Beginner Help

[CrassZorro]

Hi All,

This is my first extraction and I'm following Chris Cantelmo's easy YouTube tek. Simply put, you simmer MHRB powder in a crockpot with water and vinegar. Basify with Sodium Hydroxide and use Naptha to separate.

I can't find Sodium Hydroxide near me. I looked for pickling lime or Calcium Hydroxide but couldn't find that either. I picked up Sodium Carbonate.

I read on this forum disagreements about whether Sodium Carbonate can raise the ph high enough. Someone did post that it can reach an 11.44 ph. It's not clear to me whether they're talking about adding additional ingredients in the Sodium Carbonate substitution recipe.

What I am keen on doing is:

-Slowly adding Sodium Carbonate to the MHRB/vinegar/water solution to basify.
-Later add Naptha.
-Attempt to separate with a baster.
-Freeze.

Does this sound like it will work?

Thanks

 

[Kyngwhatt]

I follow your logic that sodium carbonate is basic and it should work but i think it would give you poor yield because it is weak.
So you could try it and report your findings back here if you are comfortable doing that, or you could wait till you have the proper materials to follow the tek and wait till you are more experienced to change stuff up.

 

[CrassZorro]

Thanks for the reply.

I will take the time to find a better base and go forward.

 

[CrassZorro]

Hi again,

I hope someone out there can help me, again. So, this is my first time doing a tek. I am using Q21Q21's Vinegar/Pickling Lime/Naptha tek.

After my first pull, I saw no crystallization after the freeze.

On my second pull, I saw what appeared to be numerous crystals. However, while draining the Naptha at room temperature, the snowy globules that I thought were the DMT crystals and that resembled pictures in Q21Q21's tek, melted into the Naptha.

I poured all of the Naptha back into the glass dish and put it back into the freezer. I plan to wait another day and hope that the crystals will form with more time.

Am I on the right track? Why did the crystals dissolve? What am I doing wrong?

Thanks for any observations or suggestions regarding this...

All I can say is...it's not as easy as I thought...

 

[Kyngwhatt]

Yep you're on the right track, are you excited yet?
you could try to evaporate the solvent down a little bit before you go for the freeze. you have to work quickly to get the goodies before the solvent dissolves them, I quickly pour off the solvent and return the dish to the freezer to drip dry on top of some paper towels.

you should check this page out if you're not aware of it FAQ - DMT Frequently Asked Questions and Troubleshooting Guide - DMT-Nexus Wiki section 4.22 is about melting and the best way to retrieve the crystals.

post some pictures when you're finished if you feel comfortable doing that.

 

[CrassZorro]

Thank you so much! It's reassuring to speak to someone knowledgeable about this!

Yes, I am brimming with excitement. This will be my first DMT trip apart from an incredible ayahuasca experience I had years ago.

Now my concern is directed towards smoking this properly. I plan to make a poor man's changa from what MAOI's I can find locally.

I will post pics shortly.

Thanks for your continued help!

 

[CrassZorro]

Hmm...well, it seems I spoke too soon.

Using the link you provided that deals with melting, I drained most of the solvent until the dish was a nice collection of frozen crystals. I placed the dish upside down with a top, as suggested, back in the freezer and figured the remaining solvent would drain off the crystals. Later, using a razor, I shaved all the nice crystals and placed them on a coffee filter. Before I could transfer them to a baggie, they had melted into the coffee filter!!!

I salvaged what I could but I definitely lost a nice pull. I will try for another pull and see what I can come up with.

What I don't understand is...when I finally have a bag of crystals, must I keep them in the freezer? And when I do try to smoke must I rush the crystals to my bong before they melt? I thought that at some point you have a crystal that is in a solid form, able to stay solid at room temperature?

What am I missing here?

 

[Kyngwhatt]

I've done this a handful of times and would not consider my self to be knowledgeable especially when compared to other people on this site.
Don't throw away the filter i'm sure you could soak it in nps to reclaim the spice .

you should have properly formed crystals that you could carry around in your pocket unless you used acacia and the product was a yellow honey like goo.
but read this step 4 talks about having a really cold freezer and having patience and not touching it for a long time to allow the crystals to fully form.

https://wiki.dmt-nexus.me/w/images/0/09/The_DMT_Handbook_201208.pdf

here are the biggest resources in my opinion i'm not telling you this so you dont ask questions i'm telling you in case you don't know
Handbook https://wiki.dmt-nexus.me/w/images/0/09/The_DMT_Handbook_201208.pdf
wiki The Nexian DMT Handbook - DMT-Nexus Wiki
Faq FAQ - DMT Frequently Asked Questions and Troubleshooting Guide - DMT-Nexus Wiki

 

[downwardsfromzero]

The crystals may well have contained enough residual naphtha to cause them to dissolve on warming, especially on a hot day. It's best to let them dry while they're still stuck to the crystallization (freeze precipitation) dish.

 

[CrassZorro]

OK, thanks all!!!

I put the portion of coffee filter back into one of the brews and did another pull. I put the solution in a different freezer. There's lots of crystals now but I'm going to wait a few days and will try to do more research before my next attempt. If this pans out, I hope to see you all gratefully on the other side!

Thanks again!!!