Tincture recipes

[InducedSerenity]

You guys just dont get it do you? You can use a water bath, it will just take much longer to evaporate. The oil bath keeps the temps up to 230-240. Water will not get that hot. Here is a chart on how long to decarb and at what temps. Do what you like, and if it works for you that is all that matters. If you want to know the sweet spot on temps and times read this. If you do not see the point on an oil bath instead of water after reading the temps and times, you still dont get it. Also, keeping the temps up requires no pre heating of herb...because you get it hot enough to decarb while reducing Good luck

BTW I use 190 proof everclear

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=107780&page=3

hey slow,

I think the point grumio is trying to make is that because the liquid in the bath (alcohol) boils at less than 200 degrees F, there's not really a point in putting alcohol or water in an oil bath. It's not possible for the liquid to get hotter than its boiling point, regardless of the temperature of the bath around it.

So, if you have ethanol in a vessel which is surrounded by 300+ degree oil, the ethanol, or any substance suspended within it, will not reach anywhere near the temperature of the oil.

It's a great idea, but it's unfortunately useless unless you're using a substance with an equal or higher BP than your oil bath.

cheers,

iS

 

[slowandeasy]

Useless? Look at the chart! Time vs temp. I understand that liquid cannot get hotter than its boiling point. Try reducing everclear in boiling water, then try reducing it in an oil bath. If you have all night to look after your tincture, then use water. Because it will take much longer to evaporate than using an oil bath. Use a thermometer inside your tincture to keep track of its temps, then follow the chart. Alcohol is not the only liquid in the jar, the OIL from the herb does have a higher boiling point than water, so temps in the jar can get hotter. If you pre-heat your herb and make BHO out of it first, it works better IMO. You use less Everclear and less time to evaporate. But what would I know? Last tincture I made 2 drops gave me effects for over a day.

BTW, the reason the oil bath works better is because I use a mason jar. As Grumio pointed out, it will not boil right. If you use a mason jar, try an oil bath...it will boil off I promise!! Oh yeah, Grumio. The point of reducing is for taste and potency. If you have to much alcohol it burns, and results vary. Alcohol is just to keep the oil in suspense, it does not take much. I was always afraid to reduce it so much, but it is worth it. If you do not reduce, it will just burn and take more drops...also I have found with too much alcohol that dosage can vary, because of separation. Good luck, find what works for you and go from there!!

 

[SOTF420]

If you are going to smoke the extracted oil then you don't need to decarb anything because the heat of the incineration will accomplish this at point of smoking it.

You can simply place the everclear solution in a large shallow pyrex pan and let it naturally evaporate off, then scrape up the residual afterwards. Make sure there is adequate ventilation and it's warm & dry. This can be placed in small glass vials afterwards or smeared on the end of joints or buds rolled around in it.

 

[slowandeasy]

If you are going to smoke the extracted oil then you don't need to decarb anything because the heat of the incineration will accomplish this at point of smoking it.

You can simply place the everclear solution in a large shallow pyrex pan and let it naturally evaporate off, then scrape up the residual afterwards. Make sure there is adequate ventilation and it's warm & dry. This can be placed in small glass vials afterwards or smeared on the end of joints or buds rolled around in it.

This is a thread about Tincture, you do not smoke Tincture!!! Why would you decarb some thing you are going to smoke? Decarbing is done for ingestion, and heat speeds up the process. BHO tincture is very potent, and you must decarb it to get full effects. You put a few drops under your tounge. No smoking!!

If you wanna talk about smoking oil, there is a forum for that. This forum is for edibles, not smoking. But thanks.

 

[SOTF420]

I feel ya, but notice keyword "if"

...simma down na, simma down

 

[GET MO]

Thanks yall but nobody answered my question. If you water/oil bath it can it get tooo hot and lower the potency? Or does it just disolve more alcohol away?

 

[grumio]

Slow - I was typing a response last night when I had an AHA! moment, & I think I "get it" now!

You're using BHO, & reducing it down so far that the concentration of the hash oil in the mixture raises the temperature the liquid can reach to decarboxylation temp. Yes? That makes sense to me.

i do a straight herb-into-alc extraction, & decarb the herb in the oven first, so needing to reach those temps when making the tincture isn't an issue. I've used full-strength Everclear before, & yes it does burn (esp. if you want to take it sublingually) , so that makes sense as well.

