[quote name='"wrestle125"']@ arpadim thanks for the help. So where is a good local place to get glycerin? Vitamin supplement shop i assume?[/quote] You didn't ask me, but I get mine here http://www.essentialdepot.com/servlet/the-107/Glycerin-Vegetable-KOSHER-USP/Detail at Essential Depot. Two gallons shipped free for $45. Now that's a lot of glycerin, and you can get lesser amounts, but shipping a heavy liquid isn't cheap. It keeps in a cool dark place for at least a year, and I mix my own nic juice (e-cig) so it's worth it to me. Food grade, good stuff and they ship fast.
Alright i plan on starting to make a ton of E-juice and hash oil when I move in my college apartment the 14th so I want to get everything in order. Can i just extract hash oil (when it dries its hard and honey looking) and put it in a crock pot pour some glycerin in and heat it untill it becomes a solution then store it and use a syrange to put into my pen or do I have to make the "tincture" Because basically i made hash oil and mixed it with peanut oil and heated it and it worked fine in my e-cigg. If you guys say that is toxic and dont smoke oil can I do the same process just use glycerin to cut/dilute the amber ice with or do I have to do your process lol
[quote name='"wrestle125"']Alright i plan on starting to make a ton of E-juice and hash oil when I move in my college apartment the 14th so I want to get everything in order. Can i just extract hash oil (when it dries its hard and honey looking) and put it in a crock pot pour some glycerin in and heat it untill it becomes a solution then store it and use a syrange to put into my pen or do I have to make the "tincture" Because basically i made hash oil and mixed it with peanut oil and heated it and it worked fine in my e-cigg. If you guys say that is toxic and dont smoke oil can I do the same process just use glycerin to cut/dilute the amber ice with or do I have to do your process lol[/quote] I just harvested my very first crop so I can't answer that for you...waiting for my trim to dry so I can make my first glycerine 'oil', but I DO know that smoking peanut oil is not cool. My plan is to pour glycerine into a crock pot with my trim and cook it for at least 8 hrs on keep warm...probably longer. You can use distilled water (VERY small amounts) or the highest proof alcohol (vodka?) you can get your hands on to thin it out if need be for your ecig. I plan to use a tank or fillerless cart for mine...I don't like messin with atomizers and dripping.
Exactly i understand the only problem with my method is the peanut oil. So...... my question is for you or catsmile if i say use the butane method and extract a half O worth of dank and have that sticky hard hash oil then can I just pour some glycerin in there and make my mixture. Because it worked with the peanut oil then i found out peanut fumes are un healthy so I dont see how it wouldnt work with the hash oil and glycerin. I just wouldn't know how much glycerin to use because you cant get the weight of the hash oil when its glued to the crock pot when it drops from the extractor
^^ I have a similar issue. Anyone turned BHO into Tincture? I have the glycerine and and the BHO already made (Kaia Kush, Strawberry Cough & Blueberry mix), but its thicker than honey and I need to break it down into an oil... would the glycerine and some heat accomplish this task for me? If I get no responses in the next few hours, I will let you know how much I used and how it turned out. Thanks and I am super excited to supercharge my e-cig!
