Propolis Extract

[JohnRoss]

I was wondering if anyone has any experiace with propolis extraction? I was cleansing up some old brood boxes recently and one or two had alot of propolis on them, I scrped it off into a jar and am wondering what do do with it. I see it for sale on the internet for 30 ml of a solution which contains only 15% propolis, 85% alcohol for about £20. that makes it worth about £4 per g if you can sell it at that.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I use it to coat the insides of bait hives. I follow pargyle's recipe of having a jar of meths and dropping all my scrapings in it. A few people have said here that meths has nasty stuff in it but I've never had a problem with it. If it worries you, you could use vodka I guess.

 

[JohnRoss]

I was actually thinking of trying to produce something that could be consumed, maybe the same thing but with ethanol instead of the methanol (wouldnt want to blind myself). A few drops for a sore throat and all that. I am not sure if the vodka is strong enough to dissolve the propolis. I have a bottle of 80% absinthe somewhere that might do the trick.

 

[MadAnt]

Vodka(non-flavoured)can do the job, but pure 96% alcohol always better. Try local pharmacy or buzz shop.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I was actually thinking of trying to produce something that could be consumed, maybe the same thing but with ethanol instead of the methanol (wouldnt want to blind myself). A few drops for a sore throat and all that. I am not sure if the vodka is strong enough to dissolve the propolis. I have a bottle of 80% absinthe somewhere that might do the trick.

What? Blind you?

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Great stuff used on wounds sore throats made some last year put in dropper bottles

 

[rje66]

I have some 95% hooch, do I need to heat/simmer the solution in order to dissolve it??.

 

[Fritillary]

I have some 95% hooch, do I need to heat/simmer the solution in order to dissolve it??.

Wouldn't that just evaporate the alcohol? Not that I've never tried it unfortunately. We UK citizens apparently need protection from being able to buy strong alcohol for this or preserving fruits etc. It's very annoying.

 

[B+.]

I was wondering if anyone has any experiace with propolis extraction?

There's a French lady who has videos of the whole process here (http://lesruchersdargonne.com/page_video_propolis.htm)

 

[theeggman]

We used to visit our NHS dentist who used a propolis mix on our gums after any dental work, don't whether it did what it was supposed to but didn't harm us. She was a Brit who had spent a few years working in Cuba so may have been off the wall anyway.

 

[rje66]

Wouldn't that just evaporate the alcohol? Not that I've never tried it unfortunately. We UK citizens apparently need protection from being able to buy strong alcohol for this or preserving fruits etc. It's very annoying.

Make friends in your local homebrew club

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Leave the proposed in the alcohol for a month shake regularly no heat required filter after

 

[philipm]

Been making it for years in Vodka. Put it in a jam jar with the vodka shake it well twice a day or when you feel like it. Its ready in about a fortnight. For coughs I put one or two teaspoons of the propolis liquid in a glass with a teaspoon of honey and some orange juice and top it off with hot water. good just before going to bed also unless you drink an unbelievable amount you cannot overdose unlike some of the overcounter products.

 

[Brigsy]

What sort of proportions?

And how to clean the propolis first? I have some in a jar but it has bits of bees and detritus in currently.

 

[Goran]

At one lecture we heard results of various propolis extractions sold in the pharmacy shops.. If I recall right none follow the recepture ( more snake water than tincture..). So my advice if worth any make yourself your own tincture with 96% ethyl alcohol. It gives higher level of extraction as I learned and faster.
Propolis is advised here in various purposes and every home should have it by my opinion.
One- it cause immediate stop, none of commercial bought stuff has such effectiveness - below scientific explanation..

http://bib.irb.hr/prikazi-rad?rad=276648

 

[yeogi75]

for personal use only , don't try and sell it

 

[citrus]

At one lecture we heard results of various propolis extractions sold in the pharmacy shops.. If I recall right none follow the recepture ( more snake water than tincture..). So my advice if worth any make yourself your own tincture with 96% ethyl alcohol. It gives higher level of extraction as I learned and faster.
Propolis is advised here in various purposes and every home should have it by my opinion.
One- it cause immediate stop, none of commercial bought stuff has such effectiveness - below scientific explanation..

http://bib.irb.hr/prikazi-rad?rad=276648

Saw this for sale in Lisbon and might try it out .. thanks for the article

so dissolve the propolis in ethyl alcohol
leave it for a few weeks with occasional shake of the bottle
.. is that the summary ?

 

[Martinreed]

I use Spirytus - Polish vodka 96% - can be bought over internet. Freeeze propolis then smash it into small pieces with a hammer.
Put in Kilner jar, shake twice a day [the jar that is] for 2 weeks.
Filter through coffee filter.
I sell it at markets - very popular.

 

[citrus]

thanks very much for the advice ..

is there any ratio of fluid to solid .. 100ml to say 10g of propolis ?

I know a few Poles so will check this out

Gin-coy-ah

 

[Goran]

Saw this for sale in Lisbon and might try it out .. thanks for the article

so dissolve the propolis in ethyl alcohol
leave it for a few weeks with occasional shake of the bottle
.. is that the summary ?

well, yes. Later just take clear content ( we put in small 10ml. 20ml plastic "bottles" -simmilar to ones for eye drops, here are available at every beekeeping store).
We use it regularly - the whole family.. for various reasons..