You’re Menstrum is very important in tincture making, choose wisely. I found five o’clock vodka is a great one it is 5x distilled grain and 40% percent and you can get it in 50% as well (blue bottle) and is less expensive for those on a budget 😉
Oh nice I haven't used that one but I'm going to pin your post so other can check it out too. Many people yelled at me in the comments before watching the entire video because they thought I was just talking about price. But I was talking about cheaply made. I saw people on UA-cam making tinctures with poorly made vodkas and then selling them. And most people don't think about that part. Poorly distilled vodka can be really harsh on the liver and kidneys
The cleanest we can be the better ❤, what’s the point of ruining an herb that is natural and free of impurities if we are going to saturate it with impurities😂? You are spot on! I’m always eager to share, especially knowledge! Thank you Ma’am😊.
Thanks for video I was surprise to hear you say DONT USE CHEAP VODKA followed by I USE PINNACLE pun intended...isnt it the pinnacle of cheap vodka???😂 Well either way at least now I know TITOS must be fine to use, am i right? Cuz Titos is what I have a lot of( thats not flavored)
I;m so proud to see young women of color explore natural holistic ways of healing . I pray that as a collective we can come together and reach one and teach one on how to improve their health mind body and spirit for the African American inner city communities.
funny , I’ve never had someone say .. I’m so proud to see a caucasien women do so well. Think about what you are saying and consider how wrong it is. Consider just commending her on her achievement and NOT skin color, it has no place here .
Good info thank you. Regarding the vodka you can take cheap Vodka and run it thru a brita water jug/filter several times and it will help remove impurities without removing the alcohol. I have "some experience" in the area :)
Thank you for your careful explanation dear. Just to help a little, charcoal doesn't always induce vomiting. Folks take capsules for gastritis and inner cleansing. Agape love ❤️
We make our own antacid from our own charcoal. Lol. Grind it and put in a capsule. I’ve taken charcoal out of my wood burning stove and just ate it. Works every time. No more prescription needed. Infact…. I haven’t had to use any in over a year now. HUh!? Guess I cured myself. :) lol 🤷♀️ And Berkey filters are charcoal. EPA just outlawed them because they filter out the Rona virus. Called the filters a pesticide. Insane right! There in court now. Tks for saving me from using everclear!! 👍👍♥️
Thank you for taking the time to explain. I accidentally knocked my bottle of Everclear off the shelf before I opened it. I was about to go to the liquor store.
Omg yes don't use Everclear that will burn your insides it's so strong like over 100 proof. We use everclear to clean battery acid off of our batteries.
Thank you - this was so helpful. I'm about to make my first tincture and I would not have thought about the vodka quality (not a vodka drinker!) I look forward to learning more.
Congrats on your first tincture!! I'm happy to help. I have purchased tinctures that did more harm than good just because of the alcohol used so I wanted to give everyone a heads up on what to use.
Once you add your tincture to your preferred drink you won’t even taste vodka..most put a dropper or two in they’re water and even then you cannot taste alcohol .
I use full strentgh white brandy to create my extracts. This seems to help with increasing shelf life. When I create ready-to-use portions, i dilute to 50/50 with purified/distilled water.
Brandy it a good one they normally are made with care so they don't have a ton of impurities. Non flavored Rum is another good option for the herbs that taste terrible.
You can filter the vodka yourself. I think the best thing to use for this is a zero water filter. Make sure you don't use the same filter for water and alcohol.
That's true too I forgot to mention that you could use a water filter but to make sure you do it at least 4 to 5 times. There are a ton of impurities in vodka making because makers will cut corners to save money and time.
This is a wonderful articulation. Highly recommend Meili Vodka, it’s sourced from mountain spring water, in a beautiful recycled glass bottle and it’s really inexpensive! 🤙
I’m so glad that I watched this video before making my very first tincture. I purchased 2 large bottles of the cheap vodka based on another video that I watched 😂😂😂😂😂😂. However, I know someone that will be excited to drink it. 😂😂😂Lol. Tiffany, you always do a wonderful job of explaining every detail. Thanks for this wonderful video.
I’m so happy to find this. I’m just starting to dabble in tinctures and the first thing I thought of was the type and quality of the alcohol. Thank you for this info!
I just bought a big bottle of potato vodka because the store guy said it picks up flavors really well. I’m also making vanilla extract. I think it’s Monopolova? From Poland. I take Du Zhong, schizandra, and fennel seed tea at night but I’m hoping a tincture will streamline things. Especially when I travel! Great vid, keep it up!
You know much more about vodka than I do. No doubt about it. I haven't drunk any since my teens. That was cheap junk. One thing I do remember is that once the cap was removed poured and replaced, it tasted very gross if not used soon. The exposure to air must have caused oxidation and that would upset my stomach in small amounts. I make tinctures for personal use, but decided against vodka for that reason. My dropper would be opened frequently when needed. I found that Ever clear is more refined although not Non GMO or organic. I can't find an alternative. Friendly correction about Activated Charcoal. It was traditionally used to absorb toxins. It's still used in water filters. You rinse it upon purchase and use to remove chemicals from tap water. You can tell the difference. It will not impart flavor, nor cause vomiting. What someone mistakenly told you was what's called an emetic. That is a vomit inducing compound like mustard powder. That's a different mechanism for removing toxins from the stomach when you eat something toxic. Activated Charcoal is available to you in better supplement stores. I Have a bottle on hand in case a family member gets sick.
