How to Make Cannabis Tincture From Start to Finish

Written by Lorien Strydom

October 31st, 2025

If you've made a cannabis tincture before, you know the frustration: one batch works perfectly, the next barely does anything, and you're left wondering what went wrong.

The #1 problem with homemade tinctures isn't the process itself—it's getting consistent strength every single time.

We're solving that today. Whether you're using our lab-tested flower for accurate calculations or considering our professionally-made tinctures, understanding the formula behind potency helps you make better choices.

Here's what you'll learn: how to calculate exact mg/ml strength using a simple formula, why the freezer method produces cleaner taste in just 4 hours, and how to fix the harsh burn that ruins most DIY tinctures.

Table of Contents

• What Makes a Cannabis Tincture Different From Other Extracts

• Pick Your Extraction Method Based on Time and Taste Goals

• The Heating Step That Activates Your Flower

• Freezer Quick Wash Extraction in Under 4 Hours

• Classic Long Soak if You Prefer Tradition

• Strain, Reduce if Needed, and Store Your Tincture

• Calculate Your Tincture Strength in mg Per ml

• Fix the Taste Without Losing Potency

• Troubleshoot Common Tincture Problems

• Save Money With Trim and Alternative Solvents

• Advanced Control With FECO Reconstitution

• Your Finished Tincture and What Happens Next

What Makes a Cannabis Tincture Different From Other Extracts

Cannabis tinctures are alcohol-based extracts designed for sublingual absorption—meaning you place drops under your tongue instead of swallowing immediately.

This method works faster than edibles because the compounds absorb directly through the mucous membranes in your mouth, bypassing your digestive system entirely.

Most people feel effects within 10 to 15 minutes with sublingual use, compared to 45 to 90 minutes when swallowing edibles.

You'll also experience what we call a "second wave" when you eventually swallow the tincture, as the remaining liquid processes through your digestive system for a longer, more gradual effect.

Here's something critical to understand: raw cannabis flower contains THCa, not THC. 

THCa becomes more potent and active when exposed to heat through a specific heating process we'll cover next.

Without this heating step, your tincture will be significantly weaker than expected; this is where many first-time makers often go wrong.

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Pick Your Extraction Method Based on Time and Taste Goals

You have two main paths: the modern freezer quick wash or the classic long soak. Each produces working tinctures, but they differ in time commitment and final flavor.

Freezer Quick Wash (Our Recommended Method)

This method takes about 4 hours total and produces cleaner-tasting tinctures.

You freeze your heated flower and alcohol separately, combine them for just 3 to 5 minutes, then strain immediately.

The extreme cold prevents chlorophyll and other plant materials from dissolving, which means less green taste and harshness.

Most homemakers now prefer this approach for good reason.

Classic Long Soak

The traditional method involves soaking a heated flower in room-temperature alcohol for 3 weeks with daily shaking. This produces darker tinctures with stronger plant flavor.

Some people prefer this more robust taste, but it's not necessary for potency—the freezer method extracts just as effectively.

Choosing Your Solvent

190-proof Everclear (95% alcohol) extracts most efficiently and produces the cleanest-tasting tinctures. However, many states restrict or ban high-proof alcohol sales.

If you can't find Everclear, 151-proof rum works perfectly fine—you'll just extract slightly more plant material along with the desired compounds.

Glycerin and MCT oil offer alcohol-free alternatives, though they extract less efficiently and require different techniques.

The Heating Step That Activates Your Flower

Before your flower touches any liquid, you need to heat it properly. This heating process activates THCa, transforming it into a more potent, familiar form that your body can use effectively.

Preheat your oven to 220-240°F. Break your flower into small pieces, spread it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake for 30 to 50 minutes.

You'll know it's ready when the flower turns slightly darker and becomes more brittle.

The aroma will be noticeable—plan for this if you share living space or have close neighbors.

This step also prevents that harsh, green taste that ruins many homemade tinctures.

When you heat flower before extraction, you drive off excess moisture and break down chlorophyll, leaving you with a cleaner, more pleasant final product.

Important: Make sure your space is well-ventilated during this process.

The smell is strong and will fill your kitchen.

Freezer Quick Wash Extraction in Under 4 Hours

This is where the magic happens. The freezer method produces professional-quality results without any specialized equipment.

Step 1: Freeze Everything

Place your heated flower in a glass jar and your alcohol in a separate glass bottle. Put both in the freezer for at least 2 hours—overnight is even better.

The colder everything gets, the cleaner your extraction will be. We're aiming for both the flower and alcohol to reach well below 0°F.

Step 2: Quick Wash

Working quickly, pour just enough frozen alcohol over the frozen flower to cover it completely.

