Making Glycerin Tinctures

[Steveca]

Glycerin is an alcohol so it is a good solvent, better than water but not quite as strong as PGA, pure grain alcohol so for more resinous herbs you will want to use PGA or put a third or half PGA into your glycerin to make the tincture. The process is much the same as a water or alcohol tincture. take your glass jar and fill it half way with the herbs and fill the jar to about a half inch from the top with glycerin, seal it and set it in the warmest place in your house (not higher than around 80F) for about 3 - 4 weeks. Glycerin is very thick and warming it will thin it out and speed up the extraction but if it is too warm it will also dissolve chlorophyll from green leaves, which you may not want. After 3 - 4 weeks, strain the liquid through your favorite straining material, I usually use coffee filters but it takes a while because of the viscosity of the glycerin.

 

[Mickey328]

I do much the same thing, Steve. Often I use a mixture of glycerin and alcohol, particularly with bitter or nasty tasting herbs...the glycerin helps with a touch of sweetness. Coffee filters are excellent as strainers! When I got my permanent, mesh type strainer, I had almost a whole large package of the paper ones in the cupboard so I've been putting them to use straining all sorts of stuff, including tinctures.

 

[k15n1]

I've had trouble locating glycerin. Where does one buy food-grade glycerin?

 

[Steveca]

You can find glycerin at drug stores, Walmart, online at places like essentialdepot.com or rtsvapes.com

 

[~gd]

I've had trouble locating glycerin. Where does one buy food-grade glycerin?

Check your drug store, many sell bottles labeled Glycerol USP[please note the different spelling, Glycerol is perferred for most uses.USP is the purest grade commonally availabe and is suitable for drug use Outside the US the food additive symbol is E422. There are tons of usages for this material. I would not use any sold as antifreeze as it is likely to be cut with a susbstance that can destroy your Liver. You could also try your tobacco store since it is a popular carrier for Nicotine used in electronic cigarettes, but expect to pay about 10X more than your drug store.

 

[Steveca]

As far as I know, glygerin / glycerine and glycerol are all the same thing.

 

[~gd]

As far as I know, glygerin / glycerine and glycerol are all the same thing.

Yes they are. The propper chemical name is "propane-1,2,3-triol" but is is seldom used. I mentioned Glycerol USP only because that is the spelling that USP insists on. Many people don't know that often a chemical can have many common names so they search for the one they know about.