Dialing in my tincture recipe

[NewEnglandFarmer]

Experimenting with tinctures and wanted to compare notes with others.

Think I found a great product to use: a 200 proof ethanol made locally from organic corn. Much better than the 150 vodka I tried to use before.

Following the advice of the distiller (also known as "Mr. Tincture"), who apparently has a chemistry background, have used a 20-minute freezer soak with 15g decarbed and 5g raw flower. He claims after 20 minutes the alcohol has dissolved all the trichomes and the resin inside has gone into solution.

First question: I notice a very modest layer of sediment on the bottom (am using 8oz. jars). Any need to shake before using? I always do that with oil-based extracts but not sure it's necessary with the alcohol tincture. If all the goodies have been dissolved into the solution then it shouldn't matter.

Opinions?

And secondly, what sort of percentage of the compounds like THC or CBD is extracted? 80% or so?

Third, what's the best way to concentrate these? I find I have to take several dropperfulls (1ml/dropper) to get any effect.

 

[Hobbes]

The sediment may be your resin coming out of solution, I'd give it a shake.

You could reduce the solution using a sauce pan and low heat, boil off some alcohol.

 

[Boatguy]

Are you actually making a tincture, or ethanol hash?

When i made iso hash, i did fresh frozen with a 30 second wash in ice cold iso.
It came out potent, but returns were minimal with the quantity i work with.

 

[quirk]

The residue that settles out are the empty trichome husks. Analogous to the skin left over if you squeeze the flesh out of a grape.
Shake it up to put it back in solution or consume afterwards. If you decarbed, it's all psychoactive.

 

[NewEnglandFarmer]

The sediment may be your resin coming out of solution, I'd give it a shake.

You could reduce the solution using a sauce pan and low heat, boil off some alcohol.

Rather not heat it if I can avoid that.

 

[NewEnglandFarmer]

Are you actually making a tincture, or ethanol hash?

When i made iso hash, i did fresh frozen with a 30 second wash in ice cold iso.
It came out potent, but returns were minimal with the quantity i work with.

Tincture--although I confess I'm not really sure what ethanol hash is--tincture that's been super-concentrated?

 

[NewEnglandFarmer]

The residue that settles out are the empty trichome husks. Analogous to the skin left over if you squeeze the flesh out of a grape.
Shake it up to put it back in solution or consume afterwards. If you decarbed, it's all psychoactive.

That's what I was thinking--think I'd read that somewhere. If all the resin inside the trichs is already dissolved into the solution, probably isn't going to make much difference if I consume the husks but certainly won't hurt.

I decarbed 15g for the 8oz. of ethanol, plus added an extra 5g raw flower for kicks (since the raw has terpenes and other valuable compounds that degrade during decarb.).

I think this is going to work well, just need to concentrate it so a dose is just a few drops rather than several dropperfulls!

 

[cannabineer]

Experimenting with tinctures and wanted to compare notes with others.

Think I found a great product to use: a 200 proof ethanol made locally from organic corn. Much better than the 150 vodka I tried to use before.

Following the advice of the distiller (also known as "Mr. Tincture"), who apparently has a chemistry background, have used a 20-minute freezer soak with 15g decarbed and 5g raw flower. He claims after 20 minutes the alcohol has dissolved all the trichomes and the resin inside has gone into solution.

First question: I notice a very modest layer of sediment on the bottom (am using 8oz. jars). Any need to shake before using? I always do that with oil-based extracts but not sure it's necessary with the alcohol tincture. If all the goodies have been dissolved into the solution then it shouldn't matter.

Opinions?

And secondly, what sort of percentage of the compounds like THC or CBD is extracted? 80% or so?

Third, what's the best way to concentrate these? I find I have to take several dropperfulls (1ml/dropper) to get any effect.

I will wager that the alcohol is 190 proof. Without specialist tricks that is the limit for the home distiller.

Stuff is still good.

 

[NewEnglandFarmer]

I will wager that the alcohol is 190 proof. Without specialist tricks that is the limit for the home distiller.

Stuff is still good.

