Intermediate~14 hours12 lessons

Tinctures & Liquid Extracts: Intermediate Formulation

Move from "fill a jar, top with vodka" to pharmacopoeial-grade liquid extracts

Twelve lessons that take the folk-method tincture maker into precise liquid-extract territory. You will learn the chemistry behind menstruum choice, the math of weight-to-volume preparation, the difference between maceration and percolation, the special cases of glycerites, oxymels, and double extracts, and how to label and store a finished apothecary so the work you do today still serves you in five years.

Taught by Deidre Starner, Master Herbalist

What you'll learn

  • Choose an appropriate menstruum (solvent system) for any plant by matching its dominant constituent chemistry
  • Calculate a weight-to-volume tincture from scratch, including final alcohol percentage after accounting for plant moisture and marc absorption
  • Run a percolation cone end-to-end and judge completion by sensory and volumetric quality markers
  • Produce double extracts for mushrooms and resinous plants, and lower-alcohol glycerites and oxymels for clients who cannot tolerate alcohol
  • Label, store, and assess shelf life of a finished apothecary to a standard that would not embarrass you in front of a clinical reviewer

Course outline

  1. 1

    Course Welcome — What You'll Build

    25 minFree preview
  2. 2

    Tincture History and Pharmacopoeial Standards

    50 minFree preview
  3. 3

    Solvent Chemistry — What Alcohol Does and What Water Does Better

    60 min
  4. 4

    Choosing Your Menstruum — Matching Solvent to Plant

    65 min
  5. 5

    Folk Method vs Weight-to-Volume — When Each Is Appropriate

    60 min
  6. 6

    The Math of Tincture Strength — Dry Weight, Solvent Volume, Final Ratio

    75 min
  7. 7

    Maceration — Container, Light, Agitation, Duration

    50 min
  8. 8

    Percolation — Setting Up a Cone, Drip Rate, Quality Markers

    80 min
  9. 9

    Pressing, Filtering, Settling, and Final Volume Reconciliation

    55 min
  10. 10

    Glycerites and Vinegar Extracts — Lower-Alcohol Alternatives

    60 min
  11. 11

    Double Extracts — Mushrooms, Resins, and Astringent Plants

    70 min
  12. 12

    Labeling, Storage, and Shelf Life for Your Apothecary

    50 min