances the flavor of the snus. any snus with low salt won't be as flavorful, so i suggest getting used to the salt.

[Snusophile]

Hello and welcome to SnusOn! Congrats on kicking the habit!

Salt is a great thing, since I began using snus, I've grown to love the taste of salt and you will too.

[rscott222]

It took me about a week to develop a taste for snus. Not sure what all you have but if you come from American Camel, flavored swedish snus is a good beginning. Since you have spent the money and have some great swedish snus on hand I would recomend you to just keep sticking with what you like and your taste buds will adapt. Ettan is low salt sort-of mild malt flavor to it. So far my favorite but not the only one I dig.

Snus takes a little longer to kick in so if I began to think about a smoke I would put in a snus to get my nic lvl higher that way you don't get to the I-have-to-smoke-to-live sensation. When the urge really hit then I went for the strong stuff like Onyx or Grov Svart.

For me, and you might be different, I really enjoyed a strong portion early in the AM while I was getting dressed or right after the shower, nice buzz while I kept to my morning routine, then one to two in the car to work (The car is a big smoking trigger for me), then mid morning (sometime mini or light snus), then something strong after lunch. A strong for afternoon break, and strong in the car. Some light snus at home while getting kids together and making dinner, then strong after dinner.

As for physical need to smoke I would pop the lid over and over to distract myself and still went outside sometime with Snus to watch kids play and to do chores. Being outside was one thing I missed about smoking, no reason you can't go there still. Some have said after quiting they chain-snused for awhile but then slowed down as they adapted to new nic delivery. Right now that is where I am at.

Learning to snus was almost as much work to begin to smoke or learn to drink beer, some are born naturally inclined to the flavors and smells and such but I was not. You wll grow to pick-up other flavors. By reading this forum you will find some great tricks to help handle some issues. For me if I put the snus to far back on my upper gum or squeezed too much drip or flavor out it would make me sick so I placed them further up front where they sat better and didn't drip as much.

[rscott222]

Great beginning steps for me, others will disagree but more info can't hurt.

baddestdudeintown -

I like you, used Camel Snus for quite a while before discovering Swedish Snus. my first order was the "white portion" try out kit, and as I was brand new, I assumed white portion meant "like camel snus", as camel snus is technically a mini white portion. When i got that first kit, i opened up each can, expecting to be greeted with a great smell and just want to dive right in. that did not happen. i opened each can, and with a discusted face, closed each one and put them away.

i told you that to tell you 2 things.

1. do not smell the snus until you have used it for a while and are comfortable with it. 2. when you get a can, just put the portion in your mouth and try it, taste first, and give the smell some time and you will, i promise, get used to it. it took me about 2-3 weeks of steady snusin', but i have gotten used to and like the smell of snus now. as weird as that may sound.

next, i would suggest the following. i myself prefer flavored snus, i've tried a wide selection, and i will suggest my favorites. these are great to start with.

beginner -
1. mocca pomegranate - this is a great beginner snus, and one of the closest to camel frost. the portion is almost the exact size and feel of camel frost, but this has a great cinnamon/apple/redhot taste to it. and it's a Swedish Snus! this will get you into swedish products as it has a slight, mild salty aftertaste to it, as most swedish products do. remember: salt isn't bad, like in food, it brings out the flavor of the product.
2. general mini mint - this is a very light snus, with a great mint flavor. it's the "camel frost killer", marketed for america, and about the closest to that product as you can get, but it's not as sweet, and has a mild tobacco flavor. it's a great adjustment and beginning to swedish snus.
3. catch collection fresh//peppermint - it's the 2nd in a line of 4 snus products for 2009. (the original, catch collection chill//mint vanilla may still be for sale in some online stores if you can find it, it's a great one), and this one is a little stronger than general mini mint, and is more swedish. it's minty, but has a more swedish smell and taste. it lasts longer, as well.

