Clear Goo, Re-Crystallization, and a Hair Dryer.

[Entheogenerator]

How much rootbark did you start with? 60mg is an extremely low yield, especially for goo, unless you were only extracting from 5-6 g of rootbark. I'm really starting to think that maybe what you had to start with was not ACRB after all...

If you decide that you want to give it another try (which frankly I think you should), I would suggest using a different. Cyb's Max Ion tek is extremely efficient and often produces high yields, but I do not get the impression that it is very beginner-friendly. Thick-Light's tek or doing Orion's tek in its entirety are a couple that come to mind which I would recommend for first-timers. I'm not saying that you should give up hope just yet, I'm just trying to make life easier for you in the future.

 

[primordium]

I am not giving up!

I had approximately 123mg of goo (not counting the amount I lost in my coffee filter try-out and what remained in three different beakers, which I could not scrape out whatsoever).

I started with 100g of ACRB. I have no idea what went so wrong! My last batch of ACRB may have been bad since even the ACRBhuasca did not work, which was my big test once the extraction failed.

Thank you for all of your help! I'll spend some time considering the varying teks; it's hard to make a decision (some acid soak longer, some do more pulls, etc.), which are arbitrary differences to me. I'll poke around and see if I can muster up any testimonials that sway me.

If I end up with goo again, I'm just going to hope for enough to make changa and try that ROA.

 

[DreaMTripper]

If its powdered bark I would also recommend Cybs max ion tek its simple and efficient with many reports of very good yields and few transfers of material where you can lose stuff.

 

[primordium]

If its powdered bark I would also recommend Cybs max ion tek its simple and efficient with many reports of very good yields and few transfers of material where you can lose stuff.

That's what I used this time around. I might still use it again next time.

Regardless of what happens, I will probably be making changa next time. :d

 

[Entheogenerator]

Definitely make changa if you end up with goo again, or recrystallize. I would recommend you just find an A/B tek that seems like it will be easiest for you. Pretty much any A/B on the forum will produce a good yield of smoalkable final product. The only time I did not yield fluffy white crystals from ACRB was the one time that I did not add a defat step, but it is optional and not totally necessary.

If you tried making anahuasca with your batch of ACRB, following a recipe posted here on the forum, and it didn't work at all it is probably safe to assume you got a bunk batch o' bark... :?

 

[smri]

Thank you all for this thread!
So, ever since mimosa has been hard to find, I have been working with acacia and have gotten very similar results. I am used to STB teks but recently switched to Cybs Max Ion, and did a basic A/B before that. Still only pulling goo largely. Is this indicative of acacia?
I want crystals again!
The one thing I would say about the goo, is that in my experience you don't have to worry about torching it like you do white fluff or crystals. If you have a decent bowl just light it up and get it hot. I believe I have read several places where the other alks need a touch more heat anyways.
Did you try a re-x with heptane? That in my opinion is the best re-x solvent. Usually obtained from most hobby stores.
Good to know "...I'm not the only one".

 

[primordium]

Thank you all for this thread!

Did you try a re-x with heptane? That in my opinion is the best re-x solvent. Usually obtained from most hobby stores.
Good to know "...I'm not the only one".

This is why I love the Nexus! It's a good-spirited collaborative network.

I've never used heptane. I will definitely give it more thought now.

It's always good to know we're not alone, especially with some of these more common obstacles now.

 

[Entheogenerator]

Thank you all for this thread!
So, ever since mimosa has been hard to find, I have been working with acacia and have gotten very similar results. I am used to STB teks but recently switched to Cybs Max Ion, and did a basic A/B before that. Still only pulling goo largely. Is this indicative of acacia?
I want crystals again!
The one thing I would say about the goo, is that in my experience you don't have to worry about torching it like you do white fluff or crystals. If you have a decent bowl just light it up and get it hot. I believe I have read several places where the other alks need a touch more heat anyways.
Did you try a re-x with heptane? That in my opinion is the best re-x solvent. Usually obtained from most hobby stores.
Good to know "...I'm not the only one".

Yes, many people only seem to be able to pull NMT/DMT goo from ACRB. Crystals are more aesthetically pleasing and a little easier to store, but otherwise ACRB goo is every bit as good as crystals. It is a little bit different though, because NMT is psychoactive on its own. A lot of people just make enhanced leaf or changa with ACRB goo.

A properly executed recrystallization with heptane should work to remove NMT, but I haven't tried so I'm not certain. Heptane and Hexane are definitely the two solvents of choice for most people when it comes to recrystallizing, I use heptane and it is superb.

 

[smri]

So far I have tried a low heat evap that usually worked with a solvent at the end of pulls. For example, about 1000ml of solvent which is saturated with oils and other plant stuff, put this in a shallow Pyrex dish with a heating pad. Again this was to evaporate a solvent which was recycled bunches or otherwise couldn't be used anymore, but with mimosa would usually yield at least patches of dust.
With acacia the goo is my current end result with very little freeze precipitated, but not from trying.
In fact, I would have never even discovered the goo but I couldn't get any yield with a freeze precip. I tried many pulls and kept using the same solvent as usual but did notice it get yellower than I was used to. So after no white fluff from freezing I just evaped what solvent I used and got a good yield but in goo.
I did heat up a bit of bestine/heptane with the goo, let it evap and tried to get it to harden with a similar low heat method and it was unsuccessful.

