link to glycerin tincture

[herbgirl]

yes, my one of my herbals refers to adding a small portion of grain alcohol to the tincture with the glycerin as glycerin is somewhere between water and alcohol in it's solvent ability.

this same book speaks of an advanced extraction method involving mixing glycerin and alcohol, tincturing the herb, then heating the mixture to evap off the alcohol so you are left with an alcohol free solution - goodies suspended in glycerin i guess.

 

[Nuphile]

i've seen tincture recipes calling for just letting the material sit in the glycerin for three months shaking occasionally - no heat at all. I have not tried it this way. could it be that either heat OR time will convert the THCA?

You know? Maybe it is possible. I don't know the exact properties of glycerin. What I do know is that alcohol can effectively extract THC without decarboxylation. However, I have had stronger results with alcohol tincture by decarboxylating the cannabis in the oven first (1" think layer @ 350 for 5 minutes). With the alcohol tincture, you want to put it in a cool place because heat will degrade it.

So, I have not tried the glycerin method in a cool environment to compare it with a warm one. However, I had read several recipes that called for using heat. It really isn't difficult; I have even read of people just placing the tincture bottle near a PC fan or even under a couch cushion that gets regular use. You could even put it by a heater vent.

But, you might be right; it may not be necessary.

 

[Nuphile]

this same book speaks of an advanced extraction method involving mixing glycerin and alcohol, tincturing the herb, then heating the mixture to evap off the alcohol so you are left with an alcohol free solution - goodies suspended in glycerin i guess.

This sounds cool! Would you be willing to expand on this?
What is the ratio of glycerin to alcohol? Also, do you think the alcohol would rest on top of the glycerin or would the mixture become homogeneous?

 

[DaProfessor]

This sounds cool! Would you be willing to expand on this?
What is the ratio of glycerin to alcohol? Also, do you think the alcohol would rest on top of the glycerin or would the mixture become homogeneous?

It would be great if herbgirl could expand more on the techniques. Ethanol and glycerine are both water soluble, so the should mix together fine. Hand sanitizer is mostly glycerin (or propylene glycol) and ethanol. Ethanol being the active sanitizing compound.

 

[Nuphile]

This sounds cool! Would you be willing to expand on this?
What is the ratio of glycerin to alcohol? Also, do you think the alcohol would rest on top of the glycerin or would the mixture become homogeneous?

It would be great if herbgirl could expand more on the techniques. Ethanol and glycerine are both water soluble, so the should mix together fine. Hand sanitizer is mostly glycerin (or propylene glycol) and ethanol. Ethanol being the active sanitizing compound.

Thanks for the info!

 

[MG23]

I notice that for some reason, most people that say they will try out this recipe and report back with results never report back.

Well, I'm going to be cooking up a small(ish) batch tonight/tommorow.

I am using 8oz of glycerin, approximately 9 grams of ABV along with 1 gram of kief from my 4 piece grinder and a bit over half a gram of fresh mids just to add a little extra head high. Also using a 12 oz jar to store it in and cheesecloth for straining. No flavoring in this batch.

I'm cooking it using the following method http://www.fuckcombustion.com/viewtopic.php?id=3815 in a 12 oz jar to keep any smell (and more importantly the vapor) from escaping the glycerin. I will be putting it in my crock pot for anywhere from 12-16 hours, going to play that one by ear (eye). I will be shaking the jar up once an hour for every hour I am awake. I will report back most likely tomorrow night with my results.

What I'm expecting is a heavy, body high (read: couch lock) resembling the one I normally get from ABV edibles due to the high cbd low thc content, i'm expecting to get tired too, especially with larger doses for the same reason. Needless to say, if I'm right about the high I will stick to night time consumption.

Anyway, I will be posting results soon, if anyone has any other questions, tips, or pointers about my method I'd be happy to answer.

 

[MG23]

Update:

Cooked the mixture on low for 13 hours and just finished separating the mixture. One word. MESSY.

I wasn't expecting how messy the cheesecloth extraction would be, but that was just because I didn't think about it. Anyway I've got a good buzz just from what absorbed into my skin and the slight bit I licked off my fingers. I wiped my hands clean instead of using what was on them because I wasn't expecting just how sweet the glycerin is.

After all was said and done and bottling was complete, I lost a little under half of the glycerin to the cooking and bottling processes.

This is getting harder to write as I go due to the effects from just skin absorption kicking in

My impressions so far are happy it worked at all, but a little dissapointed in how much glycerin was either evaporated or wiped off of my hands after straining the cheese cloth. Granted, the latter is my own fault, I probably could've used it all from my hands but I couldn't handle that much sweetness at once, nor did I want to get so couch locked that it put me to sleep within the hour.

