Excellent ideas thanks. I now know more about the process.

Will the tincturing work on muskrat glands as well as the weasel glands?

I've never tincured glands before but I've tincured propolis - honeybee propolis that is. For that I used everclear. Everclear is I think 190 proof - which is 95% alcohol. If alcohol is what your after I would think that everclear would be a better choice than vodka.

Would isopropal alcohol work as well or does it have to be methyl alcohol?

Everclear is not available here in Michigan and probably some other states. Ace

First of all, Everclear, PGA, and similar products are not available in all states, even the wet ones. Asa told me once that hundred proof is the highest proof alcohol he can buy in his state. That may be a limiting factor to some.

I have talked with lure makers, and have been told by some good ones, that the high proof alcohols have an odor they do not like. I don't know, simply repeating what I have been told.

So, I am perfectly happy to go with Asa's recommendation of 100 proof alcohol, vodka. I use Smiranoff (sp?) Black Label.

Adios,
45/70,

Sooo is it a mistake to use 80proof Vodka vs 100 proof??

I agree Asa that tinctureing is a practical and effective means of extracting and extending a desired material in short supply such as weasel musk and other musks and plant related matter. We as formulators do this out of necessity and a vital part of our having adequate material to satisfy a need.

I must say I had some very negative results in my early years in formulation regarding the use of alcohol of any kind in anything more than trace amounts that are in a formula if it is found to be a necessary ingredient to complete a formula.

I have found in my experience that regardless of the type of alcohol and proof percentage the alcohol odor is detectable and can be an issue depending on the amount used and the type of alcohol.

If a formulation mix containment is left open and aired for a period of time and stirred frequently a large percentage of that familiar odor can be lost if it is a high percentage proof and a good quality product.

So from this early on experience I learned to keep some tinctured materials to a tolerable minimum or I would go with the original form of the product with no tinctured material.

I will share this information as such and leave it at that.Experience is a good teacher and some will find out for themselves as to the effects in time that alcohol can have in some formulas with specific wildlife reactions and responses.

Alcohol can negatively affect the natural aging and odor blending process of other ingredients at times if its limited use is not understood.

I have purchased samples of a variety of ingredients from several companies that were tinctured in pure alcolhol and I didn't like the strong odor. The odor of the alcolhol was actually overpowering the ingredient odor. When I sampled it in lures I could still smell that strong odor of the tincturing fluid. The odor of vodka seems to immediately dissapear in lure formulation and I have tested it repeatedly on coyotes and fox with no adverse reactions. So, even if everclear was available here I would still use 100 proof vodka. It may take a little longer to tincture using only 50% alcolhol but it does do a good job. Just my opinion.
Bristleback: 80 proof vodka would work too, just take a little longer and perhaps not do as thorough of a job. Ace

Hard to top Ase and Bobby J. Real good info there guys...worth reading over! I have used 100 proof vodka at times. It certainly isn't for everything but neither is glycol. I once bought some glands and beaver castor from the late Mel Hershberger...all put up in 100 proof vodka.(said so on the label) It was and is pretty good stuff! Same way with some weasel glands I got from the late Dave Edwards. Mind you, these guys weren't rookies when it came to things of this nature by any means. Amazing what one can do if they have the knowledge. Both Asa and Bob Jameson are certainly two individuals who do. I seldom use vodka anymore unless it's mixed with something.

I use rubbing alcohol to get the essential oils out of stuff. I don't drink either.

Whether or not you drink has no relation to the alcohol used for tincturing. Duh!

Rubbing alcohol is a product that is usually sold at about 100 proof.

However, it is toxic when ingested, and at least to me it has a strong, objectionable odor when compared to grain alcohol.

Waugh!
45/70,

don't try shine i did and my catnip smelled just like a minty jug of good sipping licker

Not to beat a dead horse but according to this site everclear is tasteless and oderless:

http://www.beerliquors.com/liquors/grain.htm

Seems that if you can buy it legal in your state it would be a better tincure choice than vodka.

Everclear is not illegal in my state, or at least it was not illegal back in the day...

BUT... only a dead horse would say it is either tasteless or odorless... LMAO.

^

OK so I have mint in my summer garden, and Im going to plant some catnip. If I am reading this like I think I am what should take place for using these plants as a lure ingredient is: pick some of the fresh plant, smoosh it up good, put it into a sterilized glass jar, fill in the gaps with 100 proof vodka and wait. Now after 6 months, a year I would then pour off the liquid which would have now drawn the essential oils from the plants and whala I now am the proud owner of tinctured mint and catnip. Does this sound right? Would the process go the same with wild grapes, castors, and glands.

Ive read in product catalogs that glycol can be used as a tincturing agent, is this true? Is it inferior, superior, equivilant to vodka? Does it have the same preservative qualaties?

A main theme to this thread seems to be use alcohol for tincturing in moderation only when a must, so plants and musk would be on this list what about horse hoof trimmings, horse chestnuts, castors, beaver oil, cat bladders, so on ....?

A lot of questions I know, but I really am begining to enjoy this type of lure/bait discussion. Thanks guys, Rob

Rob: I would dry the catnip and mint leaves first and pulverize them into a powder before tincturing. One more thing, place your tincturing jugs/bottles some place where you walk by them frequently and give them a good shaking every now and then. I like to use the vodka bottles themselves for a good shaking bottle. The process would be the same for castors and other substances and I grind and dry the castors first too.
Propylene glycol works too and is basically odorless to the human nose. However, I never thought it did as good of a job or as quickly and thoroughly as alcohol. Ace

Just what I have observed from reading and listening on here. Glycol or Glycerine do not really have preservative qualities, what is there is very minimal. It takes too large a quantity too do an effective job. I use salt and sodium benzoate, but also understand that Methyl Paraben is a fine, although more expensive preservative. It is supposed to be tasteless and odorless. But maybe someone with more knowledge will chime in and help out. WTA

And by the way, I also, really think the lure/bait discussion, is the most interesting topics on here, and really enjoy. Thanks to Asa, Paul, Bob, Dave, and all else who help out. WTA

Yes , but you won't have genuine catnip oil. That only comes from 1 of 2 ways. One is steam distilled and the other, although more primitive, is through massilation ( I probably spelled it wrong)and by using ultra violent rays to extract it. By the way artificial catnip will NOT to the same thing in a lure formula as the genuine stuff! I pick truck loads of catnip every year,as well as grow it. It grows wild here in Ohio.