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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Dave Hansen says
…hmmm just watched the tincture video. Seems to me there is quite a bit of waste by tossing out the sludge which still has a lot of alcohol (while it’s still wet). I know there’s not much value left with the empty pollen husks, but since you can eat the pollen anyway, why not after pulling off the separated alcohol, just put a teaspoon (or so) of the leftover pollen under your tongue to absorb the leftover alcohol that usually gets tossed. You may say THAT alcohol isn’t as potent, but so what? Some (so as not to waste) is always better than none. At the end of the day, you have NO waste.
Just my two cents worth.
Logan Christopher says
If you’re looking to maximize the value then absolutely, the leftover marc still has some nutrition in it, and it is impossible to get all the alcohol out.
Johnny Strnad says
Hello guys,
This year i decided to do my own tincture. So basically i collected pine cones and put them in a jar. I filled the jar with 90 proof vodka and now i am letting it sit. My questions are. Am i supposed to stir it (how many times i 2-3 weeks) and are the jars supposed to be on the sun?. After the procces i need to separate the cones and the liquid and consume the liquid? I would really appreciate your answers.
Logan Christopher says
Shake it, assuming you have a lid, not stir it. Ideally once per day but just a few times throughout the course of the extraction works.
Generally, the tinctures sit in a dark place, though gentle warmth is fine. Sun should be okay.
Then yes, after it has sat, you press it and have your tincture ready to take.
John Carston says
I found it interesting when you said that it is important to consider personal concerns medications to prevent problems. My aunt told me that she is looking for dependable capsules to begin her healthy path, but she does not have the time to do so. I’ll be sure to inform her that we may try the pine pollen capsules because they have good evaluations, thanks to this very useful article.
Casey says
Hey y’all!
Got a bag of Thor’s Hammer powder (since you were out of capsule form) and it’s too bitter for me to tolerate. Can a tincture of this be made the same way? I’ve more than enough decent quality 80 proof vodka around I use in cooking and for infusions, so it seems like a good fit.
Logan Christopher says
The herbs are already extracted so it wouldn’t be a tincture as much as a liquid suspension you could make with it. You can capsulize it yourself as one option. Or for the taste mixing with things like juice, and/or our goji or beet juice powders can help.
Zeus says
Hola Lost Empire!
I recently purchased a sonicator and I don’t exactly know how to use it yet. Do you have any experience using such a device to make pine pollen tincture? I’m extremely interested in your vinegar concept as well. If you have experience with this machine, would you mind offering up some support/information on how to make a solid tincture with it?
Logan Christopher says
Nope, I have no experience or knowledge about such.
Bob says
For the alcohol free pine pollen solvent, do i just replace alcohol with apple cider vinegar? Or do i need to find special acetract?
Logan Christopher says
Yes, ACV or white vinegar can be used as a substitute for the alcohol.
Pete says
Hello. Is this logic correct? If I make a tincture with grain alcohol (and want to decrease the amount of alcohol %), then evaporate 50% of it and replace that 50% with water (as an example), have I create the same strength tincture with 50% less alcohol?
Dylan says
I want an answer to this too
Logan Christopher says
Depends on the ABV% of the grain alcohol. If you mean starting with pure alcohol, then yes that should work.
George Themis says
How much alcohol in ml and pine pollen powder in grams, are approximately needed to produce a 100ml tincture ?
Zane Christopher says
Zane: Depends on the alcohol used and how strong he’s making it correct?
Logan: Yes. If he’s trying to replicate our tincture it’s 100ml and 100g but that doesn’t typically work at home.
pugley says
I thought to make a 1:1 tincture you used the same weight/volume of alcohol to powder. I have tried this but it is nowhere near enough fluid to absorb the powder. I have bought tinctures claiming to be 1:1 but can’t see how they can be. In your video you add alcohol to above the level of powder but do not specify a volume so how do you know what strength the tincture is?
Zane Christopher says
Hi Pugley,
Ratios can be a tricky thing. I don’t pay much head to them myself because there is no standard to go against. Tincturing ratios is a bit better about this though. However, when it comes down to it, the ratio matters next to nothing compared to the quality of the end product. If you have a 1:1 tincture that doesn’t work as good as a higher quality 1:4 tincture let’s say, then you would not really mind the ratio being what it is even though it should be stronger. Quality product makes a difference, as does time spent sitting in solution.
The closest ratio you want to tincture at is 1:2 as a 1:1 isn’t really possible in your home. If you get some fancy equipment you could do it but in general this isn’t really necessary with home-made medicines.
This page does a good job of describing ratios and menstruum, etc: https://oldwaysherbal.wordpress.com/2013/12/15/making-weight-to-volume-tinctures/
Keith says
Wow did that come out wrong. It should be the pine pollen tincture I bought from Lost Empire herbes and the pine pollen tincture I made with vodka.