PS:. I just heard you talk about Everclear. I don't know their filtering process, but do know that the alcohol content is higher than vodka. In WV I think it is limited to 151 proof = 75.5% . It used to be 180 proof until some guy died from alcohol poisoning. That can happen from any hard liquor if you drink enough. The alcohol is poison. That's why you don't drink it straight according to their instructions. A dropperful is the amount of use, right? I doubt if there's any safe amount for a baby, but have never heard of adults dying or getting drunk from a dropperful or even teaspoon. Correct me if you think I'm wrong.
Hello thank you 😊 I don't use fresh herbs because they are so holding water in the leaves. That can cause too much condensation when you store your tincture for long term. I use fresh herbs when I'm making tea or stocks.
your the first person Ive ever heard say everclear wasnt good to use.i use it all the time and my tincture comes out awesome.been making for 5 years now.
I agree. Some herbalist recommend 60% alcohol, 40% on certain herbs. You are missing out on essential parts of the herb with lower alcohol. Most people buy "clean" alcohol for tinctures but then mix it with their fluoridated city water.
@thirdeye5718 Actually, you're missing out on a ton of water soluble properties (that you want) because you're using grain alcohol. Doesn't make for a well rounded tincture at all. Fresh plant matter and 100 proof always! Grain alcohol only extracts the alcohol soluble properties and very very little of the water soluble properties and then degrades plant matter because it's literal poison. Then people water it down to make it safe to take. Makes no sense. If I wanted pharmaceuticals I'd go to the doctor.
@@rainwaterrefugehomestead2267 grain is used but then diluted with water to get to the appropriate percentage. How would I be missing out on water soluble properties? Certain herbs require more alcohol % than others. People have done research on it. If you're using low percentage alcohol with fresh herb unfortunately it's going to be watered down from the water that is already in the plant matter
Thank you for great great videos. Two questions. Will apple cider interfere with the ones you make with vodka and since we can’t find an unfiltered vodka, can we filter our own?
Hey you can use apple cider vinegar, make sure you get one with the mothers it will make it even better for you. And yes you can filter your own that works great too
Yes honey medicine is another great one to make cough medicine, which is my favorite use for it. I want to do a video on honey meds, pills, and infusions too
Thank you so much for that I got yelled at a few times in the comments but it's true you have to look at every part of your medicine. I'm happy it was helpful
I use all glass, no plastic due to leaching, no metal so nothing reacts…only thing I use that isn’t glass is a wood skewer and spoon and always make sure the area is clean and sanitary.
@@TeamBensonHomestead high quality, great selection, and their prices aren’t that bad. I think they are comparable to Amazon prices. Let me know what you think when you check them out! Love the info you give!
Hey it helps with sleep too. Sometimes I add it to other things like my cramp tincture. It doesn't stop cramps I use cramp bark for that but the lemon balm will help relax me when I'm in pain.
Super useful information! Thank you for that! One question, I’ve heard different opinions as to where to store your tinctures as it’s being made, some people say dry cool and dark place and some say next to a window, why are there different opinions son this? Does it depend on the herb you’re making a tincture out of? Thank you in advance!
Thank you, so this is my opinion. I put them next to a window to get the process going. Once it's going then you can store it in a cool dry place. I think it's faster to do it this way. But that is just my opinion. I'm a desert girl and we use the sun and the moon alot, mostly because we have a lot of it lol. I really just think it depends on what part of the world you are from and how you learn to do things.
@@TeamBensonHomestead Thank you for your response! It’s super interesting how as you said everyone just needs to leverage the climate they live in when making herbal medicine. The beauty of our diverse world and it’s cultures!
Wow, thank you for explaining about the vodka! That honestly makes so much sense. I love that you're so passionate and mindful about it. Thanks for educating us! I do have a question though, I thought you weren't supposed to leave tinctures somewhere sunny because the uv rays damage the components?
Thank you I'm happy to help. So the thing about the sun I think it's a desert people thing I didn't now it was weird until people started saying it lol. But we use the sun and the moon and the heat of the desert for everything. I made another video about it but we put it in a sunny location for a day or two to get it started then put it in a dark location to finish up and store it. Over time...like a few years it can lose its strength if it's in direct light but we start it out that way to get it going. Think kinda like making a medicinal tea. You put it in boiling water. Now I don't let it get that hot lol but the sun gets it going.
I appreciate you for your inspirational and educational info of this video. I started gardening and notice I have several herb growing in yard and can be use for medicinal purposes. Thanks 😊Going to get some good vodka
@@TeamBensonHomestead hi there! Love your site..very educational..thank you have a fabulous week! I want to study herbology to start a small buisness to help all the people who cannot afford excpensive medicines...dont want to replace a docters opinion but just be the help inbetween f a soar throat, bad tummy, ovarian cycts ect. What do u think
Shamira thank you so much for such a thorough explanation!!! I knew nothing about alcohol so this was very informative. I'm glad I bought the 100 proof, and not the $5, cheap bottle. Can't wait to start my first tincture!!!
Yay ink happy to help. We use to clean old car batteries with everclear or cola. Two things I would never put in my body after seeing how well they clean battery acid 😆
Great informative video! I am about to make a tincture for the first time. I have my herbs and I just need the vodka so your video was perfect timing. I will look for Pinnacle.
Which base make the most potent tincture i heard it was alcohol? I wanted to know because it will be for hair. I heard glycerin wasn't as strong but alcohol drys the hair out.
I make homemade wine from organic fruits from my garden. I also grow lots of herbs. When I make wine I make it wild fermentation, I dont use any yeast, just organic cane sugar, because I didn't have time to strain it before it gets too strong. Now I have a few gallons of strong wine, my question is. Can I use this wine to make tincture?
Oh we love wine in these parts lol. We make some too. But your alcohol content won't be high enough to make a good tincture. You would need to fortify it with a grained alcohol in order to try and get the alcohol content up to 80%. But check your alcohol content on your wine and see what it is. The alcohol is what pulls the medicinal values from you plant and preserves it.
