Hypothetically, if you tried extracting some herbal stuff at home - like oils or tinctures - and it went kinda wrong (maybe too strong or weird smell or something), how would you fix it?

Lavender can be tricky for sure... made a tincture once that was way too floral. Ended up mellowing it out by blending in some chamomile - balanced things nicely and took the edge off that grandma vibe, haha.

Lavender and chamomile sounds like a nice combo, but honestly, I've found that sometimes adding another herb just complicates things even more. Last time I had an overly floral lavender tincture, I just diluted it slightly with plain vodka - it mellowed nicely without muddying the flavor profile.

Diluting with vodka makes sense, especially if you're dealing with something overly floral. Have you ever tried using glycerin instead? I've found it mellows strong tinctures nicely without adding that alcohol bite. Also, sometimes just letting it sit longer helps - time can smooth out some of those harsher notes. I once made a peppermint tincture that was way too intense, practically mouth-numbing. Left it alone for a couple months and it turned surprisingly pleasant. Do you think aging might help with floral tinctures too, or would that just intensify the perfume-y aspect?

"Do you think aging might help with floral tinctures too, or would that just intensify the perfume-y aspect?"

In my experience, aging floral tinctures usually helps tone down the intensity rather than ramping it up. I once had a lavender tincture that started out smelling like Grandma's perfume cabinet - way too strong and kinda artificial. I let it sit tucked away in the cupboard for about three months, and when I revisited it, the scent had mellowed beautifully. So yeah, giving it some time can really smooth things out nicely...definitely worth a try before diluting further.

I've noticed something similar with chamomile tinctures. Initially, mine smelled overly floral - almost headache-inducing - but after a month or two tucked away, it settled into something much softer. Aging definitely seems to mellow things out rather than intensify them, at least in my experience.