Dipper's Guide to Snus

[texasmade]

I guess if I could get the hang of using loose in a way that I could 'get it out of my mouth quickly without having to wash my mouth out with water'... I would do los.

bondzai, when you figure that one out please let us know. I have no answer. Rinsing just seems to be part of the los package.

the tongue roll....i never have to rinse my mouth out after removing a pris

[Snusdog]

From another Post

Topic: Los is Slower than Portions

Los takes longer to develop. About the time you would be finishing a portion, los is just kicking in. The key is patience.

However, this is not a universal law. A whole lot depends on how tightly the pris is baked. Since newbies tend to try for pris perfection, they tend to bake things tighter. The result is a slower flavor release (it takes saliva longer to penetrate a tighter pris). Also remember that a portion is loose unpacked snus in a bag that is often moistened with tobacco flavored water. Saliva gets to and mixes with it faster.

On the other hand, a looser bake or placing the pris in the mouth where it gets more saliva will cause quicker taste release. Thus its not a law but more of a tendency.

That said this is one of the things I love about los. There are so many things that you can do to adjust and fine tune los for the exact need of the moment. I can bake loose, big, and place further back in the mouth for quicker flavor and nic. I can bake smaller, tighter, and place forward in the mouth for a longer lasting more economical snoose (or any countless combinations of the above). It’s like the difference between an automatic and manual focus camera. Anyway…

The reason I think that this point is important is that when someone tries los and says they cannot taste it, very often (not always but often) it is due to the bake**. The problem is solved with just a little patience, giving the snus time to develop.

In time they will learn to adjust their bakes. But it is good to know both ends of the spectrum. It's good to know how to go long and let the snus develop. It's good to know how to pinch and toss and have the snus kick in at once.


dog 8)


**Note: the problem may also be that their tastes have not recovered yet from cigarettes/dip or that they are using one of the milder brands (Ettan, General, Prima, Roda). In this case, give it time. Usually your taste will begin to adjust in about 2-3 weeks. You might also want to try a stronger flavored brand such as Knox, Phantom Blue, or Gotlands

[Snusdog]

I guess if I could get the hang of using loose in a way that I could 'get it out of my mouth quickly without having to wash my mouth out with water'... I would do los.

bondzai, when you figure that one out please let us know. I have no answer. Rinsing just seems to be part of the los package.

[bondzai]

I don't know about the purity laws but geez I don't think there is any poison in Swedish Match Longhorn Straight lol... Yeah it would be nice to grind it up finer and put it in a portion... I like sweetness... maybe why I liked Triumph. Right now I have in a portion of Roda Lacket. I bought ten cans of roda lacket so will be doing it for a while... they sent me a mystery can of Gotesborg Rape and I liked it as well. I guess if I could get the hang of using loose in a way that I could 'get it out of my mouth quickly without having to wash my mouth out with water'... I would do los. I hate having to deal with washing out my teeth. I also like squeezing the portions to get the juice.

[Snusdog]

From another thread

Topic: Lower lipping snus

Tristik, welcome to the forum! I am an ex-dipper too, skoal fine cut wintergreen and cope snuff. I hilbilly los, both upper and lower deck, and don't really have any problems, I just take a nice tight pinch and pack it in there tight. If it gets too muddy, I just spit it out and start over, but I normally don't keep it in for more than an hour. I also put it in the back, more in the cheek like chew instead of in the lip. The Offroad wintergreen longcut and Grov los work best for me. Offroad wintergreen LC is not really like American wintergreen, but it's good, I actually prefer it now.

Confession time, I use snus just like I used to use dip, I don't put it in the fridge and I spit, so I guess I am a stubborn "American D-bag" just like you. I am an uncultured Swamp Yankee, northern version of a redneck. It's all good, as long as you enjoy it.

And this

Gambino, you asked if you will be able to "gut" the snus like cope. There will be far less gutting and juicing no matter where you put it, and whatever you might swallow is not nausea-inducing or harmful at all. If you can stomach chew spit no problem, hell even bull sperm couldn't shake you (disclaimer: I have never intentionally swallowed Cope spit or bull sperm) You have nothing to worry about. There are no rules to snus whatsoever. If you flopped your lower lip over a crude slap of Ettan in a Swedish bar you might get funny looks, but assuming you won't be in that scenario anytime soon (and even better if you were), no concerns brother. When I'm done with this Odens ES los I'm gonna throw a wad deeown undah and see how it goes. Done it before but this thread makes me want it again. Cheers and welcome to snus!

