Afraid of the new possibly excruciating "snus ban"

[Mr. Snuffleupagus]

I'm totally down for making my own snus. Sounds like growing, curing, and aging the tobacco could take a while and might not be viable in the short run for me. Wouldn't it be easier to buy the tobacco in bulk and just store it to be used as needed? I have already contacted a few companies in Sweden to order a snus kit, but none of them want to ship to the US. I do have one contact over there who would help me out with a couple kits, but I'm trying to figure out the long term solution. I have read that, if stored properly, tobacco leaves can be stored for a very long time (and only get better). I have read the same for snuff, which seems very close to what the tobacco in a snus making kit. So I'm thinking I could buy a few years supply of the proper tobacco either ground or not, and that would give me some time to produce my own tobacco. Please let me know if you think this is a viable solution and any help selecting and procuring the appropriate tobacco source would be great. Feel free to PM me if you don't want to post your secrets here.

Thanks!

PS: I wonder how long it will take for the State Governments to ban the growing of tobacco at all :evil:

[Code2]

I bet that's coming: jail time for growing tobacco for personal use.

[HK11]

That will be too far I think. Im a normal guy and Ive about had it.

[bakerbarber]

That video was cool as hell. I wish it were in English with sound.

[snupy]

Sounds like growing, curing, and aging the tobacco could take a while

There is no need to cure or age it, from what I understand. Snus is steam pasteurized instead of cured. The curing, or fermentation, is what makes the US oral tobaccos carcinogenic, traditionally. I will only air dry leafs and plants. The pastuerization process will release the ammonia in the leaf. This is referenced here earlier. I believe it was justintempler who said not to pastuerize in the kitchen due to the smell.

Wouldn't it be easier to buy the tobacco in bulk and just store it to be used as needed?

Yes. Also, there is no tax due on uncured leaf. I am personally just trying to set things up so that no one else is involved, such that I do not have to rely on anyone else, but only because I am so very tired of other entities poking their noses into my tobacco usage. It's simply not their business and will not be if I can make this work.

I have already contacted a few companies in Sweden to order a snus kit, but none of them want to ship to the US.

See what happens when you allow a middleman between you and your tobacco? Every middleman between you and the tobacco becomes a potential hurdle that must be overcome. (Atlhough admittedly, bad weather or infestation of the plants could well be the same if growing.)

Even if they would ship it, that will only work as long as there are no importation bans by the US government or if the PACT will not apply. (Who knows what craziness they will come up with next to screw up tobacco further in the US?)

I have read that, if stored properly, tobacco leaves can be stored for a very long time (and only get better).

The 'only get better' part is concerned with curing and the aging after curing. I would store them humidified, then dry them out before grinding. If you store them dried out, the leaf will crumble to dust as soon as you touch it. Don't ever let them get wet though. Wet=mold=ruined tobacco.

Please let me know if you think this is a viable solution and any help selecting and procuring the appropriate tobacco source would be great.

No one knows what blends of tobacco to use as a base, although the Swedish companies claim to have blends of up to 20 different tobaccos. Other than that, we are guessing. Well, I am, but I am selecting tobaccos I know I personally LOVE. (And aside from getting the FDA, Congress, rabid antis, excessive taxes, possible importation bans out of my way, that really is the ultimate point, isn't it? Customization!

[justintempler]

There is no need to cure or age it, from what I understand. Snus is steam pasteurized instead of cured. The curing, or fermentation, is what makes the US oral tobaccos carcinogenic, traditionally. I will only air dry leafs and plants. The pastuerization process will release the ammonia in the leaf. This is referenced here earlier. I believe it was justintempler who said not to pastuerize in the kitchen due to the smell.

From my understanding you still have to cure the leaf, it takes 60-90 days of curing (air drying) after harvesting before the tobacco is suitable for use in snus.

It's the heat in the curing that causes the carcinogens not the curing itself.

[snupy]

From my understanding you still have to cure the leaf, it takes 60-90 days of curing (air drying) after harvesting before the tobacco is suitable for use in snus.

Ehhh! Do you know I actually made a post here asking that every question? I either got incorrect information or misunderstood the answer. Or are you talking about air drying to get the leaf from green to yellow or brown?

[Roo]

Damn, ya'll are some agricultural SCIENTISTS. Being the city boy that I am, can I use money to procure said product? You can charge me the current rate per gram on whatever site you use.

[lxskllr]

From my understanding you still have to cure the leaf, it takes 60-90 days of curing (air drying) after harvesting before the tobacco is suitable for use in snus.

Ehhh! Do you know I actually made a post here asking that every question? I either got incorrect information or misunderstood the answer. Or are you talking about air drying to get the leaf from green to yellow or brown?

