[GregB]

.....

Last time I did this, the propolis powder dissolved immediately into the everclear...

Opinions please! Thanks

I want to try this soon (got a liter of Everclear purchased).
Got lots of my own propolis all over (already collected and still to be scraped).

I think before you do this - you want to separate propolis from the impurities (wax, wood, etc).
One way to do it - mix the ground raw propolis with cold water.
The pure propolis will sink.
The impurities will float - scoop them away.
Drain the remaining propolis through some fabric/paper - then let the powder to dry.
Once dry, use as needed.

This is what I want to try.

 

[GregB]

........but I've been taking it for a number of years and find it very beneficial.

Ruth,
Could you describe your ways of taking it and what are your indications (why are you taking, what are the positive changes you observe)?
Thanks!

PS:
I want to have a set prepared for internal consumption, but really unsure why should I be taking it outside of colds/flues;
unless I have clear reasons to use it, unsure I need to use it.

 

[GregB]

Thanks everyone! I bought some everclear and tried that on another batch of propolis. It almost instantly dissolved everything.
Thats the difference between 180 proof and 100 proof I guess.

OH!
You stated - alcohol.
100 is vodka, don't call that alcohol!

Have to have 180-190 proof for anything good.

 

[GregB]

..........
My preference for most of my propolis is in capsule form. The propolis has been processed with an alcohol solvent and then the liquid allowed to evaporated so it is a powder. I don't care for the taste of the liquid alcohol tincture, although I do have the one made with a non-alcoholic solvent and will sometimes mix that with honey.

Thank you for the tips!

Now, sounds like all you have to do is - purify the ground propolis and just use that powder as for you.
How do you make capsules?
I guess I need to google.

As per the tincture - you don't consume the tincture straight (way too strong).
You add the said number of tincture drops into your water and drink that.

The tincture is just a way to store the propolis in readily absorb-able form (liquid form absorbs the best).
So once made, no need to dry the tincture back (you are basically undoing the work already done).

 

[GregB]

I would think the Tincture is for topical use. A propolis flavored Vodka would be interesting however.....
You can get empty gell caps to fill on your own. I find that a bit boring. I "roll" the propolis in my hand and on a table, attempting to mix in the several type/colors/times of the year. When I get a slightly larger than a pencil stick of it, I store that in the fridge. Cool,, one can take a large knife and chop off a "pill" sized chunk and swallow with water. If you are predisposed to believe in surface area and the math of powdered propolis VRS a glob... Powdered mixes well and stores well with honey, A smear on a cracker can also be a good way to dose. chewing it will cause it to stick to your teeth, good if you are working on a tooth ache, not so much, for other applications. Experiment, basically swallowing a set amount is the goal , there are several ways to get it done. Not sure I would mess with stuffing capsules.
GG

P.S. legs and antenna digest fine, I sell the good stuff $60/pound on the net, the secondes is what I use for myself.

Pretty cool you make this propolis "pencil" so to chop off of it the "pills".
Did not think of this.

I would not bother with the capsule stuffing I think.

Regarding the tincture - based on the grain/food-grade alcohol, totally fine for internal use.
You simply make few drops into a glass of water and drink the product (typically before meals).

I watched several videos of the "end-to-end" preparation and usage.
People reported cases when the conventional medicine would be useless - and yet the propolis-tincture regiment did the trick.

Last year I made iso-propyl alcohol tincture for external use - absolutely and ONLY for external use.
It will stain.

 

[GregB]

I actually even have propolis in my coffee by simply grinding the propolis in the same grinder I do coffee.
Now thinking of it, gee, I will be just tossing chunks of propolis into the coffee beens and grinding the mixed fixes at once.

 

[GregB]

Speaking of propolis tincture....

Testimonials from the Russian forum (similar to BS): http://www.pchelovod.info
Exact post: http://www.pchelovod.info/index.php?showtopic=9471&view=findpost&p=176337

...propolis helped me twice...

Once I had stomach ulcer and nothing helped.
Then someone suggested propolis tincture before meals and when I was in pain.
I put 10-15 drops of the tincture on a half tea spoon of sugar and swallow.
The pain goes away in 5 minutes.
In about a month the ulcer was gone.

The second time it was worse - chronic bronchitis for few years eventually developed into asthma.
They said no good cure, just some maintenance is available.
Again propolis helped - I made an inhaler from a simple half-liter bottle and breathed with evaporated propolis tincture.
In about 1-2 weeks bronchitis and asthma were gone, as if never happen.

A cool tip from that same topic.
- combine about one pea of propolis with a chewing gum stick
- chew on it until you feel like spitting it all out ( 1-2-more hours? I don't know - probably when it is feels "used up")
Should help with most all colds and such.
Should stat as soon as you feel like getting cold (sore throat, etc).

 

[GregB]

Making second batch of the grain alcohol/propolis tincture.

I am taking it proactively now days (influenza, etc) - 1/4 teaspoon per day (mix the tincture in water and drink it).
So far I did not get sick yet this winter (a common occurrence for me - a couple of times per winter).

Two of the kids got sickly so far - this is what they get from me too - propolis tincture, no IFs or BUTs.

 

[GregB]

At least the propolis tincture has alcohol in it. Cod liver oil, yuck.

Wife was becoming concerned with me serving "alcohol" to the kids.

I went like:
Honey, our home-made sourdough bread and kefir all have natural booze in them too.
And we love the stuff.
That's what the normal fermentation does.
LOL.

 

[GregB]

Made my initial batches with 95% ethanol.

But now I think this may have been a minor error, because some of the propolis components dissolve well in water, but no so much in ethanol (per my readings).
And so the 95% extracts are not the most potent.

The next batch I will do in 70% ethanol.
Here is just one reference as to "why":

extractions with a 70% solution of alcohol as the most active

http://www.fao.org/3/w0076e/w0076e14.htm

How to make 70% ethanol from standard 95% ethanol (e.g. Everclear).

to make 70% ethanol from 95% ethanol, take 70 mL of 95% ethanol and add enough water to bring the volume to 95 mL. You will then have 95 mL of 70% ethanol.

http://stainsfile.info/prepare/preserve/preservative-ethanol70.htm

 

[GregB]

Do you think it would be useful if we swallow propolis raw?

People do it, but for better absorption reasons, it is best to have propolis in finely-pulverized structure - powder or tincture/solution products.

 

[GregB]

So very timely with the COVID - I got lots of propolis tincture handy.
Have been taking it daily every morning.
Get 1/4 teaspoon of tincture, mix with cold water, and down it.
Not a single cold yet this year (unusual for me).

 

[GregB]

....am sure it would leave residue on the glass and make for a difficult cleanup. It also wants to seal up the threads on the eye dropper making it difficult to open. I like how it seals a cut and reminds me of that stuff they used to sell called nu-skin. I will experiment more this winter when I have more time, but wanted to share my experience so far.

Indeed, when I consume it with water, some propolis will stick to the mug/glass walls.

However, I add more water and rinse it off/scrape with a spoon and and drink some more.
Whatever is still sticking - use a little baking soda - all it takes to remove clean.
The glasses/mugs used are cleanable just fine and not a show-stopper.
Such minutia should not be stopping people from taking the propolis.

As the cold/flu season is setting in again, I will be using my tincture (prepared lots of it).
Also have been putting propolis away; have to have a good stash.