And by the way, screw what your buddies would think about portions. Give them a try. I like los better when it's practical, but during most of my day it is not. Oh and try some Odens ES los. It's like the Good Lord pooped in your lip.

And this

When I'm done with this Odens ES los I'm gonna throw a wad deeown undah and see how it goes.

Results are in: Overall WIN. Much better than the Cope I used to enjoy with a good bud who moved to LA. It slides around a lot more than what you're used to, which might require some fingers-in-the-mouth to fix it, and I'd forgotten how much I have to spit in the lower lip, but after 1 minute that subsides. Now enjoying my beer spit-free with a los was of los in the lower. Sorry to say it with your pre-conditions and all, but upper really is the way to go. This works fine though, and probably more so for those who are used to dip. I've only used it on occasion.

I've given said friend some snus before and he went straight lower with it, no problems. Also, the dude who first told me about snus was insistent upon lower-decking it. He always did, and it worked fine for him. Then again, I would go over to his desk at work to find a 16 oz. coffee cup filled with frothy snus spit, looked like a GD mocha-no-whip or some shit. Used to give him shit for that. He moved too.

As for gum recession, yeah, a little in my experience. Not much. I already had a minor problem to begin with, but nothing noticeable to anyone else. Nothing compared to dip my friend. You're gonna love it.

[LaZeR]

bottledwater thanks for adding the post. Good stuff.


dog 8)

+1. Good write bottledwater. For some reason I'm horny as hell after reading that though

[Snusdog]

bottledwater thanks for adding the post. Good stuff.


dog 8)

[bottledwater]

here is a very short faq based on what i have experienced. these were the questions i had when i just switched over, maybe it will help someone. i think it belongs in this thread, if not someone move it.

i personally started with loose snus, but if i were to live again, i would start with portions, which are much easier to manage. portions will allow you to get used to the mild burn and also let your upper lip get used to having something under it, so start with portions, or don't, its a personal choice.

1. how do i use snus?
A. make a pris (there is a video in this thread: http://www.snuson.com/viewtopic.php?t=677) or buy portions. if the pris is too loose, it may fall apart. try to make tight a pris the first few times and get used to it. put it under your upper lip, a bit off center. the farther it is from the center, the more wet it will get. more wet means more flavor but it also means a bigger chance of mud mouth.

1a. what is mud mouth?
A. if the pris falls apart in your mouth, it will go everywhere. it will feel like there is mud in your mouth.

1b. how much nicotine is in a pris?
A. about 8 cigarettes worth.

2. how long do i leave it in?
A. 1-1.5 hours is typical, you can leave it in for longer if it is a large pris or if you want to.

3. do i need to get it wet?
A. the pris shouldn't be tampered with once it is in. try to keep it from getting wet, and try to not play with it. you will be getting nicotine even if it is dry, so don't worry about that.

4. what happens if it gets too wet?
A. it may collapse and give you mudmouth, however the pris can tolerate a decent amount of moisture. if you are using portions, you can get it as wet as you like, but be aware that the more wet it gets, the faster it will be finished, and also that it will give off a much stronger flavor/burn.

5. what happens if i play with it?
A. if you play with it and it is a bit wet, it may fall apart and give you mud mouth. if you play with it and it is dry, it may still fall apart, so try not to disturb it. the pris is really meant to be put in and completely forgotten about.

6. ok, its in, now what?
A. leave it in peace. don't play with it, dont get it too wet and just let it sit there. when you put the pris in, it will have its own shape that you gave it (a cylinder or something similar), this shape will change after about 10-15 minutes as the pris reshapes itself to the contour of your gums. once it has settled, it will start to give out flavor and juices. tiny pieces of snus may come off of the pris, if this happens, don't worry, nothing will happen if you swallow a tiny bit of snus. unlike dip, you can swallow the juices. it may hurt a tiny bit but you will get used to it, and the burn is nothing like a dip burn. whereas the dip burn will stick around for a good 10-15 mins, the snus burn will go away after a 1 or 2 seconds, and is much milder.

some pointers about the burn: it may give you the hiccups. have a bottle of water handy just in case the burn gets too much. drinking a gulp will make the burn go away pretty fast. the first few times that you snus, you may become a bit alarmed by the burn since it feels similar to a dip burn and dip burn is pretty bad, however the snus burn will go away fast and its not as bad, so don't worry.

[bondzai]

Dip...

Well I love Longhorn Straight or Redman Straight. I started with Snus but went to Longhorn Straight. I never spit. I just don't seem to salivate or I swallow it I guess. I use relatively small dips normally.