Hi there again, just wondering when you say filtrated do you mean the filtration process or the distillation process? They’re different and I know that people get them confused sometimes, so just wondering which one is the most important that we need to look out for when choosing a spirit for tinctures? Thank you in advance!
Thank you for explaining through to the end. I've been trying to figure out the difference between the large jar and the little dropper. Quick question: what is there are multiple ailments for one person? Do they just take. A dropper bulb of each one? How much is too much?
Is there a vodka you would recommend that we could find in Europe? Pinnacle and pau are American and it’s not as easy to find them in the UK and they can be a bit pricey as well. What are your thoughts in using Smirnoff vodka? It’s filtered 10 times but I don’t think they use limestone to filter it
@@TeamBensonHomestead oh that’s great to hear! When choosing our alcohol base should we be more worried about how many times it’s distilled or how many times it’s filtrated?
Hey so if you go to a alcohol store like a Total Wine or something like that you can get the little bottles for a dollar or two. 2 little bottles will be enough to fill a drop bottle the size if more tincture bottles and it would last a while too because you do need that much of a tincture. Most higher priced spirits have those little shooter bottles.
So I talked about this in my recent video I created. we have always put it on a sunny shelf to get it going, then after a few days, then we put it in a dark location. I don't know if it's a desert people thing. We use the sun a lot. But it's kinda like making sun tea.
Depending on the fermentation process and the length of time, these are the possible impurities that can occur in the process of making vodka methanol, acetaldehyde, isoamyl alcohol, propanol and fuseoils. These are mainly by products.
I won an award on a lil competition in LA and I did It With a big bottle of takka , I haber never heard pf putting It on the Window por the sun, youre supposed to put It in a dark place and if you put It on the Freezer It becomes way stronger
There are a lot of different ones but they are more targeted. For example Milk Thistle will decrease inflammation in you liver and Kidneys but it does decrease it in joints. But the spice tumeric works amazing for joint inflammation
Once you finish the tincture, can you evaporate off at least some of the alcohol? Otherwise it might be hard/dangerous to take larger doses of the tincture.
No the alcohol is what is preserving it. But when you take a tincture you only need to add a few drops to your water or on your tongue. You can compare it to vanilla extract. It's made the same way and you only need a teaspoon or 2 to bake with it.
@@TeamBensonHomestead I had a glycerol tincture made for me by an herbalist who specializes in microbiome and gut treatments. He had me taking one tablespoon of tincture at a time, which I highly dilute in water because the tincture is very strong. I don't mind diluting alcohol, but taking one tablespoon of 100 proof vodka every day would be a bit much.
Sorry, I thought the tincture was supposed to be held in a dark place for 4-6 weeks, not in the sun. Great video. Thank you for talking about the quality of the Menstruum. I was at the liquor store asking about which vodka is best for extraction, the employee said Everclear. Good thing I didn't buy it. 🙏
Eek we use everclear to clean battery acid I can only imagine ones poor liver. So I start my tincture in the light but then I move it to the dark. I think it's a desert thing because we use the sun for everything lol. I didn't know people did it differently until others started commenting. But I did a follow-up video to talk about why ua-cam.com/video/OKyqQ_EvEO8/v-deo.htmlsi=AXBrTR2zGxETGCGl
Hey there, new sub here thank you for your video and I have a q here. For religious issue I can’t use alcohol what solvent I can use instead and what is the component please. Thanks
Hello big welcome to my channel!! You can use glycerin but it won't last as long as alcohol but still you can have it for a long time, you can also use honey just let it sit a lot longer. I haven't tried honey with smaller herbs only things like garlic and it does work really well with garlic which can be used as an antibiotic but I have used glycerin before and normally I get about a year shelf life.
Yup you can do glycerin it doesn't last as long as alcohol but it will still last a long time. Just keep it in a cool dark area and dark bottle if you have it.
Hey its on there website www.pinnaclevodka.com/our-story#:~:text=we%20just%20did.-,Distilled%20five%20times,Winning%20liquid.&text=Pinnacle%20is%20crafted%20to%20a,like%2C%20any%20time%20you%20want.
How much water do you mix with the lemon balm/vodka mixture once in the tincture? Or do you keep the full vodka and herb mixture in the tincture and put drops of that in water?
No I don't think so. It has a hint of lemon to me but more mint. But that could be another one of those herbs that people think taste different. You know how some people think cilantro taste like soap lol. But you can always add something to it. I like adding passion fruit leaves when I don't like the taste of another herb or bark.
I would take it orally but what might work better is to mix turmeric with coconut oil and rub it on your need. It will get hot like Icey/Hot. You only need a little turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory. But if you use too much it will get really hot.
@@TeamBensonHomestead thank you so so much. The injury and pan have been noticeable and I follow you regularly. I had a Rosemary tincture with vodka I made from your videos and ran out of infused Rosemary oil. The lavender pill is doing nothing for pain or swelling. I will use the turmeric and Coconut oil. You I hadn't seen that on your sight. Maybe I missed it. Thank you thank you I love and recommend your youtube site to many.
Lol wait are you just saying you made shots of everclear and water 😂. And ugh everclear yikes we actually use the to clean our car batteries and oil stains I'm afraid to think what it would do to a liver
What about other liquors that aren’t filtered the way vodka is like Rum or Southern comfort or whiskey or tequila and maybe they are I’m just not fluent on spirits
So you want to look at the quality of how it's made. For example you will have a cleaner whiskey if it's triple distilled vs it only being distilled once.
