Re: 80 proof or 190 proof alcohol for making tincture and the ratio

back in the day 190 proof was commonly known as "grain alcohol". Back in the day....ooooooh, way back in the mid-60s to late 70's, on campus, grain alcohol was commonly known as that stuff people poured about a 1.75 liters of into a garbage can and then added several gallons of grape punch or koolade or pop or whatever, and on friday nights this was also known as big time "par tay".

In practical terms (outside of the lab where the white coats dwell), 190 to 195 proof grain alcohol is about as close you can find to pure alcohol. Back in the day back in the woods....the back back woods, pure alcohol was (and still is) known as Moonshine.

To put this in modern commercial terms, "everclear" has become brand name of "190 proof) sold in most liquor stores still allowed to sell 190 proof, except, they don't call it grain, they call it everclear. Around these parts, no matter what it's called - grain / everclear / 190 proof, is no longer permitted, by law, to be sold.....but like fireworks, can still be bought by travelling across one of the state's borders.

Divide proof by 2 to get the actual percentage of alcohol. 190 proof is 95% alcohol. If you have a quart of 190 proof, and then added 1 quart of water to it (preferably distilled water), you now have 2 quarts of 95 proof "vodka". Yes, its true, plain 95 proof vodka is simply grain alcohol diluted with an equal part (50-50) of water. 80 proof has had a bit more water added to it compared to 95 proof.

As a general rule, many tinctures are made with vodka anywhere between 40 % and 50% AKA 80 proof to 100 proof. Around here, most bottom shelf plain vodka is 80 proof, and you generally need to look up on the top shelf to find 100 proof. Tweet