I thought Redman had an off taste and loved Longhorn. Now I seem to be moving more towards Redman and also Grizzly Straight... That off taste is attractive to me now. Dip is very reasonable for me because I can get a can of Longhorn for 1.35 and it lasts me a whole week. A can of grizz costs about two bucks.

Just recently, I think because of a job change where I am around new people in an office, I have reverted back to snus. I have been using Camel and Triumph that I got in Atlanta, but I have in the past gotten sample packs of the swedish snus... I like sweeter snus myself. when I was using snus, I tended to like gotesborg rape and roda lacket.

[Snusdog]

From another thread- Dip vs. Snus:

For me the issue between dip and snus has never been a one to one comparison between the nicotine levels. I get nic from both products but I also get something else from dip along with the nic that I do not find in snus. Let me illustrate what I mean.

A few weeks ago my brother in law tried to kill me with several Jagermeister-Redbull shots. After a couple of shots, I could feel the effect of the all too familiar Jager. At the same time, I also could feel the very distinct effect of the Red Bull. One shot- two distinct effects.

It is the same with dip- one pinch, two distinct effects. However, I never noticed this distinction and always considered it one and the same fix until I went off of dip completely (as long as I used snus and dip together, the whatever extra was still in my system). When I made the break from dip and went to snus exclusively I noticed it missing from the fix and my gums actually craved it. Also, the withdrawals are very different between the two products. The feeling of being without snus for an extended period of time is different from what I felt when I had to go with out a dip longer than I wanted.

Now I do not have a lab and so I cannot say definitively why this is the case. However, I don’t think the answer (one way or another) is going to be found on the ingredient lists that we keep seeing. The reason is this: to the best of my knowledge, the ingredient lists that I have seen only deal with those ingredients added at the final phase of production. There are several steps prior to the mixing and flavoring stage that contribute to the final composition of the product. For example, fire curing a leaf will change its chemical composition in a way that air curing will not. Yet this important distinction will never show up on an ingredients list.

The result is that these lists along with a simple comparison of the nicotine levels will provide us with only a partial picture at best.

dog 8)

[Snusdog]

From another thread- regarding Los flavor

earlier today I was noticing that the pris I had really started kicking in at about the same time period when I'd be halfway through a portion. I am thinking a key with lös is patience.

This is a great point and should be remembered by those just starting with los. Los takes a little time to fully develop. As MQ put it the key is patience

[Snusdog]

From another Thread

so i read the sticky, but it didnt really answer my specific questions. here is the thing: when you pack a lip, there is a lot of saliva floating around, so you actually know you're getting the nicotine.

i just bought a generals loose and made a pretty good pris (i think anyway, it was pretty durable and no cracks, etc, looked a lot like the one in the video by zero) and i put it in. now i have a question, do i get it wet? because if i do, it runs, and if i dont, i dont get any flavor from it, and probably no nicotine, so im really confused.

i tried getting the first few ones wet but they got REALLY runny, but with this one, i literally put it in, and completely ignored it afterwards, i did *nothing* to it so far (its been like 10 mins). i feel like its still really dry (well, compared to dip it is, but its probably about as wet as it was when it was in the tin), and that no saliva is getting to it.

also i have gotten no flavor from it, nothing at all. so my question is, how do you handle it once its inside? do you just let it sit, or do you help it out with moisture, or what? also i put it somewhat off center, the middle of the pris (its about 1.2 cm long, with a diameter of maybe .4-.6 cm, so its kinda small, about the size of a bean).

so now its in, what do i do with it? also, is it safe to just eat it after im done with it? cuz its really a hassle to spit it out, i'd rather just swallow it.

BW,

Welcome to the forum mate. Glad to have you with us.

I second everything the others have said thus far. I also can relate to everything you have described. Moving from dip to snus requires a bit of adjustment. The payoff thought is well worth it. Give it time and be patient. Thus far your reference point for what tobacco is supposed to be like is dip. That will change over the next few weeks. In the meantime let me throw my 2 cents worth into the mix.

First, I remember putting my first few prises of snus in. It felt like I had a rock under my lip and except for a few stray pieces of snus, it tasted pretty much the same.

My advice is this:
1. Keep baking the pris as tight as you can (you can adjust your technique later for now tight is good). Try putting it a little further back in the mouth (not too much or you will have it slide on you- experiment around a bit). Now this is the important part. Leave it alone until it sets up. Just let it sit there like a big ol rock (or bean). Don’t worry about flavor at this point or the nic. You are getting one and the other will come.

2. Now by “let it set up” I mean the pris will begin to mold to your gum line. It will no longer feel like a block. This will take anywhere from 15-25 minutes depending on how well you can control your urge to fiddle (including pushing or pressing or adjusting your cheek from the outside of the mouth). Once it has settled, you can start touching it with your tongue. At this point you will begin to notice a little flavor.