It makes me cringe whenever I see or hear any herbalist say use Vodka, good or bad. Use rum, use whiskey, use brandy, use whatever spirit you like. A good spirit base can greatly increase the pleasure of your tincture. I use all kinds of spirits for making tinctures. I don't use Vodka. Remember, you are the one consuming what you make. Make it your way.
Hi, so after 6 weeks,it wont be any alcohol tasting at all? that's the only protocol 100% vodka proof to make herbal tinctures, right?where can i buy it? Thanks a lot.
It won't be 100% gone depending on the vodka you use. The smoother the Vodka you use the more the herbs take over in flavor. You can also use 80 proof or 100 proof I prefer to use 80 because 100 is strong. I get all of my vodka from Total Wine but you can get it a most grocery stores. Also you can also add a little honey or glycerin to make it sweet. It will come out kinda like a cough syrup. I prefer honey because it's an antibacterial
@@TeamBensonHomestead Hi again, If i buy a high quality vodka.after 6 weeks it won't be 100% any alcohol?? because i don't like any alcohol in it after 6 weeks. if i use apple vinegar might be much better than using vodka?? let me know about it please. Thanks very much.
You’re Menstrum is very important in tincture making, choose wisely. I found five o’clock vodka is a great one it is 5x distilled grain and 40% percent and you can get it in 50% as well (blue bottle) and is less expensive for those on a budget 😉
Oh nice I haven't used that one but I'm going to pin your post so other can check it out too. Many people yelled at me in the comments before watching the entire video because they thought I was just talking about price. But I was talking about cheaply made. I saw people on UA-cam making tinctures with poorly made vodkas and then selling them. And most people don't think about that part. Poorly distilled vodka can be really harsh on the liver and kidneys
The cleanest we can be the better ❤, what’s the point of ruining an herb that is natural and free of impurities if we are going to saturate it with impurities😂? You are spot on! I’m always eager to share, especially knowledge! Thank you Ma’am😊.
I use an expensive product called Extractahol, but one of my mentors likes Prairie Vodka. It's gluten free.
@@DannaGesellchen i like that one
Thanks for video
I was surprise to hear you say DONT USE CHEAP VODKA followed by I USE PINNACLE
pun intended...isnt it the pinnacle of cheap vodka???😂
Well either way at least now I know TITOS must be fine to use, am i right?
Cuz Titos is what I have a lot of( thats not flavored)
I;m so proud to see young women of color explore natural holistic ways of healing . I pray that as a collective we can come together and reach one and teach one on how to improve their health mind body and spirit for the African American inner city communities.
Thank you so much I want me channel to be a resource we can all care for ourselves and our families we just have to learn all the way of doing it.
What about everclear
Ohh Gezz don’t start speaking in tongues 😅
funny , I’ve never had someone say .. I’m so proud to see a caucasien women do so well. Think about what you are saying and consider how wrong it is. Consider just commending her on her achievement and NOT skin color, it has no place here .
Its all some people have, their whole identity....sad@@AceMaverickM
Good info thank you. Regarding the vodka you can take cheap Vodka and run it thru a brita water jug/filter several times and it will help remove impurities without removing the alcohol. I have "some experience" in the area :)
That's a great way too. If you have a Berkeley they do an even better job.
@@TeamBensonHomesteadcan you distill it?
Thank you for your careful explanation dear. Just to help a little, charcoal doesn't always induce vomiting. Folks take capsules for gastritis and inner cleansing. Agape love ❤️
Thank you for your comment it makes us stronger when we can help each other
We make our own antacid from our own charcoal. Lol. Grind it and put in a capsule. I’ve taken charcoal out of my wood burning stove and just ate it. Works every time. No more prescription needed. Infact…. I haven’t had to use any in over a year now. HUh!? Guess I cured myself. :) lol 🤷♀️ And Berkey filters are charcoal. EPA just outlawed them because they filter out the Rona virus. Called the filters a pesticide. Insane right! There in court now. Tks for saving me from using everclear!! 👍👍♥️
Thank you for taking the time to explain. I accidentally knocked my bottle of Everclear off the shelf before I opened it. I was about to go to the liquor store.
Omg yes don't use Everclear that will burn your insides it's so strong like over 100 proof. We use everclear to clean battery acid off of our batteries.
Thank you - this was so helpful. I'm about to make my first tincture and I would not have thought about the vodka quality (not a vodka drinker!) I look forward to learning more.
Congrats on your first tincture!! I'm happy to help. I have purchased tinctures that did more harm than good just because of the alcohol used so I wanted to give everyone a heads up on what to use.
Once you add your tincture to your preferred drink you won’t even taste vodka..most put a dropper or two in they’re water and even then you cannot taste alcohol .
I use full strentgh white brandy to create my extracts. This seems to help with increasing shelf life. When I create ready-to-use portions, i dilute to 50/50 with purified/distilled water.
Brandy it a good one they normally are made with care so they don't have a ton of impurities. Non flavored Rum is another good option for the herbs that taste terrible.
You can filter the vodka yourself. I think the best thing to use for this is a zero water filter. Make sure you don't use the same filter for water and alcohol.
That's true too I forgot to mention that you could use a water filter but to make sure you do it at least 4 to 5 times. There are a ton of impurities in vodka making because makers will cut corners to save money and time.
So this is a possible exception to using a cheaper vodka if you were to filter it yourself 4to 5 times?❓
Good to know
can i run my vodka through my water distiller ? thanks in advance
This is a wonderful articulation. Highly recommend Meili Vodka, it’s sourced from mountain spring water, in a beautiful recycled glass bottle and it’s really inexpensive! 🤙
Oh nice I will have to try that one! Thank you for the recommendation
Your soothing voice and knowledge make you perfect to listen to
❤
Thank you so much for that
I thought it was just me
I’m so glad that I watched this video before making my very first tincture. I purchased 2 large bottles of the cheap vodka based on another video that I watched 😂😂😂😂😂😂. However, I know someone that will be excited to drink it. 😂😂😂Lol. Tiffany, you always do a wonderful job of explaining every detail. Thanks for this wonderful video.