Your dosage will vary, but try to use at least a 1 : 2 ratio of concentrate/bho, to glycerin, for the fastest/best results... many of you will need less concentrate to glycerin, but you can squeak a little more in there without breaking the solution, just keep in mind that the formation of the solution slows down as it reaches the point of saturation, so you'll be adding a few weeks to your total sit time (again that's even with initial heat to speed things up).... hope this helps! PS, before I forget - If you notice debris or solids settling by the end of your process, this is normal with many concentrates including bho! It can look and feel like perfect shatter, and it technically still is by most definitions, but there are often tough plant waxes and other inert components in your concentrates (or chlorophyll and salts, for alcohol/acetone), 'extras' which are soluble in butane or other solvents, but are not as, or at all soluble, in glycerin. Again.. this is normal! It's why many people re-run their 'finished' BHO through ethyl alcohol and acetone, and re-strain, or vice-versa; to remove the extra waxes and components which are soluble in one (the first) solvent, but not in the secondary solvents. Anyhow, if and when solids occur, don't panic! Just let your tincture cool slowly, let it become cold, and then strain your tincture before bottling.. a very fine micron/mesh screen will do, or even a re-usable nylon coffee filter (I believe that I touched on this in the glycerin tincture tutorial as well). You may find that it is easier to start with an acetone wash.. dissolve your bho, let it sit still a few minutes, then cool it in the fridge, and finally the freezer before straining, and purging off the acetone. This will give you a product that is easier to work with in the glycerin, although for patients, we generally prefer to avoid harsh solvents and go the 'difficult' route of straining thick, cold glycerin. Anyhow, solids and contaminants are among a few of the reasons why we use glycerin tincture in e-cigs, and similar 'for-canna' devices, with much greater success than pure concentrates; to produce a clean vapor vehicle, which is capable of delivering ALL our cannabinoids at lower temps than they could otherwise become vapor, and to lengthen and preserve the quality and functionality of our atomizers/vaping equipment.
BKS -- I Made the tincture last night with 4 oz of veg glycerin 4.5 gr of bud, some bho and kief. Cooked for 3.5 hours @ 200 degrees and then cooled, sifted and left in a jar overnight. I put it into my ecig today and it'd not combusting. I am guessing premature tincture possible? Do I just heat it back up for an hour and try again? Thanks!
Over the past 2 months I have used ecigs to completely quit smoking regular cigs. It has been a God send for me. Now I find out about this!!! Awesome. I'm going to have to give it a go as soon as I figure out more about making tincture.
Okay, I'm using a mistic ecig, ordered a ria 510 just waiting for it. I took the material out and wetted it with the tincture and it wouldn't vape, so I took the material out and just put a couple of drops in the cart, it's vaping fine and smells and tastes good. I'm not getting high though, I would think I would based on the content of the tincture and the cook time and temp. Hopefully it will get better with time? Any ideas? Should I reheat or let it age in the bottle and check it going forward? Edit: In addition to the BHO I used, I also added some kief and 4.5 grams of Vanilla Kush to the 4 oz of vegetable glycerin.
I've read the whole thread and am mixing up my glycerin tincture now. I went out and got a V-Go from Beach Shore Vapors. The ecig works great with most of the new atomizer cartridges BUT WHEN I TAKE OUT THE COTTON TO REFILL IT, OR JUST PUT IT BACK IT... NO VAPE. I think maybe it's because there's an extra tube thing in the center of the cotton that doesn't line back up or something. I suppose I can just drip the tinc into the center tube of the cartridge but I wanted to clean out the cotton first to avoid the nicotene... any tips?! I've messed up 4 cartridges trying to get them to vape (with the nicotene ejuice) and have one working one in there now which I'll just leave in... grrr Guess I'll call the manufacturer again, maybe I can buy empty cartridges and just drip fill them without taking out the cotton...
[quote name='"MisterWonder"']I've read the whole thread and am mixing up my glycerin tincture now. I went out and got a V-Go from Beach Shore Vapors. The ecig works great with most of the new atomizer cartridges BUT WHEN I TAKE OUT THE COTTON TO REFILL IT, OR JUST PUT IT BACK IT... NO VAPE. I think maybe it's because there's an extra tube thing in the center of the cotton that doesn't line back up or something. I suppose I can just drip the tinc into the center tube of the cartridge but I wanted to clean out the cotton first to avoid the nicotene... any tips?! I've messed up 4 cartridges trying to get them to vape (with the nicotene ejuice) and have one working one in there now which I'll just leave in... grrr Guess I'll call the manufacturer again, maybe I can buy empty cartridges and just drip fill them without taking out the cotton...[/quote] You don't remove the 'cotton' on a cartridge, just drip the tincture onto the cotton avoiding the center tube (that tube is for air only). Are the cartridges you bought prefilled? Is that why you're trying to remove it?