Also, the first impression I got from opening that jar after 13 hours of it simmering in there was skunk graveyard.

I will be making another update tonight after it cools and thickens. (Edit: Going out tonight, will postpone report)

This experiment was already worth the trouble for the experience alone.

 

[wthanna]

I notice that for some reason, most people that say they will try out this recipe and report back with results never report back.

This seems to be more common than not, in the cooking threads.

 

[Lo]

:/ I admit being guilty of not reporting back on this.

I have 3 bottles of my tincture but haven't had a chance to test it. In my past experience I need to have free schedule and no where I need to go lol. Soon as I test I'll report back!

I found the cheesecloth straining messy as well but I didn't lose a ton. I wet the cheesecloth before use to avoid it absorbing the tincture. I let it sit and drain for a bit in my nylon tea strainer over a jar, squeezed and let sit again. Each time I let it sit some tincture would accumulate in the bottom of the cheesecloth so I do think that helped recover more glycerin.

I did taste test it and yeah man the glycerin is sweet but the flavor was really nice on mine...a nice MJ taste Hopefully I can test drive it this weekend.

 

[herbgirl]

I will expand on the advanced extraction method in it's own post.

Matty, thanks for that report.
next time, try an old clean tee shirt wetted with plain glycerin to strain. it's less messy, won't break as easily and you won't lose your tincture to the cloth.

 

[MG23]

I will expand on the advanced extraction method in it's own post.

Matty, thanks for that report.
next time, try an old clean tee shirt wetted with plain glycerin to strain. it's less messy, won't break as easily and you won't lose your tincture to the cloth.

Thanks, that's a great tip and if I try this recipe again I will definitely use it.
No loose fibers getting into your jar and annoying you either I bet.

 

[herbgirl]

Matty, the old super clean tee shirt is superior in almost every way when it comes to straining out herbs, especially trying to squeeze out a thick glycerin tincture.

and you can beat free & compostable.

you may want to look into a potato ricer as well if you plan on tincturing more, like a squeezy type. chuck in the cloth with herb, bundle and squeeze - done.

 

[MG23]

Matty, the old super clean tee shirt is superior in almost every way when it comes to straining out herbs, especially trying to squeeze out a thick glycerin tincture.

and you can beat free & compostable.

you may want to look into a potato ricer as well if you plan on tincturing more, like a squeezy type. chuck in the cloth with herb, bundle and squeeze - done.

As I was sitting there squeezing the hell out of what smelled to be a long dead skunk wrapped in cheese cloth I was sure an invention had been made to make that process easier and much less messy.

 

[herbgirl]

yes there has
and if you want to get really fancy schmancy
http://www.herbtincturepress.com/

 

[Lo]

Ooohh, that press looks fancy schmansy I likey!

 

[herbgirl]

yes, that press will save me some time and money as i make a lot of tinctures and infused oils. I could even use it to press small amounts of apple cider, or use it to make homemade yogurt into thick strained yogurt.

*she says as she tries to convince herself (and mr. herbgirl) that it will be a valuable addition to her small herbalware collection*

i'm working on getting it before next year's apple harvest so i will be prepared for all that apple pulp that i would normally compost. i figure maybe i can squeeze a little more goodness out of them in the form of juice before the spent apples go to the worms.

 

[Nuphile]

you may want to look into a potato ricer as well if you plan on tincturing more, like a squeezy type. chuck in the cloth with herb, bundle and squeeze - done..

Brilliant! I have never heard of these contraptions, but just looked at them online. Way cheaper that a tincture press.

 

[Nuphile]

next time, try an old clean tee shirt wetted with plain glycerin to strain. it's less messy, won't break as easily and you won't lose your tincture to the cloth.

Hmmm...I'm having issues figuring this one out. At first, I thought it sounded good; but now I don't get it.
If you wet the t-shirt with plain glycerin, won't the plain glycerin just make its way into the tincture? Maybe I'm being a little too analytical here, I just like to understand processes to the fullest.

Thanks herbgirl for all your knowledge dropping!

 

[herbgirl]

next time, try an old clean tee shirt wetted with plain glycerin to strain. it's less messy, won't break as easily and you won't lose your tincture to the cloth.

Hmmm...I'm having issues figuring this one out. At first, I thought it sounded good; but now I don't get it.
If you wet the t-shirt with plain glycerin, won't the plain glycerin just make its way into the tincture? Maybe I'm being a little too analytical here, I just like to understand processes to the fullest.

Thanks herbgirl for all your knowledge dropping!

My pleasure Nuphile,
i am an 'understanding the process' type person too in case you didn't notice
so the answer to your question is yes, the plain glycerin will make it into the tincture, but the amount is negligible - drops perhaps. exact strength is a tricky proposal in a home setting, with varied botanicals, but i feel that the amount is so small it will not make a difference.

