What alcohol for tinctures?

I'm currently using a tincture I made with vodka and passiflora incarnata. It works fine.

My newest batches of various tinctures in process are with everclear.

Vodka is 90 proof= 45*/* alcohol.
Everclear is 180 proof= 90*/* alcohol.

In my life money is very much a factor. Vodka is cheaper than everclear.

What do you use and why?

EDIT: These are for internal use. For linaments I use rubbing alcohol.

Vodka, because Everclear is difficult to buy here and expensive. Vodka won't extract as much alcohol-soluble medicinal substances as higher proof would, so a dose reduction is probably wise for Everclear extracted tinctures if you've been used to using vodka.

I use the cheapest vodka the store sells.

My tinctures are only for me so I chose to go cheap.

I also reuse my herbs just adding more alcohol.

Last night I had lemon balm tincture that I made from my lemon balm before it died years ago.

I used up all the vodka so I added wine a while back.

I tried it out last night, I sleep great and did not have the usual headache that I wake up with.

Vodka unless stated otherwise, my propolis won't dissolve in that though, so i sourced some 90% alcohol

Vodka, sometimes. Rum, whiskey/bourbon, brandy, or everclear - depending on what I'm tincturing. Dry herbs can usually be tinctured at 40 - 50%abv, but fresh ones & resins need the 90%abv. Some herbs are fine as a stand alone flavor, and can be pleasantly done in vodka - others need a little help to be palatable, which is where rum, bourbon, & brandy come in. Even then, it may not make a huge difference unless I want the option of turning it into a syrup or adding it to a hot toddy. I want a syrup to be very pleasant, so I'll be happy leaving it on my tongue & throat, so a tincture of elderberry added to a ginger/ lemon honey mixture will ramp up the whole thing from cough & sore throat relief& healing, to super-power level - and still taste good, with almost any of those liquors. Thyme as a tincture... well, that needs some serious help, for flavor, because 'potent as hell' doesn't help, if you can't get it down, even with honey. So, rum or a blackberry brandy helps to sooth the poor taste buds...

I bought an inexpensive still and hope to make my own clear alcohol.  Otherwise, I like everclear but have used vodka as well.

I've been using vodka.  I know a higher alcohol content solution is recommended, but this is readily available where I shop and I haven't run into any issues with preservation and mold. So far, so good.

I use Everclear or nothing.
A family member's former vodka consumption rules out that for me as the smell has too many associations...and there IS a smell no matter how sneaky an alcoholic thinks they are being.

I always wondered about using the local moonshine/grain alcohol?
We have been offered a taste over the years and I think a good batch should work as well as any purchased grain alcohol.

Judy, I'll look forward to hearing how well your still works

I should probably note here, that for those with alcohol issues (any kind), and children, a tincture can also be made with vinegar (white or acv both work).  A vinegar tincture doesn't last as long, on the shelf - maybe 6mos - 1yr, but is very effective. I don't personally find these palatable, unless combined with honey, to make an oxymel.

A typical oxymel is a 50/50 blend of acv (apple cider vinegar) & honey. To make an herb-tinctured one, simply make the vinegar tincture (same process as with alcohol), strain well in a finely-woven fabric, or nut milk bag, measure the liquid, and add the equivalent amount of raw honey. This will last at least as long as the vinegar tincture, probably much longer... if it doesn't get consumed, simply because it's so yummy! Made this way, a tablespoon dose of almost any herb can be served as a refreshing drink, added to a glass of ice water or iced tea: or a soothing/warming one, added to hot water or hot tea - ramp up the (hot or cold) yum & medicinal value by making it an herbal tea.

Carla makes a good note. There may be a variety of reasons why one might avoid alcohol in tinctures, and I am surprised to not see glycerin yet mentioned. It's another non-polar molecule (like alcohol) and will thus permit diffusion of oils and other non-polar bits of the plant. It's pretty shelf-stable, though not self-sterilizing like alcohol. It has a different solubility with the plant molecules than alcohol, may have different steepage times, but many tinctures can be made with it. Major downside is that you are buying an industrial pharmaceutical-grade chemical and kinda broken on the "natural" thing (though you can get it certified organic, FWIW).

Significant caveat to glycerin purchases: Ensure it is from a solid US or EU or other reputable chemical company, and obtain (and read) the certificate of analysis. I happen to like JEdwards (bulknaturaloils.com - not the Aussie pop duo) for a lot of this kind of stuff, because they always furnish the assay. The reason for this is a despicable practice in certain Communist countries of diethylene glycol being used to cut higher-value chemicals, including glycerin and propylene glycol. DEG is a toxin for real, like killing kids with a couple doses of cough syrup kind of real, and has a delayed mechanism of action that makes it (in my book) particularly insidious. So as always, let the buyer beware, and read the certs!