I'm no expert, but I think these guys are the real deal--it's not a home operation. They have details here. I would use this stuff over Everclear any day.

 

[cannabineer]

I'm no expert, but I think these guys are the real deal--it's not a home operation. They have details here. I would use this stuff over Everclear any day.

Thank you. That was informative. I stand by my previous answer. You’re getting premium ethanol at 95%.

Going 200 proof means either doing vacuum distillation (a massive investment) or using a third solvent like benzene or toluene, which means not food-grade.

When I worked in a lab we did get ethanol 200 with the big tax stamp across the closure.

 

[Fadedawg]

I'm no expert, but I think these guys are the real deal--it's not a home operation. They have details here. I would use this stuff over Everclear any day.

Culinary ethanol works fine for our application.

The big question is what was used to get from an azeotropic 190 proof, to 200 proof and according to Culinary Solvent.com's MSDS sheet, they didn't add benzene, et al. Microsoft Word - CulSol_200pf_MSDS.docx (shopify.com).

As noted, vacuum distillation shifts the azeotropic point, and you can add a desiccant like Drierite to absorb the remaining 5% water, and then filter it out.

 

[NCSmokey]

@NewEnglandFarmer did you buy any of the culinary ethanol? How did it work. I saved the page, but wanted to hear how you liked the product first

 

[NewEnglandFarmer]

@NewEnglandFarmer did you buy any of the culinary ethanol? How did it work. I saved the page, but wanted to hear how you liked the product first

Yes, I got a quart to start with and made 4 9 oz. tinctures with different strains using the freezer method. The ethanol itself seems really clean, reminds me a little bit of a high-quality vodka like Stolichnaya (no, I didn't drink it, just going by the smell).

I experimented a bit with the tinctures, both sublingual and by adding to beverages. Effective. But I think I should figure out a way to concentrate them more so it just takes a few drops. I found it took several dropperfuls to get a decent effect. And to use it under the tongue I had to have a little water in my mouth first or it would burn bad.

Really good product, I'm going to order a gallon next time which should last me years.

Anybody have a good method to concentrate this stuff once it's made?

 

[gwhunran]

Experimenting with tinctures and wanted to compare notes with others.

Think I found a great product to use: a 200 proof ethanol made locally from organic corn. Much better than the 150 vodka I tried to use before.

Following the advice of the distiller (also known as "Mr. Tincture"), who apparently has a chemistry background, have used a 20-minute freezer soak with 15g decarbed and 5g raw flower. He claims after 20 minutes the alcohol has dissolved all the trichomes and the resin inside has gone into solution.

First question: I notice a very modest layer of sediment on the bottom (am using 8oz. jars). Any need to shake before using? I always do that with oil-based extracts but not sure it's necessary with the alcohol tincture. If all the goodies have been dissolved into the solution then it shouldn't matter.

Opinions?

And secondly, what sort of percentage of the compounds like THC or CBD is extracted? 80% or so?

Third, what's the best way to concentrate these? I find I have to take several dropperfulls (1ml/dropper) to get any effect.

I love tincture and have been making and consuming it for over a decade. I use 151 rum the cheapest I can get. I use as much bud as I bring myself to use. I toast it lightly in an old toaster oven (be sure to stand by for inhaling) cause it will be poring out vapour . Then I take the weed put in a CLEAN mason jar pour the alcohol in and place the jar in a pan of water that I've already got heated to near 175-180 F. Let it stew for an hour or more. Take the jar out the water bath and let it cool off. Put your jar lid on and put it up, although it may already be ready to go. With age I have become more patient and don't have to dig right into my new batch as I'm still working on the old batch. I get my best buzzes off tincture. I can't smoke enough weed to get me there

 

[NewEnglandFarmer]

So does heating it evaporate a bunch of the alcohol?

What volume of liquid do you end up using for a single dose? You do under tongue or swallow?

Couple concerns about heating--fire hazard and also vaporizing or degrading terpenes. Thoughts?

