Hello @ll,
it is my second time, that I tried to make a tincture with medicinal cannabis. I always use shake. I like to make hash from my buds and the shake should still be around 5-10% THC which I want to use oral. I made RSO in the past with Isopropylalcohol without any problems.
In the case of tincture - of course I use food grade ethanol/alcohol with around 97%. I always end up with the same results. Last time I threw it away down the toilet. I added three pictures and I ask myself what I am doing wrong.
What I do:
1. Freeze everything. (alc + shake)
2. I use a butan extraction glas tube with a little hole on the bottom and a filter-mesh around the bottom/hole.
3. I fill the shake into the tube and let the frozen alcohol slowly run down through the tube
(Of course at this stage if down once I have a nice golden color without too much green)
4. Because I don't want to waste anything and I don't care if chlorophyl gets into my tincture - I take the golden alcohol from the bottom and reuse it 1-2x and let it run through the cannabis again.
5. Press the last drops out of the shake
6. At this point everything looks still fine- but more green than in the beginning (of course)
7. I calculate the THC (CBD) per drop of tincture - so I vaporize at the window as much alcohol as needed to have my final calculation of total tincture - and predictable THC concentration per drop.
It looks totally clear without anything - any plant material - any rubbish - nothing.
This time about 2/3 of the total alcohol amount had to be evaporated to have my final total amount of tincure.
The first time I tried this- I ended up with the same results you can see on my photos.
Problems:
A: A oily layer sticks to the glas container and alcohol does NOT remove it and "soak" it up / dissolve it in alcohol (after the process, I tried to clean the layer with isopropylalcohol and it is almost impossible to get it removed a 100%, yes it dissolves but something must be wrong)
B: Black dots (you can see on the picture) are floating in the tincture - or stick to the bottom.
I don't want to throw all that away after the work and the price for alc and my medicine.
What I think could be the problem:
- The alcohol is saturated and can't hold as much cannabinoids (and chlorophyl)
- 1/3 of the shake I don't decarb- because I also want to have some THC-A within the tincture to have a broader spectrum of Cannabinoids. This third could have been not dry enough (but perfekt bud humidity to smoke! It is not "wet") and the water within the 1/3 could lead to this crazy reactions. But I can not imagine this is the case, because you can also use some 40% alcohol and make tinctures this way (but it isn't as effective)
But: My calculation is 0,9gr/900mg THC dissolved in 60ml ethanol/alcohol ... this should be no problem?! Or does adding more alcohol the trick?
What I ask myself is: If I filter this solution - is there still THC in the alcohol? Are the black bubbles/dots and the oily layer THC? (I guess yes- I mean I have experience with RSO).
I would be sooo happy if someone could bring some light into the darkness! I am severely disabled and the weed isn't cheap, also the alcohol is expensive...
Thank you!
it is my second time, that I tried to make a tincture with medicinal cannabis. I always use shake. I like to make hash from my buds and the shake should still be around 5-10% THC which I want to use oral. I made RSO in the past with Isopropylalcohol without any problems.
In the case of tincture - of course I use food grade ethanol/alcohol with around 97%. I always end up with the same results. Last time I threw it away down the toilet. I added three pictures and I ask myself what I am doing wrong.
What I do:
1. Freeze everything. (alc + shake)
2. I use a butan extraction glas tube with a little hole on the bottom and a filter-mesh around the bottom/hole.
3. I fill the shake into the tube and let the frozen alcohol slowly run down through the tube
(Of course at this stage if down once I have a nice golden color without too much green)
4. Because I don't want to waste anything and I don't care if chlorophyl gets into my tincture - I take the golden alcohol from the bottom and reuse it 1-2x and let it run through the cannabis again.
5. Press the last drops out of the shake
6. At this point everything looks still fine- but more green than in the beginning (of course)
7. I calculate the THC (CBD) per drop of tincture - so I vaporize at the window as much alcohol as needed to have my final calculation of total tincture - and predictable THC concentration per drop.
It looks totally clear without anything - any plant material - any rubbish - nothing.
This time about 2/3 of the total alcohol amount had to be evaporated to have my final total amount of tincure.
The first time I tried this- I ended up with the same results you can see on my photos.
Problems:
A: A oily layer sticks to the glas container and alcohol does NOT remove it and "soak" it up / dissolve it in alcohol (after the process, I tried to clean the layer with isopropylalcohol and it is almost impossible to get it removed a 100%, yes it dissolves but something must be wrong)
B: Black dots (you can see on the picture) are floating in the tincture - or stick to the bottom.
I don't want to throw all that away after the work and the price for alc and my medicine.
What I think could be the problem:
- The alcohol is saturated and can't hold as much cannabinoids (and chlorophyl)
- 1/3 of the shake I don't decarb- because I also want to have some THC-A within the tincture to have a broader spectrum of Cannabinoids. This third could have been not dry enough (but perfekt bud humidity to smoke! It is not "wet") and the water within the 1/3 could lead to this crazy reactions. But I can not imagine this is the case, because you can also use some 40% alcohol and make tinctures this way (but it isn't as effective)
But: My calculation is 0,9gr/900mg THC dissolved in 60ml ethanol/alcohol ... this should be no problem?! Or does adding more alcohol the trick?
What I ask myself is: If I filter this solution - is there still THC in the alcohol? Are the black bubbles/dots and the oily layer THC? (I guess yes- I mean I have experience with RSO).
I would be sooo happy if someone could bring some light into the darkness! I am severely disabled and the weed isn't cheap, also the alcohol is expensive...
Thank you!