wow, thanks noobwannb! yes, I was trying to take out the cotton stuff and the air tube in order to wash them out (where's the doh! emoticon?). I guess I can buy the empty cartridges and just drop the liquid in... god bless the interwebs! (It makes me wonder how they get the cotton and wick into the cartridge and all aligned up correctly - when I did it they wouldn't vape anymore) Edit: Thanks again NoobwannB , for your spot on adivce, you turned a mulling, kicking self in the head evening into one of hope : )
[quote name='"MisterWonder"']wow, thanks noobwannb! yes, I was trying to take out the cotton stuff and the air tube in order to wash them out (where's the doh! emoticon?). I guess I can buy the empty cartridges and just drop the liquid in... god bless the interwebs! (It makes me wonder how they get the cotton and wick into the cartridge and all aligned up correctly - when I did it they wouldn't vape anymore[/quote] No problem, glad to help I quit cigs awhile back and vaping (nic) was a Godsend for me! Made quitting a 30+ yr habit almost painless. They really are awesome...for this tincture too Yes, definitely get some empties. They do wear out eventually, so you'll need them anyway. You can wash them out by soaking in vodka overnight, then blow them out (put your mouth on the mouth end) outside, or aim into the sink then shake like a thermometer and let them dry in a sunny window or someplace warm. They usually dry in a day or so, then you can refill. Like I said, eventually they do need replacing though. There are tiny wires inside so chances are that's what happened when you tried removing the filler..those got disconnected and the atomizer in the cartridge quit working.
Every post badkitty makes is like a nuclear bomb of knowledge. Fucking veteran status on everything extract.
Hi everyone! I got some questions that need to be answered before i start making my hashish glyceryn and then my ecig juice. 1: I want to know the perfect Ratio for my tincture <<hashish : veg. glycerin>> and please can you put it in grams for the hashish and ml for glycerin?! I know im a newbie in this and i want to be really sure about this before making it! 2: Can't i just add normal e juice in the tincture for flavor??? And if not where can i get everclear because im in canada and im not even sure where to get that and im pretty sure that illegal in my country but i might be wrong... 3: I know that for my tincture everclear is important but as i just said it i think that illegal in Canada. Soo i want to know if there something that i can get that do the same job?! 4: BKS you say in the tincture recipe that i should decarb my hash but i don't wanna mess thing up and over do it so can you please tell how much time should i put my hash in the oven and on what temp? Sorry if im making you repeat that stuff but i can't seem to find out how! I might just blind or a big dummy! Thank you for helping me out and giving me the answer im asking for and for your comprehension to all because im a little lost here and im not a good scientist! Like i said i really don't wanna mess thing up ! And i think that it! But anyway that a great recipe that you're willing to share with us BKS and i really want to thank you for your hard work! P.S. Sorry for my english if it a little rough on the side it because my first language is french so sometimes its a little mess up!