 

[gwhunran]

It evaporates it some, alcohol boiling point between 178-180F, I take a little less than a teaspoonfull normally. My current batch is weaker and I double it sometimes. This dose fries me pretty good.
I use a modern glasstop elec stove, big pan of water, and my jar liquid level is not too near the top.
Never happened but:
if it boiled over the liquid would go into the water pan, and no one is horseplaying around the stove, so don't see how it would get out. I use a pen type thermometer (making candy) to get my water temp to 178F by adjusting the knob

It's just for me, I don't complicate it too much, the results will kick your ass.
If you spend too much of your time where you can't light up, take some tincture, and there's nothing wrong with doing both!

 

[gwhunran]

It evaporates it some, alcohol boiling point between 178-180F, I take a little less than a teaspoonfull normally. My current batch is weaker and I double it sometimes. This dose fries me pretty good.
I use a modern glasstop elec stove, big pan of water, and my jar liquid level is not too near the top.
Never happened but:
if it boiled over the liquid would go into the water pan, and no one is horseplaying around the stove, so don't see how it would get out. I use a pen type thermometer (making candy) to get my water temp to 178F by adjusting the knob

It's just for me, I don't complicate it too much, the results will kick your ass.
If you spend too much of your time where you can't light up, take some tincture, and there's nothing wrong with doing both!

It always taste like shit to me. I add peppermint vanilla lemon extract to taste and still chase it down with soda or orange juice

 

[NewEnglandFarmer]

It evaporates it some, alcohol boiling point between 178-180F, I take a little less than a teaspoonfull normally. My current batch is weaker and I double it sometimes. This dose fries me pretty good.
I use a modern glasstop elec stove, big pan of water, and my jar liquid level is not too near the top.
Never happened but:
if it boiled over the liquid would go into the water pan, and no one is horseplaying around the stove, so don't see how it would get out. I use a pen type thermometer (making candy) to get my water temp to 178F by adjusting the knob

It's just for me, I don't complicate it too much, the results will kick your ass.
If you spend too much of your time where you can't light up, take some tincture, and there's nothing wrong with doing both!

Thanks for the tips, I may try it. I found a teaspoon of mine is a nice moderate effect but I experimented a couple times to see if I could push the envelope a little bit (might've been as much as a couple teaspoons) and it didn't exactly send me to the moon. But that could be because of all the "testing" I've been doing since harvesting in October. I'm actually 1 week into a tolerance break now (New Year's resolution), thinking a reboot might restore my sensitivity and help me dial in the perfect dose.

Interestingly, I found that a teaspoon or so of the tincture made from Cherry Wine (high CBD/low THC) packed the biggest punch. But I'm totally new to CBD.

 

[GrOwThMoNgeR]

Thanks for the tips, I may try it. I found a teaspoon of mine is a nice moderate effect but I experimented a couple times to see if I could push the envelope a little bit (might've been as much as a couple teaspoons) and it didn't exactly send me to the moon. But that could be because of all the "testing" I've been doing since harvesting in October. I'm actually 1 week into a tolerance break now (New Year's resolution), thinking a reboot might restore my sensitivity and help me dial in the perfect dose.

Interestingly, I found that a teaspoon or so of the tincture made from Cherry Wine (high CBD/low THC) packed the biggest punch. But I'm totally new to CBD.

Hoping to hear more of these tinctures. I will def be trying out some of these cherry cbd genes this year too after your good review.

 

[NCSmokey]

Yes, I got a quart to start with and made 4 9 oz. tinctures with different strains using the freezer method. The ethanol itself seems really clean, reminds me a little bit of a high-quality vodka like Stolichnaya (no, I didn't drink it, just going by the smell).

I experimented a bit with the tinctures, both sublingual and by adding to beverages. Effective. But I think I should figure out a way to concentrate them more so it just takes a few drops. I found it took several dropperfuls to get a decent effect. And to use it under the tongue I had to have a little water in my mouth first or it would burn bad.

Really good product, I'm going to order a gallon next time which should last me years.

Anybody have a good method to concentrate this stuff once it's made?

great to know...thanks for the product info....

you do the freezer method? Which method do you prefer, or which gives the better high to you, the freezer method or the wait 2 weeks method..?