DIY snus Kit with pictures

[loui loui]

Today I got 1kg (2.2 lbs) of tobacco flour.

Included in the snus kit I got all the ingredients I need.

1 kg tobacco flour
80 gram salt
75 gram sodium carbonate
60 gram glycerine
60 gram propylene glycol
Viking Ship Snusdosa

 

[loui loui]

I did boil 1 litre water and 80 gram salt.
I did throw in five bags of Earl Grey Tea and let it steep 4 minutes.

When the salt water tea was ready I did put the pot on the cold balcony so it cooled down.

When the tea was cool I did mix the tobacco flour and the salt water tea. I did mix with a wooden paddle and my hands while wearing vinyl gloves.
The mix did remind me about loose soil when finished.
I filled four 1 litre IKEA Korken jars with the mix.

The oven was set at 90°C bottom heating.
The timer was set at 24 hours.

 

[loui loui]

I took it out from the oven and to let it cool down.

I made 3dl of strong Earl Grey Tea.

I did let the tea cool down to 45°C.
I don't have a thermometer so I used the oven.

While the tea cooled down in the oven I pulled the flap on the jars until it popped and opened the jars.

I removed the lumps and made an even mix.

 

[loui loui]

I took the 45°C Earl Grey Tea and mixed it with 75 gram sodium carbonate.
I did it on the balcony because it stinks.

While the Earl Grey Tea & sodium carbonate cooled down to room temperature I prepared my tools. A wooden paddle, a hand whip, a pair of vinyl gloves and four IKEA Korken 1 litre jars.
I also took a photo of one of my tobacco flowers.

When the Earl Grey Tea & sodium carbonate mix had cooled down to room temperature I mixed it with the snus.
First I mixed it quickly with the wooden paddle and second with my hands with gloves on.
When I was done mixing that I did the mix the snus with 60 gram glycerine and 60 gram propylene glycol. Again quickly with the wooden paddle and then by hand.
When done mixing I did fill the jars with the snus.
When done I closed the jars and did put them in the fridge. I will let them stay there two weeks.

 

[loui loui]

Disclaimer:
I did not follow instructions 100%.
It is recommended to mix with electric whip but I wanted to do it by hand so I modified the method as I wanted.

The original instructions for the snus kit can be found here, use chrome browser and translate it:

Swedsnus

Portionssnus från 5,90 kr/dosa. Lössnus från 16,90 kr/dosa. Kvalitetssnus från egen fabrikstillverkning på nätet, enkelt i storpack!...

swedsnus.nu

The snus kit I used is the:

RAW 1 KG SNUSSATS ALPHA​

The stronger variant of these two snus kits:

Swedsnus Raw

RAW råtobaks snussats

swedsnus.nu

 

[deluxestogie]

Download Swedsnus Raw Snus Kit Instructions in English as pdf.

 

[loui loui]

Download Swedsnus Raw Snus Kit Instructions in English as pdf.

Thanks!

Swedsnus also has distribution to america.

I have tried some of them, I bought the EXTRA STRONG SPECIAL portions/pouces and it was very nice after I did add about 1dl of extra water spiced with some whisky flavour from Swedsnus.

The portions are a bit on the dry side and I like my snus wet nowadays so I add some water by spraying it on the portions/pouches and mix with my hands wearing vinyl gloves.

I have used white (dry) portions for years, it is nothing wrong about them.
Dry portions are typically sold as white portions because the portions/pouches are whiter since no water is added after packaging in pouches.

I can recommend the EXTRA STRONG SPECIAL pouches because I have tried them but I guess the other kits also contain high quality tobacco.

Fat Boy portions/pouches did not contain enouch snus for my liking, I can only recommend them for someone new to nicotine or someone sensitive to nicotine. I ended up snusing two portions at once so it is not for me.

Swedsnus global distribution can be found here:

SnusRoom.com

Free shipping✓ Big-Pack✓ From $1,49 / Can...

snusroom.com

You may be able to order the loose RAW snus kit if you contact them.
I live in Sweden so I order from their swedish site swedsnus.nu.

