Brix Plus Evaluation

I came across this product a while back and decided to give it a try considering the claims that were flying around. I did search here on IC but not too much first hand information. So here it goes.

First, I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for new fangled gadgets and claims of supernormal proportions and I’ve been burned many times as a result. Lets start with the claims:

“Brix Plus is a unique formula designed to achieve maximum yield. Scientifically designed using only the best ingredients, Brix Plus is readily available for direct absorption into your favorite flower or herb. This 100% totally organic product contains the following naturally derived active ingredients: amino acids, carbohydrates, vitamins, triacontinol, enzymes and proven biological yield enhancer. BRIX Plus:

* Adds Weight * Improves Color * Improves Taste * Improves Yield * Increases Maturation”

So then what is this stuff? Ingredients sound pretty normal, oh except for the Triacontinol. As best I could find out, Triacontinol is a growth hormone derived from Alfalfa, but there isn’t much information on that either.

The product comes in many forms of packaging depending on where you buy it.

UK Label


OZ Label


Canada Label

Online usage instructions say to either use as a foliar or as a soak. Spray entire plant until runoff before lights out 7-10 days before harvest OR to soak 2000 grams of flower in 1 liter of Brix Plus for 10-15 minutes then dry. Interestingly, when my bottle arrived, the label made no mention of the soak method, only as a foiler spray, Humm! Maybe it’s a legal issue? Plant specific, etc?

So anyway, I set out to try both methods.

Foiler Spray:

Brix Plus is a very thin, brownish looking liquid that smells like well, hard to describe except to say that it is slightly chemically and not much worse than any other whiz bang nutrient/additive out there. I sprayed it on an hour before lights out and came back 12 hours later to find my plant leafs covered with a clear sticky substance. The plant leafs were glistening with something. This sticky mess stayed on the plant until harvest. Other than that there were no observed physical changes to the plant. It also appeared that most of the sticky attached itself to the leaves and not the bud. After the manicure I could not tell that it had ever been sprayed with Brix. As for the manufacturers claims:

Adds Weight: Nothing
Improves Color: Nothing
Improves Taste: Nothing
Increases Maturation: Nothing. If anything, it may have retarded maturation by coating the leafs and preventing transpiration.

Soak Method:

They say to soak 2000 grams of fresh weed in a liter of Brix Plus. So what's wrong with this picture? To start, 2000 grams of fresh weed could fill 2 shopping bags so I would hardly say “soak”. Applying the stuff was more like putting dressing on a salad. It worked best by putting the weed into a large round tub and tossing it like lettuce. Afterwards the bud was set into the racks for drying. When I checked back the next day, the bud was completely sticky coated. As the bud dried the stickiness disappeared and the buds took on a deep green coloration. When fully dry, the buds still maintained the nice green coloration and their texture was much more supple than the non-treated bud. It’s like the bud was impregnated with a soft plastic, not crunchy like normal dried bud. This may change over time and I’ll set aside some to monitor long term. One unstated benefit may be as a preservative?

Adds Weight: Yes, 15% increase
Improves Color: Yes, if you like your buds green
Improves Taste: Yes, the smoke was much smoother
Increases Maturation: Impossible since it was applied after the cut.

The only drawback was that the bud still had a slight Brix smell when dry (@7 days of drying time).

Conclusion:

I would say that if you needed to improve the taste and color of your bud for whatever reason then this product is worth a try. Interesting that the foiler method was absolutely worthless. I kind of wonder why they even bother to label the stuff that way. Maybe it’s the only way they can sell it legally?



Foiler Spray


Nothing



Soak Method

My local hydro shop doesn't carry Brix+, but if they did I would give it a shot on in my tiny setup.

My local hydro shop doesn't carry Brix+, but if they did I would give it a shot on in my tiny setup.

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That's interesting..Not.

Hey BD, this seems like nasty stuff to me, I thought it was a typo that you were applying after harvest. So this is like the anti flush method, instead of cleaning your buds out, you soak them in organic crap to make them weigh more? You gave it a good try, and wrote a good report, what do you think of this product ethically? To me it is adding poison to make money, and I consider that criminal. What say ye?
H

Funny I live in OZ and we have the "Canadian" label. Haven't seen the "OZ" label in Australia..LOL

The nothing pic looks best!!!

I would too stay away from this shit, if you want to improve weight, taste and smell go with molasses or something like sweet/carboload.

I would be fuming if I bought some weed and found out the grower was using shit like this!

I can speak from experience when I say you can tell the diff between a treated bud and a natural bud, I think most people would too. The kicker is when the grower sells a few different strains and they all look like they are covered in snails trails, and they all taste and smell the same! The old school cheaters used to mix boiling water with lots of brown sugar and spray them while they were drying. This gave a look of increased resin, improved taste and smell and you could still tell the strains apart. Not with the brix stuff though..

