Cannabis Tincture Potency Shade Scale.. How Not To Make Zombie Tincture?

[SnappyJack]

Tincture Potency Shade Scale.. How Not To Make Zombie Tincture?

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I've noticed in a few posts that everyone mentions... "how potent their tincture is"... and you know what.. I've noticed this also.. with my tinctures... a few drops under the tongue and in 2 hours the rest of the day I'm in the fog of zombie land... I'm actually reluctant to take this stuff.. I got pains... but don't want to lose the whole day... it appears we are overdosing our self's.. well at least I am.. we need to come up with a potency scale / shade / density guide.


I'd like to get a nice buzz while reducing my focus on the pains of sciatica.. I've just recently started experimenting with tincture and have much to learn.. eventually want to turn this tincture into a vape.. any-way's :


Below on the right is and example of ethanol removal... a tincture that has had the alcohol evaporated... on the left is the tincture that has more alcohol evaporate.. about 50% the volume of the one on the right... I should of tested the one on the right before reducing it to the one the left.. thinking the lighter the shade the less effect...​

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While writing this post... I'm thinking I could add the alcohol back and weaken it... but I'm thinking I'm back to 95% alcohol which burns and is not healthy... with the original thought that alcohol evaporates it reduce the percentage strength... and make it more palatable... Okay... so I should use less cannabis.. why didn't I think of that before?​

Fresh Squeezed

Reduced

Golden

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Definitely the colder the freezer.. the more golden the color... (no green). Once again.. just beginning.. and trying to organize the whole process.. with bits of info here and their... So feel free to add your thoughts on this process

Side note: .. want to make a vape.... have evaporated to film on bottom of dish.. my bad.. then added alcohol to reconstitute.. how would you term the name for the sludge.. and how to utilize it into a vape... thanks y'all. again while writing this stuff I'm thinking... you really just want to make a vape... and after it's in a form (sludge) you can transition it into vape... once you discover the knowledge... can you imagine that's just 2% of the stuff that runs thru my mind.. and I've been off cannabis for a week.... maybe I should just stay with the zombie stuff... not much goes on or thru the brain... hmmmm.. sorry guys.. it's 40 outside for the 1st time this time of the year.. I'm usally playing outside by this time....
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[SnappyJack]

It seem to me that tincture is best way to go in utilizing the THC and CBD available in a given amount of cannabis.. smoking for flavor (vaping maybe not so much) and control... in that one can control the amount of stimulation one achieves... and the other forms...

I have no experience in the other forms:
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"Concentrates usually contain very high amounts of cannabinoids, like THC. Concentrates are often vaped, dabbed, or smoked. Different names include “shatter,” “budder,” “hash or hash oil,” “kief,” “sauce,” or “resin.” Each type of concentrate varies in texture, potency, and how it is produced."

Because of the negative effects of most particulates on my lungs.. I'm limited in my ways of ingestion... how ever.. years ago I used vaping to quit many many years of smoking. After a few years I quit vaping. But now things are different... and here lies my hunt for turning tincture to vape.

I did a search on thcfarmer.. and found a few links that hold some promise... next chance I'll post some and see which might work for me... and for some of you...

 

[cpurola]

Have you considered glycerine instead of alcohol. I have not, but it's worth researching.

 

[SnappyJack]

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Cpurola... good question... yeah I did... than no I didn't...

Generally speaking... Glycerine is cheaper than Ethanol.. but somehow I got the feeling ethanol extracts more of the goodness (THC and more compounds) found in cannabis.. maybe a little less than Co2.

Yup... done a bit of researching... here's a good one:

How To Make A Cannabis Glycerine Tincture​

(This link will take you outside this domain,,, Be careful it's a jungle out their)​

Below is the crux of the matter.

Glycerin for Tinctures​

The main benefits of making cannabis tincture with glycerin include:

• Sweetness: Glycerin has a sweet and pleasant flavor that makes it an attractive solvent when making a herbal tincture.
• Alcohol-free: The lack of alcohol makes the ingredient more suitable for an array of users, including those with an aversion to alcohol in general.
• Moisturizing: Some people use cannabis tinctures for topical purposes. Because glycerin has moisturizing properties, it works much better for this purpose than strong alcohol, which can dry out the skin.