That said, glycerin can be a good option. I happen to strongly dislike its taste, but some enjoy that kind of "sweet".

I use vodka as well.  It's much easier to acquire for me.  One of my instructors only used brandy, as was her family's tradition.  And I'm going to start making some with vinegar as well for my sober clients.  Glycerites for the youngsters.

Hi Mark! I'd completely forgotten about glycerites!

But, for those interested, do be careful with it, if you have blood sugar issues. The best things about a glycerite tincture are flavor neutrality, it's vegan, for those who need that, and it's non-alcoholic. The down side, as Mark mentioned, is finding good quality, while (especially if you're already) raising bees means you can have your own honey supply. The sugars are kind of 'hidden', in glycerine, but the honey's flavor is a stark reminder that the sugars are there. The other upsides of honey; it brings its own healing properties to the table, you can include it in 'food as medicine' health plans, and it lingers nicely in the mouth and back of the throat, if the issue is a sore throat or sores in the mouth, etc. Both honey and glycerine can be infused with herbs, but honey will have a substantially longer shelf life.

https://statcarewalkin.com/info/vegetable-glycerin-nutrition-facts.html

https://www.verywellfit.com/honey-nutrition-facts-and-calories-4164274

Edited to add: glycerites are also safer for babies under a year old, or for those with very weak immune systems, because honey *can* be a botulism risk.

I REALLY objet to the taste of glycerates. I accidently bought one instead of my usual alcohol tincture. Ugh.

I should probably note here, that for those with alcohol issues (any kind), and children, a tincture can also be made with vinegar (white or acv both work).

I have heard that one can put the alcohol tincture in a mug of very very hot water, and the alcohol dissipates, leaving the medicine behind. Is this true? I guess the severity of a person's (former?) addiction would need to be assessed... I don't remember hearing whether the alcohol taste remains.

Weeeeelllllll.... Sort of. Some will, because alcohol does evaporate faster than water. But, contrary to common belief, even when simmering or boiling, not all the alcohol will cook out, and evaporate.

Depends.

I use vodka for anything dried or dense or when that's the alcohol at hand. Even fresh juicy herbs will usually not go moldy in vodka. When dosage isn't critical, vodka. If you can wilt or dry your herbs and/or it's kitchen table medicine, vodka. If you have plenty of plant matter and are taking large dosages, vodka. The cheap stuff.
If the herb, such as yellow dock root, has lots of tannins that will precipitate out with high proof, then vodka is the way to go.

I also use vodka if it's a nutritive herb such as nettles where the water-soluble constituents are a significant part of the medicine.
Or if I'm making a cordial, so the dose is in sipping quantities. For example, nocino has medicinal levels of black walnut hull in it, but it's also got spices. It can be poured over ice cream or taken with you when you go to a place where you're afraid of getting intestinal parasites.
Any recipe that calls for both water and alcohol, substitute cheap vodka for both.

I use 100 proof (50%) for any dry herb where dosage has to be measured carefully.
If you're looking up specifics of dosage on an herbal site, or you want to carefully track comparitive dosages between people, 100 proof is better. Stronger medicine and more likely to be what the recipe was written for. You can get hundred proof vodka. It's expensive.

I make my hundred proof by mixing 9 parts 80 proof and 2 parts 195 proof. It's approximate, but it works.
When I go out-of-state where I can get high-proof I stock up. So then I don't have to buy fancy vodka at three times the price of Trader Joes and don't use up my high-proof too fast.

For fresh herbs when I don't have much (my skullcap patch is tiny) or I want for some other reason to get absolutely everything I can out of it, I use high-proof. If you want to dispense the smallest possible doses, high-proof. If you really want it to keep forever, high-proof. Some of my tinctures are twenty or more years old. There was plenty once, and hasn't been again, and I'm still using them up. They still taste good, they still are effectual. Most recipes at this level call for everclear, but 151 rum is not bad.

Sometimes I have random-proof moonshine. Clearly higher than 80. Not necessarily the tastiest. Poorly cut. That works as your all-purpose menstruum. Or to proof up your vodka. Not enough alcohol in a medicinal dose to worry about heads or tails.