[quote name='"BadKittySmiles"'] That is because you should not be diluting your solvent, with water It can certainly potentially cause your tincture to go cloudy, certain flavoring elements do also, but you should not be diluting your solvent with anything that glandular material is not soluble in, until after you've effectively produced your tincture. If you're using everclear anyhow, rather than using it in tandem, you could always perform an extraction first, then use the concentrate (or extract, if you choose not to evaporate the alcohol) with your glycerin. As it is, your glycerin is likely already contaminated with some amount of water. It has the ability to absorb up to 20% its weight in atmospheric moisture. In other words, before you use it, it's a good idea to bring your glycerin up to heat and for a period of time allowing it to 'steam off' some of that excess liquid, particularly if your glycerin appears very runny rather than thick and viscous. From the CannaPharm; http://forum.grasscity.com/incredible-edible-herb/742831-badkats-cannapharm-canna-caps-uv-reactive-glowing-hash-candy-canna-bombs-more-24.html#post11628262 -Glycerin Tincture- (Glycerine, Glycerin, Glycerol) Preface: Glycerin tincture tends to come out best after it's been stored for several weeks, even if it's been heated, and almost regardless how long you heat it for. Glycerin and oil have very different properties, and function very differently from one another as far as glandular breakdown goes. It is not as powerful a 'solvent' as a good pure oil, or a high proof alcohol, it is less capable of breaking down glandular material at such speeds, but it is still a powerful dehydrant, and when additional, even gentle heat is continued beyond a certain point it can rapidly degrade in potency, -before bioavailability can be achieved-. My own preferred process involves about 5 - 6 hours of gentle heating, at 180 - 200 f, then at least two to three weeks of aging if not more, in a warm room-temp location, before being removed to a cool storage facility, wine cellar, or freezer. If you're a perfectionist, completion can vary by a week or two, depending on the qualities and condition of the material used. But don't fear... most folks just getting started, are pleasantly satisfied with their results immediately after the initial heating! Continued Heating: I've tried going overboard on the heating, but I've never gone any further than perhaps 24 total hours of heat, over the course of several days.. as safe as they usually are, you should never leave your crock on over night, or while out of the house. It's a good idea to be either in, or right near the kitchen when something's going on! Using a crock pot and temps of approx. 130 - 140 f, I noticed that unlike an oil, after 24 hours the finished batch (and other similar, but slightly briefer experimental batches), didn't have nearly the potency I expected from a much-less-heated batch, even after I'd given it additional sitting time. It was kept at a warm room temp, and we continued sampling it for a few months just to ease my mind that under-heating wasn't the issue, and it only degraded from there. At no point between heating, and sitting, did the over-heated batch reach the desired potency, meaning degradation had occurred. There was definitely a point where the added heat, gentle though it may have been, became counter-productive. In comparison, an edible oil does not degrade nearly that much or that noticeably, under similar gentle conditions.Glycerin is a bit more finicky than oil, you either need to accept the wait, or accept the slightly inferior level of potency it's at after gentle heating. After experimenting with less heat, and more or less time, over the years I've only had maybe a dozen batches come out almost-perfect immediately after heating and bottling. And each batch was made a little differently. Depending on exactly how well the herb was decarbed beforehand, and with the actual glandular material from each individual plant being subtly different, the process can really vary if you're looking for perfection, when in the same circumstances an oil would only vary in a very subtle way. This is why I strongly recommend stopping short, and completing your tincture at room temp, especially if you're a perfectionist or if you're looking for a certain experience from your tincture (the sooner you stop, the more cerebral and uplifting the effect). It is much easier, and less tedious to test every other day or so at room temp, rather than heating, cooling, opening, testing, and re-heating your tincture, for hours and hours on end, until the material you used happens to become as bioavailable as possible. It's much easier (and more sane, lol) to just bottle it, let it break down at milder more gentle temps, while checking on it every few days. Storage After Completion: With the proper storage immediately after it reaches a peak in