Holy Tincture!

Thanx for the report, Phil. I'm a bit surprised at such a drastic difference. I've seen a lab report showing a one step ethanol extraction close to 75% efficiency but, in all honesty, there was little info included as to the exact extraction steps they used.

Gardening gives me access to all the trial material I need and everclear 190 is insanely expensive. I also live in an oppressively humid area that precludes a partial evaporation so I avoid the second run. What I do, however, is save my extracted material until I do my next extraction. I use virgin ethanol to do a quick rinse of the old material, drain it and then use this to do the extraction of my new bud.
 
Bucudinkydow said:
Well looks like things HAVE changed at ardent. Sent an email last night and got this response shortly after midnight. Talk about quick response. I'm impressed!

"Hey XXXXX,
Most often, giving your silicon lid a good washing with hot soapy water will remove any odor that can come post-production. If it is particularly stubborn, include a 10 minute soak in the hot soapy water.
Please try that and let me know if it does not fix the issue, and we will happily send you a new lid to try.

Thanks!
Miriam Magid"
Found my receipt and it's actually been nearly a year. Time slips by quicker the older I get!
I tried several methods of cleaning including a cycle through the dishwasher to no avail. It's been several months since I've opened the box now and I'm willing to give her advice a try. Perhaps age has helped some also. I still have concerns about the loose fit of my lid, though. I can put my lid on and turn the cup upside down and the lid falls off. I'll bet yours fits a lot tighter?
Great to know they're willing to make it right now.
Thanx for planting the seed I had just written it off.
Click to expand...

Yay!!:):):)Miriam has been very helpful to me. I'd call and let them know about the crappy fit of the purple lid. Now if you're talking about the outer black lid, if I screw it on and turn it upside down, it stays there. The purple one wouldn't tho, cuz of course it's not screw-on.
 
No I was referencing the purple lid for the inner container. I thought perhaps the newer ones were fitting tighter but obviously not.

Retrieved my lid while ago. Still odoriferous! I've washed it thoroughly in soapy hot water and now it's soaking in soapy mild bleach solution. If there's no glory tomorrow morn it's going through a dishwasher cycle. I'll then make a decision on the replacement lid.

I think I'll probably run a couple of batches through it tomorrow. If it's still stinky I'll wrap it in aluminum foil to keep it from smelling up my material. This is going to be a base tincture to test out some terpene blend additives so being a sealed decarb isn't a high priority.

Hearing from you reminds me of how convenient the process is. Almost effortless!
 
"I've seen a lab report showing a one step ethanol extraction close to 75% efficiency"

Sounds right to me as i had to use about 3x the amount of tinc from the second extraction.

So, broad and loosely......

Get 75% of the goodies on the first extraction.

Get 75% of the 25% left on the second extraction , well that's another 18% of the goodies relative to the original weed and your up to 93% of the weeds goodness being in the tinc.

Ok, practically % extracted will also depend a bit on time and that 93% figure is probably optimistic. But hey, it ots in the 80% plus range, tincture use becomes is a very "efficient" way to use weed.

Anyhow, not worth doing 3 extractions, but 2, definitely..

At some point after trying them all out i think i will just combine the odd batches i how have in the fridge and call it my rec stash. :)

Want to settle down on a method (for decarb as well) so i can produce a consistent tincture.

Fun hobby this. :)
 
Bucudinkydow said:
No I was referencing the purple lid for the inner container. I thought perhaps the newer ones were fitting tighter but obviously not.

Retrieved my lid while ago. Still odoriferous! I've washed it thoroughly in soapy hot water and now it's soaking in soapy mild bleach solution. If there's no glory tomorrow morn it's going through a dishwasher cycle. I'll then make a decision on the replacement lid.

I think I'll probably run a couple of batches through it tomorrow. If it's still stinky I'll wrap it in aluminum foil to keep it from smelling up my material. This is going to be a base tincture to test out some terpene blend additives so being a sealed decarb isn't a high priority.

Hearing from you reminds me of how convenient the process is. Almost effortless!
Click to expand...

I have a few silicone kitchen items--ice cube trays, hash/wax stash jars, purple lid--but I've never smelled anything. Wrapping your stinky lid in foil sounds like a plan!!

I purchased some terpene additives: even though I was very conservative with the drops, it made the tincture taste very strange, unpleasant. I didn't like the result at all, so I won't use them again. They taste very strong, so beware!!!

philthegeek said:
"I've seen a lab report showing a one step ethanol extraction close to 75% efficiency"

Sounds right to me as i had to use about 3x the amount of tinc from the second extraction.

