I understand what you are saying and I agree. 98% is pretty high especially using the method that was used as there is a margin for error due to unwanted compounds precipitating.

However, insolubility in ethanol would be one way to prove the carbonate is not in the finished product. not the easiest way because it is a hassle to dehydrate 190. a much simpler way would be to measure a sample of the almost finished product and a/b extract, as I said. this would yield only alkaloids because nothing else is soluble in a non polar solution at alkaline ph. at least in the case of an alkaloidal mixture + some possible carbonate contaminate, as would the case here.

and i know there is a bunch of alkaloids in caapi, thats the point right? when I speak yield percentages for banisteriopsis caapi i am speaking of total yield of mixed alkaloids. thats the desired product in this case, that is what i am referring to.

a brief look at a search engine about alkaloidal content of caapi yielded this:

All reported percentages are by dry wt.

(Other alkaloids, if present, are not included in this list.)

Locale    Country    People    Name    Collector or #

Part    Total alkaloid    harmine    harmaline    tetrahydroharmine

Banisteriopsis caapi:

Upper Purus River    Peru    Culina    "tsipi makuni"

Leaves    0.28    0.26    -    -

Stems    0.11    0.1    -    0.001

Branches    0.14    0.13    0.001    0.001

Branches (freeze-dried)    0.19    0.15    trace    0.01

Roots (freeze-dried)    0.92    0.37    0.14    0.4

Upper Purus River,    Peru    Culina    "tsipu wetseni"   

Stems    0.11    0.1    0.001    0.002

Branches/Leaves (freeze-dried)    0.35    0.24    0.01    0.04

Roots    1.95    0.8    0.33    0.72

Upper Purus River,    Peru    Sharanhua    "shuri fisopa"   

Leaves    0.45    0.41    trace    0.005

Stems    0.21    0.14    0.01    0.05

Roots    0.64    0.58    0.02    0.04

Seeds    0.91           

Upper Purus River,    Peru    Sharanhua    "shuri oshinipa"   

Leaves    0.70    0.55    trace    0.001

Stems    0.20    0.17    0.002    0.02

Roots    0.71    0.55    0.04    0.11

near Iquitos,    Peru    Mestizos    "piturijacu"   

Stems    0.57    0.36    0.03    0.17

Branches    0.37    0.24    0.01    0.06

Ecuador    Ecuador            Pinkley #445

Stems    0.35    0.22    0.02    0.1

Banisteriopsis caapi cultivars

Tarapoto,    Peru    cultivated        Plowman & Martin #1805

Stems    0.83    0.51    0.03     0.2

Tarapoto,    Peru        "cielo-ayahuasca"    DMCK #110

Stems    0.74    0.53    0.11    0.095

Huallaga,    Peru    Pilluana-R.    "pucahuasca"    DMCK #124

Stems    1.25    0.59    0.32    0.33

Peru    Peru    Pto. Almendra        DMCK #125

Stems    1.36    0.64    0.38    0.2

Iquitos,    Peru        "cielo-ayahuasca"    DMCK #126

Stems    0.17    0.06    0.08    0.03

Tarapoto,    Peru        "rumi-ayahuasca"    DMCK #128

Stems    0.86    0.44    0.21    0.15

Tarapoto,    Peru        "cielo-ayahuasca"    Plowman #6041

Stems    0.28    0.10    0.05    0.13

Banisteriopsis spp:

Peru    Peru    Piro    "kamalampi"    G. Baer

Stems    0.65    0.27    0.06    0.31

Peru    Peru    Matsigenga        G. Baer

Stems    0.65    0.44    0.05    0.14

Banisteriopsis sp (probably):

Acre Territory,    Brazil            G.T.Prance #7498

Stems    0.31    0.27    0.01    0.02

Upper Purus River,    Peru    Sharanahua    "shuri oshinipa"   

Stems    0.41    0.36    0.01    0.03

Upper Purus River,    Peru    Sharanahua    "shuri fisopa"   

Roots    0.61    0.45    0.04    0.12

Upper Purus River,    Peru    Sharanahua    "shuri oshopa"   

Stems    0.20    0.16    0.004    0.03

Upper Purus River,    Peru    Marinahua    "tukondi"   

Part???    0.20    0.19    -    0.006

Ucayali River,    Peru    Mestizos    "ayahuasca"   

Leaves (freeze-dried)    1.90    1.62    trace    0.1

Stems    0.39    0.29    -    0.02

Iquitos,    Peru    Mestizos    "cielo-ayahuasca" or    "ayahuasca-blanca"

Leaves    0.25    0.245    -    -

Table above drawn from Rivier & Lindgren 1972 and McKenna et al. 1984a

Which both proves and disproves my point, and also validates what you are saying. there is a huge range of variability in the banisteriopsis caapi plant. especially depending on what plant part we are speaking of.

internally i know that my cielo caapi has more than 1/2% alkaloids, that is really the point i am trying to make. not that my product is absolutely pure.

however, because i feel challenged, i am going to do an acid base extraction on a measured sample of my product. if for nothing more thanb to prove the results to myself. i will share them anyway in case anyone is interested.