I use 151 - 190 isn't sold in CA - so the taste/burning thing isn't an issue for me either.

I think I'll try reducing my next batch down to the level you're talking about & see how the sublingual absorption works. One problem I foresee is that is that it'll concentrate the bad-tasting compounds in the tincture as well as everything else. BHO would definitely have the advantage there.

cheers

 

[grumio]

Thanks yall but nobody answered my question. If you water/oil bath it can it get tooo hot and lower the potency? Or does it just disolve more alcohol away?

If you used an oil bath & the oil was too hot (over 320f or so) & you were trying to boil off almost all the alcohol, presumably towards the end of that the hash oil (which is what you'd be left with) could get too hot & start vaping off the goodies.

So, I guess, technically yes, it's possible to get it too hot, but you'd kinda have to work at it. That oil temp is almost 100 f higher than slow mentioned. And sticking a glass jar of of (literally) rocket fuel in oil hot enough to make french fries with just sounds like a nightmare.

 

[slowandeasy]

Grumio,
Yeah try making BHO first, instead of doing the alcohol extraction. Now, when the BHO is almost fully purged add some alcohol to your jar. Now double boil the alcohol/BHO mixture. Use an oil bath if you use a mason jar, it will help get the temps up. Now, follow that chart I showed u a few posts back. Put the thermometer in the BHO/alcohol mixture and keep track of the temps in there. The temps will change when it becomes more oil than alcohol. When it is at the right consistancy, the mixture will almost stop boiling. You do not need much alcohol, but just enough that it stays liquidy.

Actually the taste is much better, especially because it is BHO instead. The tincture will be golden. Your tincture is prolly a dark green, from all of the plant matter...that is what tastes bad. If you reduce it right, 2 drops under the tounge will work very well!! I had many unsatisfying attempts at tincture, until I did it like this. Try it once, you will prolly like it! Good luck.

 

[StickyFingerz]

How immediate are the effects of the tincture taken sublingually and how much is needed with a strong batch?

 

[slowandeasy]

Last batch 2 drops felt good in about an hour, felt the effects until the next day. Vaporizing once in awhile really kicks it up. The BHO tincture is very Heady, behind the eyes feeling. Body buzz also, but you will feel the heady feeling for a very long time. If done right, it is very potent. I also enjoy making BHO pills, using MCT oil. They seem to give a very happy, almost euphoric feeling. Very uppy, and fun. Do not drink alcohol, it kinda ruins it. Aleast for me. The effects go away.

 

[grumio]

Slow -

My tincture is clear & straw-colored (the tincture I make with bud, that is. The tincture I make with "cooking trim" is dark green). I infuse the alc with cardamom, cinnamon & vanilla bean first, & the flavor is actually pretty good, if maybe an acquired taste; sometimes I'll float a ml or two on a cocktail to get the spices & bitters flavors. I've even thought about marketing the stuff as "Cannabitters."

Generally, though, I'll just put 1-3 ml in an ounce or two of something, wine, juice, whatever, & knock it back. On an empty stomach, first effects in 20 minutes, full effect by 45 minutes to an hour (ah, the Green Dragon wake & bake!). Sounds like yours works on the same timetable, so I suspect you're getting it through the digestive system rather than sublingually. I've ingested, um, other things sublingually, & the effect was almost instant, like smoking. I'm not knocking your tek - your stuff sounds terrific.

I've never made BHO - I've read quite a bit about it, & my impression is that it is a) best done out doors, & b) best suited to fairly large batches, ie using at least a quarter ounce of bud. I don't have anywhere I'd feel real comfortable making it, & I don't have piles of stuff sitting around begging for some way to get used. If I had somewhere to make it, & access to as much weed as I wanted (or whacking piles of cash with which to buy it), I imagine I'd be a BHO convert. I've read a lot about all this, & those who seem to know what they're talking about all seem to agree that BHO is the gold standard.

But it's also dangerous to make (very volatile solvent - not that ethanol is exactly a purring kitty cat), expensive, & a pain in the ass to deal with physically (it's tar).

My understanding is that the knock on ethanol as a solvent isn't that it doesn't strip the resins we're interested in very well - it does - but that it strips out too much other unnecessary & unwanted things. The problem with those things seems to be taste. Taste isn't a problem for me. I think I'll be sticking with my tek.

Still, I'd have a go at making some BHO in a heartbeat, given the means.

What size batches do you make?

