McCleland's acidic additive?

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thomnas

Might Stick Around
Jul 10, 2015
66
0
I've heard of many people mention McClelland's distinct acidic/sour/tart taste to their Virginia blends. Something that really lowers the ph level to get that sour on the tongue taste. A lot of people think this is due to an acidic additive they use. Any ideas what that additive may be?
Thanks!

 
May 4, 2015
3,210
16
I've always understood them to use vinegar as a preservative, but at the same time have believed it didn't translate to the flavor.
This is the ketchupy note everyone mentions.

 

clickklick

Lifer
May 5, 2014
1,700
212
I smell it in the tin. But don't taste it unless I pop a new tin and immediately load and fire it up.

 

judcole

Lifer
Sep 14, 2011
7,149
32,928
Detroit
They don't use anything. The tangy smell one gets on opening tins is the smell of aging (fermenting) Virginia tobaccos. Perfectly natural.

 

aristokles

Can't Leave
Jan 18, 2011
399
0
Vinegar, a natural fungicide. Quite naturally as well, vinegar is a main component of ketchup. Given McClelland's sweet matured Virginias (sugar is another main component of ketchup)it seems that is the cause of the signature tin aroma. Add Latakia and one has BBQ sauce, too.
I suspect McC just uses more vinegar than others (as in C&D who barely kisses the tobacco with white vinegar in the distilled water they also sparingly use, but they use other anti-fugal treatments, or so I saw here somewhere on a video).

 

samcoffeeman

Can't Leave
Apr 6, 2015
441
4
Ne neither. None of my other Virginias smell like that. I used to love McClelland but sold them all off because they started to give me horrendous tongue bite. I have a 20 yeard old tin of Black Parrot and a 2008 dark star tin left.

 

tarak

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
1,528
15
South Dakota
I think all blenders top their tobaccos with some kind of topping, casing or preservative...even non-aromatics. I don't believe there is such a thing as a tobacco with absolutely nothing on it.
In the case of McCelland, I'm pretty sure vinegar is one of the players. It smells intense....but once you've opened the tin and let it breath a bit (I always let it sit in a jar a couple months)- it doesn't translate to the taste at all. I've leared to love the smell just because I know what the taste is going to be...

 

petes03

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
6,212
10,653
The Hills of Tennessee
+1 Booker!
It's true that the McClelland tin note tingles the nose a little, but I like it!

They're tobacco is top notch in my book. Of course their are a couple of other blending house right up there too, but a McClelland fan I will always be!

My favorite Va's from them are 221b Black Shag and Christmas Cheer, but their Lat blends are what I really like.

 
Vinegar is the natural bi-product of the fermenting leaf. When age currying tobacco, the ammonia is pushed off the leaf, and then vinegar naturally starts to form. I am aging some of last years crop now, so I really could care less what you believe. I know it to be true.
Thusly, MacBarons does add some vinegar as a natural preservative, raising the PH on some blends, as posted by Per Jenson on this forum himself. However, that was on ODF, which was causing the tins to rust on the early releases of this product. Since McClelland is the masters of Virginias, which is already low in PH, it is not needed. But, I don't vouch for them. I can just say that I can get that vinegary smell naturally by aging the leaf from the garden.
I have yet to figure out why guys get so off-put by that smell, as reported, it don't translate into the flavor. To me, it is just a sign of a naturally produced tobacco. But, some guys are just used to swill, so maybe quality turns them off. :wink: IMO :puffy:

 

beefeater33

Lifer
Apr 14, 2014
4,063
6,119
Central Ohio
Thusly, MacBarons does add some vinegar as a natural preservative, raising the PH on some blends, as posted by Per Jenson on this forum himself. However, that was on ODF, which was causing the tins to rust on the early releases of this product.

Those blends must be pretty damn low pH if they are adding vinegar to raise the pH..........distilled white vinegar is about 2.5 ph, seems adding vinegar would lower the pH, as its a strong acid.......

Acidic conditions would cause the tins to rust faster.

 

huntertrw

Lifer
Jul 23, 2014
5,223
5,347
The Lower Forty of Hill Country
"...distilled white vinegar is about 2.5 ph, seems adding vinegar would lower the pH, as its a strong acid..."
If I remember my college chemistry classes correctly there are seven strong acids: Hydrochloric, nitric, sulfuric, hydrobromic, hydroiodic, perchloric, and chloric. I believe that acetic acid (vinegar) is a weak acid, one which only partially dissociates in water to give H+ and the anion.

 

cobguy

Lifer
Oct 18, 2013
3,742
15
It depends upon the vinegar and the Virginia leaf started with.
A Virginia that begins at pH 4.2 could be made more alkaline with apple cider vinegar at pH 5.0

 

beefeater33

Lifer
Apr 14, 2014
4,063
6,119
Central Ohio
I believe that acetic acid (vinegar) is a weak acid, one which only partially dissociates in water to give H+ and the anion.
Yes Hunter, relatively it is weak......I'm fully aware of the STRONG acids, but I meant strong relative to foods, and liquids that we consume.... coffee, lemon juice, etc.........Maybe I should have said "very acidic"??..... :roll:

By the way, these are the strong acids:
Perchloric acid HClO4 (pKa ≈ −10)[5]

Hydroiodic acid HI (pKa = −9.3)[2]

Hydrobromic acid HBr (pKa = −8.7)[2]

Hydrochloric acid HCl (pKa = −6.3)[2]

Sulfuric acid H2SO4 (first dissociation only, pKa1 ≈ −3)[6]

p-Toluenesulfonic acid (pKa = −2.8) Organic soluble strong acid

Methanesulfonic acid (pKa = −1.92) Liquid organic strong acid[7]

 

cobguy

Lifer
Oct 18, 2013
3,742
15
By the way, these are the strong acids:
Yeah, those are pretty strong. Now ... back at Buckeye Lake, OH that was some strong stuff!
Flowery_Acid_Trip_by_CrystalSister.png


 
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