Seal the jar and shake vigorously for 3 to 5 minutes.

This is critical: don't let it sit longer than 5 minutes.

Extended contact time at room temperature pulls out chlorophyll and plant waxes that create harsh taste.

Step 3: Strain Immediately

Pour the mixture through cheesecloth into a clean glass container, squeezing the cheesecloth to extract every drop. Work fast—the mixture warms up quickly once removed from the freezer.

Some makers do a second wash with the same flower, though the second extraction will be noticeably weaker.

For most projects, one wash extracts 80% of available compounds, which is plenty efficient.

Safety Notes You Can't Skip

Never use open flames near alcohol—it's highly flammable. If you need to reduce volume later, use a double boiler or fan evaporation method only.

Ensure good ventilation throughout the process.

The alcohol fumes are strong and the aroma from the flower is unmistakable.

Classic Long Soak if You Prefer Tradition

If you're not in a hurry and enjoy a more robust, plant-forward taste, the traditional method works well.

Combine your heated flower with room-temperature alcohol in a glass jar, seal it tightly, and store it in a cool, dark place.

Shake the jar vigorously once per day for 3 weeks. The alcohol will gradually darken as it pulls compounds from the flower.

After 3 weeks, strain through cheesecloth and store as you would with the quick wash method.

The resulting tincture will be darker in color and have a stronger herbal taste—some prefer this, others find it too intense.

Both methods produce effective tinctures with similar potency when you use the same starting materials.

Choose based on your timeline and taste preferences, not potency concerns.

Strain, Reduce if Needed, and Store Your Tincture

Your initial straining through cheesecloth catches the bulk of plant material, but you'll want to strain again through a coffee filter for crystal-clear results.

This second filtering removes fine particles that can make your tincture cloudy or create sediment over time.

Some people prefer to reduce their tincture volume to concentrate the strength.

To do this safely, pour your strained tincture into a glass container and set it over a pot of simmering water (double boiler method), or simply leave it uncovered in a well-ventilated area with a fan blowing across the surface.

Never apply direct heat or open flame—alcohol is dangerously flammable.

The fan evaporation method takes longer but eliminates any fire risk.

Storage Guidelines

Store your finished tincture in dark glass bottles with dropper tops.

Amber or cobalt blue glass blocks light that can degrade potency over time.

Keep bottles in a cool, dark place like a cabinet or drawer—not the refrigerator.

Properly stored tinctures remain potent for 3 to 5 years, though most people use theirs within a few months.

Calculate Your Tincture Strength in mg/mL

This is where consistent results come from. The formula is simple: (flower weight × THC% × 1000) ÷ final liquid volume = mg/ml.

Let's work through a real example. Say you start with 7 grams of flower testing at 20% THC, and your final tincture volume is 120ml after straining.

(7 × 20 × 1000) ÷ 120 = 1,167 mg ÷ 120 = 9,7 mg per ml. If you use a standard dropper that delivers 1ml per full dropper, you know exactly what you're getting: roughly 10mg per full dropper.

Why Reduction Changes Everything

Now let's say you reduce that same batch from 120ml down to 60ml through evaporation.

The total THC remains the same (1,167mg), but now it's concentrated into half the volume.

(7 × 20 × 1000) ÷ 60 = 1,167 mg ÷ 60 = 19,5 mg per ml. Your strength just doubled without adding any more flower—this is how you create more potent tinctures without wasting material.

The Mood Advantage

This math only works when you know your flower's actual THC percentage. Home growers can only estimate, which leads to the inconsistent results that frustrate so many makers.

 Our lab-tested flower comes with verified THC percentages printed on every package.

When you know exactly what you're starting with, your calculations become reliable and your results become repeatable.

Note: These calculations help you understand concentration, but we're not providing medical guidance on appropriate amounts. Consult a healthcare professional familiar with your individual situation.

Fix the Taste Without Losing Potency

If you followed the freezer quick wash method, your tincture should already taste significantly cleaner than traditional versions. But you can improve it further.

Food-grade flavor extracts work perfectly for masking any remaining harshness.

Add vanilla, peppermint, raspberry, or orange extract after your tincture is fully strained and filtered.

Start with just a few drops—these extracts are concentrated and a little goes a long way. Mix thoroughly and taste-test before adding more.

Sublingual Technique

For the fastest effects, place your measured amount under your tongue and hold it there for 60 seconds before swallowing. This allows the compounds to absorb directly through the mucous membranes.

You'll typically feel effects within 10 to 15 minutes using this method.

What you swallow after the 60 seconds will kick in later, creating that "second wave" effect about 45 to 90 minutes in.

