Ammonia scent

[Dramatwist]

I have a friend who is really into snus. Not Skoal, but good, imported snus, usually from Sweden or somewhere overseas.

They always smell like ammonia. According to him, it's the fermentation process of the tobacco, mixed with bergamot.

I have no idea if that is true or not, but these high dollar snus smell like high dollar packets of cat piss to me.

Creative writing like this is hard to find these days... well said!

 

[huffelpuff]

Chris, it's not you. I'd put money on it being the tobacco. I tried my hand at curing my own one year and it would put out that ammonia twang for a few days then it would be fine for a few weeks before it would do it again. It's a bit disconcerting but not something to be worried about. Air it out good on a cookie sheet, jar it up and give it a few months to settle down.

Jim

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

Chris, it's not you. I'd put money on it being the tobacco. I tried my hand at curing my own one year and it would put out that ammonia twang for a few days then it would be fine for a few weeks before it would do it again. It's a bit disconcerting but not something to be worried about. Air it out good on a cookie sheet, jar it up and give it a few months to settle down.

Jim

Thanks Jim. Prior to last night's smoke, I came home took out enough leaf for one pipe & let it sit for a good 45 minutes.  I noticed a much improved difference. I need to get into the practice of doing this more. Perhaps, like you mentioned, I should start predrying and rejarring so I have tobacco around that I can just dig into.

Prior to cellaring pipe tobacco, which I am fairly new at, I kept a humidor of cigars for years so the subtle hints of ammonia here and there are nothing new to me. I don't know why it was a surprise to me to experience this off the pipe bowl here and there. What I smell, is by no means an olfactory hallucination and also it's not particularly offensive or strong for that matter. I define it as a subtle nuance but it does speak louder to me when I smoke certain blends. I almost never experience it with the straight VA's, Vaburs or Vapers that I smoke, but of this family I only smoke flakes which I do give an ample amount of dry time to. However, I do get it with certain Burley mixtures as well as some Latakias (most notably Penzance, EMP, Pirate Kake and Meridian). Penzance & Meridian are permanent mainstays in my rotation, the other two not so much. With Lats, I don't experience it with blends like Lancer's Slices which being a flake I also dry well. Furthermore, pinch test or not, I have always been bad at judging the moisture content of ribbon cut tobacco.

Mystery solved for the most part I think... 

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

Just in case anyone is interested, or if you've experienced the somewhat unpleasant "ammonia scent" phenomena (especially with aged tobacco), I exchanged some emails with Russ Ouellette and here's his reply to this specific topic -

When a cigar is aged, it takes about a month and a half for the ammonia to leave the cigar, because it builds up inside the cigar and can only escape from the foot. Ammonia is a natural by-product of fermentation, and aging pipe tobacco will involve some fermentation. Luckily, because pipe tobacco is not compacted and wrapped like a cigar, a day or so of exposure to the outside air should allow the tobacco to breathe enough to disperse the ammonia. I hope this helps you.

Russ Ouellette, blender
PipesandCigars.com
1-610-297-9051 x254
Certified Retail Tobacconist #1875

 

[monbla256]

There ya go, Russ just saved ya LOTS of $s as you DON'T have to go to the doctor now  :cheers: :cheers: 

 

[Bluefisher]

all I'd add is that perhaps you don't need to let your tin dry all the way out and then rehydrate. Based on what Russ said I'd think a few hours open would do the trick.

Also, if the ammonia is a sign of continued fermentation perhaps you should leave that 'baccy to it and smoke something else? When I find a cigar in my humidor putting off ammonia it's like the cigar is telling me "I'm not ready yet, but here I am busily improving by the day!"

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

all I'd add is that perhaps you don't need to let your tin dry all the way out and then rehydrate. Based on what Russ said I'd think a few hours open would do the trick.

Also, if the ammonia is a sign of continued fermentation perhaps you should leave that 'baccy to it and smoke something else? When I find a cigar in my humidor putting off ammonia it's like the cigar is telling me "I'm not ready yet, but here I am busily improving by the day!"