intermediate -
next, if you're transitioning from american to swedish, i suggest trying a few white portions. keep in mind, these are stronger, so you may get a stronger buzz than usual, just take it out, cool down, and try another one later. it happens.
1. catch dry eucalyptus - this is one of my favorites. they also have it in a mini, but i suggest the white portion, i think it tastes better. it has a nice, minty flavor and a hint of eucalyptus. a mild salty aftertaste.
2. jakobsson's ice fruit - when i first went from minis to regular white portions, this was my favorite. this one has a great berry/fruity taste, and a mild salty aftertaste. this one is very good, and definately still one of my favorites.
3. gotlandssnus(greeen) - a very good earthy snus. it has a natural taste, with a hint of fig in the background. this is one of my favorite lazy afternoon ones, with a nice green tea, it's heaven.
4. offroad cranberry - of this one or skruf cranberry, i find this one to be the best cranberry flavored snus. it has a sweet taste of cranberry, a mild salt taste, and a mellow buzz. it's a great flavored snus.

after you've tried some of the ones i've listed above, i suggest keeping a few cans of thunder frosted around. it's a very strong icy/minty snus, and a good first thing in the morning snus or just when you get a strong nic craving, it's good to satisfy that urge. it's very strong though, so if you start getting lightheaded, take it out, haha. it happened to me the first time i tried it.

again, these are my suggestions, but i'm sure you'll like a few of them.

Chad

[sagedil]

Re: Newbie Questions

Like many of you, I'm using snus to kick my smoking habit. Today makes it a week since my last cigarette! Being a new snus user, I have a few questions.

1. I have 10 cans of snus. 8 of them are open. How do I keep them all fresh while sampling only a few each day? At the moment I have them all in zip lock bags in the refrigerator.

2. I've been smoking at least half a pack of cigarettes a day for 15 years, but quite a few snus brands make me queezy. I'm not sure if it's from the salt or high nicotine content. Suggestions?

3. My taste for snus seems to change on a daily basis. Some days I prefer Grov, others Goteberg's #2. I love Onyx after a meal and I have an unopened can of Ettan that I can't wait to try. What, if any, low salt snus do you recommend to a beginner?

bitblt, first welcome to Snuson.

Yes, if you have a bunch open, using only a few a day, the refrigerator is the way to go. Basically, I store snus three ways. Unopened, lives in my freezer. If frozen, will last long, long after the best buy date. I have some, Oynx being one, I use only once or twice a day, those live in the refrigerator. the rest, that I will fnish over 3 or 4 days, sit by my bed or on my desk at work.

As for low salt snus, if you like licorice, get LD Black. probably the least salty snus. But as others have said, within 10 - 14 days, you won't even taste much of the salt any more.

Your experiences with changing tastes are typical of snus. Especially when you are new but continuing on for as long as you use snus. Even 2 years later, my tastes change. So lesson from this?? You hate a snus you try, set t aside, Go back to it in a week or two, try it again. Hate it still, go back in a month. You will be shocked at how many snuses you didn't really like become your favorites.

Last bit of advice, great for not smoking. But you end up having a cigarette, don't stress it. What is most magical about snus for me is I can have that occasional cigarette when WANT it, not need it. And that one, unlike when i was nicotine free, never leads to a 2nd. Just let the snus work it's magic over you.

And again, welcome. Good folks and great information here.

[chadizzy1]

to kinda echo that, keep an open mind. there are so many different kinds you will develop a taste that is uniquely yours when it comes to snus.

[rscott222]

Sorry I should say welcome. These folks have taught me a lot about snus and about tobacco in general. Good to have another snubie voice out there.

That's true sage when I did smoke at first I didn't feel like I needed a second cig and my smoking cut down in half after a few days. Eventually I switched over to snus full time and threw out the rest. Still don't stress the quit smoking piece, you will find yourself over time moving away from them. It took you 15 years to get engrained, it will take awhile to move away if you choose to. Let snus work its way into your life, stay positive.