Extracting Oils: Intermediary Method

Hi fellow Readers! 

Today I am doing a throw back from one of my YouTube videos to help those of you who wish to get a good extract on your oils and are just tired of the wait it takes with the storage method. So I know that some of you have been a follower for some time now and I talked about the heating method in oil making years back, where you use a crock pot to do an 8 hour heated soak of your herbs in order to extract the herbs into the oil. Well, I haven't quit learning and came across a new way to craft up an oil that isn't quite short, but isn't 8 weeks long either! The reason I wanted to share this with you is because it super exceeds any of the other methods that I have run across in my prior years poking around in some herbs. Not to mention that it's now the only way I choose to extract my herbs if i'm going to make an herbal oil.

With that in mind, my friends, check out my updated YouTube channel below and join me as I show you a thing or two about the Intermediary method of extracting herbs into oils. I'll take some time below the video to write out a bit about how it works, and some of the things that I have run across when working this method. Also I'll touch on what you might also be told about working this method, and how you can modify what they say and still get a great extract!

Ok, so now with more than 10 years in the field, I'm still feeling pretty green and I was stoked when I stumbled on this extraction method. One day while I was scrolling through the Herbal academy's social group I landed on a post that was talking about this "Intermediary method" extraction, and the term kinda caught my eye right away, and I went on a search to learn more. I commented on the post like, um WTF is that and how come I don't know this kinda thing. I was informed that it was a way to use alcohol to extract higher concentrations of plant constituents from the plants you're working with. If you're like me and have been making oils for a minute, using the storage or heat method, you know that the end result of your oils is pretty flat and mostly one sided. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking the methods, but I will tell you that both the heat method and the storage methods are just not going to get any part of the plant that isn't soluble is fats, or oils. So that means that you will be leaving behind quite a bit of the plant's constituents like the essential plant oils, the water soluble constituents, and the solvent soluble constituents. So, if you're looking for a power house oil then this method is likely going to be your best friend! 

So what exactly are we doing that's different? Well for starters, we are not soaking the herb in oil straight away because that defeats the purpose of what we want to do here. So, let's get into it. Go ahead and pick the herbs you're looking for and determine how much oil (or end oil extraction) that you're looking for. Then let's get into some math below.

For every herb part you will need four oil parts. So this looks like this, Example: 1 oz of herb = 4 oz of oil. You can cut it anyway you wish so long as the ratio is 1:4. 

It's always best to know how much oil you want before you start this process because it is a bit more scientific than the traditional folk methods of extracting. Doing this will prevent you from over making a product if you don't need a ton of oil extracted. Also I want to note here that if you want to make a formula oil extraction, you do not have to make like 5 different extracted oils to combine later after they are all done. You can combine the herbs together according to your formula and make the weight of the combination to the herb part as a whole. It makes for a much quicker end result, just be sure to write out all the herbs you put in the oil when you label the jar your using to work this process. 

The next thing I want to address is the various ways to actually do this. I have ran across a few people who basically saturate their herbs in an alcohol bath for a few days then add their oil and evaporate off the alcohol off the oil. Which to be honest seriously draws out the process like crazy and in my experience is not totally necessary and here is why.

1. You are only using the alcohol to crack open the plant's protective outer layer to promote the release of the constituents that you can't access when you're soaking the herb in oil. 

2. The process to heat off the alcohol, depending on how much you used, is a really long process that you have to do on super low heat. This is what you might hear called "the evaporation process", because there are a ton of people who ask about any leftover alcohol in the oil.   

3. So many oils, especially the oils that you use for your skin; that many of us use when we are extracting herbs anyway, have a short shelf life. That usually means that the oils will go rancid on us way quicker than you might expect, which means that unless you are selling your oils rather quickly you will be forced to make smaller batches. It's best to know the shelf life of the oil you're working with before you use it. Now why do I say that? Well because alcohol is a shelf stable product because it is a solvent. So having a little bit of alcohol in your oil extraction isn't going to cause any negative effects. In fact it will actually give your oil extractions a little longer shelf life, but some crafters are concerned with the drying effects of the added alcohol which is why they choose to evaporate off the remaining alcohol. In my personal experience using this method the way that I have shown it in the video has not caused any drying when i create products that are used on the skin. 

