PropolisRafa · Minas Gerais, BR · Honey · Sep 2, 2026

First propolis tincture attempt — ratios, alcohol strength, and straining questions

Winter project here in Minas Gerais while the colonies are quiet: I've been scraping propolis all year off frames and traps and finally have about 200 g of the good green stuff cleaned of wax and wood bits. Time to attempt tincture. My plan from reading around: freeze it overnight so it grinds instead of smears, powder it, then 1:5 by weight in alcohol, shake daily for three weeks, strain through a coffee filter into amber bottles. Two questions before I commit my whole harvest. First, alcohol strength — I can get 95% neutral spirit and dilute it. I keep reading 70% extracts better than either straight 95% or 40% vodka. True, or myth? Second, does anyone do a second soak of the marc to get a weaker second-run tincture, or is it spent after the first pass?

#propolis#tincture#hive-products

▲ 5 votes 💬 3 replies

3 replies

muglabalci · Sep 2, 2026

Not a myth. Around 70% ethanol is the sweet spot — you get both the alcohol-soluble resins and the more water-soluble phenolics, which straight 95% partly misses and 40% vodka definitely misses. Vodka tincture works, it is just weaker and cloudier. I have made it both ways for years and the 70% batch is noticeably darker and more aromatic. Your 1:5 ratio and three weeks of daily shaking are exactly right.

TopBarDavid · Sep 3, 2026

In Enugu we make it much the same way and yes, the marc has a second run in it — I re-soak at about half strength expectations and use that batch for the hive tool jar and woodenware, keeping the first extraction for people. One practical tip: strain through the coffee filter COLD. Warm tincture carries wax through the paper and it clouds later in the bottle.

PropolisRafa · Sep 3, 2026

Perfect, thank you both — 70% it is, and TopBarDavid I like the two-tier system, the second run for equipment is clever. Freezer tonight, grinding tomorrow. If the green propolis tincture comes out as good as the stuff sells for around here, my scrapings just became the most valuable harvest in the apiary.

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