I also use moderately high proof if I'm going to be decocting the medicine after tincturing it and then mixing them together, such as for mushrooms. With 80 proof I'm afraid my results will be too low-alcohol to keep well once mixed.

Occasionally, if I have, say, some bourbon left from a party and no room in the cupboard, I use it. This makes a nice treat with otherwise not-too-nasty herbs. Suitable for presents.

----------------------------

My go-to for recipes is Michael Moore's old site: https://www.swsbm.com/ManualsMM/HerbTinct3.txt
for example:
ACHILLEA (Yarrow)
Fevers, common cold, amenorrhea, passive bleeding from boggy mucosa. Hemostatic
from LowerUT bleeding with pain on urination (secondary to other treatment)
WHOLE FLOWERING PLANT. Tincture [FRESH 1:2, DRY 1:5, 50% alcohol] 10-40 drops, 4x
a day.
CONTRA: Bradycardia, coagulation disorders, nephritis.

Anne Miller wrote:

I also reuse my herbs just adding more alcohol.

Last night I had lemon balm tincture that I made from my lemon balm before it died years ago.

I used up all the vodka so I added wine a while back. Lol

Anyone else doing this? I just restarted 2 batches of mimosa bark today. That is, same menstum, new alcohol. I'd prefer additional confirmation before I do it to the passionflower I just decanted. I'm using vodka. Or rum.

If you've tinctured them properly, all the medicine should be out of the plants after one pass.
I don't want weak medicine when I'm sick, especially if I'm using a measured dosage.
If I am trying to not waste the plant, I sometimes take the marc and rinse it with water, maybe boil it, and use that first, as it won't keep. Drink it as a tea, or if it's really strong I use an approximate double dose compared to the tincture. But I wouldn't do that with a medicine where the dose is precise.
If you don't have vodka, wine is fine with dry herbs. Use proportionally bigger doses.
But with fresh herbs you risk having such a low alcohol content that the whole batch goes moldy.

I think a handle (1.75l) of everclear is around $30 + tax here. I have tried making tinctures all sorts of ways and I bet it'll come down to personal preference.

I try to only use fresh herbs and so I use everclear. The shelf life is very long on tinctures so I try to make a decent amount at a time. I also use fresh herbs for oil infusions for salves and lotions.

I don't need to worry about drying/powdering/pressing, this way. I keep some herbs dried for a poultice and culinary use but most things here seem to hang on enough through winter that I have less and less dried herbs on hand.

Ellen Lewis wrote:If you've tinctured them properly, all the medicine should be out of the plants after one pass.

Just curious, what is your method of tinctured?

Just curious, what is your method of tinctured?

I use two fluid ounces alcohol to one ounce (weight) fresh herb. Or five fluid oz. to 1 oz. dried. Or whatever herbs I can smash into the jar if the usual proportions won't go.
I let it sit for six weeks or more and decant.
If the dry herb is chunky I often leave it until I need it - months or years. I might shake it occasionally.

honey will have a substantially longer shelf life

Honey is wonderful, but not necessarily stable, depending on the water content of your herbs.
I have had it start to ferment. I was tincturing rose petals. I haven't used it since.

Ellen Lewis wrote:

honey will have a substantially longer shelf life

Honey is wonderful, but not necessarily stable, depending on the water content of your herbs.
I have had it start to ferment. I was tincturing rose petals. I haven't used it since.

Yeh, my experience has been that honey is great for fermenting, but I've never even attempted to use it for tincturing, because it's just too expensive. But, I do know it ferments well, because we make mead, and I do an annual lemon/ginger/honey ferment, as a sore throat & cough remedy.

Back on the last commune I lived at, several of us were avid dumpster divers, and sweet stuff came in in such excess that I finally invested in a small stovetop still....lab glassware surplus as I recall.  So I'd put yeast on whatever came in....sweet tea, kook-aid, soda, candy boiled up in water, etc. and let it ferment, and then distill it.  For the cost of a bit of propane I had moonshine by the gallon, strong enough to burn and completely flavorless.  Making tincture was one of multiple uses it found...

For tincturing dried herbs, I use as close to what the herb books I have recommend, which is usually around 50%, but sometimes more, so I got some of the expensive 95% spirit and some normal vodka and calculated how much of each to use to get to the right percentage - to make this more simple you could just use half 95% half water.

I remember reading that plus or minus 10% doesn't make much of a difference to the quality, so I imagine that 40% vodka could be used for anything that would normally use 50%.

For fresh tinctures it would depend on how watery the herb is, I'd probably use pure 95% just to be sure.