Butoxytriethylene Glycol responsible for LSD blotter taste?

[endlessness]

As you can see in this link, some of the otherwise pure LSD samples have been found with this substance. The theory is that this is added to somehow protect the LSD molecule.

Any more info on this substance? Could it possibly be the solution to the enigma of the pure LSD blotters that actually taste not only slightly metallic but significantly bitter too?

 

[Anaman]

The source of the blotter 'Verde-amarillo-naranja' (which showed traces of butoxytriethylene glycol) have said it's an ingredient used in the ink. They confirmed they use an alcohol/water solution to lay the tabs and don't add anything else, other than the ink used to print the artwork. It does appear that most of the tabs containing b.glycol in those results also have a significant amount of ink.

It's an interesting theory, ime inky tabs do tend to have more of a taste than WoW, although I've also heard that LSD can have a bitter or metallic taste all by itself.

 

[endlessness]

Thanks for the reply

Yes I do think LSD itself may have some electric/metallic taste by itself, though I've had LSD before that was more bitter and the TLC results were just LSD (but we probably wouldnt have detected the BTEG...

Can you talk a bit more about the source for that blotter saying the BTEG was not added so it must have been in the ink? Was this a personal communication, or do you have a source for that comment?

 

[entheogenic-gnosis]

Thanks for the reply

Yes I do think LSD itself may have some electric/metallic taste by itself, though I've had LSD before that was more bitter and the TLC results were just LSD (but we probably wouldnt have detected the BTEG...

Can you talk a bit more about the source for that blotter saying the BTEG was not added so it must have been in the ink? Was this a personal communication, or do you have a source for that comment?

Speaking of LSD and the whole "electric" deal...

Pure salts of LSD are triboluminescent, a phenomena which is thought to be related to electricity*...

Repeated recrystallizations [of LSD] from methanol produced a product that became progressively less soluble, and eventually virtually insoluble, as the purity increased. As a totally pure salt, when dry and when shaken in the dark, will emit small flashes of white light. -shulgin ; TIHKAL

*

Triboluminescence is an optical phenomenon in which light is generated through the breaking of chemical bonds in a material when it is pulled apart, ripped, scratched, crushed, or rubbed (see tribology). The phenomenon is not fully understood, but appears to be caused by the separation and reunification of electrical charges. -Wikipedia

This was well known by chemists familiar with LSD...

...so, could this have all started out with early LSD chemists knowing that very pure LSD is triboluminescent?...And through these early LSD chemists such as owsley Stanley, and LSD promoters like Ken kesey and the dead attaching "electric" names and imagery to LSD (like the "steal-your-face" logo, or electric kool-aide, or white lightning LSD) a public who knew nothing of the compounds triboluminescent properties just assumed that very pure LSD had an "electric taste", and psychosomatic response could cover the rest?

It's a "long-shot" theory...but it's always been on my mind when this comes up....

-eg

 

[Anaman]

Thanks for the reply

Yes I do think LSD itself may have some electric/metallic taste by itself, though I've had LSD before that was more bitter and the TLC results were just LSD (but we probably wouldnt have detected the BTEG...

Can you talk a bit more about the source for that blotter saying the BTEG was not added so it must have been in the ink? Was this a personal communication, or do you have a source for that comment?

I'll try to provide as much info as I can... there was basically a dispute in another forum as the dosage was supposed to be 150mcg but the test result came back as 85mcg, along with the BTEG. I'm pretty sure this is the same tab that you posted the results for as it's exactly the same section of artwork, test result, date and colour description. If it's possible to confirm, I think the sample number is 99479.

More to the point - the source of the tab addressed the dosage issue and after some more investigation said that BTEG is an ingredient used in the ink. I asked for some more information and they confirmed that they previously tested the same batch of LSD crystal, laid on tabs with a different ink/printer used for the artwork and there was no BTEG, so the ink/printer was the only variable. Hope this helps to clarify.

 

[pitubo]

My guess would be that it is an ingredient of the ink used to print the blotter art.