3. Now let me stop here and kind of regroup. It’s important to realize that I am not trying to help you to taste the snus. That will happen more and more each day. What I am doing is trying to get your gum used to having snus in it. Once that happens everything else becomes much easier (and by that time you will taste more and more). Until then the pris will seem dry, awkward, and plastic. Your gum will also most likely try to push the impostor out (like your eye blinks when you get something in it). Put it in and let it alone. You will not start snusing for 15-25 minutes. You will however be getting nic.

4. Given your size restrictions for a pris you might want to try a little stronger snus (Skruf would be a great middle of the road option for you and is an excellent starter snus because it is easy to handel)

5. Now keep the pris in until it is done (I don’t always leave mine in that long but it will be good for you to know the range or life potential of snus). The pris is done when it starts getting bitter (or more bitter) kind of like reusing a tea bag one too many times- it just tastes flat and a bit like paper. Depending on the snus and how firm you are baking it one to one and a half hours is not uncommon (remember you just getting started 30 minutes in). Put it in, leave it alone and forget it. Then see how long it lasts.


Let me throw two more thought out there for you to consider. First, remember, you cannot gauge what snus is supposed to do based on dip. That’s like expecting wine to behave like beer because they both have alcohol in them. They are two different beverages and snus and dip are two different tobacco products. Clear your mind of what you think should be and just let the snus drive for a while.

Second, once your lip has acclimated (maybe a month maybe more) this all gets a whole lot easier and less regimented. It is then that you can and will begin to deviate and augment what and how you are do snus. Until then, let me suggest that you hillbilly some (lower lip it like dip) once every two or three prises. This will let you taste the snus more directly (so you know what you are looking for and what to expect when you upper lip it- and that is very important especially early on). It will also, give you a nic release and a feel more like what you are accustomed to with dip. But note you will lose more when you spit.

Man I hope this helps. If not just give me a shout and I will try to clarify.

Also, please keep us posted on your progress. You will not believe how much sharing your experiences here will help others. In fact I am going to copy this post over to the Guide because I am sure that other have and will experience the same things you are going through.

Excellent post mate

May the snus abide. 8)

[Mullolley]

How to get a Pris in your mouth without breakup

The quoted section below is a post from another thread that I thought might be of help. It describes how to get a pris into your mouth without it breaking up. It is a simple one hand (actually just two fingers) one motion method that keeps the pris from being squeezed (and thus breaking up) as you try to get it in. After the quoted section, I try to add some clarification.

I've got a question. The first time I handbaked, it came out really well and stayed solid until I was done with it. I'm getting worse and worse, though. I'll pack it up nice, but when I put it in it'll catch on my lip or something and break in half or worse, crumble. It's Ettan and it's pretty fresh, it hasn't dried out or anything. How do I stick it in?!?!?! (haha, I know)

I just lead in with the back of outside finger that is holding the pris- using the back of the finger to push the lip out of the way as I go. Also, I begin with my finger on the back of the mouth- where top and bottom lips meet when the mouth is open (not right where I am putting the pris). This makes it easier to catch the lip and slide the pris up into place while keeping the lip out of the way.

I have no idea if this makes any sense but I hope it will help.

Let me try this again:

1. Hold the pris between two fingers
2. Open your mouth and hold the pris above your tongue
3. Now move your fingers with the pris to the left or to the right
4. Your outside finger will hit the side of your lip/mouth
5. push/stretch the lip out a bit with the back of the finger
6. slide your finger up, around the inside of the lip until it is where you want the pris to go
7. put pris in place, remove fingers, and adjust with tongue to preference

Important: a big advantage of this method is that there is no need to grip the pris tightly and thus break it up as you struggle to get it in. Therefore, it is important to remember to relax, hold the pris lightly, and let the back of your finger clear the way in a single natural motion


.

This totally makes sense to me. I've been having a much easier time using this technique. Thanks!

[Snusdog]

Mike it takes a little adjusting and trial and error but you will find your groove. And man once you do, its so worth it.

Keep us posted on how it is going

[Monkey]

Guys to each his own but as an x-dipper I strongly recommend staying as far away from American dip as possible. It’s just not worth the risk especially when there is snus. Just put the can down and walk away!!! :x

This is definately the best statement for me in this thread. My new mantra.

I quit cigarettes with dip and that seemed easier than the dip to snus.

Also the purity statements. That is definately something to remind myself of when I crave a dip.

Thank you for this thread.

Mike