 

[slowandeasy]

grumio,

I get mild effects in about 15 min, full effects in about an hour. The difference is how long it lasts and the way your bloodsteam processes it. 2 drops has effects on me overnight and into the next day. BHO is not that dangerous to make, just have good ventillation. I do mine in the garage. It is not a pain in the ass to deal with when making tincture either, just extract it into the jar. Butane evaporates just above room temps, so a pan of warm water speeds it up. When it is almost done evaporating add some alcohol to the jar. Then double boil that mixture according to the time/temp chart.

Yes it is an extra step, but Butane will strip it better than the alcohol. It takes about 7-12 grams to fill the tube. It is a stainless steel turkey baster. Anyways, if you do not want to make it this way. Try reducing your tincture more, it will make it easier to dose and more consistant. Notice you take 1 to 3 ml. I think the extra alcohol screws dosage up, because you may get more alcohol than oil. Just my opinion.

 

[grumio]

Yeah, I just wouldn't feel comfortable making it in my apartment. I've got a great old stove with 4 pilot lights, I'd have to shut all those off & then relight them, not exactly rocket surgery as they say, but still kind of a pain. Place doesn't have cross-ventilation...

I have the turkey baster already, though. I'll get around to it some day.

As for the alcohol, well, my dose is, what, half a teaspoon? I usually take it with more alcohol, usually a shot glass of wine, even if I'm not going to be drinking. I've read speculation that the alcohol aids in the absorption, & even if I take a dose in a shot glass of juice, tincture comes on significantly faster than, say, a butter extraction.

I find milliliters (eye-dropperfuls) perfectly convenient; a little less fussy than drops. Still, I'm going to take your advice & try reducing it more.

In the name of science, naturally.

I'd guess that the temperature of the liquid starts to rise pretty quickly at the end of the process. Fortunately, I have the technology to deal with this.

I'm glad our incipient pissing match about boiling points, decarbing, etc got nipped in the bud, so to speak. It's useful & fun to talk about this with knowledgeable people, such as yourself. Cheers.

Allow me to return the favor with some solid-gold advice: get a Thermapen instant-read digital thermometer. The old model is on sale for ~$80, the new model is $100 or so, which seems like a hell of a lot for such an item, but I've had 3 other cheaper ones, & the Thermapen just beats the hell out of them. It really, really works. I got mine a few weeks ago; I wish I'd gone ahead & popped for one years ago. If you do any kind of serious cooking (I do), so much the better. Thermaworks.com, I think.

Oh - batch size: how much finished tincture would you get using the BHO from a 7 gram batch? With my recipe, 8 grams would make 4 ounces of tincture. Yours gives you, what, an ounce? Half an ounce? (correspondingly more potent, claro)

 

[slowandeasy]

Honestly, I do not know the exact amount that 7 grams will make...dont really measure. I just use whatever I get out of the BHO extract, then add everclear and reduce. I reduce it so much, that it does not seem like much...but a drop at a time goes a long way. Also, like I said before it lasts a very long time.


I used to do it like you, and thought droppers full would be better. I use 190 proof everclear, so it burns big time if you have too much alcohol. Also, 1 time it might take 1 dropper...then the next time 1 dropper did not work nearly as well. Inconsistant, for me atleast. So, I took someones advice and reduced it much more and it works much better...for me. Really that is all that matters, if you are happy with your results.

Have you ever tried making pills? If you wanna know how I do those lemme know, you might enjoy those also. Take care.

 

[slowandeasy]

Double post sorry

 

[Bedlamite]

I did my first successful grow this year. One of them got 9 feet tall. Up until now I have only been concerned with growing. (I killed several trying to figure it out)
But now, I have a new problem.
Abundance!!
I've only been looking at tinctures for a couple of weeks, since I took a class on tincture making.
One thing I learned in class is to boil the material in pure water 3 times. This washes away a lot of the "GREEN" but does nothing to the good stuff. I speculate that the break down of the fibers during this cooking can only help overall.
I read some herbal tincture sites that have nothing to do with cannabis. Several of those herbalists warn to never let your herb touch metal. Use only glass or ceramic to cook it in.
It introduces metallic ions or something very bad for you. sorry, I didn't bookmark those sites. I just ixquicked herbal tinctures.
I found out that Apple Cider Vinegar can be used. The herbal tinctures were made with glycerin, ethanol, and vinegar or a combination of all of them. The one that showed up most often was 4 parts alcohol to 1 part glycerin.
whoa! I never heard that before.
But then it makes me wonder if honey would work. Has anyone extracted, using honey?
It sounds yummy to me. I'll figure out some way to try it.

