Please help me with my tincture.

[Opie Yutts]

I've got about an ounce of ground up kind bud sitting in some Everclear. What I keep wondering about is straining. Everything I read says to strain it through cheesecloth or even something as fine as a coffee filter. Now don't some people use coffee filters to strain out trichomes for making hash? Won't the filter keep the trichomes out of my tincture? Or do the trichs dissolve into the alcohol, and can then pass through the filter? Someone please help put my mind at ease about this.

Sorry for the stupid questions. I've made a couple tinctures before, but that was with trim. It was slightly effective. Now I've invested good weed and I'd like the tincture to be effective, or even very effective. It would be real nice if I could just put a couple drops under my tongue for a fantastic voyage. I keep reading about this, but I'm wondering if anyone has every really made some that good, and if so what's the secret to success.

I was also wondering what people thought about putting the mixture in the freezer for 3 days, as opposed to a dark cupboard for 30 days. Does that really work, and does it end up as potent?

Still not sure if I'm going to evaporate on the electric stove (seems a little scary), or by just letting it sit out.

Do you guys make an extra, less potent batch or two from the same plant material or just toss it after the first squeezing? I've read that people keep the ball around for a topical application for pain, but I find it hard to believe that would really work. Weed doesn't really take away my physical pain, it just makes it less aggravating and more bearable.

Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated.

Opie Yutts Reviewed by Opie Yutts on 08-31-2008. Please help me with my tincture. I've got about an ounce of ground up kind bud sitting in some Everclear. What I keep wondering about is straining. Everything I read says to strain it through cheesecloth or even something as fine as a coffee filter. Now don't some people use coffee filters to strain out trichomes for making hash? Won't the filter keep the trichomes out of my tincture? Or do the trichs dissolve into the alcohol, and can then pass through the filter? Someone please help put my mind at ease about this. Sorry Rating: 5

[Coelho]

I've got about an ounce of ground up kind bud sitting in some Everclear. What I keep wondering about is straining. Everything I read says to strain it through cheesecloth or even something as fine as a coffee filter. Now don't some people use coffee filters to strain out trichomes for making hash? Won't the filter keep the trichomes out of my tincture? Or do the trichs dissolve into the alcohol, and can then pass through the filter? Someone please help put my mind at ease about this.

Well... if the bud was left soaking in the alcohol during enough time, all the THC from the trichomes should already be dissolved, so filtering the weed wouldnt make any harm to the potency of the tincture.

Sorry for the stupid questions. I've made a couple tinctures before, but that was with trim. It was slightly effective. Now I've invested good weed and I'd like the tincture to be effective, or even very effective. It would be real nice if I could just put a couple drops under my tongue for a fantastic voyage. I keep reading about this, but I'm wondering if anyone has every really made some that good, and if so what's the secret to success.

I dont know if tinctures made only with alcohol would be good for putting under the tongue... it would burn a lot! (I already tried it). I did read that some tinctures are made with glicerin, but never had any worth success trying to make them.
The tinctures i make i ingest by mixing them with some drink to disguise its bad taste... usually, the amount of tincture i need to drink is some 5-10ml.

I was also wondering what people thought about putting the mixture in the freezer for 3 days, as opposed to a dark cupboard for 30 days. Does that really work, and does it end up as potent?

I think it doesnt work. Heat speeds up the dissolution of the THC in the alcohol, and cold slows it. Thats why the Green Dragon recipe instructs to heat the weed in the alcohol, because doing so it can be made in about one hour, instead weeks if one just lets the weed soaking in the alcohol without heating it.

Still not sure if I'm going to evaporate on the electric stove (seems a little scary), or by just letting it sit out.

Well... if you use an electric stove, the risks are VERY lower... in fact, you could even heat the bottle with the evenclear and weed for some minutes (maybe in a waterbath) to ensure that all the THC from the plant was dissolved, before filtering out the weed.

Do you guys make an extra, less potent batch or two from the same plant material or just toss it after the first squeezing? I've read that people keep the ball around for a topical application for pain, but I find it hard to believe that would really work. Weed doesn't really take away my physical pain, it just makes it less aggravating and more bearable.

Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated.

I do a second extraction from the weed i use to make green dragon... sometimes it yields a tincture that is almost as strong as the first one... or you could also wet the weed with a bit of water, dry in the microwave (usually it takes about 1 minute) and smoke it... this weed is weaker, as part of its THC was dissolved in the tincture, but still gives a bit of a high. :thumbsup:

[Opie Yutts]

Cool. Thank you very much for thoroughly addressing my questions.

I've tried many variations, but I've had bad luck with applying heat to weed. That's one reason I'm just letting it sit as opposed to heating.

So at this point I am at ease about straining. I will let it go a few more days then I will strain it, condense it using extremely low heat, and use the 2nd half of the everclear on the same batch of weed again. If anyone's interested I'll talk about results a bit.

Now we're absolutely sure that evaporating on low heat will not degrade the THC or any other desired chemical?

[stinkyattic]

On VERY low heat, your THC is safe. Even something like putting it in a glass lasagne pan and the placing the pan on one of those back-pain heat wrap things would help evap off what you don't want. But then go too far, and you end up with goo-hash rather than a tincture... Also the alcohol evaps off first, and your resins are not soluble in water.
Do you own a potato ricer? That is great for pressing out every last drop of goodness from the spent plant matter.

REad up on 'Green Dragon' if you haven't yet. I've used Bacardi151 with as much weed as I can stuff in a jar, a few mint leaves for flavor, and leave in a nice warm place (atop the fridge) for a week. Drain, strain, squeeze, enjoy.

[lunarose]

Opie, The way I heat mine to speed things up is I will preheat the oven to 170 and then place a mason jar filled with as much as I can fit in the oven and turn it off and leave it in there until it cools. I will do this several times over the course of several days. I also use lemon extract which has a higher alcohol content then Bacardi 151.

[veggii]

I heard stay under 280*

[painretreat]

Did I hear Bicardi 151--gotta try that one!

He said to use an electric stove, if you use the stove top! If you do not have an electric stove, you can buy a small portable stove burner at Wal-mart or any store with small kitchen appliances for less than $20. If you go that route! I like Bicardi, my Favorite!!!

I have read threads of your pain in other places. Not sure where it is. My experience is that the Sativa only strain's will increase my pain as well--at least muscle spasm's. Go figure! I haven't had a spasm in mos with strictly Indica's. And do not experience that unrelenting pain as often. But, it never increase's my pain.

Hope you don't mind the comment in your thread! PR :jointsmile:

[veggii]

if you see a rice cooker grab it, I heard they evaporate nicely, no spark means no fire. that video did you ketch it opie hemp oil a must make recipe for the very ill,someday when I finish my dream I'll have made some,only too wake up and see its a dream, lol "better in a dream than never at all"

[Opie Yutts]

Everybody, thanks a bunch for your input. You guys are great. Going camping now, see you in a few days. Somebody shake my tincture while I'm gone.