bioavailability and potency, it tends to stabilize, and then lasts for at least the better portion of a year if not longer, seemingly without changing in potency at all. I only keep mine in a wine cellar, at around 56 - 60 f depending on the time of year. I generally never have a batch sitting around longer than a year, opting for oils more often, and I've never had a batch degrade noticeably in those conditions. If you keep it at a too-warm room temp, you may notice a detectable drop in potency after a period of months. It can however, be stored successfully for years, and years, if frozen. Glycerin works very well as a sort of a 'time-stopping' preservative when the temperature is lowered, even if just below 55 f. In laboratory use, it's often utilized as a cryoprotectant to preserve cellular integrity and to prevent further chemical action/reaction or degradation, when various samples are frozen at specific and sub-zero temperatures, and are then brought back to functioning temperatures... this is good news for us, whether you have a common home freezer, but especially for those with more expensive equipment: When you reach you preferred level of potency, or effect, immediately portion out several bottles so the entire batch does not need to be removed for individual use, and 'freeze' them! No further, noticeable chemical reaction, or degradation should occur during the time your tincture is exposed to freezing conditions. After a year or so, even if properly-stored and frozen, oil can sometimes get a little 'funky' (particularly butter/milk fat, more so than vegetable oils). But glycerin tincture will last almost indefinitely if kept in a freezer, in an equally air-tight container. Glycerin is also a bacteriostatic agent.. meaning that, it does not kill already-present mold and other bad pathogens, but it can halt their growth and reproduction if they happen to be present. It can help the digestive tract recover from bacterial infection by slowing down the infections ability to 'breed and spread', giving the immune system and the mildly bactericidal contents of the stomach a better opportunity to take it down. So if it's been heated and it ends the process sanitary, and if you bottle it sanitarily, the glycerin should cause your tincture to stay sanitary, even without refrigeration. ------------- You will need: - Glycerin - Canna - leaf, flowers or hash - Cheese Cloth; two pieces folded into quarters, and still large enough to work with - Storage container/s - Foil - A small ceramic, or pyrex dish Or, - a Crock Pot Optional - Lecithin can be used, but it is an oil/fat, so if you're looking for a 'fat-free' tincture, you certainly don't need to use it. It can speed up the process slightly by promoting bioavailability, also giving it a slightly more 'oily' appearance. If lecithin is used, your tincture can no longer be used in vaporizers or e-cigs; inhaling oil in high concentrations, is not healthy. -------------- Choosing Your Glycerin: You only want to use Food Grade glycerin. You do NOT want anything labeled USP grade(U.S. Pharmacopeia). All food grade glycerin, is USP grade when it leaves the factory, but not all USP glycerin is still food grade, once it's been repackaged. There are only so many USP grade glycerin suppliers around the globe, and they provide the huge chains such as Rite Aid, Wal Mart, and others, with their glycerin to be repackaged, and re-labeled. It is only food grade, if during every change in container, from the manufacturer to your home, it was stored in glass or plastic containers which are also food grade. If it leaves the factory, and eventually makes it to the store shelves with USP still on the label, that means anything from the storage vats it rested in during, and after shipping, to its current container, couldbe made from plastics which leach hazardous toxins which are harmful and toxic if ingested, but not if applied topically and within reason, to the skin. Oral toxicity is nothing to play around with, we're not supposed to eat foods stored in certain containers for a reason. And glycerin, can make toxins more bioavailable, just as it does with our canna. You wouldn't want to drink juice or water, if it had been stored in certain materials, so you certainly don't want to drink glycerin from those materials. Wondering how risky it is? E-cigs only supply the user with around 1-2ml of glycerin, per cart. People who are sensitive to plastic contaminants, have been sent to the ER from severe toxicity, after using USP grade glycerin from vendors such as Rite-Aid and Wal-Mart. Some of them don't finish a cart before suffering dizziness, sweating, vomiting. Those vendors have done nothing wrong: their bottles make no mention that their contents are suitable for anything besides topical use, and clearly state USP. Folks who continue to consume such products, who don't feel noticeable, or severe effects from consumption, are not