Crap! Too late to decarb?

So, in my gusto to start another tincture yesterday, I forgot to decarb my herbs before mixing them with everclear. If I use a microwave to warm the tincture to a boil allow to sit for 30 minutes, remicrowave and allow to sit for another 30, top off with everclear and freeze, will that work? Or am I basically screwed at this point?

Other option: filter through coffee filter, take filtered bud and decarb, then recombine with alcohol and top off.

I'd think about that for a minute. Do you really want to boil a solvent inside a microwave?

I've never had any experience with tinctures, but I have an idea. Purge out the everclear. All the way. Then decarb the mass of leaves and oil you have. Add to new everclear.

Might also be able to strain it out...then safely boil the everclear outside until it is decarbed. Adding more as the level gets to low.

You could heat it and boil off all of the solvent (including the water), and then decarb what is left behind.

It would be better to keep it in the same container to avoid losses due to transfer, as you can lose significant quantities each time you do so.

Significant is relative though, and you may find it beneficial to strain it out.

wiggles said:

So, in my gusto to start another tincture yesterday, I forgot to decarb my herbs before mixing them with everclear. If I use a microwave to warm the tincture to a boil allow to sit for 30 minutes, remicrowave and allow to sit for another 30, top off with everclear and freeze, will that work? Or am I basically screwed at this point?

Other option: filter through coffee filter, take filtered bud and decarb, then recombine with alcohol and top off.

Click to expand...

I personally wouldn't microwave it (sounds dangerous). I would use a traditional electric or magnetic induction cooktop and bring it to approx 225-230F for 20-25 minutes in a water bath before your normal tincture procedure (in fact the "decarb" should substitute for your normal procedure!). I haven't actually tried doing it this way so no guarantees. I prefer a shorter dry decarb before a lower temp brewing myself, but some swear by the liquid decarb method.

Do not microwave or u will nuke ur actives out... I see no need to remove all the alcohol to decarb, its just simply going to take longer now. U need to get a dish that u can wrap with foil, put ur tink in it and wrap well. Then put it in the over for 15min at 300 then turn the oven off and let the covered dish cool inside til u can bare hand touch it. Now repeate. you can also adjust it by legnthing the time and reducing heat.

keep in mind that all heating tools should be spark and flame free units. Alcohol is a fuel afterall.

I have successfully decarbed a tincture or two in the,glass jar it sat in on an electric pancake griddle. It was a hash tink that I forgot to decarb before adding alcohol.

Hope I helped in time

So I ended up using a combination of both bottom two suggestions. I disconnected the refrigerator (to keep the compressor from coming on), and ensured nothing else that could spark was on except for a fan. I also kept the dog and cat locked outside of the kitchen area, and had an ABC fire extinguisher nearby.

I brought it up to 217 degrees in a hot water bath (hottest I could get it on the stovetop) for 20 minutes, and let it sit for about 10.

Next, I put it in a 240 degree oven for 30 minutes and left the area. If there was an issue, I'd hear it.

Then I topped it off to where the alcohol level was originally to replace what boiled off, and replaced it in the freezer. It'll stay there for a week, and then I can test.

I've forgotten to decarb one time when making, it isn't as potent as a batch but still useful and still active, just leave in cold dark place for about a week and it will get better...

I decarb all my tinctures in alcohol. Put the solution in a Mason jar, tighten the lid, put it inside a pressure cooker, throw it in the oven. The pressure cooker maintains the pressure outside the jar as they are both heated, decreasing the chances that the alcohol will escape the jar, and preventing it from leaving the pressure cooker even if it does. I've never had a leak or a shatter.

Organica said:

I decarb all my tinctures in alcohol. Put the solution in a Mason jar, tighten the lid, put it inside a pressure cooker, throw it in the oven. The pressure cooker maintains the pressure outside the jar as they are both heated, decreasing the chances that the alcohol will escape the jar, and preventing it from leaving the pressure cooker even if it does. I've never had a leak or a shatter.

Click to expand...

Interesting idea, but sounds too much like what they cooked up in Boston. Yowks!

Seriously, is that a gas oven you are using? Sounds dangerous to me, but I have explosion phobia.

satyrday said:

Interesting idea, but sounds too much like what they cooked up in Boston. Yowks!

Seriously, is that a gas oven you are using? Sounds dangerous to me, but I have explosion phobia.

Click to expand...

As well you should, playing with pressure is something to do plenty of research about before doing, it's quite dangerous.

You could also double boil on an electric griddle or stove to decarb the actives, evaporate the alcohol and throw in the oven to decarb for longer. Then dissolve the oil back into alcohol and your tincture should be good to go. Decarb for as long as you find necessary, I'm not familiar with making tinctures, just qwiso and bho.