Troy01;3727272 said:Hope I can help. I have been making tinctures (alcohol) for about a year. Over the past year I have experimented with about every recipe I could find.
I prepped Tinctures using 3 basic methods:
1. Cold Process
2. Room Temperature for 2 months
3. Magic Butter - I have tried both 4 hour and 8 hour
My favorite is probably the Cold - Freezer method and will cover that later
Since the discussion on here is using the MagicButter Machine I will start with it -
I didn't find much difference in the 4 hour and 8 hour method (for both of these I used the lowest temperature).
1. Probably the most important is to Decarb your material. MB suggests that you don't grind it in advance and break your buds up and decarb.
2. put your material in the MB and fill with EverClear at least to the minimum line (I think it takes about 2 cups). I ran a batch today of sugar leaf (about 3 ounces) and had to work the material down into the liquid before it would blend properly.
3. Press lowest temperature and either 4 or 8 hours.
4. At the end of time strain with bag. Put Material back in MB and wash with some more everclear (you will pick up about 20% with the second wash).
5. Strain again.
6. I run the product through a coffee filter.
7. If you want you can test at this point but will be really weak by dose. To get an idea of strength try 1-2 ml and wait at least an hour.
8. I then put tincture in a Pyrex measuring cup sitting on a paper towel (folded) in a sauce pan filled with water, to keep from direct contact with pan. I use a measuring cup with a handle which rests outside the pan which keeps it from tipping over.
9. Bring up to a light boil and turn down to simmer. The Everclear will start bubbling vigorously even though the water won't be boiling. Reduce it down to the strength you like. I generally evaporate off about 75% of the Alcohol to get at about 10 mg / .5 ml
Advantages of this method -
1. Easy and consistent output
2. Fast
Disadvantage:
1. Because of the Min liquid level you have to use a lot of EverClear so really should brew up at least an ounce of material.
2. The heating method will brew up a really dark Green Dragon that is high in Chlorophyll. It will have a rather strong dank taste.
3. Because of the amount of EverClear you end up evaporating a lot off = waste.
Tomorrow morning I will share my favorite Recipe - This isn't mine but I will lead you to where I got it.
Troy01;3727858 said:Freezer Tincture (my Favorite)
Now this receipe comes form PsychedelicSam - Green/Golden Dragon Recipe
Green/Gold Dragon Recipe
DECARBOXYLATION:
Bake 7g herbs @ 220F for 25-30 minutes or (less heat for convection and or metal pan). This is variable dependent on the dryness of the reefer. If using seeded pot, cleaned weight should equal 7 grams.
FREEZE:
Place the decarbed 7g herbs in sealed Mason jar into the freezer for 24 hours.
Also place a pint of Everclear or other 190+ proof alcohol in freezer for 24 hours.
After 24 hours add 150 ML to Mason jar with herbals. Shake aggressively for 15 minutes.
Place back in freezer for at least 4 hours and shake again for 15 minutes.
STRAIN:
1. Cheesecloth. Cut your cheesecloth large enough that you can fold it a couple of times finishing with a square about an inch larger than the mouth of your jar. Take the lid off the jar and take the middle out, just leaving the ring. Place the cheesecloth over the top of the jar and screw the lid ring over it tightly. Take a bowl big enough to hold the liquid and turn the jar upside down over it. That will strain the plant material from the alcohol without making a mess. You may have to shake it a bit but with just 7 grams it shouldn't be too bad.
* Don't worry about pressing the material just yet. When it's pretty dry, take off the ring, remove the cheesecloth, put the center back in the lid, seal the lid and put it back in the freezer for 24 yours. You should also have your fresh alcohol in the freezer too. You'll go back and do the 24 hour combine and shake and the next one again, a second run.
