Melodic Catastrophe said:
I would invest in some sort of electric hot plate.
That way you don't have an open flame and it's portable.
Another alternative is a coffee maker possibly? It shouldn't be too hard to acquire one, even if you're on a budget.
Yep, get a hot plate. no open flames.... Keep a fire extinguisher handy.
I have not read the 'Tek" you are using, but if you are doing a plain A/B extraction you can use the exothermal heat generated from adding the base. You can also do more pulls and let the individual pulls sit longer. Heat isn't required for great yields,.
My advice:
1) make sue you powder, freeze, thaw, freeze, thaw the root bark.
2) Reduce the final amount of acidic solution to no more than 500mls per pound of bark...less is always better.
3) Do your pulls immediately after adding the base while the extraction vessel is still hot.
honestly I think heating the solvent in a home setting without a hot plate is asking for trouble....you can get the yields up with more pulls and a little more patience.
I'm sure others with much experience will chime in.