Alcohol Tincture

Cold Method with Ethanol

Making tincture cold preserves the integrity of cannabinoids. To be potent, this method requires starting material high in cannabinoid content such as flowers or kief made from trim and leaf. The material must be mold free and dry. Drying can be accomplished in the freezer (-4-10 degrees Celsius) or better yet by placing in a liquid proof bag into a dry ice/ethanol ice bath (-70 degrees Celsius). Once water has been removed then the surface area of the starting material requires expansion. This can be accomplished a number of ways but two ways stand out:
Using flowers (bud)- Place dried buds in a coffee grinder and pulse until thoroughly ground but not powdered.

Making kief- Rub dry trim and leaves over a silk screen. Collect the powder the comes through the screen. It should be a very pale green. "Kiefing" is an age old way of extracting trichomes from plant material.
Whether kief or ground bud is used both should kept ice cold for this preparation. Similarly, the ethanol to be used should also be ice cold throughout the process.

Selection of alcohol- ethanol or ethyl alcohol is the form of alcohol that can be used by humans. The proof listed on commercial alcohol refers to the percentage of ethanol that the beverage contains. The proof is twice the percentage, so 80 "proof" means that the mixture contains 40% ethanol. The higher the alcohol content used, the better the extraction will work. Ideally, 200 proof ethanol would be best except that ethanol cannot be distilled to this proof so benzene is used to remove the last vestiges of water. This makes "pure" ethanol poisonous.

Many folks use "Everclear" which stands at 190 proof or 95% ethanol. Everclear has no taste. Apparently, Everclear is not available in all States. A close second choice is 151 proof rum. This is a light amber liquid that is 75% ethanol that has a sweet taste. One of our caregiver writers will use nothing but Korbel brandy because she likes the taste. Others use iced Russian vodka. These "normal" distilled spirits are 40% to 50% ethanol. Some patients find that the higher proofs ethanols like Everclear and 151 rum burn too much under the tongue. If burning is a concern consider a high quality 90-100 proof Vodka.

Cold Extraction and purification- Use at least one ounce of starting material to each pint of ethanol. Place cold powdered kief or ground cannabis flowers together with ethanol in a glass quart-mixing jar. Close the jar tightly and vigorously shake for five minutes then return to the freezer. Continue to agitate the mixture every few hours with refreezing. Continue for a period of two to three days.

Pour the cold mixture through a double thickness of sterile cheesecloth. Save the cheesecloth "ball" for topical uses or use the material to make bud butter once dried. The liquid collected through the cheesecloth should then be filtered twice through a paper coffee filter. Use gloves throughout the process, as it is necessary to squeeze the cheesecloth and coffee filters to facilitate the extraction. Without gloves some of the material will be absorbed on the skin.

If Everclear is used the tincture will be pale green to golden. If 151 rum is used an amber tincture results. Dark green tinctures mean that excess plant material is present. This does not mean that the tincture will not be potent, just taste nasty. When Everclear is used, various flavor extracts may be added (vanilla, raspberry, etc.). Be careful to use only a few drop of flavor extract.
How long in the freezer to dry out? Can I use something like Damp rid and put in a giant ziploc bag?
 
Ok. Using kitchen doses since I have no scale, etc. Say I have 2 Tablespoons of somewhat coarsely ground weed that's been decarbed. How much everclear should I use with these 2 tablespoons to make a significantly concentrated tincture? I've tried to read through all the pages in this post, but haven't seen concise measurements, not to say they aren't here, just didn't see it. Husband has brain metastases and we're in process of moving on to RS oil, but making tincture now since faster and easier. Desperate times...
 

Huckster79

Well-Known Member
I am planning on doing the heat method but dont have time today to finish, i put the jar on my dryer as i gotta do laundry and put stuff around it so it wont vibrate off. But figure the vibration will be like a long slow shaking up of it.... ill try the long soak time number two but trying to get something faster for a parkinsons sufferer...
 
I am planning on doing the heat method but dont have time today to finish, i put the jar on my dryer as i gotta do laundry and put stuff around it so it wont vibrate off. But figure the vibration will be like a long slow shaking up of it.... ill try the long soak time number two but trying to get something faster for a parkinsons sufferer...
Wow! That's actually genius! Wish my dryer wasn't a stackable
 

Huckster79

Well-Known Member
GB i got an a solution! Tape your jar to your wifes vibrator put some fresh d cells in that baby and leave her for the day.... lol. On serious note, thanks, it was just a random medicated idea, i get a million, most are foolish but once in a while they work out .

Sure hopin this helps parkinsons like the videos iv seen...
 
GB i got an a solution! Tape your jar to your wifes vibrator put some fresh d cells in that baby and leave her for the day.... lol. On serious note, thanks, it was just a random medicated idea, i get a million, most are foolish but once in a while they work out .

Sure hopin this helps parkinsons like the videos iv seen...
Yeah so. I AM the wife, but all viable suggestions are appreciated. Unfortunately, your suggestion is crass and crude and in no way helpful, i.e. not viable. Not sure why I came to this site for help with a serious issue. No help, no answers, just a bunch of dopers doping
 

budlover13

King Tut
I am planning on doing the heat method but dont have time today to finish, i put the jar on my dryer as i gotta do laundry and put stuff around it so it wont vibrate off. But figure the vibration will be like a long slow shaking up of it.... ill try the long soak time number two but trying to get something faster for a parkinsons sufferer...
The long soak on a low temp heat pad works. Well.
 

