Punk Ash - anyone ever use it?

[RyanM22]

http://www.punkash.com/

http://www.adn.com/2012/10/06/2652842/chewing-mixture-of-tobacco-ash.html

It's used as an alkali, as is sodium carbonate. Tried to make snus w/ sodium carbonate and besides the overall awfulness of my creation, I wasn't a fan of what the carbonate brought to the table.

Came across this stuff. I'm curious as to what it adds, especially the taste. I sent an email to the seller at the first link, and they said 'it changes the taste a little'. Not much of a help.

Also, can any kind of ash be used as an alkali?

 

[jekylnz]

Just put potassium & magnesium in with your chew..it will do the same and kick your ass..free bas nicotine.

 

[squeezyjohn]

Well if you don't like the taste sodium carbonate gives snus ... I doubt that the powdered burnt ash from a fungus will help matters!

Once fully reacted with the tobacco - and that takes at least a week - you should not directly taste the carbonate at all - whether it's sodium or potassium. Another thing is that when you add the carbonate (alkali) to the tobacco, you will get lots of ammonia released in the reaction and if you taste it at that point then it will certainly have an aroma something like a men's room in a busy bar that hasn't been cleaned for a week!

The traditional Inuit way of using punk ash is to chew it with loose leaf chewing tobacco called "iq miq" - that will put all the reaction inside your mouth which I would describe as a hardcore method! Apparently it will blow your head off.

 

[jekylnz]

I agree. .it would taste shyte....that stuffs gotta taste like chewing tobacco with some charcoal. .well it basically is.lol

 

[RyanM22]

Men's room.. LOL. Next batch I make I'll let the mix sweat for a week and see what happens.

 

[Alaska Punk Ash]

Alaska Punk Ash mixing / use....

Hey Ryan, the punk ash used by the natives up here in Alaska is usually left in a ziploc bag or such with a little water for approx 3 days, this allows the mixture to set up properly for them and not be as "ashy" if you will, they knead it daily to get the right mix / consistency, trying a little at a time will also work, just not as strong.

It is a very popular product in the bush and has been used for a very long time, especially in the winter months when they have less to do and can't easily go way up river to forage it themselves. hope this helps! Skeeter

 

[squeezyjohn]

Hey Skeeter ... thanks for your input ... and your knowledge.

So essentially what the local Alaskan guys are doing is making lye ... or potassium/sodium carbonate solution which traditionally was made in Europe by taking pure wood ash and soaking it in water to dissolve the alkali in to water. The resulting lye water would then be filtered off the ash and used to make soap, bake pretzels and probably freebase nicotine as well.

The word potassium derives from potash ... literally the ash from the pot.

The lye water I use in my recipes is basically the modern chemically refined version of this.

 

[Alaska Punk Ash]

Thanks for the knowledge squeezy, never knew all that! All I know is that they use a ton of it up here and it is a serious commodity, who'd of thunk???!!!

Skeeter

 

[skipccc]

This Punk,
New to me but makeup sounds very much like chew that they use in Iran, Afganistan and Pakistan. They use another type of tree ash that grows locally or they use limestone (calcium carbonate) I have been making this stuff myself and find if the is off what I prefer I through it all in a blender and add Palm Dates one at a time and taste as I go. You can come up with some real sweet mixes. The dates als add stickyness to the mix and it will sit in your cheek for a long time in one piece, love it not being granular.

 

[deluxestogie]

Welcome to the forum, skipccc. Using blenderized palm dates is an interesting addition to tobacco. (In the US at least, dried, pitted palm dates are available in many grocery stores, as are dried figs.) Have you used dates in any smoking mixture? It seems like it might significantly affect combustibility. I'm sure that members who use a nargile with blended tobacco and fruit may find this inspiring.

If you go to your profile, and add a general location, it would add greater context to your questions or comments.

Bob

 

[capnsandwich]

Just got my first bag of it last week. While it does offer that 'first time" nicotine buzz, I've found that it leaves a burning sensation in my mouth and kind of tears the first layer of skin off my inner mouth. Maybe that's something I just have to get used to (toughen up) or maybe I'm not mixing it right. I generally mix it in my hand before I stick it in my lip. I may be using too much for a noob maybe too so if anyone else has any suggestions about this, I'm all ears.

 

[webmost]

Never knew this. Learn something every day. Now, when Cletus tells me "Ahm own kick yo punk ash" I will know what he refers to.

Does native tobacco grow in Alaska? How far north?

 

[capnsandwich]

Never knew this. Learn something every day. Now, when Cletus tells me "Ahm own kick yo punk ash" I will know what he refers to.

Does native tobacco grow in Alaska? How far north?

Here's some info of the history with Native Americans using it.

http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/nov2005.html