 

[Entheogenerator]

So far I have tried a low heat evap that usually worked with a solvent at the end of pulls. For example, about 1000ml of solvent which is saturated with oils and other plant stuff, put this in a shallow Pyrex dish with a heating pad. Again this was to evaporate a solvent which was recycled bunches or otherwise couldn't be used anymore, but with mimosa would usually yield at least patches of dust.
With acacia the goo is my current end result with very little freeze precipitated, but not from trying.
In fact, I would have never even discovered the goo but I couldn't get any yield with a freeze precip. I tried many pulls and kept using the same solvent as usual but did notice it get yellower than I was used to. So after no white fluff from freezing I just evaped what solvent I used and got a good yield but in goo.
I did heat up a bit of bestine/heptane with the goo, let it evap and tried to get it to harden with a similar low heat method and it was unsuccessful.

If nothing formed when you tried freeze-precipitating, I would bet that your solvent was not saturated enough.

If you add goo to hot solvent and evaporate it, it will leave goo. If you add goo to hot solvent and recrystallize, it will leave nice crystals.

 

[smri]

Well, on both fronts maybe I portrayed it incorrectly. Usually when I had goo or more of a goo like substance when using mimosa, that goo, although not forming big crystals, I could get more of a dust or at least crystalline structures albeit small. Now using acacia goo is goo is goo. Although I have not tried a true re x, only lower heat using heptane which I have had success but only with mimosa. For example, if I had a few grams of jungle, with bestine and low heat that could turn to a solid form...so I have to disagree that goo wouldn't turn solid but acacia doesn't appreciate that method.
Also the solvent was saturated. On my first pulls I didn't notice anything for about 24 hrs so tried again but left that solvent freezing. It took about three days or so to see much and probably a week to stop forming crystals. It just took so long to see any progress...why?
With mimosa I could get whatever within about 12 hours and within a few hours you could tell if the pull was good or not. With acacia I am still lost and still have yet to get a 3% yield like the good ole days.

 

[Entheogenerator]

Well, on both fronts maybe I portrayed it incorrectly. Usually when I had goo or more of a goo like substance when using mimosa, that goo, although not forming big crystals, I could get more of a dust or at least crystalline structures albeit small. Now using acacia goo is goo is goo. Although I have not tried a true re x, only lower heat using heptane which I have had success but only with mimosa. For example, if I had a few grams of jungle, with bestine and low heat that could turn to a solid form...so I have to disagree that goo wouldn't turn solid but acacia doesn't appreciate that method.
Also the solvent was saturated. On my first pulls I didn't notice anything for about 24 hrs so tried again but left that solvent freezing. It took about three days or so to see much and probably a week to stop forming crystals. It just took so long to see any progress...why?
With mimosa I could get whatever within about 12 hours and within a few hours you could tell if the pull was good or not. With acacia I am still lost and still have yet to get a 3% yield like the good ole days.

Is your freezer cold enough? If it is a little bit too warm, it will take longer to precipitate. I keep mine at about -30°C for freeze-precipitation.

If nothing precipitates after 48 hours at -30°C, then there is probably nothing in your solvent. If all else fails, try evaporating.

Don't go into an extraction expecting a 3% yield. First of all, as far as I know, 3% would be unprecedented with ACRB. Second of all, if you get your hopes up too high you will only leave room for disappointment. Alkaloid content varies tremendously from one plant to another. I advise people to go into an extraction of ACRB or MHRB expecting a 1% yield. Sometimes they get exactly what they expected or slightly less, and other times they are pleasantly surprised.

 

[smri]

Yes I can see that about what to expect. It just seems stb with mimosa gave me exactly what I wanted no surprises every time. But yes maybe the freezer isn't doing enough. I put it up on the highest setting but it also doesn't seem to be so cold.
I do have bunch a goo still though...changa?

 

[DreaMTripper]

Seems to be your destiny! Go for it.

 

[Entheogenerator]

Changa seems like your best bet. Changa or a re-x, maybe two for good measure.

 

[primordium]

So, it looks like you want to dump out your vessel as soon as you can...

 

[Entheogenerator]

Lookin' good there, primordium! :thumb_up:

EDIT: Is this the product of a re-x?

 

[primordium]

Lookin' good there, primordium! :thumb_up:

EDIT: Is this the product of a re-x?

It's actually just the glass bottle I used for my recent attempted extraction. I am guessing this is mold?

 

[Entheogenerator]

Lookin' good there, primordium! :thumb_up:

EDIT: Is this the product of a re-x?

It's actually just the glass bottle I used for my recent attempted extraction. I am guessing this is mold?

Looks to crystalline to be mold. Could be lye crystals, did you already exhaust the solution thoroughly?

 

[downwardsfromzero]

Looking like some nice crystals to me.

Maybe try popping it in a warm water bath.

If the crystals dissolve, all should be well, so pipette off the liquid. You should then get the crystals re-forming when the naphtha (or whatever solvent it is) cools down - BUT you might want to warm up your pipette first, otherwise it might well clog up if it's too cold.

I really don't think it would be lye crystals as they are clearly forming out of the solvent layer, and lye is very soluble in water.