I'm happy to help, I see so many people using really bad vodka and I just think eek that's going to equal kidney damage and or a headache lol.
You dilute the tincture based on herb type as in fresh plant or dried and roots. They all need different amounts of alcohol to water
I don't make my tinctures with water it will decrease the shelf life. When I use it, that's when I dilute it in water
Thank you for clarifying the "cheap" vodka usage....
Anytime I think its important because not a lot of companies put care into their products
I’m so happy to find this. I’m just starting to dabble in tinctures and the first thing I thought of was the type and quality of the alcohol. Thank you for this info!
Yay I hope you are having fun making your tinctures!
I just bought a big bottle of potato vodka because the store guy said it picks up flavors really well. I’m also making vanilla extract. I think it’s Monopolova? From Poland.
I take Du Zhong, schizandra, and fennel seed tea at night but I’m hoping a tincture will streamline things. Especially when I travel!
Great vid, keep it up!
Thank you 😊 and nice potato vodkas are nice because they don't have such a harsh taste unlike many others that are grain vodkas
Thank you ❤
You know much more about vodka than I do. No doubt about it. I haven't drunk any since my teens. That was cheap junk. One thing I do remember is that once the cap was removed poured and replaced, it tasted very gross if not used soon. The exposure to air must have caused oxidation and that would upset my stomach in small amounts. I make tinctures for personal use, but decided against vodka for that reason. My dropper would be opened frequently when needed. I found that Ever clear is more refined although not Non GMO or organic. I can't find an alternative. Friendly correction about Activated Charcoal. It was traditionally used to absorb toxins. It's still used in water filters. You rinse it upon purchase and use to remove chemicals from tap water. You can tell the difference. It will not impart flavor, nor cause vomiting. What someone mistakenly told you was what's called an emetic. That is a vomit inducing compound like mustard powder. That's a different mechanism for removing toxins from the stomach when you eat something toxic. Activated Charcoal is available to you in better supplement stores. I Have a bottle on hand in case a family member gets sick.
PS:. I just heard you talk about Everclear. I don't know their filtering process, but do know that the alcohol content is higher than vodka. In WV I think it is limited to 151 proof = 75.5% . It used to be 180 proof until some guy died from alcohol poisoning. That can happen from any hard liquor if you drink enough. The alcohol is poison. That's why you don't drink it straight according to their instructions. A dropperful is the amount of use, right? I doubt if there's any safe amount for a baby, but have never heard of adults dying or getting drunk from a dropperful or even teaspoon. Correct me if you think I'm wrong.
This is awesome. Can you make tinctures from fresh herbs like basil and use vodka as well?
Hello thank you 😊 I don't use fresh herbs because they are so holding water in the leaves. That can cause too much condensation when you store your tincture for long term. I use fresh herbs when I'm making tea or stocks.
your the first person Ive ever heard say everclear wasnt good to use.i use it all the time and my tincture comes out awesome.been making for 5 years now.
That is just my personal opinion you have to do what's right for you and what you like.
I agree. Some herbalist recommend 60% alcohol, 40% on certain herbs. You are missing out on essential parts of the herb with lower alcohol. Most people buy "clean" alcohol for tinctures but then mix it with their fluoridated city water.
@thirdeye5718 Actually, you're missing out on a ton of water soluble properties (that you want) because you're using grain alcohol. Doesn't make for a well rounded tincture at all. Fresh plant matter and 100 proof always! Grain alcohol only extracts the alcohol soluble properties and very very little of the water soluble properties and then degrades plant matter because it's literal poison. Then people water it down to make it safe to take. Makes no sense. If I wanted pharmaceuticals I'd go to the doctor.
@@rainwaterrefugehomestead2267 grain is used but then diluted with water to get to the appropriate percentage. How would I be missing out on water soluble properties? Certain herbs require more alcohol % than others. People have done research on it. If you're using low percentage alcohol with fresh herb unfortunately it's going to be watered down from the water that is already in the plant matter
For roots it requires 75% alcohol
That makes sense....I never thought of it that way. Glad I found your channel.
Oh yay I'm happy to help! and welcome to my channel!
Thank you for great great videos. Two questions. Will apple cider interfere with the ones you make with vodka and since we can’t find an unfiltered vodka, can we filter our own?
Hey you can use apple cider vinegar, make sure you get one with the mothers it will make it even better for you. And yes you can filter your own that works great too
This is the best video I've seen on this subject. Keep going!
Wow, thanks! I'm glad you liked it!
Great video. You've explained it perfectly
Thank you!
I've never made a tincture; however, I've wanted to know how to make them. Tiffany, thanks for the knowledge!🙂 Yall be well.🙂
They are so easy to make and its nice and easy to grab. It will also help you with measuring dosage.
Amazing video..thanks for sharing the love
Any time thank you for watching my video
Thanks for very concise videos. 🎉Hi can i use non alcohol ? Thanks in advance🎉
Anytime I'm happy to help. You can use vegetable glycerine it won't last as long as the alcohol but it can still pull the properties of the herbs.
Thank you for the great info. I have seen some that use .5 raw honey and .5 expensive vodka.
Yes honey medicine is another great one to make cough medicine, which is my favorite use for it. I want to do a video on honey meds, pills, and infusions too
girl you are not dramatic thank you for the advice never stop talking your mind out
Thank you so much for that I saw so many people using that is terrible for them. I don't think people think about the main part of the tincture.
