I’ve seen conflicting advice on different herbal recipes when it comes to adding vodka to alcohol tinctures. Some say to add vodka to cover the herbs; some say to add vodka to cover with an inch or so of clear alcohol atop the herbs. Further complicating the issue is the fact that some recipes mandate the use of more expensive 100 proof (50% alcohol by volume) vodka, while others seem to imply that the cheaper 80 proof/40% alcohol vodka is fine. What gives?
What does alcohol in tinctures do?
It has a couple of basic functions. The first one should be obvious from the alcohol tincture’s other name: ethanol/water extraction. We use tincturing because there are some desirable compounds in an herb that aren’t soluble in plain water, and the ethanol gets it out for us. This is also part of why garbling is important–the ethanol needs to have access to the compounds we’re looking for.
Alcohol’s other function in a tincture is for preservation: we want tinctures to last a long time, especially since we often devote a large quantity of herb to the making of a given quantity of tincture. I’ve seen figures suggesting that alcohol concentrations above 37.5% should have adequate ethanol content to prevent fermentation and rot.
So if we’re working with vodka that’s either 40% or 50% alcohol, why does it matter? Furthermore, why do we need the extra inch? Do we always need it?
Can you figure it out?
As a hint, I think we’d get different results trying to make a tincture of dried cinnamon bark than a fresh dandelion tincture.
I think it’s about the water content in the herbs, and that the inches thing is a red herring–or, at least, a rule of thumb. If the herb we’re using has very little water content, as in the cinnamon example, the 40% alcohol might be fine because the herb contains almost no water to dilute it. But with a jarful of fresh dandelions, there’s a lot of water still locked up inside the dandelions, and it’s not a stretch to imagine that it might dilute even 50% alcohol down below that critical 37.5% threshold.
Remember that people say to dry your herbs carefully after washing? Same story: every drop of water on a dandelion leaf is working to dilute our alcohol down below 37.5%.
So I think the extra inch of vodka isn’t about excluding air (unlike in fermentation where the extra inches of brine are needed to create an anaerobic environment), but rather about ensuring that there’s enough alcohol in the jar to handle any excess water that comes out of the herb.
What do you think?
I am new at this and I found your information very helpful. I will use 100 proof and make sure I have at least an inch of vodka over the top of the cut up dandelions. Thank you for explaining things so clearly.
You’re so welcome! Good luck!
Question, is the type of alcohol (keeping it strictly to drinkable, of course) important, or just the proof? For example, could I use a 100 proof rum, or some other kind I prefer over vodka? I ask because in the past I had a roommate who demanded I drink with him nightly and refused to buy anyth9ng aside from bottom-shelf vodka (Barton’s, Viaka, etc.)- thoroughly ruining the wonderful fermented potato juice for me. If I have to use vodka, I know I’ll be able to stomach it, but I definitely would prefer not to.
Blighted thumbs. Anything, not anyth9ng….
Hi Aurora! I wish I could answer your question, but since I’m not knowledgeable on that point, I want to avoid giving the wrong information. I’ve been told to use vodka, so that’s what I use.
I do use rum for making vanilla extract, which *seems* like a similar process, but again: I would ask someone with more knowledge than me. Good luck!
Alright, thank you. I appreciate your honesty. I’ll do some more research, but until and unless I find out otherwise, I’ll stick with vodka.
I have been told to use “grain vodka” (not potato). I’m not sure if that’s only because it will achieve an overproof alcohol content.
Use everclear its the best….
how so? (just the high alcohol value?)
Hi. I just wanted to mention that different biochemicals extract at different alcohol potential, so for the strongest medicine it’s best to know what you are trying to extract and go from there. Sharon Tilgner has a great reference guide at the end of her book “Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth”. She’s my go-to, but not everything is listed there, so that f anyone else has another reference, I’d be keen to know.
Percentages, not “potential” (sorry for the typo)
if your 1:3 ratio doesn’t cover your herbs do you add more alcohol or use distilled water I’m unclear how to keep the ratio but cover the herbs?