Tincture Calculator

Professional Tincture & Menstruum Calculator

Recipe Breakdown:

Total Menstruum (Liquid) Required: 0 ml

Pure Alcohol Needed: 0 ml

Distilled Water Needed: 0 ml

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Note: Combine the alcohol and water first to create your menstruum, then add to your dry herb.

function calculateTincture() { var herbWeight = parseFloat(document.getElementById('herbWeight').value); var targetRatio = parseFloat(document.getElementById('targetRatio').value); var targetPercentage = parseFloat(document.getElementById('targetPercentage').value); var solventPercentage = parseFloat(document.getElementById('solventPercentage').value); var resultDiv = document.getElementById('tinctureResult'); if (isNaN(herbWeight) || isNaN(targetRatio) || isNaN(targetPercentage) || isNaN(solventPercentage) || solventPercentage solventPercentage) { alert("Target percentage cannot be higher than your starting alcohol strength."); return; } // Total volume based on weight and ratio (e.g., 1:5 means 100g herb : 500ml liquid) var totalMenstruum = herbWeight * targetRatio; // Math: C1 * V1 = C2 * V2 // solvent% * AlcoholVol = target% * totalMenstruum var alcoholVolume = (targetPercentage * totalMenstruum) / solventPercentage; var waterVolume = totalMenstruum – alcoholVolume; document.getElementById('totalMenstruum').innerText = totalMenstruum.toFixed(2); document.getElementById('alcoholVolume').innerText = alcoholVolume.toFixed(2); document.getElementById('waterVolume').innerText = waterVolume.toFixed(2); resultDiv.style.display = 'block'; }

Essential Guide to Tincture Making Calculations

Creating consistent, potent herbal extracts requires more than just "eyeballing" your ingredients. Professional herbalists use weight-to-volume ratios and specific alcohol percentages to ensure that the chemical constituents of the plant material are efficiently extracted and preserved. This tincture calculator helps you determine the exact amount of alcohol and water needed to reach your target menstruum.

Understanding the Weight-to-Volume Ratio

The standard ratio for dried herb tinctures is 1:5. This means for every 1 gram of herb, you use 5 milliliters of liquid (menstruum). For fresh herbs, a 1:2 ratio is more common due to the higher water content already present in the plant cells.

• 1:5 Ratio: 100g herb to 500ml liquid.
• 1:10 Ratio: A weaker extraction, often used for very potent herbs.
• 1:2 Ratio: Typically used for fresh plant material.

Choosing the Right Alcohol Percentage

Different plant constituents require different alcohol concentrations for optimal extraction:

Target %	Best For…
40% – 50%	Most standard dried herbs, water-soluble constituents (tannins, mucilage).
60% – 70%	Lamiaceae family (mints), aromatic herbs, and herbs with essential oils.
80% – 90%	Resinous herbs (Myrrh, Propolis, Calendula) and some fresh roots.

Example Calculation

If you have 50 grams of dried Lemon Balm and you want a 1:5 ratio at 60% alcohol using 95% Spirit:

1. Total Menstruum: 50g x 5 = 250ml.
2. Alcohol Needed: (60% x 250ml) / 95% = 157.89ml of alcohol.
3. Water Needed: 250ml – 157.89ml = 92.11ml of distilled water.

Mix your 157.89ml of alcohol with 92.11ml of water, then pour this mixture over your 50g of Lemon Balm in a glass jar. Seal it, shake daily, and strain after 4-6 weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Vodka? Yes, 80-proof vodka is already 40% alcohol and 60% water. If your target is 40%, you can use vodka straight without dilution math. However, if you need 60% or 70%, you must start with a higher proof spirit like 190-proof (95%) grain alcohol.

Why use distilled water? Distilled water is free of minerals and contaminants that could interfere with the extraction process or the shelf life of your finished tincture.