[Musashi]

Hi all, I have made my first ever batch of Propolis tincture by mixing propolis I ran through a coffee grinder, putting it in an enclosed glass jar with 151 bacardi rum (190 proof everclear isn't sold in Florida). It has been sitting around for more than a month now, and I'm ready to strain and bottle this stuff in dropper bottles.

The problem is I have no idea of the concentration of this stuff. I read somewhere that I could take it to a pharmacy?? and have the concentration level tested.

Propolis tincture concentrations vary according to what use they would be for various things, as well as for price point.

Can anyone help and tell me where I would take this to be tested???
thanks!

 

[Ben Brewcat]

Hmmm... not at a pharmacy I'm guessing (though go ahead and ask! I don't think they have much testing equipment at a retail pharmacy. Maybe a pharmaceutical lab ). I'm not a lab monkey but I would guess that maybe gas chromatography or something similar would be needed? Why do you need to know the strength? Couldn't it be inferred from the recipe (X grams propolis in Y grams ETOH = a Z-strength solution)?

 

[Musashi]

Well the length of time it's been dissolving/soaking and how vigorously I shook the bottle etc. Lots of variables there....

I called on local pharmacy and she almost laughed at me on the phone...so yeah, that's not going to work.

Some people have a reaction to Propolis and the reaction's severity would be in direct proportion to the concentration so seems like I couldn't safely market this stuff without knowing its potency?

 

[dtompsett]

Might want to read this:

Propolis Extract

 

[Musashi]

I saw a chart for concentration level when I first did it and I do believe I set it up for a 30% concentration, meaning x amount of propolis and x amount of 151 run. The problem becomes I couldn't get 100% alcohol. I think Barcardi 151 rum is like 70%. At any rate, I was originally only going to let it sit for two weeks as prescribed, but I didn't order the little bottles and I wanted to wait and yada yada, now a month has passed. I thought I'd read that if you leave it soaking longer, you'd get a stronger blend (more contact hours with the propolis. Not to mention how often and how vigorously I shook the bottle would seemingly have a big impact. How fine I ground the propolis (I used a coffee grinder so it was like powder) would cause more contact area.

I guess what I'm getting at is, is I'm a retail market operation and I'm sure the stuff will sell, it's I'm fearful of someone having a reaction no matter how much I warn them to test on their skin etc first. Tincture is generally an internally taken version of propolis mixed with honey and water for instance as overall general anti-biotic.

Due to my fear of getting my but sued I'm thinking of just using the tincture in a balm my wife has made, and just raw. No matter what happens to them using the raw stuff the conversion into a product would be more at fault than the original stuff.

I'm probably overly worried, I'd just feel pretty dumb to lose the farm just to bring propolis tincture to the market.

 

[Danleaf]

a great resource here..

Propolis tincture | Gary's Bees

garybees.cfans.umn.edu