Emulsifying Vegetable Glycerin and BHO for a Tincture

For those of you who’ve tried to mix vegetable glycerin and BHO for a tincture know they don’t easily blend and separate quite rapidly.

Whether you’re a large possessor or small, we at CAT Scientific have a method where the process can be completed in about two hours or less without using a surfactant, like lecithin.

We were fortunate to have a company donate 25 grams of winterized and decarboxylated BHO absolute for this process.

A CAT X1000D Homogenizer drive with a G-20 (N) Normal Generator Shaft Assembly is used to emulsify the BHO and Vegetable Glycerin. The X1000D Homogenizer Drive is needed to provide the torque to process the high viscosity of the glycerin and BHO.

G-20 (N) Normal Generator shafts are sealed to prevent materials from being processed through the shaft tube, and the operator doesn’t have to be concerned about cross contamination or laborious cleaning.

For the experiment, we placed 500ml of kosher vegetable glycerin in a one liter beaker, heated it to 80°C on the CAT MCS78 Magnetic Hotplate Stirrer. We also heated the 25 grams of BHO absolute in a separate vessel.

After the vegetable glycerin has reached 80°C, the beaker is moved over to the CAT X1000D Homogenizer. The X1000D is clamped on its drive stand so the G-20 (N) Generator is immersed in the vegetable glycerin about a 1/16th of an inch from the bottom of the vessel. The device is powered on to the lowest setting; 4,000 rpm’s and increased to 8,000 rpm’s. The BHO is then poured into the vegetable glycerin and the vessel is moved around the shaft for about 45 seconds to one minute. The device is then powered off.

The beaker is removed from the X1000D Homogenizer, placed back on the MCS78 Hotplate Stirrer. The VG-BHO emulsion is heated to 80°C for ½ an hour. During that time, whatever BHO falls out of solution will appear in the center of the vessel.

The vessel is then moved over to the X1000D Homogenizer and emulsified again, as described above. The beaker is again placed on the MCS78 Hotplate Stirrer and the solution heated to 80°C for ½ an hour. If any BHO falls out of solution, emulsify again with the X1000D. This completes the process and you’ll have a stable VG-BHO Emulsion for about 90 days.

If you’re processing the solution to be taken orally, do not use a dropper because rubber causes polarization, the vegetable glycerin BHO emulsion will separate.