Some of the drawbacks of using glycerin when making tinctures include:

• Extraction time: Glycerin takes longer to sufficiently extract cannabis phytochemicals than alcohol, which makes it unsuitable in some circumstances.
• Solubility: Glycerin has a lower solubility than alcohol, meaning it doesn’t extract some desirable plant constituents as well.

Alcohol for Tinctures​

Alcohol has long served as a tincture solvent, for many reasons, including:

• Extraction efficiency: Alcohol works exceptionally well as a solvent, enabling it to successfully extract a wide range of plant metabolites, including cannabinoids, terpenes, alkaloids, and flavonoids.
• Extraction speed: Tinctures take some time to make, but the efficiency of alcohol as a solvent reduces the latency period.
• Shelf life: As well as working as a solvent, alcohol serves as an effective preservative, meaning alcohol-based tinctures last much longer in storage.

Alcohol as a tincture solvent also has some disadvantages, including:

• Flavor: Strong alcohol has a sharp taste that makes taking the tincture directly rather unpleasant.
• User compatibility: Not everyone can consume alcohol, even in small quantities, such as for religious or medical reasons.

I've include the above excerpt from the above web site.. because ISCAGOCCA

flavor.. unpleasant.. consumption... not really an issue (for me) ... Don't drink Vodka... don't make tincture for yourself....

CO2 is deemed best of the 3.. but would take me longer to put together.. and PGS95 I can get for peanuts... or is that corn?

side note: AI Overview
The terms "glycerin" and "glycerine" are often used interchangeably, but "glycerin" usually refers to a purified version of the compound that contains at least 95% glycerol.... I didn't know that..

More to come... U Know Something... Add Something.. Or
At The Least.. Say Something...
Thanks​

 

[SnappyJack]

I started this thread.. to fix a problem I have... that is to find the most efficient way to turn this extract.. extracted from weed to make a compound that could be used to make a suitable and enjoyable vape liquid and a distraction for chronic pain .

I store tincture at -25F .. here it's been transferred to a 5ml container.. as carrying around an ounce of this would most likely smash about 100 stoners... maybe.. anyway I groove in small groups...
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Why this way? ... because it was the path of least resistance for me... in that the materials was inexpensive and readily available ... which didn't require a large expenditure of cash to get started... so this could also be the way to go... for those who find themselves in the same position.

This amount will reduce your thoughts of pain as well as well as any other thoughts for the rest of the day... where as trying to get to this level would of taken me a 1/2hr. of constant pipe toking... in the old days...
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And after giving it some thought I believe I've found the most economical and quick way to extract the essence of weed... is the method I use... not in reducing the amount of cannabis treated.. not in more or less alcohol.. My problem lies in the most effective way to transition this tincture into an effective tool / treatment..

I've been experimenting with using a bowl that attaches to my vape.. I believe it's called a dry herb bowl or something.. you can drop the tincture in.. run vape till it's starts produces vapor.. then toke.. what I like about this is that the particulate it produces doesn't make me cough.. at least hard anyway... tried it once... don't have the process down to say it's the way to go...

More to come..


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[SnappyJack]

"as carrying around an ounce of this would most likely smash about 100 stoners"
Wow... so after posting that.. I started to think.. why did you say that... is it really true... I was only guessing it's true.

So I did a search on the Goog.. Why is ingesting cannabis so so much stronger than smoking?
And found this:

The funny thing is I've read this before about 8 months ago... and couldn't or just didn't add up the clues... why I was getting so wasted on so little.

The way I see it... you take 32 grams... 250 ml of PGS 95.. reduce to one ounce... would that be equivalent to 5.44 grams?.. maybe you could just "smash about 100 stoners" Now that's got me thinking... did I reduce that to a 1/2 oz or less... that's why all you stoners should take notes.. I'm just old and can't read my handwriting anyway...

The key nugget of information here is The liver converts THC into a stronger form and this combined with the THC from the original product adds to the intensity of the high.