Huckster79

Well-Known Member
Yeah so. I AM the wife, but all viable suggestions are appreciated. Unfortunately, your suggestion is crass and crude and in no way helpful, i.e. not viable. Not sure why I came to this site for help with a serious issue. No help, no answers, just a bunch of dopers doping
I sincerely apologise for the oversight of your gender and offense. I was just being a smart ass as thats just me...did not intend to offend.

Im new to the tinticure thing so my advice would be guess only, but most of what iv read is just enough to cover it. Im assuming if you got too dilutted you could always do the heat method for a bit and concentrate it up... but ive made one whole batch so far so im no expert at all.
 

Huckster79

Well-Known Member
The long soak on a low temp heat pad works. Well.
How long is long on a heating pad?

First batch pretty mellow but will be a nice grade for wanting just the edge taken off and not having the mind wander... i really enjoyed the floral flavor...
 

budlover13

King Tut
How long is long on a heating pad?

First batch pretty mellow but will be a nice grade for wanting just the edge taken off and not having the mind wander... i really enjoyed the floral flavor...
I let it soak at least 6 weeks before I start using it. I usually just keep the bud in the jar after that and just strain a bottle full as needed.
 

Huckster79

Well-Known Member
Yea i did it quick this time, im putting one away like you say now so when this mellowvlight duty stuff runs out i will have some aged stuff ready... i know its not gull strenght as i dried the weed that came out of it and can get a low grade buzz off it...
 

SouthCross

Well-Known Member
Just made a batch of tincture. 18 grams of buds. Decarb at 230°f for 40 minutes. Ground in a coffee grinder. Then 120ml of Everclear in a mason jar. Mixed and shaken for a bit.

Hot water bath for 20mins. Strained then the plant matter was washed two more times with more alcohol.

Total liquid was 200ml after the washes. I boiled the alcohol back down to 100ml. One dropper bottle filled. The rest stored.
 

Huckster79

Well-Known Member
Anyone ever try a magnetic beaker mixer? You know the ones where u put a lil plastic coated magnet in the jar, or by design a beaker, then set it on a special unit that has a magnetic deal in it and it spins the peice in the jar? You could get 24/7 agitation that way!
Havent tried it just an idea
 

SouthCross

Well-Known Member
I dosed two people. One got half of the dropper. The other got a full dropper.

The first guy was mellow. The second was blazed.


The green Dragon went back in the water bath and was reduced a further 20ml. So, 18 grams bud reduced down to 2 fluid ounces.
 
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Nouna

Member
I would just like to say this thread is wonderful! I've been doing research on tinctures too and I would like to add one thing:

Alcohol tinctures have a longer shelf life and kill mold (for those of you who recycled some infected buds) so keep that in mind if you plan on storing your tincture for a long time.

I am wondering, will heating and/or freezing my ALCOHOL tincture increase potency? I've heard mixed reviews.

I am also wondering if anyone has tried using FRESH trim and FRESH buds for their tincture? This is what I am doing because from what I've read, cannabinoids break down as bud dries, and I want to get every last bit of the plant. Is this counterintuitive/fallacious?

I've also read that grape extract can aid in the extraction process? Any word on this?

*One tip when grinding your bud in a coffee grinder: Grind your fresher/greener trim first (to clean out any spent coffee grounds you may have missed) then grind your highest quality material second. This way you can scrape off the resins left along the side of the coffee grinder, its kinda like finger hash :) Finish by grinding a bit of fresh or dry stem. All of the remaining resins on the sides will have stuck to the fibrous ground stems, making the cleaning process much more efficient and easy.
Hi, new here...I have 3.5 grams of KIEF, I need to know if I have to DE-Carb my kief? I want to make a tincture, that is soluble in hot or cold beverages ??
easiest way possible, as my hands don't work so well
HELP PLEASE....
 

SouthCross

Well-Known Member
I'm guessing 20 grams of buds. Two separate strains are in the oven. After its decarbed. It'll be added to the previous batch of Green Dragon. It's been stored in a pint mason jar since. I added more everclear to about a total of 150ml.

The 20 grams bud will be ground in a coffee grinder and the alcohol boiled down to 100ml.

Next crop. Ill add more.
 

SouthCross

Well-Known Member
And it's strong. Really strong. I reduced it to 150ml instead of 100ml. By volume the powdered weed made up 50ml.

One full dropper taken in the early evening will leave a buzz the next morning. 1/2 a dropper works.
 

Nouna

Member
And it's strong. Really strong. I reduced it to 150ml instead of 100ml. By volume the powdered weed made up 50ml.

One full dropper taken in the early evening will leave a buzz the next morning. 1/2 a dropper works.
Great, hit you hard & fast?
 

Nouna

Member
Holding the tincture in your mouth for 10mins brings it on 5 minutes later. I'd say an all around 20 mins for full effect.

I am going to try my hand at making a tincture?
I need to do the easiest way, my hands are bad.
I did with oils, vape & edibles.... I need to cut the calories ....better than Norco for me. ☮
 
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