Thank you. You know your stuff and I’m glad you spoke up. I made some with the cheap stuff, but know better now. Makes sense!!
Thank you so much for that I got yelled at a few times in the comments but it's true you have to look at every part of your medicine. I'm happy it was helpful
I use all glass, no plastic due to leaching, no metal so nothing reacts…only thing I use that isn’t glass is a wood skewer and spoon and always make sure the area is clean and sanitary.
Those are great ideas!
Great share and thanks for the book suggestion!
Anytime it's one of my favorite books
I’m so happy you made this video! Thank you! I love all the info and I am buying her book now.
It's a great book and anytime. I love a good tincture
Shake it vigorously I make mushroom tintures and you keep those in a dark location. AWESOME 👍 video keep it up and spread the word
Great tip 👍
Have you tried Mountain Rose Herbs?? They are great quality!!
I will have to check that one out
@@TeamBensonHomestead high quality, great selection, and their prices aren’t that bad. I think they are comparable to Amazon prices. Let me know what you think when you check them out! Love the info you give!
Thank you so much for the information. Besides stress for what else does it help?
Hey it helps with sleep too. Sometimes I add it to other things like my cramp tincture. It doesn't stop cramps I use cramp bark for that but the lemon balm will help relax me when I'm in pain.
Great video 🤩 very helpful!! Since my lemon balm has taking over most of the herb box, that will be my1st tincture.
Nice you will love it
i was actually thinking about this recently. I wanted to use a better quality vodka for my tinctures. Thank you!
It's very important it's 50% of you medicine
Gratitude 💜
❤️❤️❤️
Wow, great information that not a lot of people are sharing! Thank you!
Thank you so much. I hope it helps everyone.
Perfect explanation! Thanks so much. Off to make ghost pipe tincture this weekend
Glad it helped! Have fun!
It would be nice if you could share what lemon balm is and what you use it for since that is what you’re making.
Hello I did a video on all the benefits of it. Here it is ua-cam.com/video/DoMhyy4lU3E/v-deo.html
Thank you for this informative video quite helpful...🔥💪🏿💯♥️🎯
Anytime I'm happy to help
Super useful information! Thank you for that! One question, I’ve heard different opinions as to where to store your tinctures as it’s being made, some people say dry cool and dark place and some say next to a window, why are there different opinions son this? Does it depend on the herb you’re making a tincture out of? Thank you in advance!
Thank you, so this is my opinion. I put them next to a window to get the process going. Once it's going then you can store it in a cool dry place. I think it's faster to do it this way. But that is just my opinion. I'm a desert girl and we use the sun and the moon alot, mostly because we have a lot of it lol. I really just think it depends on what part of the world you are from and how you learn to do things.
@@TeamBensonHomestead Thank you for your response! It’s super interesting how as you said everyone just needs to leverage the climate they live in when making herbal medicine. The beauty of our diverse world and it’s cultures!
Wow, thank you for explaining about the vodka! That honestly makes so much sense. I love that you're so passionate and mindful about it. Thanks for educating us! I do have a question though, I thought you weren't supposed to leave tinctures somewhere sunny because the uv rays damage the components?
Thank you I'm happy to help. So the thing about the sun I think it's a desert people thing I didn't now it was weird until people started saying it lol. But we use the sun and the moon and the heat of the desert for everything. I made another video about it but we put it in a sunny location for a day or two to get it started then put it in a dark location to finish up and store it. Over time...like a few years it can lose its strength if it's in direct light but we start it out that way to get it going. Think kinda like making a medicinal tea. You put it in boiling water. Now I don't let it get that hot lol but the sun gets it going.
I appreciate you for your inspirational and educational info of this video. I started gardening and notice I have several herb growing in yard and can be use for medicinal purposes. Thanks 😊Going to get some good vodka
Nice happy tincture making! It really is a game changer!!
Oh my goodness, I'm so happy I found you. You are amazing. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and knowledge
Big welcome to my channel! I'm happy to help!
Thank you all the way from South Africa❤
Hello! How are you?
@@TeamBensonHomestead hi there! Love your site..very educational..thank you have a fabulous week! I want to study herbology to start a small buisness to help all the people who cannot afford excpensive medicines...dont want to replace a docters opinion but just be the help inbetween f a soar throat, bad tummy, ovarian cycts ect. What do u think
Shamira thank you so much for such a thorough explanation!!! I knew nothing about alcohol so this was very informative. I'm glad I bought the 100 proof, and not the $5, cheap bottle. Can't wait to start my first tincture!!!
Yay I'm so happy to help. May you create amazing tinctures and they keep you healthy.
Barton charcoal filtered works fine
I was about to use everclear - so glad I watched this video!!!
Yay ink happy to help. We use to clean old car batteries with everclear or cola. Two things I would never put in my body after seeing how well they clean battery acid 😆
Great informative video! I am about to make a tincture for the first time. I have my herbs and I just need the vodka so your video was perfect timing. I will look for Pinnacle.
I'm so happy to help! You got this keep making your tinctures
Thank you for sharing. I enjoyed your video and the info you share so much I subscribed
Thank you and big welcome to my channel.
Which base make the most potent tincture i heard it was alcohol? I wanted to know because it will be for hair. I heard glycerin wasn't as strong but alcohol drys the hair out.
Oh if it's for hair you need an oil. I use olive oil or coconut oil.
Great video. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you 💙
I make homemade wine from organic fruits from my garden. I also grow lots of herbs. When I make wine I make it wild fermentation, I dont use any yeast, just organic cane sugar, because I didn't have time to strain it before it gets too strong. Now I have a few gallons of strong wine, my question is. Can I use this wine to make tincture?
