medicinal wine and making it

[Guest guest]

Hello Pamela;

 

You wrote,

 

> However, I have decocted a formula that the source states should

be taken

> as a medicinal wine AFTER describing that the formula should be

decocted

> first. Its a post-surgery tonic. Can anyone advise me about the

method

> inferred? How much wine should be added to a formula that has

already

> been decocted and makes no reference to aging?

 

Making medicinal wines, liquors and tinctures is an art in itself.

If you could give me the name of the reference book your formula

came from, the name of the formula and it's ingredients, probably

some clarification can be brought forward.

 

Some classical chinese formulas are decocted in strong liquor (40-

70% alcohol) because some of the phytochemicals are either insoluble

or poorly soluble in water.

 

The decoction process will cause the alcohol to evaporate and the

alcohol soluble components to precipitate. Very simply, in order to

recover these, more alcohol is added at the end of the decoction to

help hold all the solubles. If you look in earlier messages, I have

already explained this to some extent.

 

The optimal % alcohol is determined by the phytochemicals one wants

to extract.

 

BTW, english is my second language so please do not hesitate to ask

for clarification.

 

Cheers,

 

Dr. G.