Here is a video of Logan showing you how to make pine pollen tincture.
What you’ll need to do this includes:
- Mason Jars
- Pine Pollen
- Alcohol (recommended high-quality vodka that is at least 70 proof)
- Spoon or similar instrument for stirring
Optional tools include:
- Dropper Bottle
- Funnel
- Paint Cone Strainer
The process to make pine pollen tincture is actually quite simple. Pour the pine pollen into a glass jar. Then add alcohol in sufficient quality to cover it all. After that you let it sit for about two weeks.
The pine pollen and alcohol will separate. This is good as you just want the pure alcohol, as the pine pollen won’t really have anything beneficial left in it. You can use a dropper to squeeze the liquid off the top. Or you can pour it off into another jar through a strainer to separate the liquid from the powder.
By creating your own tinctures, you can save a lot of money over buying them, although it will take some work. Since the pine pollen tincture has the benefits of delivering the hormonal components even better, many people prefer this form.
I would recommend you start with a dropper-full and you can increase it from there. I personally can feel something stronger when I take pine pollen in tincture form, rather than in a powder. I’ve gone up to 6 full droppers at on time.
Pine Pollen Acetract (Tincture Alternative)
We sell more Pine Pollen Tinctures than anything else here at Lost Empire Herbs. (We do sell more Pine Pollen Powder, but it’s spread across our 50-gram bags and the 250-gram megadose versions, so less individual units of each.)
But some people do not want to take tinctures, because they’re sensitive to alcohol, such as recovering alcoholics who are trying to stay 100% alcohol-free, or others who may have concerns due to a medical condition, etc.
In our post on How to Take Tinctures, I mentioned a method that mitigates the alcohol. By squirting the tincture into boiling hot water, much of the alcohol evaporates off because at it’s boiling point it’s less than that of the water.
Well, now we offer you another alternative…the Pine Pollen Acetract.
Acetract! Unless you’re an herbalist, I’m willing to bet you’ve never heard that word before.
To get into the terminology a tincture specifically refers to an alcoholic solvent of an herb.
But there are other solvents available too. With the ever-common water, you’d be making an infusion or a decoction. Glycerin makes for a glycerite. And vinegar makes for an acetract. The root acet- being the same as what you see in acetic acid, the main acid found in vinegar of all types.
Now, the reason that alcohol is used is because it is one of the very best solvents. Vinegar works too but to a lesser degree. I figured I’d run a little experiment…
Does an acetract or vinegar tincture of Pine Pollen work as well as a normal Pine Pollen Tincture?
Does it produce the same hormonal effects?
Well, I started this acetract a while back, promptly forgot about it, but then discovered it again and filmed the pressing of it to give it a shot. Warning, if you choose to try this. The taste of vinegar is intense. It’s hard to tell if the immediate effect was the same I feel from a Pine Pollen Tincture, or if it simply was from the intensity of tasting the straight vinegar.
I’m still early in my experiment with this, so I can’t say for sure. but I’ll offer it up to anyone else to try if they’d like to avoid alcohol altogether as an option. If you have tried this or use this method, please post your results in the comments section below.
I know someone is going to ask. What type of vinegar should be used to make pine pollen tincture? What kind did I use? I’m not sure. It wasn’t on the label and I don’t remember. (This is why you should put lots of details on your labels when you’re processing your own herbs.) It’s likely either apple cider vinegar or white vinegar. And either of those are good to use.
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Howard Heaven says
Is there another alternative to alcohol? I’ve heard of apple cider vineger Would this be another way?
Logan Christopher says
Read the question from Tammy and our reply. Its also answered on the Pine Pollen FAQ on this page: http://www.lostempireherbs.com/pine-pollen/
William says
Regarding the cycling of your herbs, how are you cycling each of the herbs that you use to maximize natural testosterone production. I’m interested using the pine pollen tincture and your best herbs for improving my strength training and daily male health benefits.
Thanks for your great information.
Logan Christopher says
Great question. Truthfully its going to be a largely individual matter. I don’t have a specific cycle with anything I take, but instead rely on intuition. Experiment and find what works for you.
Thomas Geremia says
I would like to try making a Pine Pollen tincture but I don’t want to use alcohol. Can it be done successfully using apple cider vinegar? Also is it ok for women to use the phoenix formula as well as the Pine Pollen.
Logan Christopher says
Vinegar works but its not as strong as a solvent as alcohol, thus it won’t extract as much. Whether you can make up for this fact by leaving it sit longer I’m not sure.
Yes Phoenix and pine pollen is safe for women. Our recommendation is to avoid pine pollen tinctures for women but the powders are fine.
john black says
When is the best time to take pine pollen?
Logan Christopher says
Anytime is okay. Some people point to taking it when there are natural spikes in testosterone like in the morning and after working out.
Duke Le says
How much of the tincture is equal to 3 Tablespoon of pine pollen powder? (assuming that I used 1 50 gram bag for the tincture)
Logan Christopher says
That’s a good question that I’m not sure the answer too. For one, it will depend on how strong or diluted your tincture is. My guess is it would be something like five droppers full or even more. Remember that in tinctured form you have more available androgens so be careful with too much. That being said we’d love to hear your experiences mega-dosing the tincture.
