(03-23-2023, 04:44 PM)Chiefsmom Wrote: How high do you think the alcohol content would be? I know most of the tinctures I make, require pretty high content, like I use Everclear from Indiana.
I believe you need to test it with a hydrometer like you would to test maple syrup to know for sure. I could try igniting it to determine what proof it is close to. However, this cold distillation process can only work so well and will depend on how much water is frozen and filtered out.
I suppose I could take the distilled product and refreeze it again and again until I get mostly alcohol. From what I heard Everclear is about as high of proof as is possible. Pure alcohol isn't possible with a kitchen still or this cold method and would require a lab to produce. Also, Methanol is in there along with the Ethanol and can be distilled out with a regular still, not so with this cold method (at least that I know of).
(03-23-2023, 05:58 PM)Ninurta Wrote: I'll be interested to hear how well it works for menthol oil. I got some peppermint seed this year with an eye towards menthol production, but the standard distillation process seems a bit daunting.
Well, oils will float to the top of water, so there is a method to do it that way. Cold pressing the oils out of the green plants is another way. Drawing the oils out with another oil, like say olive oil, is another method. I believe there is also a steam method.
This cold distilling process using alcohol may work but I bet using liquid butane to extract the oils like they do for cannabis oils (or what we used to call hash oil) would work the best. My idea was to soak the plant material in alcohol for like a week then freeze it and pour off the alcohol that will hopefully carry the oils and aromatics with it. At that point, I wouldn't know how to separate the oils from the alcohol, but that might be OK depending on what I use it for. This idea may be totally off though, but I couldn't loose anything trying it.
ETA: You reminded me about a mason jar of a tincture of field mint I made two seasons ago. Field mint has the 2nd highest menthol content next to peppermint (I believe). I used the cheapest vodka I could buy at the party store. I just now went and found it and opened it up (not easy after two years) and the minty menthol smell was still going strong and filled the kitchen area.
I will put that in a plastic container and freeze it and tell you the results in a few days.
I'm drinking some of the apple jack right now and man it's pretty good for sipping on and it has this little bit of a fizzy tickle on the lips and tongue, it is still working even after being frozen into a solid block. This is a living drink full of living yeast, something not possible with a regular heated still.
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