Another Tincture Thread - Try it, You'll like it

I have good news to report. I just picked up two ounces of Blue Widow top trim and a half gallon of Everclear. What that means is that I will be starting the pictorial for this process as well as a couple of experiments dealing with decarboxylation. While my alcohol is already in the freezer, I won't have my reefer ready until tomorrow. so my first 24 hour cycle begins about 4pm.

 

Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye!
Illustrated Basic 190 Proof Green Dragon Guide
Phase One
​

This is the start of a picture tutorial of each step, and then some, of this recipe. I'm using the exact steps laid out here for a 7g batch of Gold/Green Dragon. There will be a new post for each stage so that the pictures don't get too confusing.
First is prep through the first shake from top to bottom:


1) Tools and ingredients, 7g Blue Widow sugar trim in plate.


2) 7g before decarb

3) 7g after decarb


4) 7g & Everclear after 24 hour freeze, ready to shake



5) Mix material and freezing cold alcohol and shake for 5 minutes. Return to the Freezer for 2 hours.

This concludes Phase one ​

 

2nd Installment for the recipe pictorial.

Illustrated Basic 190 Proof Everclear Green Dragon Guide
Phase 2​

We've covered through the first shake on the previous post. This will take us through the 2nd shake, strain and filtering.
1) 7g after 2nd shake

2,) Simple Household Items used to Strain the 1st run plant material: 1 cup pyrex measuring cup
Canning Funnel Mesh coffee filter
Silicon Spatula (not shown)

3) Place the canning funnel into the measuring cup and then place the mesh filter into the funnel. Pour the alcohol solution and plant matter into the mesh filter and allow to drain, scraping down the sides of the filter for quicker results with the spatula. Use the spatula to press the material until it stops dripping.
4) Place material back into the jar for the 2nd run and set aside. Leave the rest of your alcohol in the freezer until ready.

5) Remove the mesh filter after replacing material in the jar and clean the funnel of any residue that may have accumulated and place in the mouth of a clean jar. Place a paper coffee filter into the funnel. If using a canning funnel as shown here, secure it to the sides with clothespins to prevent if from falling through due to the wider mounth. Pour the strained solution into the filter and allow it to drain fully. Because of the fine silt and trichome husks this can be slow.

6) Alcohol extraction solution after final filter of first run before reduction. Set aside until 2nd run is ready.

7) These are trichome husks that are filtered out during the process. These are still moist but when dry it looks just like some blonde kief. There's nothing left in those because the cannabis resin has been stripped from them.

 

I appreciate it, noobwannB. It's not really too much trouble to document as long as I can remember to snap a picture. I've made this stuff so often that I could probably do it blindfolded. Plus, I was getting close to empty and needed to make more anyway. When I first started taking pics for the recipes, they weren't very good but I'm getting the hang of my cheap camera and have learned how to do it without as much blurring. I just wish I could go back and replace my blurry ones on previous posts with some good ones. Oh, well.

What do you think about my idea for the decarb comparison? I figured this would be a good opportunity to address the whole issue of decarboxylation. I haven't seen any other side by side comparisons actually exploring the real time effects instead of just conjecture and suppositions. The first time I made this GD was when I first made the honey elixir and my recipes didn't call for decarb and I was still a novice and didn't question it. The results, the honey elixir, were fantastic enough to addict me to this process. I was using a Sativa strain as opposed to Indica dominant this time. BKS states that non-decarbed marijuana will be more cerebral and energetic, not necessarily less potent. It would have been harder to tell with a Sativa but the Blue Widow should be perfect to be able to detect that sort of difference. If I can show "proof" that decarbing isn't absolutely necessary for high potency GD, then a lot of people who couldn't decarb because of the aroma can now experience a good tincture.

 

Thanks, Skyscraper. They say practice makes perfect, or at least better. It helps that I got a different cheap camera. With my new batch of GD I'm hoping to make some filled chocolates. I have the molds ready and am excited to try it. Hopefully my pics of that will be better than my bars.

 

When dragonparty and I were brainstorming this thread, he thought that the title wasn't flashy enough to draw peoples attention and that could very well be true. Also, this method is dissed by one of the current resident chefs who is highly respected, even by me.

I am getting a lot of views, which is what I want. I'm not the kind of person to push his version of things above that of others. I prefer others to make my case. I've always been that way, even in the days when "pushing" was a way of life. With the title I hoped to inject a little dry humor that might appeal to those who are serious about their marijuana and have open minds. I don't expect everyone to agree with me or stick completely to this particular recipe.

My goal with this thread is more than just providing a good and simple method to extract thc. I also want to impress on others the ease with which the thc can be transferred from GD-no matter how it's processed-into other mediums without the weed taste or smell, no loss due to straining, customized potency and so much more.

 

Thanks, Xproject. We Pisces need to stick together. I've been following your conversation with noobwannB and wish you a good harvest. This is a great use for your sugar trim and popcorn and still have great potency. Did you use 91% isopropyl? Not recommended.

I'm interested in the decarb comparison, too. I think it is something that is needed even if it's just the opinion of me and my friends. And this way it's documented. So far, the only noticeable physical difference is that the raw tincture is brighter green. That could be due to the change that takes place in the chlorophyll during decarboxylation. Also, while the trichome husks were roughly the same after the first run, there was a difference in the catch of the filters. That could be due to the change in the trichome size during decarb. Who knows?

Anyway, welcome to the family, Xproject!

 

Third installment for the recipe pictorial

Illustrated Basic 190 Proof Everclear Green Dragon Guide
Phase Three.
​

Due to continuing research this step has changed over the course of the years.