I should have been more clear as to my instructions. You need to wet the cloth with your plain glycerin and wring it out to damp before using as a strainer. basically, this allows for the cloth to be wet with the plain glycerin so that the cotton fibers don't suck up as much of the actual tincture and make it impossible to retrieve, instead the fibers are full of plain glycerin. You'd be surprised how much solvent a dry filter will grab.

Your filter will still retain some of the tincture no matter what you do, just as the marc (plant material) will do - more so without a fancy squeezer thingie so anything you can do to cut that amount down will be helpful. keeping the filter material as small as reasonably possible will also help with this solvent retention - there simply isn't more fabric for it to saturate.



clear as mud eh?
I'm sure we all agree that this stuff is too precious to waste any!

 

[Lo]

Tested my glycerin tincture last night. Took about a teaspoon at 9pm. By 10pm I noticed I was having trouble focusing on anything, mind going million miles per hour but accomplishing nothing. By 10:30 I had trouble keeping my eyes open lol, normally I'm a bit of a night owl so was surprised to be falling asleep so early.

Slept like a ROCK! Awoke to find my eyes a tad red but no hangover effect.

My tincture had more high range stuff in it so I'd consider it an excellent sleep aid. Next time I may try to use some golden dragon evap'ed and incorporated into the glycerin to get lower range stuff.

 

[herbgirl]

Lo,
perhaps only evaporate the gd halfway and then use the glycerite (glycerin tincture) instead of plain glycerin to do solvent exchange method i just posted on.

it'd be like a super tincture!

plus, i'm itching to know if it really works!!!

or you could even go all mad scientist and shit



triple infuse the glycerin
triple infuse the golden dragon
mix it with some triple infused green dragon
evaporate it by half and then incorporate it into the glycerin, heating gently until the alcohol is gone.



that would be like a triple super duper glycerite!

 

[MG23]

I used my tincture last night and the night before too. Same results as I was expecting and that Lo recieved. A nice high followed by a heavy sedative effect. If the US wasn't so ignorant this could be a fantastic natural sleep aid. I will be using it as such from now on. It provides great sleep and you even get a nice bit of the high back when you eat breakfast the next morning.

 

[Nuphile]

next time, try an old clean tee shirt wetted with plain glycerin to strain. it's less messy, won't break as easily and you won't lose your tincture to the cloth.

Hmmm...I'm having issues figuring this one out. At first, I thought it sounded good; but now I don't get it.
If you wet the t-shirt with plain glycerin, won't the plain glycerin just make its way into the tincture? Maybe I'm being a little too analytical here, I just like to understand processes to the fullest.

Thanks herbgirl for all your knowledge dropping!

My pleasure Nuphile,
i am an 'understanding the process' type person too in case you didn't notice
so the answer to your question is yes, the plain glycerin will make it into the tincture, but the amount is negligible - drops perhaps. exact strength is a tricky proposal in a home setting, with varied botanicals, but i feel that the amount is so small it will not make a difference.

I should have been more clear as to my instructions. You need to wet the cloth with your plain glycerin and wring it out to damp before using as a strainer. basically, this allows for the cloth to be wet with the plain glycerin so that the cotton fibers don't suck up as much of the actual tincture and make it impossible to retrieve, instead the fibers are full of plain glycerin. You'd be surprised how much solvent a dry filter will grab.

Your filter will still retain some of the tincture no matter what you do, just as the marc (plant material) will do - more so without a fancy squeezer thingie so anything you can do to cut that amount down will be helpful. keeping the filter material as small as reasonably possible will also help with this solvent retention - there simply isn't more fabric for it to saturate.



clear as mud eh?
I'm sure we all agree that this stuff is too precious to waste any!

Ahah! Now I get it. Of course you should wring it first. I was just picturing a t-shirt saturated with glycerine and figured it would drip into the tincture. I must have been vaked, or something because I should've figured that one out.

Great idea, I will definitely use that one. I was going to bottle my tincture on tomorrow, but I may not have time. I will post as soon as I have a chance to try it. With my busy schedule, I don't seem to have time to even be high that long.

 

[herbgirl]

"i don't have time to be medicated that long" is the main reason i haven't delved into this more - i probably wouldn't be able to use it often.
i have a family and a brand new business to take care of these days

 

[Nuphile]

That's understandable.
I am mainly focusing on learning the tincture process because nobody else in my area is doing it. I think patients could really benefit from this. Also, if Oregon ever makes it legal to have dispensaries, then I may have a rare skill, and hopefully be able to supply my tincture to dispensaries.