So, broad and loosely......

Get 75% of the goodies on the first extraction.

Get 75% of the 25% left on the second extraction , well that's another 18% of the goodies relative to the original weed and your up to 93% of the weeds goodness being in the tinc.

Ok, practically % extracted will also depend a bit on time and that 93% figure is probably optimistic. But hey, it ots in the 80% plus range, tincture use becomes is a very "efficient" way to use weed.

Anyhow, not worth doing 3 extractions, but 2, definitely..

At some point after trying them all out i think i will just combine the odd batches i how have in the fridge and call it my rec stash. :)

Want to settle down on a method (for decarb as well) so i can produce a consistent tincture.

Fun hobby this. :)
Click to expand...

The best hobby I've ever had!!

Why are you so adamant about quick washes? I actually like to get the chlorophyll and whatever else extracts from the material. What's not to like about chlorophyll?

CannaDad's Blog: Concerned About Chlorophyll?
21 Surprising Chlorophyll Benefits | Organic Facts
 
"Why are you so adamant about quick washes? I actually like to get the chlorophyll and whatever else extracts from the material. What's not to like about chlorophyll?"

?? Not sure that i am. ?? My understanding of a quick wash is a few minutes. I use a few hours minimum. Say 4-6 for a 1st extraction and then 2 hr so for a second. Last time second run was overnight but that was life intervening. :)


"What's not to like about chlorophyll?" Lol! Health food shops like it. :) Would be interesting to do a clearer tinc sometime to check the taste.

Ok, yah got me. :( Have to actually try this quick wash thing for myself.

Have put 8g of bud into a canning jar, sealed it and into the pressure cooker to decarb. Hope that works and dont end up with a broken glass /weed pile. :( Will cool that at room temp then put in freezer before bed.

Will do 2 alcohol extractions on that later. But, each one for a few minutes only. Will see how those go in terms of effect. :)
 
philthegeek said:
"Why are you so adamant about quick washes? I actually like to get the chlorophyll and whatever else extracts from the material. What's not to like about chlorophyll?"
?? Not sure that i am. ?? My understanding of a quick wash is a few minutes. I use a few hours minimum. Say 4-6 for a 1st extraction and then 2 hr so for a second. Last time second run was overnight but that was life intervening. :)
"What's not to like about chlorophyll?" Lol! Health food shops like it. :) Would be interesting to do a clearer tinc sometime to check the taste.
Ok, yah got me. :( Have to actually try this quick wash thing for myself.
Have put 8g of bud into a canning jar, sealed it and into the pressure cooker to decarb. Hope that works and dont end up with a broken glass /weed pile. :( Will cool that at room temp then put in freezer before bed.
Will do 2 alcohol extractions on that later. But, each one for a few minutes only. Will see how those go in terms of effect. :)
Click to expand...

Sorry phil, I wasn't clear enough. I'm not one of those who will leave the material soaking for a year (although some insist that it increases potency), I leave my tincture in the freezer for weeks to months to infuse as much of everything as I can. My pet theory is, The more of the whole plant, the more synergy.

At this point, I have so much prepared tincture that I can afford to leave the new ones marinating. The darker green the tincture, the more I like it.
 
So...did some test extractions today. not having the capacity to get any chromatographic analysis done will have to try them out over the next few days so assessment will be a bit broad and subjective. "whats the buzz like and how much to get there" sort of thing.

Want to know for myself if the short, "quick wash" method works.

Notes from today below.

Extraction Time test notes 15/3/18

8g buds from first grow.

Decarbed in sealed canning jar in pressure cooker. 15psi/121 degrees C /60mins

Sealed jar cooled to room temp then into freezer overnight on 14/3/18.


Extract # 1 150318:

Added 200ml AR Grade 100% Ethanol. Shake and leave for 5 mins.

Gravity filter through 25 micron mesh.

Gravity filter through 25 micron mesh again.


Extract # 2 150318:

Added 200ml AR Grade 100% Ethanol to plant material from Extract 1 150318. Shake and leave for 5 mins.

Gravity filter through 25 micron mesh.

Gravity filter through 25 micron mesh again.


Extract # 3 150318:

Added 200ml AR Grade 100% Ethanol to plant material from Extract 1 and 2 150318. Shake and leave for 5 mins.

