Alcohol Tincture

Takashi said:

What is the most common thing people do wrong to ruin batches?

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In my opinion you ruin the taste of the tincture if you do anything other than the cold extraction
All the other methods strip to much clorophill.

I have been working on developing tinctures and tried a few methods using high proof alcohol (85%) and glycerine, I’ve found the best results from using a mix. My current methodology is as follows:


Using 1g, which provides approx. 5 doses

Decarb at 310F for 20 minutes in sealed container (I use a mason jar)

Add glycerine (10ml), water (10ml) and alcohol (10ml)

Use a slow cooker on the keep warm setting to heat for 15 hours


NB:

I know a lot of people have cooked for far longer, but I have reduced the time to 12-15 hours to account for the fact I am only cooking 1g-3g at a time.

The alcohol I am using is lemon extract.

I am using water to provide the extra Hydrogen bonds needed

I am using a glycerine/Alcohol mix to prevent burning the tongue

Each does takes approx. 45 mins for effects to become apparent, peaking between 90-120 minutes, and subsiding completely around 240 mins (4 hours)


The results have been great, however the time it takes for effects to be felt is about 45 minutes. This would indicate it is being absorbed in the gut, rather than underneath the tongue.


Does anyone have any idea of how to solve this? Ideally I want the quickest absorption time possible, 15 mins is obviously possible but I am struggling to get this! Searched through forums and sites a lot (I’ve been playing with this for over a year now), but happy to look at any links anyone has!


Interested in hearing any other methods, although please provide details (eg weights and any evidence you have), I have tried a lot of different methods including using N02 to force out active components, happy to share if anyone wants advice!

I was looking for the original poster here Hobbes, I just kept seeing the glycerine recipes but not the cold method so I ended up making it with some vodka and some liqueur which is basically like flavoring. I've done all the decarboxylation in the oven and probably was about 1/8th of flower if not more in the mix. Bear in mind I think I used about an ounce or two of the vodka and this has sat in my freezer for quite some time. Maybe 3+ months. The reason I haven't strained it is finding a vial for it. But hopefully it is worth using in a mixed drink.

@GreenStick85 Give it a test and report back?

I'm still looking for one of those medicine vials with the dropper, not sure where to go....

I have a 750ml bottle of green dragon and 1 problem.

I took a lot of bud and trimmings (about 6oz worth), some vaped bud, some leftover goo from other experiments, etc - and soaked it in everclear for about 3.5 months in multiple mason jars. I strained and bottled (750ml).

Problem is that I DID NOT decarb.

Last night I tried a suggested process from this thread - I took about 20ml and added water to it. I did a boil off of that but I am not sure if I boiled off all of the alcohol but there is a mass of black goo at the bottom of the glass. I let it sit all night and just now I poured off all of the liquid and am left with about 1/8 teaspoon of black goo in the bottom of my glass.

Is this what I am looking for?
From my reading it seems that maybe it should not be black but honey colored?
I have been screwing around with tincture for a minute and every time I get it condensed down it is always black in color and has a horrible taste that is more bitter than anything else known to man.

What can I do with the remaining green dragon so that it can be enjoyed as it should be?

Again, the original source was not decarbed.

1) Can the end result be altered in order to decarb or is 3.5 months long enough in 95% alcohol to effectively decarb?
2) Can this black goo be smoked as if it is hash oil?

Any help is appreciated!

Old-School said:

I have a 750ml bottle of green dragon and 1 problem.

I took a lot of bud and trimmings (about 6oz worth), some vaped bud, some leftover goo from other experiments, etc - and soaked it in everclear for about 3.5 months in multiple mason jars. I strained and bottled (750ml).

Problem is that I DID NOT decarb.

Last night I tried a suggested process from this thread - I took about 20ml and added water to it. I did a boil off of that but I am not sure if I boiled off all of the alcohol but there is a mass of black goo at the bottom of the glass. I let it sit all night and just now I poured off all of the liquid and am left with about 1/8 teaspoon of black goo in the bottom of my glass.

Is this what I am looking for?
From my reading it seems that maybe it should not be black but honey colored?
I have been screwing around with tincture for a minute and every time I get it condensed down it is always black in color and has a horrible taste that is more bitter than anything else known to man.

What can I do with the remaining green dragon so that it can be enjoyed as it should be?

Again, the original source was not decarbed.

1) Can the end result be altered in order to decarb or is 3.5 months long enough in 95% alcohol to effectively decarb?
2) Can this black goo be smoked as if it is hash oil?

Any help is appreciated!