necessarily immune to the damage those toxins can cause down the road. When you eat something toxic and 'still feel OK', it's not wise to automatically assume that you are OK, or that you always will be with repeated use. When a cough syrup is manufactured with USP grade glycerin however, it left the manufacturer headed directly for a medical facility which strictly intended on using it for pharmacological purposes. And where it hasn't changed hands between companies, and its sole purpose upon exiting the factory is medical, the medical industry sticks with the term USP. Prepping your Glycerin, and your Herb: - Pre-heat your glycerin in a crock pot, the oven, or a double boiler at 200, un-sealed, to try and evaporate a little of that water content out... you want to do this before adding your canna, to reduce the risk of vaping off more fragile/volatile potency. Glycerin can absorb and hold 20% its original weight in atmospheric (or intentionally-added) moisture. I realize many folks may not know what it should look like when it's pure, but if it seems 'runny' or watery, it's diluted and probably wasn't bottled correctly. It works much better as a solvent, if it's pure. - Grind your material. If using sticky chunks of hash, break up into smaller pieces (don't worry about making the pieces dry-sift-small; you'll be able to stop the process several times, allowing the tincture to cool, and manipulate it further to break it up and help expose it). Decarb briefly in your dish, as described in several other recipes (page one). ---- Oven Directions: (easily modified for use with a Crock Pot.... pointers below) - Add your warm glycerin (if using it, add your lecithin now. A half teaspoon, per every 2 - 3 Tbsp glycerin) to your dish of decarbed material. - Seal well. - Heat at 180 - 200 f, for 4 - 6 hours (more time at the lower temp-range, and less time if heating closer to 200). - At LEAST once during the process, stop heating, and allow to cool for 10-20 minutes. Open to stir the mix, and press the solid herb with the back of a spoon (or if not using herb, mash any potential chunks of hash, if there are even any clumps left still stuck together at this point), just to help manipulate that glandular material, and be sure everything is 'exposed' to the glycerin nicely. - Re-seal, place back in the oven and allow time to pre-heat and to get your material back up to temperature, before continuing your timer. - Once finished, remove from oven, and allow to cool slightly again before opening once more, to strain. Straining: I like to have two separate sections of cheese cloth, folded in quarters, one that I place the portions of glycerin-filled herb in directly, for squeezing, and another just below the first, resting over the opening of the container I'm filling, to catch any stray debris that may get forced through the first folds of cloth. Either use a rubber band to secure that second piece of cloth in place, or set down a metal strainer first, and simply line it with the cloth. Tip - If you dampen both cloths, with pure glycerin, then squeeze and wring out as much as possible before you begin straining, you won't leave nearly as much potency behind in your cloth. Tip - The smaller the amount of herb in the cloth, the more tincture you'll be able to squeeze out of it. Meaning when you make a lot all at once, using many grams (or oz's) at a time, if you try to hand-squeeze as much herb as possible, all at once, you won't be able to get as much out. If you were to then divide that large wad of 'squeezed' herb into portions, and re-squeeze those portions individually, you'd be surprised how much is left behind and how easily it comes out with just the smallest bit of pressure. So it's best just to squeeze a single, very-heaping teaspoon at a time. If you're only processing a gram or two to begin with, you shouldn't have much to worry about. We'll get into flavoring your tincture, and bottling it for different applications, including -Sprays-, and -Lip 'Bomb'- ('balm' ) and others, very soon..... -------- Ratios and Dosing: You have many options, based on the materials you are using, and the outcome you desire. This portion of the tutorial has been intentionally saved, until you've been walked through the process, so you understand what you're working with, and you can make an informed decision how you want your tincture to turn out. Edible Tincture: If you want a 'sweeter' tincture (due to the volume of glycerin per dose), made more for edibles, sweetening drinks, and glazing meats and veggies, you'll only want to use about a gram (flowers), per liquid oz. That's, "1.0 g : 1.0 fl oz ". There are just under 30 ml per fluid oz, and there are 6 teaspoons per fluid oz. Remember, your -actual- personal dose is determined based on your personal smoking tolerance; you should need a bit less than you would normally smoke, to achieve the same, or an even more powerful edible (or