Buy Tobacco Leaf Online | Whole Leaf Tobacco

where's ammonia come from?

webmost

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2013
Messages
1,908
Points
113
Location
Newark DE
Quick question which arose on another forum:

Does fermentation dissipate ammonia already inherent in the leaf, or does the process of fermentation create ammonia which must be dissipated after fermentation?


 

deluxestogie

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
23,929
Points
113
Location
near Blacksburg, VA
Most of the ammonia released during aging or fermentation is created from the enzymatic breakdown of albuminous proteins.

Formulas of amino acids: http://www.imgt.org/IMGTeducation/Aide-memoire/_UK/aminoacids/formuleAA/

Proteins are made up of various amino acids. The structure of every amino acid (e.g. "amine containing acid") has one NH or NH2 component.

serine.jpg

The amino acid serine.

When this nitrogen entity is released, it reacts with the hydrogen in water to form NH3, which is ammonia.

Bob
 

Marcos

New Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2023
Messages
4
Points
3
Location
Mar del Plata, Argentina
Im deeply sorry for necro-rising such an old thread, but the insigthful post from Bob, left me with the feeling of "so what that means?".

But being this very question, one of the most itching inquiries that I have on the topic, I need to ask: what that means in relation to the OP?
Is the ammonia present in the leaf by nature, or is a by-product of fermentation?

For a long time I believed that smoking only cured leafs was a bad idea, and even dangerous, precisely due to the ammonia. Reading the FAQ on this site, helped me to let go that belief, yet I'd like to understands the basics of it.

Thanks in advance!
 

deluxestogie

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
23,929
Points
113
Location
near Blacksburg, VA
As stated in my earlier post, ammonia is created by the oxidation of protein, after cleaving the amino group. Since ammonia is volatile, it usually dissipates into the air prior to smoking cured leaf. Leaf that has only color-cured, but not fermented or aged, tastes raw and grassy because of the remaining proteins, rather than ammonia.

Bob
 
Top