fiarrhea said:
I was wondering whats the most amount youve ever put in a tincture, and how low could you evaporate it with it not becoming too syrupy to drink, or put in candy...my next venture.
I just finished another batch of ABV tincture.
I used a mason jar, that is my avb collection jar. It was a one quart jar that was exactly half full. The weed weighed approximatly 17 grams(just over a half ounce)
I covered it with everclear (190 proof-95%alc) completely and shook vigorously, then set the jar in the sun for two hours. I shook again very vigourously.
Next I folded a coffee filter in 1/4s to make a traditional funnel. I poked the funnelled filter into a seperate clean mason jar, and poured the dark alchohol mixture through.
I squeezed the hell out of the filter when it was done dripping, to get the last drops.
I then evaporated it
(I use a pot of not quite boiling water... and I set a pyrex measuring cup within that hot water, then turn on vent, and pour the tincture in the measuring cup.. it works fast)
About it not becoming too thick
When it is well evaporated, I pour it into a clear amber glass bottle that has an eyedropper.
I leave the top off the bottle and let the bottle sit open for the afternoon, near an open window so that a breeze can touch the open bottle.
I check the bottle every couple of hours.. by "swirling it" to see how it sticks to the bottle walls. if at any point it clings to the glass, and coats it- I stop. I add from the clean still unused dropper ONE drop of everclear. I am done.
If it just barely coats the bottle, but does not actually stick to the walls.. I stop and add nothing it is perfect.
You can test it, by using the eyedropper, and put one drip on a dish. touch it with finger, and then "contact thumb to forefinger tip a couple times to see if it starts liquid, but becomes tacky after a couple touches.
The mix today started with 17 grams of herb, and it rendered about a cup of dark colored ( green) everclear. After all evaporation and the mixture was thickish but not tacky to the touch.
The resulting tincture is just a little bit under 1/2 of this bottle.
I put 4 drops under my tongue ( watch out.. very bitter) and an eyedropper full down my throat, and I get pretty buzzed. This can be used in a candy recipe too, , by proportioning the amount of tincture vs water... there is very little alchohol left now.
Yesterday I did this project but with a bit more abv. I did it with olive oil instead, of alcholol, and cooked the weed in the olive oil in the oven for 30 minutes at 300. then let it cool and I strained and squeezed out every drop (medical examining gloves and a collander. squeeze it like handfulls o f dirt!).
The brownies from this oil are cooking now ( Saturday Morning fun).
I already have had a glass of apple juice ( room temp works best) with a full dropper of tincture.
In answer to the main thing you asked.... about it becoming TOO thick. I do final evaporation in the pictured bottle. The small top of the bottle gives you VERY controlled evaporation!
Oh... the most amount I personally ever put in a tincture was 1.5 ounces of avb. remember... the everclear must cover the herb, and you will need to have vessels that will not be cumbersome when it is time to pour, and transfer, and filter. I never use a jar that can not be covered. Mason jars are a good size, and wide mouthed .. and if you need to step away, just cover them up.
Everclear is the highest proof alcohol you can get. always stay venilated!
