Follow this recipe to make a full extract botanical tincture using 200 proof ethanol.
New to tincture terminology? Visit our introduction guide here. [posted soon]
Ingredients & Tools
- 1 oz (by weight) – Cured botanical flowers or trim leaves.
- 8 fl oz – 200 proof food grade ethanol. We recommend using 200 proof Culinary Solvent (link)
- One (1) – 32 oz Glass Mason Jar with a new lid
- Coffee Filter, Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Strainer, Large Stainless Steel or Glass Bowl (no plastic)
Preparation
- Ethanol: This recipe calls for room temperature, 55 degrees to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, solvent.
- Botanical Herb Flowers: Consider decarboxylation first to activate the CBD or THC contained within your botanical, see note below. Remove all stems and seeds. Longer soaks do not require the fine grinding which benefits quicker soaks, consider leaving the botanical as “whole” as possible for this long soak infusion. If desired, grind using a mortar and pestle, or food processor, until any dense buds of the colas have been broken up evenly.
Recipe Steps
- In a clean glass jar, combine botanical with room temperature 200 proof ethanol. Use a spoon to push material down into alcohol, or add more 190 proof alcohol to ensure that the plant material is completely submerged in the ethanol. Do not add water.
- Stir or shake briefly to ensure total coverage of solvent across all plant material.
- Set jar of tincture aside in a cool dark place for 24 hours.
- Return to jar of tincture after 24 hours and strain plant material from liquid using a fine mesh strainer placed over a stainless steel bowl.
- Using a spoon, carefully scoop remaining botanical herbal flowers from bottom of the jar onto the fine mesh strainer. Press pile of herbal flowers gently to release last amounts of tincture. Pressing too hard to get every last drop from your plant material can potentially add color and bitter flavor to your tincture, for this recipe a firm press is recommended.
- Discard plant material.
- Done! – This full extract tincture is technically complete and ready to be administered. See optional finishing steps below.
Optional Finishing Steps
Filtering through a coffee filter, or other filter paper, will improve the clarity of your tincture by removing fine plant particles from suspension in the liquid. The potency of the tincture is not affected by filtration.
- Arrange a fine mesh stainless steel strainer across the top of a stainless steel (or glass) bowl.
- Place 1 coffee filter in basket of fine mesh strainer. There is no benefit to using more than one filter at a time.
- Wet the coffee filter using a few drops of ethanol, this will keep the filter adhered to the strainer and reduce tincture loss to the filter paper as well.
- Using a measuring cup, carefully pour two (2) fl oz of tincture into the coffee filter sitting in the fine mesh strainer. Starting small gives you a feel for the filter rate, and to ensure that you have adequate room to add more liquid before you attempt to.
- Wait. Coffee filtering can take a long time. Consider a Buchner Funnel for your next run if you want to wait less.
Storage & Shelf Life
- For volumes over 4 fl oz: store tincture in a glass mason jar with a new lid. If not in amber glass, store in a cool dark place, keep out of direct sunlight and from sources of heat.
- For volumes under 4 fl oz: transfer tincture into an amber glass bottle, dropper optional. Store in a cool location away from direct sunlight. Amber glass is “light blocking” and need not be kept in the dark.
- Shelf Life: Use within 1-3 years.
Noteworthy Notes
- Have you considered decarboxylation? Some botanical herbs increase in potency and effects if heated gently in a controlled setting for a quick period of time, a process called decarboxylation. Read more on decarbing botanical herbs here.
- This tincture should be diluted before consuming sublingually.