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In order for this to be honey colored, the alcohol and mj should have been frozen then you do a very quick wash and set aside.
Depending on your amounts, washes should be just enough to soak the buds then drain quick by filter separation. The problem is that soaking the pot mixture you made allowed the chlorophyll to leach out and contribute to this black green color. You also had a mix of everything ranging from vaped buds to trim, which have a direct effect on the taste because you have mixed MJ that has been subject to heat and some that has not. Did your vaped bud smell of popcorn? Was it brown? In all honesty: I couldn't care to salvage vaped buds myself but that is just me. The burnt taste is what 'pollutes' your final product.

You can keep this however you like but using as a tincture you can mix with liquids. Like a smoothie or the like...
When you tasted it albeit being nasty, did it give you any form of a buzz about an hour or so later??
I dunno what boiling this liquid off did anything positive for you though, decarbing is often done in a dry-set conditions like the oven. You may have boiled off a fair amount of thc.... Do what you wish with it but the idea of having to taste wickedness for the sake of being high is not exactly a cup of tea. Good luck in what you decide on.

Good luck finding one @Greenstick, over here in the UK Ebay has been pretty good for getting atomisers and containers for these experiments!
@Old-School, can never be sure until you actually see the stuff but dark brown, almost burnt looking leaf has never been a problem for me, best bet would be to dry out a bit of the leaf, try smoking it. If it has any effect the active compounds have not been extracted (also it will taste pretty grim, just make sure all the alcohol has evaporated! Also check out this post on the effects of temp on cannabis

http://www.marijuanagrowershq.com/decarboxylating-cannabis-turning-thca-into-thc/

GreenStick85 said:

I'm still looking for one of those medicine vials with the dropper, not sure where to go....

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Any health food/ vitamin shop should have little dropper bottles, as well as amber colored bottles to store tincture in. This is a good place online too:

http://www.sunburstbottle.com/

fumble said:

Any health food/ vitamin shop should have little dropper bottles, as well as amber colored bottles to store tincture in. This is a good place online too:

http://www.sunburstbottle.com/

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I tried scouring the internet to find a store that may hold these but they normally just hold supplements and not empty bottles. The issue with that sunburst place is that you must buy a whole case of them or many so that isn't my goal unless I were to make lots of tincture. Hope someone else can throw me a bone here cus just going around town for the smallest bottles is just a bit odd if I don't know a certain one.

you might try your local thrift store...my daughter finds all kinds of little bottles and things that would be great for tincture.

I just might do that, thank you!

Also, I forgot to mention that you might try asking Sunburst for a sample or two. Not sure if they do that, but some places will.

fumble said:

Also, I forgot to mention that you might try asking Sunburst for a sample or two. Not sure if they do that, but some places will.

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I finally finally found a place that had some small bottles. They are a cobalt blue. One is 10 ml and the other I can't find a volume but looks like the amount of a child's cough syrup bottle. 100 ml if I had to guess. The problem is I haven't tested the stuff since I kinda put it together. But what I am surprised with is the clarity. Being in the freezer has made it an awesome way to keep it from getting green. Having looked at the material, looked like about 150 ml went in with about an 1/8th of mmj. Maybe more. This was good grade stuff, decarbed before mixing. I'm unsure if anyone has done a long term soak like this(at least 3 months) but I guess the only way around this is to try it.

I have done a long soak like that and it worked great. I didn't put it in the freezer though, just the back of a cabinet. Where I forgot about it lol. Glad you found some bottles...

I admit to taking it out, letting it rest a few times in the beginning then just let it sit frozen. Should be potent. But I'm a bit busy these days to give it a whirl....situationally it's not right for me. But will come soon.

Don't know if this was already answered so sorry if i ask again...I boiled alcohol out and im left with a tar then decide to melt that into everclear, If all of the tar didn't melt into it should i add more alcohol?

barcow said:

Don't know if this was already answered so sorry if i ask again...I boiled alcohol out and im left with a tar then decide to melt that into everclear, If all of the tar didn't melt into it should i add more alcohol?

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How long has it set? The longer you keep it in the better but get enough to make it manageable.... The everclear should evap a little bit so try to keep a steady level of it that way you have a balanced alcohol and 'tar' mix.

is it possible to do a evective tintcure without decarb before mixing the herbs with the alkohol?
cause i forget the decarbing, now the stuff is mixed -_-

This thread has been a godsend. Husband has brain metastases and last hope is whole plant extract. Anyone tried using a tincture in a nebulizer? BTW, ordered 12 dropper bottles from Amazon for about $9, I think