Duke Le says
Thanks for the response. I made the tincture with a 1:1 ratio. I used 2 droppers full yesterday and I think it definitely gave me a kick (way more than the powder), I’ll try it again today and see what happens.
Is there a problem with taking too much of the tincture?
Also, can taking too much shut down your own testosterone production?
Do you cycle on and off the pine pollen?
Thanks
Logan says
Please continue to update us on how it goes for you. We love feedback.
As with most things there is a point of too much. What that is will depend on each person and where your hormones are at.
As for it shutting down your own production, it could happen, again with too much or two long. Since it is a natural substance, containing co-factors, it works more with your body than against it. But to be safe we do recommend cycling off it. One week per month would probably be great. Also you could just take it randomly rather than on an everyday type of schedule.
Tammy says
What, about avoiding alcohol due to an allergy, & thereby using vinegar instead to make Pine pollen extract? In other words, will vinegar work just as well?
Logan Christopher says
Vinegar can be used but its not as potent of a solvent as alcohol thus is may not extract as much. If you do try it be sure to let us know how it goes. Another option is to still use alcohol but add it to hot water like tea. Alcohol boils at a lower temperature than water, thus you can get it to evaporate while leaving behind what has been extracted.
Clark Kent says
Can you make a tincture out of the Phoenix Formula the same
the pine pollen or would you have to do something different?
Logan Christopher says
No we wouldn’t suggest that as everything besides the Pine Pollen in that formula is already extracted.
Ben C. says
If I wanted to make the Green tea pollen into a tincture, is it the same steps as for the Pine pollen? Or can I combine both and make into an Pine pollen/Green tea pollen tincture in one? Figured I’d ask first to avoid possible mistake.
Logan Christopher says
Yes Tea Pollen can be made the same way, as could a mix of the two.
Ben C. says
Thanks, I’ll give it a try. Might also throw in last of my Bee pollen.
Stuart says
Sound good Logan. I thought the hormonal boost would be opposite due to having alcohol in it??, in which case is ethanol the same as the vodka your using? Because there is a product with info below that I like although I’m not sure about it but it seems that alcohol is the way if want a herbal tincture that is tho is it worth it:
So just wondering, is the alcohol or ethanol too content used as a solvent safe to take? i know ive heard of alcohol/ethanol blocking vitamins and being catabolic but i Know nothing about the dosage required.. Was just wondering if it would be ok to take on the daily, Anyway theres barely any in this product but if you could look at this statement and help me out that would be great.
“This medicinal product contains
62 vol % ethanol (alcohol), i.e.
up to 420 mg per 30 drop dose,
equivalent to 11 ml beer (less
than a tablespoon) or 4 ml wine
(lessthan a teaspoon) per dose”
This product is used for help to sleep, would this be good to use everyday as I’m concerned for health and physique. How much does your dose equate too and again ethanol and your alcoholic vodka the same thing Logan.
admin says
A minor amount of alcohol should have no effects on the hormones by itself. Some people do seem overly sensitive to alcohol though so they prefer to stay away from even tinctures. Small doses of alcohol will likely cause nothing bad. Ethanol is the chemical name for alcohol and is present in all types, including vodka. Even six droppers full would equate to about less than a quarter of a shot, or a quarter of a beer, so its a minimal amount.
Bogdan says
Interesting, sort of, but you could have used rectified alchohol and the sludge that is left over after you separate the liquid from the pollen, should be burned in a fireproof container until the ashes are white and then put back into the alchoholc extract for an additional two weeks, strained again thru unbleached coffee filters and then you can store it in a lightproof bottle and use it by the dropperful when you want. Additionally, if you start the extract on the new moon, you can then continue extracting till the next full moon. That makes the extract more powerful. This is an old alchemical method of dealing with the spirits of herbs. You can make rectified alchohol by placing agar in the bottle of vodka and shake it up and then straining it thru a coffee filter. That will get you rectified alchohol without having to distill and re – distill the alchohol several times in order to purify it. The agar absorbs the water and you have pure alchohol left. Good luck and the best to you all.
admin says
Thanks Bogdan. I’ve heard of and done the full moon process before, just didn’t mention it in this video. As for the rectified alcohol and the burning of the leftover herbs is new to me. How does the burning process work?
Bogdan Bilyk says
Just place the sludge in a fireproof dish, place a screen on it, light it and burn it till the ashes are white. You then place the white ashes back into the extract, shake up the jar daily and let the ashes, the salts, get back into the solution and in two weeks, you filter the solution thru an unbleached coffee filter again and you use the extract like you mentioned before. Real simple. Like I said before, it’s an old alchemical method for extracting and re-infusing the salts of the herb before you use the extract for whatever reason. This makes the infusion more potent. Good luck.
Bogdan Bilyk says
You can rectify, purify, the alchohol by either distilling and redistilling it several times till you purify it or you can just add agar or even unflavored gelatin to the vodka or brandy, if you like, shake up the alchohol. and the agar or gelatin will absorb the water out of the alchohol, strain it thru an unbleached coffee filter and use the alchohol for extraction purposes then. As for burning it, just touch a flame to the sludge and, since it still has alchohol in it, it will burn, which is why you should cover the sludge with a fireproof screen of some sort to help prevent ashes from flying around.