The express loose snus is OK but you may want to add some extra water if you like your snus very wet.

Picture from my fridge, express loose snus / lössnus:

 

[loui loui]

The speed of the process in the fridge depend on the temperature in the fridge.
Colder temperature will cause the process to slow down and you may have to wait longer for the process to finish.
I raised the temperature to max 8°C to speed up the process.


Also, I have a new Electrolux oven and it has a safety feature that will switch off the oven after 12 hours and 30 minutes so I had to restart the oven.
It can be a good idea to check the manual or contact chat support prior to baking snus if you have a new oven so you know if you have to restart it.
The good thing about having a new oven is that the thermostat can be very good, according to Electrolux the margin of error is just one degree celsius, very nice.

 

[deluxestogie]

A fridge temp of 8°C is not an ideal temperature for food storage. I would suggest no higher than 4°C (~40°F).

Bob

 

[loui loui]

A fridge temp of 8°C is not an ideal temperature for food storage. I would suggest no higher than 4°C (~40°F).

Bob

Thanks for your consideration.

8°C is max allowed fridge temperature for food (and snus) in Sweden so I can set my Electrolux fridge to anything from +2°C to +8°C.

I just have snus and veggies in my fridge so it is ok for me cause veggies don't need to be cooled and I have a pretty good circulation on the snus.

 

[deluxestogie]

I'm happy to see that Swedish bacteria are so considerate.

 

[loui loui]

I'm happy to see that Swedish bacteria are so considerate.

Swedish bacteria is the best bacteria!

Google translate from Swedish Match: https://www.swedishmatch.se/snusakademin/fragor-och-svar/

"How long does snus last?
Snus is a fresh product and should be stored in a refrigerator (4-8 degrees C) for best shelf life. When stored correctly, the shelf life for loose snus is 14 weeks, for portion snus 20 weeks and for the dry portion products (Catch Dry snus) 30 weeks. For longer storage, we recommend freezing the snus. It is perfectly possible to freeze snus for about a year.

What is the best way to store snus?
Snus is a fresh product and should be stored in the refrigerator for best shelf life. For longer storage, we recommend freezing in an airtight freezer bag, which works great for up to a year. Snuff in cardboard boxes should be thawed in a refrigerator so that condensation water on the surface does not dissolve the adhesive joint in the cardboard box or the label on the outside of the box. When you thaw portions of snus that are stored in plastic boxes, it is enough to have them at room temperature.

Can you freeze snus?
It is perfectly possible to freeze snus for about a year. See recommendation on storage above
Can you refreeze thawed snus?
Yes, it can be refrozen, but moisture and consistency may be slightly affected. We recommend always storing snus in the fridge.

What happens in snus that gets old?
It is normal for the snus to dry out and become rejected in aroma and taste, but does not become harmful because it gets old. The snuff boxes are always marked with the date of manufacture and the best before date, which we recommend you always follow. If the snuff is kept refrigerated, it will generally last longer than the best-before date indicates.

Can you rehydrate dried snus?
Dehydration is an effect of improper storage of the snus. This can happen if the snus has not been refrigerated for a long time, even if the best-before date has not expired. Often this results in aroma and taste changes, which is why it does not help to moisten up a snus that is already dry. It is always best to ensure from the start that the snus does not dry out by keeping it refrigerated."

 

[deluxestogie]

Specifically, if your refrigerator is used for food storage, then I would suggest following temperature guidelines for food storage refrigeration.

The “Danger Zone” Reevaluated

For many years, a so-called “danger zone” has been used for alerting foodservice and other food industry personnel about temperatures that are potentially hazardous for holding foods.

www.food-safety.com

Bob

 

[loui loui]

Specifically, if your refrigerator is used for food storage, then I would suggest following temperature guidelines for food storage refrigeration.

The “Danger Zone” Reevaluated

For many years, a so-called “danger zone” has been used for alerting foodservice and other food industry personnel about temperatures that are potentially hazardous for holding foods.

www.food-safety.com

Bob

I think this is a rabbit hole Bob!

Even the swedish food authority recommend the fridge to be set at 4°C but the maximum allowed temperature for the "chain of cooling" is 8°C as far as I am aware.