I bet curing the leaf is the hardest part of the whole process to get right. There's several styles, and it varies by species of plant, and what you want the final result to be. I don't know the details, but I'd start doing a bunch of reading in that direction, especially as it pertains to snus making. Air curing is probably the healthiest way, but you may need to blend in other styles for flavoring, and character.

[justintempler]

Ehhh! Do you know I actually made a post here asking that every question? I either got incorrect information or misunderstood the answer. Or are you talking about air drying to get the leaf from green to yellow or brown?

from a misc. patent

During the yellowing stage, the green color of the leaf produced by the cholorphyll content vanishes as the cholorphyll breaks down and a yellow color resulting from the carotene content appears. Another important change during the yellowingstage is the conversion of starch to sugar. Although independent, the conversion of starch to sugar and the breakdown of cholorphyll occur simultaneously. Thus, yellowing is a useful, visual measure of sugar formation.

You don't need a brown color, (see the color of the tobacco flour in the video above.) but you do need curing for the starch to sugar conversion and a reduction in moisture content.

[Lucky Striker]

So, I'd like to know as much about the subject of making your own snus as possible. Perhaps we can start a new thread, sticky it, and walk through step by step on the hows of making your own snus.

Has anyone here actually done this, or is it at this stage merely speculation? I'm curious because there's a tobacco farm literally a quarter mile away, and I'm sure I can some dirt cheap. I know nothing about curing it, grinding it, cooking it, and flavoring it aside from what I've picked up in this thread. I'd like to know more...

[snupy]

You don't need a brown color,

That depends on the strain. Virginia Gold turns gold and stays that color. Other strains go brown. I have smoked Turkish blends that had black leaf in it..

(see the color of the tobacco flour in the video above.)

I have seen Virginia that same color, I mean before she poured it into the bowl. That shee was soooooo pretty when she pulled it out of the oven at the end. I had to go bake a Roda Lacket pris.

Another important change during the yellowingstage is the conversion of starch to sugar.

Exactly. That's why the Viriginias are so sweet and stay gold, although I've no clue what color they will be after pasteurization.

you do need curing for the starch to sugar conversion and a reduction in moisture content.

That goes back to what you said about air drying/curing for 60-90 days. This guy only air cures and had this to say:

"A friend hangs his tobacco for about three months, by which time it has both a nice colour and texture, then cuts it and uses it straight away."

But the above is in reference to smoking, not snussing.

justintempler, what are you planning on baking your snus in. I mean what will you use for an oven? Another friend of mine who is growing keeps bringing up a crockpot, having gotten the idea from snufftalk. I remember reading someone who tried it with a crockpot but the tobacco started fermenting.

[snupy]

So, I'd like to know as much about the subject of making your own snus as possible. Perhaps we can start a new thread, sticky it, and walk through step by step on the hows of making your own snus.

I would LOVE that. I wouldn't have to stumble through so much of my confusion here if there were a thread like that.

Has anyone here actually done this, or is it at this stage merely speculation?

Not me. I am merely making preparations, so I will know what to do with this year's harvest. If you do attempt this, Ignore the post about using VG only in place of a VG/PG mix. I think VG alone will end up being too "syrupy' to get the right effect. The snus would probably come out like cake frosting without the PG. I do not know AT ALL what I am doing, but that is what I am here trying to figure out.

I'm curious because there's a tobacco farm literally a quarter mile away, and I'm sure I can some dirt cheap. I know nothing about curing it, grinding it, cooking it, and flavoring it aside from what I've picked up in this thread. I'd like to know more...

Are you in the south? Do they do two crops per season or one at this farm? When do they harvest?

[snupy]

Damn, ya'll are some agricultural SCIENTISTS. Being the city boy that I am, can I use money to procure said product? You can charge me the current rate per gram on whatever site you use.

What if it ends up tasting like Grand Prix?

[snupy]

I bet curing the leaf is the hardest part of the whole process to get right.

Either that or trying to select the tobaccos as the base of the blend.

There's several styles, and it varies by species of plant, and what you want the final result to be.

Usually, Turkish is sun cured. Marylands and Burleys are air cured. Virginias are flue cured, except for Brightleaf which is fire cured. I am sure there are other exceptions to the above. I am sure there are other strains that are cured differently than what is stated above.

I am not ready to get into ANY of that, simply because I know that when I am first attempting something like this, having very little clue of how to proceed, it can quickly become so complicated that it is not even worth doing any more. Everything I grow will be air cured for that reason. I will start by keeping things as simple as I can.

Air curing is probably the healthiest way, but you may need to blend in other styles for flavoring, and character.

I wonder if they would provide any hints in the "Ask the Professionals" thread, or if they buy their baccys already processed? It just doesn't make sense to me to fire cure a brightleaf or flue cure a Virginia that you know will be steam pasteurized. You would end up adding a certain flavor that will end up being removed at pasteurization anyway.