Agreed. Lately I have starting doing two things. One, I have gone back to using bail-top jars to store what I am currently smoking and also I have been only setting out what I am going to smoke, giving the tobacco a good 2 hours of air time before loading up. I have noticed a big difference already.

Pipe tobacco is a different animal but it's still tobacco. I came to pipes from cigars and I too keep a humidor, and I can easily smell when a cigar is going to have the old "in the process of aging" flavor without having to light it up to find out. However, I never noticed it in the aroma of unlit pipe tobacco, so I was a bit put off when I got hints of it in the side-stream. Now I know. Yes, all is good and no unnecessary medical bills.   

 

[oldbear58]

I recently visited the main perique factory in Convent, Louisiana. One of the barrels I examined had tobacco with a strong ammonia scent. That tobacco was removed and aired out before being repacked for further fermenting and aging.

When I tested my perique tobacco I get a high pH of 8.5 to 9.0 (ammonia is a bit higher than this).

While I am not prepared to make any overarching statements it appears that the nicotine level of most (if not all) tobaccos depends on the pH, at pHs over 7.0 nicotine becomes "protinated" and is much more biologically reactive. At acidic levels the nicotine is more insoluble and less reactive.

Cigars that are more fermented might be more basic (higher pH) and stronger; remember that a typical cigar can contain enough nicotine to kill 2 or 3 people if it were all available.

An ammonia smell in tobacco might just mean you can expect a bigger "kick"; I like the sour aftertaste of perique and a few of the stronger burleys.

Oldbear

 

[LordTemplar]

I certainly have DrumsandBeer. I find that all my Burleys taste like ammonia and smell strongly of it. I too have dried it to within an inch of its life and still ammonia. I have smoked it in briar and corncob. It is actually driving me spare. I can’t get rid of the smell. It is very strong to me and burns my nose and taints my tongue. I do find that lemon juice and water get rid of the taste from my tongue after smoking, but I even have to clean my sinuses. I have tried everything and have been thinking of sprinkling a little lemon juice on the tobacco before it dries to kill the ammonia (it is a base and lemon juice is acidic).

Just thought I would complain! I would also like to have a definitive answer to how you get rid of this crappy scent.

 

[oldbear58]

I would not recommend hosing down a stock of tobacco with lemon juice. I tried adding a bit of whisky or a couple of batches and didn't like the sour flavor it gave. On the other hand, adding humectants (glycerine or propylene glycol) or casings (I have tried honey with good luck) do decrease the pH (acidifying it) and that, as well as jarring it up for a while, might help.

Oldbear

 

[LordTemplar]

Thanks Old Bear!

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

LordTemplar - I don't smoke much Burley but I was noticing the ammonia scent with a variety of tobacco blends from LAts to VA's. Instilling a little tobacco air time prior to smoking has really helped me out a lot. I notice it WAY less now, even in tins that I have opened that have plenty of age on them.

 

[Anonymous]

My understanding was that ammonia was a product of tobacco made from immature leaves, which is why orientals seem most affected, at least to me.

Unless my memory is playing tricks on me again, I am confident that ammonia is or was added to cigarettes to manipulate the nicotine absorption of the consumer, as was alluded to by an earlier brother.

I haven't smelt ammonia in any other kind of fermented food or drink so on that basis I am skeptical that it is a normal byproduct of fermentation.

Fwiw I regularly smell ammonia in pipe tobaccos. It is most noticeable if you put your nose to the bowl and take a brisk sniff.

 

[SpeedyPete]

Easy solution to your problem, smoke McClelland's blend s ONLY. Ketchup is BETTER than Amonia   :twisted: :twisted: 

You bet!!

 

[Aristokles]

I would bet on fermentation based on the descriptions of a perique processing facility and the ammonia odors there. I understand curing cigar tobacco displays the same thing. Stinky.