So there are a few things that I want to make a point of doing before you add your alcohol to your herbs in order to ensure that you get the best extraction possible. 

1. When you have selected your herbs and weighed out the amount that you intend to use Take some time to grind them into a powder, or close enough to a powder. I want to note that I don't use pre-ground herbs, or herbs that are bought as powders if I can help it, because contrary to what you might believe about herbs and shelf life, whole or leafed herbs in their original state dried have a longer shelf life than powders do. This is because when you grind up or powder the herb you are exposing more of the surface area of the herb and the herb being more exposed will die off, or have reduced medicinal properties quicker than one that is left in a whole state. The reason we are grinding or powdering the herbs that you selected is so the herbs are at their max surface exposure. This will allow the alcohol to penetrate the herb more efficiently. 

2. Use 190 proof alcohol and nothing less! A high alcohol content will extract all parts of the plant into the oil you are trying to make. 190 proof is 100% alcohol and has little to no water content in it. This level has the ability to extract the plant resins and essential oils and using a lower proof will not extract these constituents. Vodka and other types of alcohol are usually 80 proof or 40% alcohol. These alcohols have at least 60% water added to the alcohol. Using a lower alcohol proof can help if you want to also pull out some of the water soluble constituents, but will then convert your oil over to needing to evaporate off the remaining waters from the alcohol. Water and oil don't mix well without an emulsifier, so I like to use the 190 proof when I work this method and suggest that you do the same.

3. DON'T saturate the herbs with alcohol. It will just put an excessive amount of alcohol in the extraction and cause you to end up evaporating off the excess, which is exactly what you are trying to avoid. Alternatively slowly add the alcohol a little bit at a time and mix the herbs together to disperse the alcohol throughout the herbs you have in your container. Add ONLY enough alcohol to make the herbs moist. you don't need a puddle, and the powdered herb color will have slightly darkened when all the herbs are at the right moisture. This is key to knowing that you have just enough alcohol added to your powdered herbs. 

4. Cover your herb container with plastic cling wrap and wrap a string or rubber band around the jar neck to keep the wrap in place. Don't add any oil! Then write the date and ingredients. I like to sharpie the date, and ingredients on the plastic so I don't have to remove stickers or cross out any prior written content on my jar. 

Once you have all that done place your container in a dark, cool, location for 24 hours before you move on to the next step. This is crucial because you want to let the alcohol extract the constituents that you want your oil to have. You don't need to store longer, because you only moistened the herbs and you're not looking for them to completely dry out before you go on to the next step and you're not making a tincture. 

So now you're ready to make your oil! A day has gone by and you will want to go grab the jar you stored from the day before and measure out the correct amount of oil you need in association to the herb weight that you have, according to the 1:4 ratio set by the formula. 

So what's next? Take the plastic off and pour in your oil? Maybe not, we aren't quite there yet. If you have an immersion blender you will need it right about now, so go grab it. If not, you will need a blender that will hold the contents of the oil you plan to create. Once you have those, then move on to finishing your extraction.

1. If you have the immersion blender, go ahead and pour in your oil part directly into the container that you have your herbs in (make sure that the oil will fit and not overflow) and mix the herbs and the oil with the immersion blender for no less than 5 minutes. Once you have done that, set up your cheese cloth and another container to catch the oil that is going to be strained. I like to use one of those strainers under the cheese cloth so that I don't accidentally drop my herbs back into the extraction. It has saved my butt sooo many times!

2. If you have a blender, you will basically do the same thing, but you will want to scrape out your herbs from the container you had them in and into the blender you have before you add the oil you want to use. Once you have the herbs in the blender, go ahead and add the oil and cap the blender. Turn it on using the blend or macerate feature and let it go for 5 minutes. After five minutes set up your cheese cloth like I mentioned above and strain out your oil.

After your extract is strained you're done! Isn't that cool? Go ahead and label the container that you have and ensure that you date it too! 

This method you will notice right away is so much better. The oil will have a darker and more concentrated volume of plant constituents than you will ever get with other folk methods like storing or heating them. Try it out and comment below on how it went for you. What do you like about it and how does this change up the way you use oil extractions in your future formulas? 

Blessings!