The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook_ A Home Manual - James Green [88]
• For the making of glycerates or the use of menstrua containing glycerin.
Other practical advantages that are inherent in maceration:
• The process of maceration is decidedly more simple, requiring less aptitude, dexterity, and judgment in conducting it, and it requires little or no practice.
• It is uniform, always done in the same way.
• The results are quite predictable in that all of the derived tincture will be of uniform strength.
• It requires less constant attention during the process (just shake it once or twice a day). This is quite significant when dealing with large quantities.
• The apparatus required is less complicated and more easily acquired.
• It works every time, and it produces excellent tinctures.
With regard to our immediate situation, wherein we are communicating solely by illustrations and written word, percolation evokes a significant problem because to learn and develop a semblance of success in this process of extraction, physical demonstration and hands-on practice are usually needed. However, after some deliberation, I decided to pursue this introductory discussion and instruction in the performance of the percolation method for the benefit of those who have heard of it and wonder what the heck it’s all about; for those who are fascinated by the fabrication and manipulation of apparatus; for those feral spirits who will take to the challenge of an untutored attempt; and for those who have previously experienced the making of a tincture by percolation, but can use a mental review. Ergo…
PERCOLATION
Equipment
You need a percolator cone. This can be a relatively costly Pyrex® glass cone purchased from a lab equipment supply house, or it can be a clear glass funnel, or a homemade device manufactured by removing the bottom of a glass (don’t use a plastic bottle) 1-liter Crystal Geyser® or Calistoga®-like water bottle (which is what most of us do). This is done by using a glass cutter. The idea, design, and popularization of this homemade percolator is directly attributable to the practical brilliance of Mr. Michael Moore, herbalist and director of the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine in Arizona. The transmogrified water bottle will sit upside down in a wide-mouthed Mason® canning jar and the screw cap of the bottle is used to control the rate of drip from—what has now been converted to—the bottom of the bottle. For percolating smaller batches of tincture, a Perrier® bottle is better used, as its diameter is narrower, allowing a small amount of herb to create a longer column of powdered herb for the menstruum to percolate through. This can often make for better extraction. Use a narrow-mouth Mason jar with the Perrier bottle.
You also need a packing rod. This can be any device having a broad, flat end that can be used to tamp down the powdered herb while packing it into the cone. A 10″ length of 3/4″ to 1″ diameter wooden doweling sawed off squarely at the end works well.
In addition to some of the kitchen pharmacy equipment I have recommended in Chapter Four, you will also need:
• unbleached filter paper
• a small container that can be closed airtight
• plastic bags and rubber bands
• a small weight like a quartz crystal or a rock that is fairly impervious to liquids
• a couple of 1-quart canning jars (when using the homemade type percolator)
• well-dried plant material
• alcohol and water
For a detailed description of the “technical” approach to percolation, you can read Remington’s Practice of Pharmacy or Remington’s Pharmaceutical Sciences. The following method is a variation of the “lay” method popularized by Michael Moore, who wheeled onto the campus of our herb school one afternoon and started cutting the bottoms off of a bunch of glass