Gravity filter through 25 micron mesh.

Gravity filter through 25 micron mesh again.


Each extract (about 200ml) into labeled beakers.

Placed beakers in a crystalising dish of water, on a hotplate in the fume hood, to safley evaporate off the alchohol.

With the water boiling in the crystalising dish temp cannot exceed 100 degrees C.

Evaporation starts 11:00 hrs.

Evaporation of all three extracts finished 13:35 hrs.


Product resuspended in 30ml of ethanol for each extract and bottled in separate labeled dropper bottles.

IMG_20180315_103641815_HDR.jpg

IMG_20180315_103641815_HDR.jpg


Above, the three extracts right to left 1,2,3. There is a distinct difference in colour and clarity.

IMG_20180315_105941444.jpg

IMG_20180315_105941444.jpg


IMG_20180315_110103552.jpg

IMG_20180315_110103552.jpg


Above, the extracts in the fume hood about to get evaporated down.

The plant material i put into another 200ml ethanol and will leave in the dark in the fridge till i have tried out these extractions.

"At this point, I have so much prepared tincture "

LoL! alltatup...i am coming to know that feeling. :)
 
I have some friends who use my tinctures medicinally: they dilute it in their water bottles and drink it throughout the day. It helps with focus and reduces anxiety and stress, they say.
 
Was thinking about testing the extract from yesterday and realised i am going about this the wrong way. :)

The plant material from yesterday that i did the three 5 min extraction on i had put back in the fridge under 200ml of ethanol. Left overnight about 16hrs, filtered that this morning and am evaporating it now.

Easiest test in for extraction efficiency is rather than see how strong the 3 extractions from yesterday are, try out the one from today and see if there was anything left in it.

When i filtered it this morning it was fairly dark but clear. Colour in between the extracts 1 and 2 i have photos of in the previous post. More green than brown.

so, will evap this one down to 30ml as for yesterdays runs and try out on the weekend.
 
ok...tried out the latest last night. Its the tincture made up from the weed that had already had 3 x 5 minute ectraction done on it.

"The plant material from yesterday that i did the three 5 min extraction on i had put back in the fridge under 200ml of ethanol. Left overnight about 16hrs, filtered that this morning and am evaporating it now. "

So the leftovers. Did actually have a noticeable effect. More of a sedative effect, not as much of an initial "high ".

Anyhow, based on my experience i would consider that after the 3 short washes, there is still a significant amount that can be got out of the weed. Had a report back from a friend who tried out another "weak" tinc i made. The second, couple of hour extraction on a previous batch. His experience much the same as mine, definite effect, weaker than the initial extraction but worth doing the second one.

Anyhow, if not the most extensive of experiments, based on what i have learned and read of others i am going to follow a standard method from now on for consistency.

Going to use the pressure cooker decarb. Much less smell in the house if nothing else. Weed is not as dry going into the extraction process, but I dont think thats a big prob. Smells different after decarb but still smells...unlike the stuff that comes out of the oven after an hour @ 120 degrees in the oven. I'd take that to mean the Pressure cooker decarb weed is retaining something that's otherwise lost doing a dry out / oven decarb??

Anyhow, method i'm going to follow from now on is below. :) And thanks to all who have tried out other ways to do this and shared for others to consider an build on.

Philthegeek Tincture Standard Method 17/3/18

16g buds.

Decarb in sealed canning jars in pressure cooker. 15psi/121 degrees C /60mins

Sealed jars cooled to room temp then into freezer overnight on.


Extract run # 1:

Plant material into Stainless Steel French coffee press.

Added 400ml AR Grade 100% Ethanol. Shake.

Leave in dark in the fridge for min 6 hrs.

Press down and pour of ethanol into a beaker.

Gravity filter ethanol through 25 micron mesh or cofee filter.


Extract run # 2:

Same as run 1 for 2 hrs.


Evap / Reduction step.

Ethanol poured into a pyrex measuring cup with handle. That goes into a small saucpan of water with
the handle of the meauring cup hooked over the side of the saucepan to prevent tipping as the ethanol evaporates.

This onto an ELECTRIC hotplate (no-naked flames) to boil the water and evaporate off the ethanol.
Cannot exceed 100 degrees C as long as thee is water in the saucepan.

Evaporate down to sludge


Product resuspended in 100ml of ethanol and bottled in 4 labeled dropper bottles.
 
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