2. Gold Coffee Filter. After you've strained the plant material, you're ready for the gold coffee filter. Place it over a container and pour your alcohol solution through it. You'll see a lot of trichome husks that have been stripped of the thc oils. When it dries it will look like a fine blonde kief but there's nothing left in them. Just toss it. You may have to work the filter around a little to get past those husks. If you, don’t have a gold filter you can use paper ones.
3. Paper Coffee Filter. For the third and final filter, take another mason jar without the lid and stick a paper coffee filter into the top. Push the filter into the jar far enough to form a cup and screw the cap ring over it or use a rubber band to secure it to the jar. This will be the slowest part of the process. Pour your GD into the filter until it's full. Keep filling it until it all filters through. Since you've only got about 5 ounces, it shouldn't be too bad. You will have to move the jar around to find fresh spots in the filters. Those husks really gum it up but it's worth the time. You'll get a nice clear Green/Gold Dragon. Of course, you can always filter it again if you're a perfectionist.
4. Now that the filtering is finished, put the lid back on and seal it. Set it aside in a dark cupboard until the second run is complete.
5. Follow all the same steps for the 2nd run. Freeze reefer and alcohol separately for 24 hours then combine and shake for 15 minutes, put mix back in the freezer for 4 hours, then shake, shake, shake for 15 minutes.
6. If you have a press, place a square of cheesecloth or other material over your press, being sure to allow enough on each side to fold over the ball. After you’ve strained the weed, you can dispose of the leftovers as you see fit. If you don't have a press, cut the cheesecloth large enough so that you can pull the corners together and use a wooden spoon handle to wrap them around and then twist. You don't have to squeeze like crazy because the alcohol drains well.
7., 8. Repeat steps 2 and 3 as stated above.
REDUCE
Now we’re ready for the main event, concentrating the extraction by reduction of the alcohol.
1. Set up your double boiler configuration away from flame or other open heat sources. Use a fan for ventilation. If using an electric range, be sure your vent fan is on high. The more ventilation the better. While there won’t be the concentration of vapors there would be for larger quantities, there’s still enough to cause a flash fire if not careful.
2. Have the heat source for your double boilers at a level that causes a gentle boil in the water. If you’re using a crockpot where the water may not boil, just put it as high as you can. If you use an electric rice cooker that only has one temperature, just keep an eye on it so it doesn’t go beyond the desired level. If you don’t have a double boiler set up, air evaporation will work, just slower
* If at all possible, your upper chamber(bowl) of the double bowler should fit snugly in the lower portion a few inches above the water line. This is to prevent loss of steam and therefore water. If it’s a loose fit, keep an eye on the water level and add more as needed.
3. Measure your combined haul from both runs. If you don’t have a measuring device, you can mark a spot halfway down your jar and use that as your guide. As your tincture reduces, you can keep track of the level easier.
4. Add your dilute GD to the upper chamber and reduce it by half. Alcohol boils at a much lower temperature than water and thus will not damage the thc. Depending on your heat source, your solution may bubble a little bit, a rolling boil, or just swirls. What you want at minimum are the swirls. That shows there is action.
5. Finally, this recipe is designed to give you approximately 4 fluid ounces of concentrated Green/Gold Dragon tincture. We used 5oz of alcohol per run instead of 4 because of the small volume. I wanted to make sure the pot had good cover. For larger quantities, that extra bit wouldn’t be necessary. Wouldn’t hurt but would need more reduction. So for the last step, reduce your solution by half, or down to our goal volume, which should be about 4 fl.oz for this size batch, and bottle it. It is now officially ready to sample. As if you haven’t been as it was going along.
And there you have it. I've tried to make the actual steps as simple yet concise as possible. And as stated previously, this recipe is pretty much designed for the novice, the beginner. It does not require a lot of marijuana that could be lost, anything is possible so it could happen. I don't advocate making this or any other cannabis product for the first time with your emergency stash. You don't have to have expensive pot or even buds. I want everyone to be comfortable within themselves with trying this.
Let me know if something is confusing or just plain wrong and I'll get it cleared up