 

[medi-useA]

I also enjoy making BHO pills, using MCT oil.

slowandeasy, what is MCT oil?

One thing I learned in class is to boil the material in pure water 3 times. This washes

away a lot of the "GREEN" but does nothing to the good stuff. I speculate that the break

down of the fibers during this cooking can only help overall.
I read some herbal tincture sites that have nothing to do with cannabis. Several of

those herbalists warn to never let your herb touch metal. Use only glass or ceramic to

cook it in.
It introduces metallic ions or something very bad for you. sorry, I didn't bookmark

those sites. I just ixquicked herbal tinctures.
I found out that Apple Cider Vinegar can be used. The herbal tinctures were made with

glycerin, ethanol, and vinegar or a combination of all of them. The one that showed up

most often was 4 parts alcohol to 1 part glycerin.
whoa! I never heard that before.
But then it makes me wonder if honey would work. Has anyone extracted, using honey?
It sounds yummy to me. I'll figure out some way to try it.

Bedlamite, I think the boiling thing would only release a lot of thc into the water and

without fats oils or alcohol to absorb them, they would be lost with the water

change...I have heard of making canna butter by adding cannabis to boiling water and

butter, straining the matter out and freezing it after the remaining matter has

settled...then throw the butter in a pot of water and boil it/freeze it 2 more

times...each time matter will drop out of suspension and the cannabutter will be

'cleaner'.

The No Metal thing I have heard of before, but cannot remember specifics....

I've recently made an alc tincture with Grand Mariner and 1/2 oz or more of

SkunkMix...it is very thick, I have yet to try it...I am waiting until my system clears

a bit of all the weed I've been smoking since harvest.

I have a glycerin tinc steeping on a heatpad @ the moment....hoping th@ will turn out

ok...

My alc tincture with Grand Mariner has a pleasant 'woody' or 'smokey' taste...I've got a

25 ml brown bottle of it in the fridge as I type...

slowandeasy, think a deepfryer with temp control would do as an oil bath?...I know I've

got to get the thermometer for precise measurements, but the dial starts @ 120C...


muA

 

[Justa6655321]

Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are medium-chain (6 to 12 carbons) fatty acid esters of glycerol.

MCTs passively diffuse from the GI tract to the portal system (longer fatty acids are absorbed into the lymphatic system) without requirement for modification like long-chain fatty acids or very-long-chain fatty acids do. In addition, MCTs do not require bile salts for digestion. Patients that have malnutrition or malabsorption syndromes are treated with MCTs because they do not require energy for absorption, utilization, or storage. Coconut oil is composed of approximately 66% medium-chain triglycerides. Other rich sources of MCTs include palm kernel oils; and MCTs are also found in camphor tree drupes. The fatty acids found in MCTs are called medium-chain fatty acids. The names of the medium-chain fatty acids (and the corresponding number of carbons) found in MCTs are caproic acid (C6), caprylic acid (C8), capric acid (C10) and lauric acid (C12). MCTs are composed of a glycerol backbone and three of these fatty acids. The approximate ratios of these fatty acids in commercial MCT products derived from coconut oil is 2(C6):55(C8):42(C10):1(C12).[1]

The milk fats of humans, dogs, and guinea pigs are largely made up of long-chain fatty acids. The milk fats of cows, sheep, and goats are rich in short-chain acids. The milk fats of horses contain large amounts of medium-chain fatty acids[2]

Throughout the years, some studies have shown that MCTs can help in the process of excess calorie burning, weight loss. However, close to half of the calories in one's diet would have to be from the MCTs themselves. Therefore, consuming medium-chain triglycerides in a regular diet may or may not be beneficial to weight loss; studies are still being conducted.[

 

[Justa6655321]

Keep your tinctures as simple as possible. Get the highest % alchol you can find in your area and use that. Make sure you "bake", heat your weed for 10-20 minutes at 250 degrees first in order to activate the THC - then simply pour over your weed and let it sit. It can be very very powerful stuff. I dilute my mixture with vodka and pepermint schnapps but you can use whatever you want. pour shots work very fast and are very strong so be careful. I have done this hundreds of times! It's one of the best things for medical patients.....