Hey BD, this seems like nasty stuff to me, I thought it was a typo that you were applying after harvest. So this is like the anti flush method, instead of cleaning your buds out, you soak them in organic crap to make them weigh more? You gave it a good try, and wrote a good report, what do you think of this product ethically? To me it is adding poison to make money, and I consider that criminal. What say ye?
H

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Well, yes you are right, it is unethical if you are doing it for the weight. It's a lot of hassle for 15% but then there are those who are willing. Like I said in my conclusion: There is a definite improvement in taste. The smoke is much smoother. The color is improved as well. It may also increase storage life, I'll know that for sure in a few months. Everything we eat has some kind of preservative or other unnatural crap in it.
I'm not planning to use it myself beyond this test, or judge anyone who does, just reporting.
I was not aware that this stuff was a "poison", it's sold as completely organic (although there are plenty of organic poisons) can you elaborate on that?

Just my angry old fart mode of expression, I would think of anything except water as an adulterant, or poison. It is interesting that the taste is better, I have trouble believing that, although I do not doubt your word or ability to judge it so.

I may be completely wrong, but I think that this entire - add weight through additives in the last two weeks,- is a flawed strategy, although lord knows I could use some heft on my sativas. If it can be done in a way that increases flavor, quality, or stone, cleanly, then I could get behind it I reckon.

Something to think about, thanks for the info.
H

Isn't that the shit that leaves a nasty powder on the bud...

Isn't that the shit that leaves a nasty powder on the bud...

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There isn't any powder on the bud. After the stuff dries there is nothing "on" the buds. It appears that it permeates through the bud and dries flexible.

Imagine your bud as a dry hard sponge. You soak your sponge in a liquid containing lets say a skin moisturizer and then set it out to dry. After it dries out the moisturizer stays in the bud and the water is gone. The result is a bud that is supple yet still dry. That is the best I can explain it.

It is interesting that the taste is better, I have trouble believing that, although I do not doubt your word or ability to judge it so.

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It's smoother, I can't really say better. It's as if it had been cured for months rather than 7 days.

Brix + ...are you serious? I think it,s mostly sugar that adds weight and shows a lot of shine reminescent of real trichs....
Thers,s a thread here on IC with the full dope on it....The local shop that I was buying from start selling Brix and the guy gave me a shite story on the benefits..I haven,t bought from his shop since....better check it out a little better before using it...my 2cents for what it,s worth.
jarff

interesting, got more pics?

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=39333&highlight=Brix
Try these comments on Brix+...
Can,t be good for your lungs..
Funny how money hungry some of these manufacturer,s can be...
good luck if you use this stuff...you may even grow an extra set of lungs..
jarff

Brix + ...are you serious? I think it,s mostly sugar that adds weight and shows a lot of shine reminescent of real trichs....

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Sorry Jarff, Brix Plus does not make the bud shine nor form crystals of any kind. The Chrystaly (my own word) pictures and comments in those links are certainly some kind of adulterant but definitely NOT Brix Plus. This is why I did the evaluation, just about all the information out there is hearsay.

Perhaps you didn't use it right. The point of Brix is to add wight and artificial trichomes to the buds to increase their bag appeal and saleability. The idea is the sugars in the Brix crystalise on the surface after drying and look like trichomes at a glance, being shiny, it also artificially adds weight, so what you are doing by using it is cutting or adulterationg your bud. I certainly wouldn't smoke anything with Brix on it, to me it's a ripoff worthless piece of shit designed for dishonest people to help them ripoff their customers.

I wouldn,t smoke anything with Brix + so I def. wouldn,t sell anything to friends...Just sounds too good to be true....I,ve seen ppl.using it to gain weight but these same ppl. won,t smoke anything with Brix on it themselves...They like the increase in weight to fatten their pockets....But if ya like it go for it...It,s your business.
jarff

Perhaps you didn't use it right. The point of Brix is to add wight and artificial trichomes to the buds to increase their bag appeal and saleability. The idea is the sugars in the Brix crystalise on the surface after drying and look like trichomes at a glance, being shiny, it also artificially adds weight, so what you are doing by using it is cutting or adulterationg your bud.

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I used it exactly as directed. Read the thread before you comment.

Again,,someone who has never used it giving advice.

One year later.......

I was right...Brix Plus does act like a preservative, also, most of the Brix smell has long gone. Smoke is smooth. Potency still good.

That's the last of it.

NOTE: THIS EVAL WAS ONLY A PRODUCT TEST. I DO NOT RECOMMEND ITS USE.

evil disgusting stuff, ruins perfectly goo buds all in then ame of greed-ie adding weight for growers...its doesnt add more buds to the plant, its a soak, ity odesnt add anything beneficial its just a weight adder for greedy ppl and criminal gang type growers.
If it didnt grow on the buds naturally I dont want it in my stash jar,
BD if you just try it mate and are only using the buds urself fair enough but honestly ive bought buds that(I found out after) have been soaked in this shit--bad news... it sucks and is specifically made to assist in ripping of consumers
It ruins weed, leaves a gooey rediue all over and through it...imagine mixing honey into hot water til you have a runny sryp and dipping ur buds in that....thats what this shit does., ur buds dont burn right, and it ruins the whole experience with nasty taste.
No legitimate reason for this stuff, ill just be glad when Im moved to a secure new home and get back to my fave hobby and dump the dealer again----even if I havent got my cheese any more.
be lucky