Oh we love wine in these parts lol. We make some too. But your alcohol content won't be high enough to make a good tincture. You would need to fortify it with a grained alcohol in order to try and get the alcohol content up to 80%. But check your alcohol content on your wine and see what it is. The alcohol is what pulls the medicinal values from you plant and preserves it.
@@TeamBensonHomestead Thank you for your quick respond. I will follow your advice.
Excellent, excellent video! I truly appreciate your thorough explanation of making tinctures. You are YAH sent. Thank you!
Thank you I'm happy to help
Thanks so much for the video! Best wishes!
Anytime!! I'm happy to help 😊
Thanks for the information. I’m not a drinker so the vodka explanation was very helpful.
I'm happy it helped. I want to make sure everyone is using a good product that is going to be helpful for them
Just found your channel I’ve distilled my own alcohol and used tabletop filter pitchers to filter the alcohol
Nice that's the best way because then you know everything that's in it
Hi there again, just wondering when you say filtrated do you mean the filtration process or the distillation process? They’re different and I know that people get them confused sometimes, so just wondering which one is the most important that we need to look out for when choosing a spirit for tinctures? Thank you in advance!
Hey I mean filtration, it's filtered first to get impurities out.
Excellent!
Thank you!
Thank you for explaining through to the end. I've been trying to figure out the difference between the large jar and the little dropper.
Quick question: what is there are multiple ailments for one person? Do they just take. A dropper bulb of each one? How much is too much?
Hey so you can make blend to take of multiple issue or you can us more than one. You want to get a recipe book. It will help you make a blend.
Is there a vodka you would recommend that we could find in Europe? Pinnacle and pau are American and it’s not as easy to find them in the UK and they can be a bit pricey as well. What are your thoughts in using Smirnoff vodka? It’s filtered 10 times but I don’t think they use limestone to filter it
Hey you can do Smirnoff that would work well. I'm not sure which ones they have in Europe but I have used Smirnoff before.
@@TeamBensonHomestead oh that’s great to hear! When choosing our alcohol base should we be more worried about how many times it’s distilled or how many times it’s filtrated?
Can you share other brands that are good to get..i dont think my liquor store has those 2.
Hey Absolut Voka is another one you can get and the Costco Kirkland vodka would work too
This was so helpful. I admit I buy top of the line herbs and cheap vodka. Now I know better. 😊
I'm happy to help, many people forget the other half of the ingredient
Thank you.
Anytime 😊
Maybe you have some recommendations for people who are not well to do but are still trying to proceed forward with herbalism
Hey so if you go to a alcohol store like a Total Wine or something like that you can get the little bottles for a dollar or two. 2 little bottles will be enough to fill a drop bottle the size if more tincture bottles and it would last a while too because you do need that much of a tincture. Most higher priced spirits have those little shooter bottles.
Amazing video, is Keto One ok to use, that's all I have, thanks
Yes that one will work. Happy tincture making!!
Hi, what's the music playing in the background? Thanks :)))
Hello so it's just one of the sound options in my HP video editing program. It was called Reflecting Pool
You said to leave it on a sunny shelf , you want the opposite , a dark cool place.
So I talked about this in my recent video I created. we have always put it on a sunny shelf to get it going, then after a few days, then we put it in a dark location. I don't know if it's a desert people thing. We use the sun a lot. But it's kinda like making sun tea.
Can you clarify what impurities are in bottom shelf vodka?
Depending on the fermentation process and the length of time, these are the possible impurities that can occur in the process of making vodka methanol, acetaldehyde, isoamyl alcohol, propanol and fuseoils. These are mainly by products.
I won an award on a lil competition in LA and I did It With a big bottle of takka , I haber never heard pf putting It on the Window por the sun, youre supposed to put It in a dark place and if you put It on the Freezer It becomes way stronger
Oh nice so after it brews I put it in a dark place too.
I am so glad you explained about the vodka!
It just makes a better medicine for you. Some liquor companies just don't use quality products
Thanks so much for this info. Can I place the jars in a greenhouse?
Yes that's a great place for them. I'm going to put mine outside in the early morning before it's a million degrees
Gems 💎
After watching your video a year ago. I changed my vodka to a 10 times destilled 80 proof and another one is 6 times destilled.
Yay I'm happy you made the change we have to remember everything we put into our meds it's all important!!! Keep up your healthy lifestyle!
Such good tips....What type of herb would your recommend for an anti inflammatory tincture?
There are a lot of different ones but they are more targeted. For example Milk Thistle will decrease inflammation in you liver and Kidneys but it does decrease it in joints. But the spice tumeric works amazing for joint inflammation
@@TeamBensonHomestead thanks
Once you finish the tincture, can you evaporate off at least some of the alcohol? Otherwise it might be hard/dangerous to take larger doses of the tincture.
No the alcohol is what is preserving it. But when you take a tincture you only need to add a few drops to your water or on your tongue. You can compare it to vanilla extract. It's made the same way and you only need a teaspoon or 2 to bake with it.
@@TeamBensonHomestead I had a glycerol tincture made for me by an herbalist who specializes in microbiome and gut treatments. He had me taking one tablespoon of tincture at a time, which I highly dilute in water because the tincture is very strong. I don't mind diluting alcohol, but taking one tablespoon of 100 proof vodka every day would be a bit much.
Sorry, I thought the tincture was supposed to be held in a dark place for 4-6 weeks, not in the sun. Great video. Thank you for talking about the quality of the Menstruum. I was at the liquor store asking about which vodka is best for extraction, the employee said Everclear. Good thing I didn't buy it. 🙏
Eek we use everclear to clean battery acid I can only imagine ones poor liver. So I start my tincture in the light but then I move it to the dark. I think it's a desert thing because we use the sun for everything lol. I didn't know people did it differently until others started commenting. But I did a follow-up video to talk about why ua-cam.com/video/OKyqQ_EvEO8/v-deo.htmlsi=AXBrTR2zGxETGCGl
Great video 💯
Thanks for the visit, I'm happy to help!
