Dear Cheri,
How can I make my cannabis tincture more palatable?
I've made tinctures with Everclear (in the past, obviously) but they are so harsh I can't use them sublingually.
Do you have tips to improve the flavor of tincture or to smooth them out a little? I plan to try glycerin soon, but I wonder if doing something to evaporate some alcohol might ease the burn a bit?
Everclear being harsh is kind of the nature of the beast and I don't know any way to change that other than diluting it into other ingredients in a recipe, but that does not not work for sublingual or under the tongue applications.
How can I make tincture more palatable is a common question I get, so you are not alone.
How to Improve Cannabis Tincture Flavor
Instead of using Everclear to make cannabis tincture, you can use a more palatable hi proof alcohol such as vodka or 151 rum. This will still taste like alcohol, but it is not quite as harsh as Everclear. Follow these instructions for making a simple alcohol tincture.
I do not personally like glycerin as it only absorbs about 1/3 of the cannabinoids that alcohol does, so glycerin tinctures always lack potency. But if you need something lightly dosed, glycerin can work. Glycerin's mild sweet flavor certainly tastes a lot better.
The other option is a coconut oil cannabis tincture. This is not technically a tincture by the dictionary definition of the word, but a lot of manufacturers make very strong infused coconut oil “tinctures.”
I personally like these best for both flavor and effectiveness. Again by the dictionary definition of tincture, coconut oil would not qualify, but they are marketed as tinctures and can be used just like a tincture, in other words sublingually. To make a coconut oil “tincture” at home, you would infuse a small amount of coconut oil with a very strong dose of cannabis. Package in a dropper bottle and use a few drops under the tongue, as needed.
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Fractionated coconut oil/aka MCT oil is liquid ,
regular coconut oil becomes solid at room temp.
Yes, I mention MCT in the video.
Love your videos helps a lot
Thank you so much!
Hi Cheri my question is…if I am making a tincture with approx 1oz of cannabis and Alcool (Canada) after I’ve strained it can I wash another oz of prod with the same alcohol to make it even stronger? Basically any limit to number of washes with same alcohol. Only want to cook down once.
There is a saturation point but exactly what it is I don’t really know, but it would be a lot. There is info on the net but how accurate it really is I could not say as I have yet to find it backed up (which does not mean it doesn’t exist). Seems like a good experiment for a testing company. Sorry I can’t be more precise.
An you reuse material that has been used to make an alcohol tincture?
I suppose you could but the tincture would not be very good. Think of used plant material like a used teabag, you have already gotten what you need out of it. Yes, like a used teabag, there might be a little of the good stuff left, but it will be extremely weak. If you do, use LOTS more plant material than normally. It might work for a topical alcohol rub that way. Me? I toss out used plant material.
I can’t belive I just now found you. I’ve signed up for your news letter. I’m 70 and have sever COPD. I’m very interested in making edibles. Im so excited. I like your style!
Welcome Linda! There are lots of tutorials and recipes on this website. Also check out my online courses at Cannademy.com, I have a free dosing class, as well as dosage calculators and a comprehensive cannabis cooking course.
I have a small problem in the way of problems…I make thc gummies from shatter..it is easy and cheaply attainable for me. Everything I make Is obviously with butter or coconut oil. Do you have any Ideas on covering up the coconut oil taste? No matter what I do to my gummies I still taste coconut oil
It’s kind of the nature of the beast, I personally like it. You could use MCT coconut oil instead as that has less flavor, or you could use a more neutral oil.
I make the tincture with Everclear. Then after straining I lightly heat to reduce using a coffee mug warmer (in a bathroom with a fan) then add glycerin to raise volume back to original. Also add a couple drops of cinnamon flavor.
That sounds like it would help the flavor for sure. Good idea.
I’m looking for Pain relief from spondylitis , spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease and multiple bulging disk. Been using edibles. Want to try tincture for hard candy but need it sugar free. Looking for a recipe with tincture for this
Sorry I do not currently have a sugar free hard candy recipe but you should be able to add tincture to most any one you like.
That said, I think you will get far better relief by making an edible that contains fat, as opposed to a fat-free hard candy made with tincture. Cannabis metabolizes best with fat, so fat free foods are never my choice.
Hello, I just found your website. I recently made an abv tincture with 28g and 150ml of everclear. I’m really worried about how bad it’s going to taste. I didn’t do a cold water bath like people recommend because I thought I’d lose too much of my abv. Anyway, can I just use regular food flavoring from like McCormicks? I’ve heard of using just one or two drops. Should I make sure what I use is alcohol based?
I assume you are talking using the tincture sublingually? You can try extract but it is going to be harsh no matter what. For me, I am not sure it would enhance enough to bother with. I think I would just suck it up and use as is if you really want to do sublingual. However, in my opinion, a better option would be to use the tincture to make edibles or in beverages and drinks, it should be diluted enough to be palatable.
In making tincture with ever clear & ghee no matter what, I wind up with the nasty sticky black residue on bottles droppers and I can’t get it off without using ever clear & Dawn …. Gets expensive & it’s a total pain. I wind up throwing away bottles & droppers. SUGGESTIONS
I am not understanding. Everclear and ghee in one tincture?
I reduce my tincture by 25% then replace what evaporated with glycerine. Works for me. You can reduce it more and add more glycerine if you want it sweeter. Shake shake shake before using.
Hello Cheri,
I use a magic bitter machine for my tincture. Is it possible to use coconut oil instead of everclear in that machine? If so, what ratio would you recommend? Thank you so much!
I am not a fan of that machine, so I can’t speak to that.
But, yes you can make tincture from MCT coconut oil (it is not technically “tincture” by the dictionary definition but you can use it like a tincture and it is sold commercially as tincture too). I am not sure what you mean by ratio. I would use one or the other: alcohol or oil, but not both.
Cheri, what device do you recommend for Decarb and making Tinctures?
Well you don’t really need a device to make tincture as you just let it soak. But for decarbing and other infusions I like the Ardent FX or the Pot by Noids (which also makes FECO). For details and coupon codes see there pages
https://www.cannabischeri.com/lifestyle/reviews/ardent-fx/
and
https://www.cannabischeri.com/lifestyle/reviews/pot-by-noids-review/