Original Method

1. sauced and stripped tobacco leaves get wrapped in linen cloth surrounded by a rope
2. after about 3 weeks the linen cloth and the rope are renewed
3. after about 3 weeks the linen cloth and the rope is replaced by a string
4. seasoning and fermentation for about 4 to 7 years, sometimes up to 10 years
5. grinding or grating
6. sieving and splitting into different types
7. saucing, mixing and sieving
8. rolling the Snuff to round off the grain


Schmalzler Method

like the original method except the following:

1. tobacco gets sauced and spinned into the form of ropes
2. oils are added


Parisian Method

1. cutting the tobacco
2. saucing or moistening with salty water
3. storing in piles or containers for the purpose of fermentation and drying for up to 2 years or longer
4. grinding, saucing and storing for up to 5 years in barrels or the like


Fast Method

common practice nowadays

1. producing flour out of fermented or non-fermented tobacco leafs
2. saucing
3. seasoning for about 6 to 8 weeks

(This article is heavily based on Handbuch des Tabakhandels, H. Aschenbrenner and Günther Stahl, pp. 234-242, with additional aid of Jaap Bes.)

the new method seasoning for about 6 to 8 weeks, not the 4-10 yrs.

Snuff is like wine, cheese, cigars etc. Some varieties improve with age. The Italians and Chinese were partial to extremely old snuffs, from 60 to 100+ years old.

Okay! 60 to 100 years is very long

Ageing generally allows improvements of a product as snuffgrinder says. A good wine can become awesome. An unbalanced spirit can become balanced.