Length of Alcohol extraction

Still deciding whether to make some tincture or some QWISO. I have availability to over 90% ethanol or ISO.

It seems when directions are given to make QWISO, they list 30-45 seconds of extraction time in ISO before filtering. When directions are given for making alcohol tincture, they list extraction times of a few hours to a few weeks.

Why the great disparity? If you get most of the THC dissolved in under a minute, why not do the same for a tincture and avoid all the unwanted chlorophils and stuff?

Still learning here. Thanks

If you are making concentrates/wax with alcohol, you only want 30 minutes top to reduce chlorophyll from being extracted. Sitting too long will eventually have your trates look greener/darker due to the seperation of chlorophyll from the herbs. Also it reduces potency because IMO because it has impurities that shouldn't be there. You want at least 2 hours for tinctures because it takes longer to extract the neccessary components needed to be effective during a tincture application either topically or orally. That's why it is usually green in color for most tinctures. I won't get into taste but imagine a grass shot just more MJ in the flavor. Nasty if you ask me I'd never mess with tinctures but know of parents who use it for their disabled kids.

CG420 said:

If you are making concentrates/wax with alcohol, you only want 30 minutes top to reduce chlorophyll from being extracted. Sitting too long will eventually have your trates look greener/darker due to the seperation of chlorophyll from the herbs. Also it reduces potency because IMO because it has impurities that shouldn't be there. You want at least 2 hours for tinctures because it takes longer to extract the neccessary components needed to be effective during a tincture application either topically or orally. That's why it is usually green in color for most tinctures. I won't get into taste but imagine a grass shot just more MJ in the flavor. Nasty if you ask me I'd never mess with tinctures but know of parents who use it for their disabled kids.

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Thanks for your response. It's the statement you make " You want at least 2 hours for tinctures because it takes longer to extract the neccessary components needed to be effective during a tincture application either topically or orally." that I don't understand.
What is in a tincture preparation that requires so much more time that it worth getting all those impurities in there? Why is a tincture have less medicine if you have a 30 sec extraction vs. making oil? I would think you want as much medicine extracted in both QWISO and tinctures. Even if the tinctures are more dilute.

Sorry I'd like to revise that. By impurities, I meant the taste of chlorophyll. I'm not too experienced at all in tinctures but I remember reading somewhere about preparing it. It usually takes longer than 2 hours IIRC. I wouldn't trust my logic on this though. I have yet to make some myself. I do think you're gonna end up filtering the tincture before any impurities become bottled up in the end result. I know in extracting oils you want only the terpene profiles so you would extract with your solvents and then heat controlled vac purge to achieve certain characteristics in texture.

for tinctures, its being used for rubbing on the body or putting under the tongue for quick absorption.
So having it sit for a length of time dosen't matter because its not being done for taste or purity. Your soaking it to maximize extraction. It depends on what your using ie alcohol or glycerin etc etc.

with qwiso, your doing a quick wash because iso is very aggressive. it does not need long exposure to extract what you want. the longer you go, the more you risk pulling out impurities that are also extracted by the alcohol. Impurities turn the product darker. if its green (your washed alcohol), you extracted chlorophyll.

The recipe at the phoenixtears website uses 2 x 3 minute washes while mashing and grinding the herb. They are making theirs for oral intake as well, usually dispensing tiny pellets of oil from a syringe.

I did my first ever QWISO run last week using high test Everclear. Next time:

Don't use a coffee filter for first strain. It takes too long, and defeats the purpose of a quick wash. Use a sieve for first strain, to separate as much of the weed from the alcohol in the shortest time possible. Squeeze the weed in a coffee filter or cheesecloth after most of the alcohol is already gone.

Get a cheapie silicone pan from a local 420 shop. This stuff is sticky. It took awhile to get the shallow glass pan clean, and even then I needed to rinse with Everclear to get the stickiness off.

For evaporation I let the glass tray float in a larger pan of hot water. Everclear evaporated faster then I expected.

After it was finally strained I saved the weed in the freezer, and put it into the next batch of budder. I also added some fresh herb. Dunno if the old stuff added anything, but it didn't hurt.

Good luck, and merry Christmas