And that also answered my "wonder" why does it hit me so hard 2 hours later.

Major edit here:

600mg = 50 joints then 5.44 grams divide by 0.600 mg = 9.6 X 50 joints = 453.333 Joints?


More later

 

[SnappyJack]

So... today.. in an effort to continuing to stash and share my current tincture knowledge.. learning.. trials.. and errors.. I will bring up a process or a part of a process done by some in tincture processing and that is.. recovery of ethanol.. for some one of the most expensive components in the process of making ethanol tincture.

About 8 months ago I ran across this web site... At this time the best instructional guide for the process of ethanol recovery I thought I've found.

It was the 1st time I gave thought to alcohol recovery.. it wasn't so much a thought to save money on ethanol as it was a challenge to build something.. just for the fun of it. But seeing how a lot of individuals having a hard time locating.. buying... affording.. it seems it might be a worthwhile endeavor..

I'm not sure how solid the process is.. in that their seems to be issues with controlling the proper vacuum levels thru the process.. don't know for sure... yet.

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Here before I forget I want to mention :

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9786071/
PubMed Central® (PMC) is a free full-text archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature at the U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine (NIH/NLM)

The most important part of the page for me is the conclusions part... not that I understand the majority of what it is trying to say.. but more like I get the "gist of it"


4. Conclusions

Cold ethanol extraction conditions were evaluated to increase the extraction yield and the concentration of cannabinoids and terpenes at different temperatures (−20 °C, −40 °C, and room temperature). CCRD was used to optimize two independent factors namely samples (g)-to-solvent (g) ratio (1:2.93 to 1:17.07) and extraction time (5.86 to 34.14 min). Developed predictive models for all responses yielded predictable and reproducible results, and the verification of the models showed a close agreement between the experimental values and the predicted values with a strong correlation ranging from 0.87 to 0.93. CCRD predicted that a set sample-to-solvent ratio of 1:15 over 10 min at the different extraction temperatures would provide the optimum conditions for the extraction of cannabis oil with maximum desirability ranging between 0.77–0.83%. At these optimized conditions, extraction yields (g 100 g dry matter−1) were 18.2%, 19.7%, and 18.5% for −20 °C, −40 °C, and room temperature, respectively, according to the desirability function (0.77 to 0.83%). Compared to the reference ground sample, the THCA concentration changed from 17.9 (g 100 g dry matter−1) to 15, 17.5, and 18.3 with an extraction efficiency of 83.6%, 97.7%, 102.1% for −20 °C, −40 °C, and room temperature, respectively at the optimal condition. Total terpene was reduced by 54.1% and 32.2% for extraction at −20 °C and room temperature, respectively, compared to extraction at −40 °C. The scree plot from PCA analyses indicated that the first two principal components account for 95.3% of the total variance (PC1 = 88% and PC2 = 7.3%) although no significant differences in cold ethanol extraction at different temperatures were observed. Further research studies on ethanol recovery using centrifugation, press system, and vacuum filtration must be conducted to help reduce the operational cost for cannabis industries.

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So as mentioned... in the near or distant future.. I'm going to layout the process I've developed from the information I've farmed from others and throw in some personal tweaks...

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I've still to locate a proper recovery vessel for the ethanol.. on the cheap.. one that most would find economical to get a hold of...

More.. to follow

 

[quirk]

Bingo bango bongo

 

[SnappyJack]

Bingo...​

Thanks quirk... for sharing your approach of making cannabis tincture.. simple and it works!

I'm surprised more growers haven't posted about their processes. This goes to show how easy and quick this process is ... the main reason I started with this process 1st.. it's so simple... and least costly.

But you have to ask yourself how this amateur example of extraction compares with what the " heavy hitters" (extract processors).. Is their tincture that much better.. or is there any real discernible difference in product between the procedures.

The main speak you will here (below link) is the reasoning behind their rationale for quality is that they attain temperatures in the minus centigrade region.