sublingual) effect, if made properly. Most average tokers will need less, at least to begin with, but to keep things simple math-wise, a 0.35g dose, (which is a kind of 'industry standard' average dose per edible when using flowers and the frosty adjacent leaves, for those patients who regularly medicate with edibles; starting with half is recommended for those very new to the edible experience... but I digress!), at 1g : 1fl oz, a strong dose will be just a hair over 2 teaspoons, or 10ml. With 6 teaspoons in a fluid oz, for most patients that's 3 quite-strong doses. That's a nice, potent sweet tea! But, due to the sheer volume of glycerin, it's not very ideal for under the tongue (sublingual) or cheek (buccal) absorption. Sublingual (and buccal) Tincture: If you want a more concentrated tincture, suitable for sublingual or buccal use, you're going to want to consider using at least 3 grams, per liquid oz. Depending on the quality/frosty-ness of the material used, that's between 9 and 12 strong doses per liquid oz, and 2 - 3 ml tincture per dose, assuming you get at least 3 doses per gram. When trying to absorb your dose sublingually, you really don't want to be using more than 2 - 3 ml per dose. Even that's a little excessive (I have some atomizer/sprayer bottles that only hold 3ml!). You'll notice it's so much herb, that the glycerin seems almost only to dampen it. But you will still be able to squeeze most of it back out, especially if warm while straining. Really though, the best option for a sublingual tincture, is to take it a step further and use hash, or a concentrate. You don't need to strain when using concentrates, and even using dry sift hash, there's much less space taken up by inert plant matter, so it's far easier to pack a much larger punch, in just a teensy, tiny amount of tincture. When using hash or a concentrate, the process is exactly the same as when using herb, you can very briefly and gently decarb first, and continue to process basically as usual. With BHO/'hash oil' concentrates, where it's already gooey, tacky, and the activate material has already been extracted, you may reduce the time you would apply heat by two hours, and consider it a process of promoting bioavailability. Tip - Just like making oil, you can save the 'waste' herb for processing with fresh glycerin, to make a weaker batch, or a base-batch. This is especially good to do after making a more concentrated oil/tincture from herb; a thin tincture with more glycerin, leaves behind less. The thicker the herb-mix and the more concentrated the tincture it produced, the more active material there is left behind in that herb, to still collect. If you add just enough glycerin to squeeze more out, you can use it right away as-is for sweetening drinks or for making icing or frosting with confectioners sugar for cakes, eliminating the need to add more material (and consequentially more heat, which can degrade the potency already available). Tip - Tinctures made from herb/flowers, more often than not, I use only in edible recipes, low-temp dishes/cooking. Tip - Just because it's been concentrated for sublingual use, it doesn't mean that you can't still use it to lace some tasty recipes.. A spray here or there, at your very favorite restaurant, is a super fun way to medicate -------- Crock Pots... things you should know: When cooking in the oven, as soon as a certain temperature is achieved, your oven has a thermometer and knows to ' shut off ', and it will not continue heating, until the temperature has declined adequately. With a crock pot however you have several settings, usually between 2, or a dial of '10'+ settings, all of which mean 'constantly on', each providing a different level of heat output. A response from a slow-cooker/crock pot manufacturer: " We can not specify temperature ranges for the "High" or "Low" settings. Our slow cookers differentiate "High" and "Low" by wattage. These wattages are set to ensure that a standard food load (as described in AHAM spec SC-1-1979) will reach a safe internal temperature within approximately four hours. The wattage required to do this is different for different models, and many variables are involved; (start temperature, food load, room temperature, etc.). Eventually slow cookers will reach a maximum temperature, however the temperature will be different for different environmental conditions and different food loads. Given enough time most food loads will reach the same maximum temperature on both 'Low', and 'High'. " This means that there is a little more effort, or guesswork, when using a crock pot. Your best bet, to eliminate the guesswork: A candy thermometer, situated in such a way that it's gauging the temperature off-set from the middle (the coolest portion) of the pot. The sides receive the most heat, so you're better off keeping a close 'eye' on their maximum temperatures, rather than the cool middle. Keep an eye on your