The second run can and probably should be done immediately after finishing the first one while you have all your equipment out unless it's late or other things get in the way. If that's the case, just place the jar of wet material back into the freezer but the longer it sits, the more chlorophyll and waxes will be extracted. This is just a rinse but it picks up an additional 25% cannabinoids that was retained after the first run.

Proceed to Phase 4.

 

It's late but I wanted to give a little update before I pass out. I hadn't planned on posting before bed but I felt that I should report while under the influence. I hadn't toked anything for a couple of hours and it was getting time for my usual nightcap. I usually take 2 or 3 small coconut oil caps instead of Ambien anymore. Since I was doing the final filter for the recipe batch, I figured that I would test out the dilute GD from the second run. That is usually combined with the first run and then reduced before I sample, but tonight I figured I'd take one for the team. Actually I thought it would be good for the thread.

Anyway, I used one dropper full, not much really, and I'm beginning to fly. So now that I've made my report, I'm going to enjoy this while I can. Final pics and observations tomorrow morning. Talk to y'all later. Ciao.

 

Final Installment for the recipe pictorial

Illustrated Basic 190 Proof Everclear Green Dragon Guide
Phase Four
​

This is going to cover the final strain and filtering as well as the reduction to the final strength. I have only included pictures for the straining process since the final 2 filters are the same as the 1st run.

strain and press plant material before final filters. If using a large micron intitial strain such as a potato ricer, cheesecloth, t-shirt, etc., filter it through the mesh coffee filter before the paper one to remove additional silt that would further clog the filter paper. ​

1) Filtered product of each run with the first run on the left.

2) Total solution from both runs totaled 6 fl oz after filter absorption and any spillage and ready to reduce.

3) The simplest way to reduce a small batch extraction is with a hot water bath which is placing the jar of solution into a pot of hot water. I use a rice cooker for all my reductions, both large
and small. For large batches I place a stainless steel bowl over the boiling water but for a
small amount like this I use the inner liner. The heat stays at an even temperature just below
boiling with the lid off.

4) Before starting the reduction I place a cotton pad into the chamber for the jar to sit on to prevent cracking the jar from the direct heat and to prevent tipovers. A folded up piece of terrycloth or even cheesecloth will work well. The alcohol will bubble, bubble but no toil or trouble. When it gets to the level you want, remove it from the pan



6) Reduced by 50%.



7) Net final results of your Green/Gold Dragon: 3 fl oz Potency of 2.33g/fl oz. For 2.0g/fl oz, just reduce to 3.5 fl oz and etc.


Your results are determined by the percentage of evaporation you achieve and are completely within your control. Of course, results will vary dependent upon the quality and age of the material used

 

Recipe modification alert

For the batches that I just made and used for the pictorial, I am going to have to add another step to the final process. After having sampled 2 of the 3 batches so far I have found a more intense chlorophyll taste than previously encountered. In all my previous batches I had used reefer that had been dried longer or even top shelf cured bud, but this time my trim had only been off the plant 2-3 days and there hadn't been any real time for the chlorophyll to break down. Decarbing helps but this was just too fresh. Plus, this time I didn't have any popcorn, just top leaf and sugar trim. Heavy crystal formation but a lot of chlorophyll in all those leaves.

If I'm going to use this batch for medical distribution, I have to reduce that green taste. The same is true for transferring to butter with no weed taste and oil. Flavoring will help with the tinctures but not butter and oil. So this tutorial is also going to include some trouble shooting as we go along.

A bit of advice for growers wanting to use their trim: Be sure your material has been dried well so the chlorophyll has a chance to break down.

My research has found a reference for reducing the taste in this type of process. It seems as simple as filtering, so I'm going to run everything through again and see how it works.

Update: I filtered 2 of the 3 batches twice. It reduced the bite enough that I may be able to work with it. I say "may" but I don't doubt it. After filtering each batch I sampled a dropper in a shot of water of each. Not bad. However, because I did just do another 2 full droppers, I'm starting to lose coordination to type and the vision has a mind of it's own. It's a good thing I didn't try all three. Gotta go before I melt.

 

I've used this strain a couple of times before without the same issue. I'm nearly positive that it is because of the drying process. I have had some others in the past that were equally as green but had been dry enough to break down the chlorophyll. Some from a "Blue" strain even came out blue, no kidding, but tasted ok. This time it was so fresh, but dry, that the chlorophyll didn't have time to break down at all. When I first got it I thought I should paper bag it for another week but I forgot to actually do it. I have made some honey with it already-pics later-and was able to get rid of the taste with a little vanilla. The extra couple of filters took some of the bite too.

I have an audition this afternoon so I can't get too crazed beforehand, but I just put a dropper of honey in my morning coffee and am very nicely buzzed and still building and there was no weed taste. When I get back, I'm going to transfer to butter and oil and then add some flavoring to the GD for direct use. I think this is a good exercise for the thread, showing how to troubleshoot problems.

It is strange how the effect was so different with each of your products. In the past, when I made a glycerin tincture using the transfer, it came out brown and my oil was green, but tasted like coconut. The opposite of yours. Go figure.

I'll be doing a lot of taste testing this afternoon and if I can still stand, I'll report back on the results. Getting rid of that taste is important to a lot of people here, like yourself, so I'm making it a priority.

 

How many times did you strain it? After the cheesecloth, twice more with a paper filter or gold mesh and paper gets mine really clear. Your's does look a little cloudy but that could also be a property of the rum. Maybe after you've reduced it, put it through the filter once more. It will be a lot darker and you may not see the light any better or at all. If it's not a lot, don't worry too much about it.

By taking a look at your pic, I can see that my math in the PM wasn't any better than yours. It looks a lot like mine before the 3rd filter but if the sentiment isn't enough to make a difference to you, leave it be.