Troubleshoot Common Tincture Problems

Even experienced makers run into issues. Here's how to identify and fix the most common problems.

Problem: Tincture Tastes Too Green and Harsh

Cause: Extended contact time between alcohol and flower at room temperature, or you didn't heat the flower before extraction.

Fix: Next batch, use the freezer method and keep contact time under 5 minutes. Always heat your flower first to drive off moisture and chlorophyll.

Problem: Inconsistent Strength Between Batches

Cause: Three main culprits—unmixed hot spots in your oven during the heating process, unknown or varying flower potency, or volume changes during reduction that you didn't account for in your calculations.

Fix: Rotate your baking sheet halfway through heating.

Use lab-tested flower with verified percentages. Measure your final volume precisely and recalculate your mg/mL if you have reduced it.

Problem: Over-Reduced and Too Strong

Cause: You evaporated too much alcohol and now each drop is more potent than intended.

Fix: This is actually salvageable. Add small amounts of fresh alcohol (such as Everclear or high-proof vodka) and mix thoroughly.

Recalculate your mg/ml with the new volume—you're essentially diluting to your target strength.

Converting to Alcohol-Free

If you want to eliminate alcohol entirely, reduce your tincture down to a thick, tar-like Full Extract Cannabis Oil (FECO), then dissolve that concentrate in MCT oil. This gives you precise strength control without any alcohol burn or taste.

Save Money With Trim and Alternative Solvents

You don't need expensive, premium flowers to make quality tinctures—especially not for your first few practice batches. Sugar leaves, trim, and even fan leaves all work, though potency will be lower.

Using trim for your learning runs eliminates the fear of wasting expensive flower while you dial in your technique.

Once you're confident with the process, upgrade to quality flower or our lab-tested options for maximum potency and reliable calculations.

Working With Restricted Solvents

Many states restrict or ban the sale of 190-proof Everclear.

If you can't find it locally, 151-proof rum or vodka works perfectly fine for extraction.

The slightly lower alcohol content means you'll pull a bit more plant material along with the desired compounds, but the difference in final potency is minimal.

You might just need to strain more thoroughly or accept a slightly earthier taste.

Budget Equipment Substitutes

You don't need expensive laboratory equipment.

Mason jars, cheesecloth from any grocery store, and coffee filters handle the entire process.

If you're planning to reduce your tincture volume, a basic double boiler setup (a heat-safe bowl over a pot of simmering water) costs almost nothing and works perfectly.

The fan evaporation method is even cheaper—just time and patience.

Advanced Control With FECO Reconstitution

Once you're comfortable with basic tincture-making, Full Extract Cannabis Oil (FECO) reconstitution gives you absolute control over strength and eliminates alcohol entirely.

This advanced technique is optional, but it's worth understanding if consistency matters to you.

Start with your alcohol tincture and reduce it all the way down—keep evaporating until you're left with a thick, dark, tar-like concentrate.

This is FECO, and it contains nearly all the active compounds from your flower in an extremely concentrated form.

Now here's the power move: you can dissolve this FECO in MCT oil at whatever ratio produces your target mg/ml. Want exactly 20mg per ml? Do the math, measure precisely, mix thoroughly, and you've got it.

Why This Method Works

FECO reconstitution solves two problems at once.

First, it eliminates the alcohol burn that some people dislike.

Second, it gives you absolute precision on strength because you're working with a known total amount of extracted compounds and choosing your final volume deliberately.

There's no guessing about how much alcohol evaporated or what your final concentration is—you control every variable.

This is the method serious makers use when they need professional-grade consistency batch after batch.

It's more work, but the results justify the effort if precision matters to you.

Your Finished Tincture and What Happens Next

You now have a properly made cannabis tincture with known strength.

Before each use, shake the bottle thoroughly—compounds can settle over time, especially in oil-based tinctures.

Start with a smaller amount than you think you need. You can always take more, but you can't take less once you've exceeded your comfort zone.

When DIY Isn't Worth Your Time

Making your own tinctures teaches you exactly how extraction works and what goes into a quality product.

But the process takes time, requires careful attention to detail, and still involves some trial and error even with perfect instructions.

We make professionally-crafted tinctures with consistent strength testing and verified potency in every bottle.

Sometimes the convenience of knowing exactly what you're getting—without the work, without the smell, without the equipment—makes more sense than DIY.

Important Disclaimer

We're not medical professionals and we don't provide health or wellness advice.

The information in this guide is for educational purposes about extraction processes and potency calculations.

Before using cannabis tinctures, especially if you're taking medications or managing health conditions, consult with a licensed healthcare provider who understands your complete medical situation.