temperature as it climbs; once it reaches 200 f or so, shut off your crock pot. When it declines below 185 f, turn it back on. Using a low heat, rather than high, will reduce temperature spikes, potential degradation, and keep you from needing to switch 'on and off', as frequently. You should never leave a crock pot entirely unattended while on. Meaning you should be in the kitchen, or at least awake and at home, checking in every so often. With that in mind, adjusting the temp from 'on' to 'off' and back again, should hardly be any more tedious than if you'd planned on just setting it and leaving it on, like you would to cook food... as safe as a crock pot usually is, you still need to keep a cautious eye on what you're doing in the kitchen. Points on using a crock pot: - Use the lowest setting, or lowest setting/s. - Internal candy thermometer.. should the temps stay reasonable, and if the glycerin was properly prepared and the material decarbed, you should have no visible steam forming on the interior of the lid, or loss of visibility. - Fabricate a foil rim around the ceramic lining with a kind of indent just where the rim of the lid will touch all the way around, to seal the lid in place, but leave the center exposed so you can visually check your thermometer through your clear lid. If you've lost your original lid, or if it wasn't clear to begin with, you'll have to trust a simple timer (or your watch), and just try turning your lowest setting on for 45 minutes, and off for 15, until completed. - Heating your glycerin before use is important to help evaporate some unnecessary moisture. This gives you a more pure, and more efficient, edible solvent. If using a larger volume in a crock pot, don't bother doing it in advance, and re-bottling or allowing it to cool again before use. Instead, be ready to add your herb right away... this saves you from spending more time in the future, just waiting for it to re-heat. For a moment, I'd like to go into Lecithin a little bit... it's great stuff. This should help explain why it's so great, and why it facilitates bioavailability for our purposes.... I use 'NOW' brand, lecithin. [*]Nervous System Support [*]Supports Brain & Nerve Function [*]Integral for Energy Production [*]Vegetarian Product " Lecithin is a naturally occurring compound found in all cells in nature, plant and animal. It plays a major role in almost all biological processes - including nerve transmission, breathing and energy production. The word Lecithin is taken from the Greek Lekithos, which means "egg yolk". A fitting name for this essential nutrient, for the egg is considered a symbol of life, strength and fertility. Lecithin is important for all of these biological functions and more. Our brain is approximately 30% Lecithin. The insulating myelin sheaths that protect the brain, spine and thousands of miles of nerves in your body, are almost two-thirds Lecithin. Even the heart has a high concentration of Lecithin. Lecithin is composed of many different components, including Choline, Inositol, Linoleic Acid, Phosphatidylserine, beneficial fatty acids and triglycerides. These valuable constituents of Lecithin are vital for the proper functioning of many metabolic processes. " People having difficulty absorbing cannabinoids, will especially benefit from the inclusion in their oils and tinctures, and more importantly, they could very likely NEED more lecithin in their diets, to begin with! Just remember, lecithin should not be used in any tincture which you plan on vaping or using in e-cigs.... or, if you intend on incorporating your tincture into a recipe for hookah shisha. ---- And that's, that! It's a busy time here, and it's taken me about two months to finish working on this tutorial, and on a half dozen or so recipes and tutorials using glycerin tincture, for all the (very patient!) folks, who requested them. I lost an external hard drive last winter containing easily a hundred or so equally painstakingly-written recipes, and photo tutorials, some of which I'd planned on posting here, and even more for the book. That's probably an understatement thinking back on it, but I really feel a bit better thinking I didn't lose more, considering the time it took to compile them (and how long it's taking me to recover, one by one). Don't worry.... I'm still holding out on you As of right now, I have close to 12 GB worth of photo tutorials on the way for the thread. And that's not counting what I'm saving for publishing. Expect something in soft (but maybe, in hard) cover, in 2012.... and that's just the beginning. Thanks for bearing with me, everyone (Just once more, where we are currently in the e-cig thread, I will mention NOT to use lecithin, in glycerin tincture intended for use with e-cigs. Good luck!)[/quote] So where is this book BKS? I would def. buy such a book. I plan on trying this with a concentrated GD that psycedellicsam helped me out with.