If refrigerated food products reach more than 8°C the "chain of cooling" is broken and the product is no longer allowed to be sold I have learned but I am no expert.
The same happens if the expiry date is passed.

However, I can order snus by mail so I don't understand how it works in practice, maybe the swedish way is to have double standards?

I don't know if snus is regulated as a refrigerated product but normally it is refrigerated when sold and after that kept in the pocket.

Whatever, I have been living in Sweden for more than 40 years and I am not dead yet so maybe the swedish bacteria is cooler than the rest.

Sometimes I have bought snus that have passed expiration date even though it is illegal to sell expired snus. I just try to get 2 for 1 if the snus has expired.

 

[loui loui]

It is worth to point out that the process of letting the snus sit in the fridge for 10-14 days is not a biological process but a chemical process, the sodium carbonate react with the tobacco.

 

[loui loui]

I bought a 3 in 1 blender and used the whip tool to mix in another 3,5dl of strong Earl Grey Tea because the snus was a bit dry.
I used one bag to 1dl of water.
The 600 Watt whip tool was excellent but the snus did fly around so it was good I had a large plastic box to mix in.
I then kneaded the snus by hand.

The snus did become easier to mold when it was more wet but I want it stickier so I ordered some gum arabic, it is supposed to very effective to make the snus sticky.
The snus is very strong and taste good, next time I may add another 30 gram of salt and some smoke flavour but it is good snus by now.

 

[wruk53]

I like the idea of using the Earl Grey tea for flavoring. How much Bergamot aroma/flavoring is imparted to the finished product? Mild, medium, strong? Also, I like the idea of eliminating the second cook after alkalizing. I will definitely give this a try. Thanks for posting this.

 

[loui loui]

I like the idea of using the Earl Grey tea for flavoring. How much Bergamot aroma/flavoring is imparted to the finished product? Mild, medium, strong? Also, I like the idea of eliminating the second cook after alkalizing. I will definitely give this a try. Thanks for posting this.

The taste is mostly just snus with a hint of Earl Grey tea. I don't notice a strong bergamot flavour but I don't do with commercial snus like General either although it is flavoured with bergamot.

It is too soon to rate the snus because the flavour is still improving and it still smell a bit sodium chloride. The smell is changing fast in the pocket so I guess another two weeks in the fridge is good but I have already snused a can and it is strong snus with a bit of sting to the gum.

Maybe you should flavour a smaller batch with tea and see if you like it. I used regular tea bags but it would be interesting to try a tea with a rich flavour, maybe green tea with ginger and lemon or lime would be nice, I like to drink it.
The turkish shops have dried lime fruits, I wonder how it would be with tea made on those.
If you use them instead of bergamot you should crush them and remove the kernels, it makes a very nice tea.

 

[wruk53]

The taste is mostly just snus with a hint of Earl Grey tea. I don't notice a strong bergamot flavour but I don't do with commercial snus like General either although it is flavoured with bergamot.

It is too soon to rate the snus because the flavour is still improving and it still smell a bit sodium chloride. The smell is changing fast in the pocket so I guess another two weeks in the fridge is good but I have already snused a can and it is strong snus with a bit of sting to the gum.

Maybe you should flavour a smaller batch with tea and see if you like it. I used regular tea bags but it would be interesting to try a tea with a rich flavour, maybe green tea with ginger and lemon or lime would be nice, I like to drink it.
The turkish shops have dried lime fruits, I wonder how it would be with tea made on those.
If you use them instead of bergamot you should crush them and remove the kernels, it makes a very nice tea.

Sounds good. Thanks.

 

[loui loui]

I got the gum arabic today.
I mixed one can (40 gram) of snus with a knife point of gum arabic with the blender tool until the snus did stick to the side of the blender.
The snus became very sticky and moldable.
I have ordered a fine scale so I can mix cans with different ratios of salt, gum arabic and flavour. Eventually I will find a good blend that I can upscale to a large batch of snus.
This is blend nr.99
Blend nr.98 will be the same but with some extra salt.
One day I will get to blend nr.1.