The Science of Chill: How Temperature Affects the Ethanol Extraction Process​

The above link takes you to their explanation and equipment​

• Cannabinoids: The optimal temperature range for extracting neutral cannabinoids like THC and CBD typically falls between -4 degrees and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Many cannabis companies will use sub-zero temperatures to minimize the extraction of waxes and fats.
• Terpenes: A lower temperature range is preferred, ideally below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, because terpenes are extremely volatile and sensitive to heat.
• Flavonoids: Flavonoids are stable compounds with a similar temperature range as cannabinoids.
• Fats, Waxes, & Chlorophyll: Higher temperatures increase the solubility of these compounds, so if you want to avoid extracting them, perform the extraction process in a sub-zero temperature range.
• Acidic Cannabinoids (THCA, CBDA): The extraction temperature should be kept low (under 86 degrees Fahrenheit) to prevent decarboxylation.

Minus 80 degrees... Wow.. Is that Centigrade or Fahrenheit?

Cold Ethanol Extraction​

Above link will take your to where the typical thought is: "high end concentrates extracted with Ethanol you should get as close to -80ish as possible to avoid all the garbage and minimize post processing needs"

The main idea behind today's post is triggered by dirks post and picture of his freezer... it's a good start...but it falls a bit short in reaching the temperatures needed for optimal extractions ( or does it?) We as growers and end users... most of us... strive to become more professional in the process of growing .. as well as extraction... and even use..

I have to confess..though I like to keep it frugal and simple.. I'll go the extra mile (inch) for better quality.. and for me at this juncture of my learning process the below paragraph is something I could afford to creep up on

Fats, Waxes, & Chlorophyll: Higher temperatures increase the solubility of these compounds, so if you want to avoid extracting them, perform the extraction process in a sub-zero temperature range.

This seems like it is something we can better control as extractors, below is how I make an effort to improve this aspect of the process.

1) in order to achieve colder temperature in you freezer. fill it up with stuff.. milk jug with water will work.. if your freezer hits minus 20 your frozen items will be that temperature.. when you open an empty vertical freezer door the cold air.. falls out quick.. and the temperature goes up quicker)

2) If you have a chest / horizontal freezer.. use it instead.. it will hold the coldness better . and probably longer

3) get your stuff all set up in the freezer and leave it alone for a day.. or longer.

For now this is as cold as I can get... dry ice will get me 10 colder and the nearest supplier is a welding supply house and here dry ice costs more than the ethanol. Though not the real cold temperatures the "pros" are mentioning.. it will have to do.

Bongo​

 

[SnappyJack]

On this day's installment .. I'd like to bring up options on alcohol recovery.. it's really not an issue for the person who's doing tinctures on the occasion... but for those who's main enjoyment is from them or for those who have learned to make a profit from making tinctures... of course I'm talking about the legalized processors.
A few quarts of 190 proof over a period of a year isn't going to bankrupt anyone... if the ethanol isn't recovered.. but if your using a quart or more a week.. making tincture can get costly.

For a few lousy thousand bucks we can go "professional"

Let's look at our options:

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Or for a little over $600 bucks we can get a machine like the one below.. that not only recovers the alcohol but processes the cannabis from start to finish.

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The ExtractCraft SOURCE Turbo is simple, smart, odorless, and efficient for all your extraction needs. You can quickly and safely create botanical oils and concentrates in the comfort of your home. The Source Turbo will recycle the solvent and dramatically limit cost of use.

This modest design for Home Use will process 300ml of liquid volume, which equates to processing around 1 ounce of dry material. The unit operates under vacuum to evaporate and recover ethanol at 107°F. The low temp operation protects the concentrate and produces top quality extractions. The Source Turbo will stop heating after 2 hours and maintain vacuum if continued processing is needed. It can be safely left unattended. While high proof ethanol is required, it is distilled and recycled. This feature is unparalleled in other small extraction machines. The Source Turbo features an external port for vacuum hose attachment, to evacuate an Erlenmeyer Flask for filtering the liquid before concentrating. The Complete Set has the hose, flask, Buchner funnel, filter papers, and more.If you are seeking larger volumes, consider the EtOH Pro. For more detailed information check out: Meet the Source Turbo & The Source Turbo User Manual​

Well... for me.. since I like to play... I'm going the DIY way... more to follow