Tincture Help

[crucialbunny]

I'd like to make a batch of tincture for a friend that uses it as a sleep aid. He's been buying it at the dispensary but the cost is ridiculous for someone on a fixed income. My only problem is that here in California the strongest alcohol you can buy is 151 proof. My question is; will that be strong enough to do the job? From what I've read I should be using something in the 180 neighborhood. I can't find any distributors that will ship to California.

[quirk]

Google "Another tincture thread," then in the table of contents, Green Dragon Lite. Very easy to make potent tincture with 151.

[crucialbunny]

Thanks. Very good directions on this one.

[OldManGrower]

I used the "Ed Rosenthal Method" as described in the GWE Blog. Used 151 Rum. No Problem with it at all.

[Cali]

Go to Arizona that’s where I go get my everclear. Just get a lot when you go so you don’t have to keep going back. Cheaper than buying at the dispensary for sure.

[DeadlyFruit]

Making tincture with that strength alcohol is very possible, although as someone from Ontario where the strongest thing I can buy without a permit is also about 76%/151 proof I’ve learned that making oil/RSO with that strength is another story. When you extract the alcohol it doesn’t leave you with a nice strong oily product. It leaves you with way too much water and the extract floating around in it has an extremely tacky tar-like texture. I’ve been experimenting with a counter top water distiller to recover the alcohol when making RSO and decided to also use it to re-distill the alcohol a few times to increase the strength so I can make RSO properly. I have upped it from a starting point of 76% to now about 92%. I’m looking forward to trying the process again now that I have something better to work with. Sorry, I got off the topic of tincture - yes it is possible with that strength 🙂

[grouchyoldman]

Hi DeadlyFruit, Can you elaborate a bit on the "Countertop Water Distiller" idea?

I'd like to own a "Source Turbo" extractor for that same purpose, but they are pretty pricey. Is this a possible substitute?

[PeterMatanzas]

grouchyoldman Extractcrafter is going to have a 420 sale - refurbished Source Turbo and Turbo Pro units. They will go fast. I have the Source Turbo.

[gbauto]

Using lower-proof alcohol will increase the tendency to strip chlorophyll during the wash because of the higher concentration of water.
If you're trying to make feco for edibles, it shouldn't have any adverse effects unless you're prone to gastric upset because of the chlorophyll.
If you're trying to make a smokable extract, then keeping your wash in a deep freezer(-20 deg F) will keep the water in the Everclear frozen and it won't leach chlorophyll.

https://extractcrafter.com/

This has a ton of info on producing extracts.

[DeadlyFruit]

I follow a qwet recipe that keeps everything in the freezer and reduces the time the plant is in the solvent. I don’t do it for a smokable product, just to make it taste better. I am probably not getting every drop of thc but it does come out a nice deep amber colour. My problem is with extracting the alcohol to make oil. The alcohol comes out but all of that water is much slower leaving. I think all of that water does something to the structure of what I’m working with - like when you overcook sugars and get something hard instead of soft or screw up tempering chocolate or when ice cream gets crystally. Probably the liquid rapidly shoots up in temperature as the boiling point changes as a result of the dropping alcohol content. I am hoping to prove that theory with the stronger alcohol I’ve made.

[DeadlyFruit]

Hi DeadlyFruit, Can you elaborate a bit on the "Countertop Water Distiller" idea?

I'd like to own a "Source Turbo" extractor for that same purpose, but they are pretty pricey. Is this a possible substitute?

Hi Grouchy, the short answer is yes it is a workable substitute.

It is sold as a countertop distiller for drinking water as well as other things but it clearly is meant for distilling alcohol as well - it is in the instructions for the unit. For one, the heat is adjustable (important as the temp is lower for distilling alcohol). It may be slightly less efficient compared to the source turbo but I think it is about 1/4 the price. If I had to guess I’d say I recovered about 65% of the liquid, which isn’t bad when you consider a big chunk of what is missing is the water not the alcohol so the alcohol you recover is stronger.

When I make RSO I just pour the wash into the unit, put a mason jar under the spout to collect the alcohol that distils off and when it gets near the last of the wash I am supposed to turn it off and suck the RSO into syringes. That is where I get to my problem - the 76% alcohol is 24%water and that is mostly still in the unit when the alcohol is gone and it has globules of stuff with the texture of tar floating in it. The tar does what is expected but it isn’t the oil I was trying for. I think with stronger alcohol and less water at the end the texture will be closer to oil. I took a bunch of the 76% and distilled it a few times and now it measures ~92% so I’m hoping that works better the next time.


According to Amazon the unit I have is called: Mophorn Water Countertop 750W, Stainless Steel Distilling Machine 1.1Gal/4L, Purifier Filter Digital Control 110V, Professional for Home and Commercial Use with Handle Upgrade

The price seems to have gone up a little. I got it for about 170CAD but it is now listed at 210CAD. Not sure how much alcohol is where you are but the distiller paid for itself already based on the cost here.