If you are planning to start a shisha tobacco manufacturing business – well this guide is your go-to resource. From choosing the best ingredients, and market analysis to packaging – you will find all the information you are looking for right here.
Contents
Choosing Shisha Tobacco Ingredients
Shisha tobacco is basically made up of four ingredients including tobacco leaves, molasses/honey, glycerin, and flavorings. The quality and flavor of any shisha tobacco depends on the choice of ingredients and the production process. Let’s take a look at the factors you need to consider when choosing these Shisha tobacco ingredients.
· Required Quality/Nicotine Content
Just as been mentioned above, one of the main ingredients of shisha tobacco is the tobacco leaves. Before choosing a tobacco leaf for your shisha tobacco, identify the quality or nicotine content required. Generally, there are two types of tobacco leaves; strong or dark and light or blonde tobacco leaves.
The leaf of choice should depend on how strong or light you want your shisha to be. Dark tobacco leaves have high nicotine content hence give high quality shisha tobacco. Blonde tobacco leaves have low nicotine content.
Leaf selection may require a blend of different types of leaves from different regions considering the aroma and texture desired.
· Target Group
There are number of people that are introduced to shisha tobacco smoking every day and who may not be able to stand the strong type of shisha tobacco.
As a shisha tobacco manufacturer, you may want to go for the blonde type of tobacco leaf which will be easy to consume. However, if your target group is repeat consumers, then choose the stronger type of tobacco leaf.
Regular users may require something stronger than the regular strong from the strong leaf tobacco. This may need a blend of different types of the strong leaf from different regions giving more nicotine content and a stronger smoke hit.
· Type of Flavor
Currently, an unlimited number of shisha tobacco flavor combinations are available to consumers. As a manufacturer, it is your job to choose what is trending, and what is popular among consumers. Most consumers now want to feel and smell mint flavors in their shisha tobacco smoke.
Some of the flavors to choose from include; different fruits, spices and herbs. Go for what best suits the needs of your clients.
Overall Ingredient Costs
We understand that you want the best quality for your shisha tobacco. However, you need to compare prices and only go for what best suits your budget. Remember different stores offer different prices for the same ingredient in quality and quantity. Ask for expert advice when making these choices because at the end of the day you need to make a good profit.
Step-by-step Shisha Tobacco Making Process
After choosing the best ingredients for the shisha tobacco, let us discuss the step-by-step process that will give you the desired results. It is important to note that this is a general production process for shisha tobacco.
Step 1: Preparing and Cleaning
Before anything else, you will need to clean the leaves using water, this can be done manually or mechanically. Cleaning removes impurities that may contaminate the end product or make it off-flavor.
Some of the parts to be removed from the leaves include stems and veins, leaving only the leaves for this purpose. At this point, you also need to crash the leaves to the desired sizes (fine or coarse). Most manufacturers now have machines that can perform these functions efficiently and accurately.
Step 2: Adding Flavors, Molasses, and Glycerin
At this point, the leaves are clean and crashed and the next step is to add all the other ingredients to form a mixture that will eventually form shisha tobacco.
Usually, the molasses/honey are added in the ratio of 3:1 (if the tobacco leaves are 3 grams, then honey should be 1 gram). However, this may vary from one manufacturer to the other.
Also ensure that the other ingredients are added in the right proportions depending on the desired outcome. It is also important to moisturize the mixture to ensure that it is properly hydrated as this will lead to good smoke production during the sessions.
Step 3: Blending the Mixture
The market offers a number of machines that can be used for mixing and blending large batches of flavored tobacco. This should result in consistent and properly distributed flavors in the batch. Ensure that your machine is accurate and efficient for better quality products.
Step 4: Aging the Blended Flavored Tobacco
Generally, fermented or aged products are of the best quality with the best aromas and taste. Think of a red wine that has been aged for years under well-controlled conditions. Aged shisha tobacco offers a better smoking experience to users. That’s why some manufacturers let their shisha tobacco to ferment and age for a given period of time under well-controlled conditions.
Step 5: Quality Check
At this point, your shisha tobacco is ready and before packaging and distribution, you need to check for features like moisture content, flavor, and general quality.
You should already have standard quality measures in place for quality control purposes throughout the whole production process.
Step 6: Packaging
Once the shisha tobacco has undergone quality checks and is approved, it is important to use airtight packaging type for packaging them. Such airtight packaging will preserve product freshness and make it last for a longer period without expiring. Also ensure that your packaging contains all the necessary descriptions including health warnings for users.
You can also learn more about Shisha tobacco packaging.
Conclusion
There are countless shisha tobacco manufacturers globally and each of them has unique ways that give them identity. Such methods or procedures are incorporated into the production process with the aim of offering an enjoyable and flavorful experience to every shisha tobacco smoker.
It is also important to note that there are simpler procedures that one can follow to produce good quality shisha tobacco at home.