Hey there, new sub here thank you for your video and I have a q here. For religious issue I can’t use alcohol what solvent I can use instead and what is the component please.
Thanks
Hello big welcome to my channel!! You can use glycerin but it won't last as long as alcohol but still you can have it for a long time, you can also use honey just let it sit a lot longer. I haven't tried honey with smaller herbs only things like garlic and it does work really well with garlic which can be used as an antibiotic but I have used glycerin before and normally I get about a year shelf life.
@@TeamBensonHomestead
Thank you for your time and your answer. 🌹🌹🌹
Can you mix glycerin with the vodka so it’s not so much alcohol?
Yup you can do glycerin it doesn't last as long as alcohol but it will still last a long time. Just keep it in a cool dark area and dark bottle if you have it.
How do you know pinnacle vodka is filtered? The bottle and description doesn’t mention filtration. Help.
Hey its on there website www.pinnaclevodka.com/our-story#:~:text=we%20just%20did.-,Distilled%20five%20times,Winning%20liquid.&text=Pinnacle%20is%20crafted%20to%20a,like%2C%20any%20time%20you%20want.
How much water do you mix with the lemon balm/vodka mixture once in the tincture? Or do you keep the full vodka and herb mixture in the tincture and put drops of that in water?
I normally do about 15 to 20 drops of water per 8oz glass of water or you can just put the drops just right in mouth without water.
Does your lemon balm taste lemony or like Lemon Pledge furniture polish?
No I don't think so. It has a hint of lemon to me but more mint. But that could be another one of those herbs that people think taste different. You know how some people think cilantro taste like soap lol. But you can always add something to it. I like adding passion fruit leaves when I don't like the taste of another herb or bark.
@@TeamBensonHomestead Thanks, I think I see what you mean. I'm one of those cilantro/soap people. Perfect analogy!
@@1vtmom966 anytime and ohh no
Charcoal is a binder.
For pain or swelling on a knee do you take orally or rub externally?
I would take it orally but what might work better is to mix turmeric with coconut oil and rub it on your need. It will get hot like Icey/Hot. You only need a little turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory. But if you use too much it will get really hot.
@@TeamBensonHomestead thank you so so much. The injury and pan have been noticeable and I follow you regularly. I had a Rosemary tincture with vodka I made from your videos and ran out of infused Rosemary oil. The lavender pill is doing nothing for pain or swelling. I will use the turmeric and Coconut oil. You I hadn't seen that on your sight. Maybe I missed it.
Thank you thank you I love and recommend your youtube site to many.
Do you have a ratio on the turmeric and coconut oil for pain and swelling of my knee..
so are you saying i should throw out the tinctures i made with everclear and water at 50/50 ratio not including my herbs?
Lol wait are you just saying you made shots of everclear and water 😂. And ugh everclear yikes we actually use the to clean our car batteries and oil stains I'm afraid to think what it would do to a liver
There is no link for the lemon balm you used 😢
Oh sorry here is the one I like amzn.to/3EY4AbW
Thank you ❤ love it
Yay you found it!
I thought when your using dried herbs the ratio is supposed to be 1/5
1 part herb
5 part alcohol….
It's really just up to you and how strong you want your tincture to be.
what are the names of the vodka you suggested?
I would use pinnacle or absolute
what are your thoughts on foodgrade ethanol?
I prefer just to use a vodka made from a potato or a grain. I like to just keep it simple
What about other liquors that aren’t filtered the way vodka is like Rum or Southern comfort or whiskey or tequila and maybe they are I’m just not fluent on spirits
So you want to look at the quality of how it's made. For example you will have a cleaner whiskey if it's triple distilled vs it only being distilled once.
Great information!
Thank you I'm happy to help
It makes me cringe whenever I see or hear any herbalist say use Vodka, good or bad. Use rum, use whiskey, use brandy, use whatever spirit you like. A good spirit base can greatly increase the pleasure of your tincture. I use all kinds of spirits for making tinctures. I don't use Vodka. Remember, you are the one consuming what you make. Make it your way.
Thank you for your opinion
This is helpful thank u!❤
The only way to use a cheaper vodka (not truly cheap vodka just cheaper) is to pull it through active charcoal under a vacuum
That works as well. Many people do that with the Costco vodka. If you don't buy it filtered enough you can do it as well.
Hi❤ is this good for children?
Hey I just commented on your other post.
@@TeamBensonHomestead thank you😊💓🙏
Hi,
so after 6 weeks,it wont be any alcohol tasting at all? that's the only protocol 100% vodka proof to make herbal tinctures, right?where can i buy it?
Thanks a lot.
It won't be 100% gone depending on the vodka you use. The smoother the Vodka you use the more the herbs take over in flavor. You can also use 80 proof or 100 proof I prefer to use 80 because 100 is strong. I get all of my vodka from Total Wine but you can get it a most grocery stores. Also you can also add a little honey or glycerin to make it sweet. It will come out kinda like a cough syrup. I prefer honey because it's an antibacterial
@@TeamBensonHomestead Hi again,
If i buy a high quality vodka.after 6 weeks it won't be 100% any alcohol?? because i don't like any alcohol in it after 6 weeks. if i use apple vinegar might be much better than using vodka?? let me know about it please.
Thanks very much.
Can you use Rum?
Yes you can use any spirit 80 proof or higher. You don't want to use the flavored ones because they are on average 40 to 70 proof.