evaping with fan Q

[asf408]

we all know that evaporating takes time especially if the temperature is cold. so id use a fan on a low setting and a good distance away to speed things up. often though i end up with n-oxide goo that is kinda a pain in the ass.

my question is if i used a fan to speed the process up but stopped using it when a good deal of the solvent has evaporated, would it still oxidize my spice?

 

[Dr_Sister]

If sister understands your question properly, using a fan to speed the evaporation of your solvent will not convert dmt into its oxide.

 

[SnozzleBerry]

I have to disagree with both posts thus far...

If using a fan to evap yields a goo everytime, there is something wrong with your extraction technique...

That being said, I firmly believe using a fan causes some oxidation of your product. When I extract, I freeze precip white crystals and then use a high-speed computer fan to completely dry them. When doing so, the color of the crystals shifts from clearish/white to clearish/yellow and there is a slight difference in the come up (namely it comes on a few seconds slower, but when time stretches to an eternity, it's rather noticeable). Now I don't have any empirical proof that this yellow-spice is oxidized...but as it is not yellow due to fats/oils and turns yellow as the result of fan-generated airflow, I would posit that oxidation, however minimal, is causing the change.

my $.02

 

[Dr_Sister]

Perhaps you are correct when thoroughly drying crystals with a fan.

The way the question was posed it read like asf408 wanted to reduce the volume of solvent (prior to a freeze precipitation Sister assumed, perhaps incorrectly) in which case a fan converting dmt >> dmt oxide starts to sound like so much superstition, IMHO. Especially out of doors in the winter.

 

[Lodi]

I have watched fans turn my perfecly white crystals into white crystals with a slight haze of yellow on it, also note, the yellow is only on the outside layer of crystals, and when digging down into the pile you find the rest, not totally exposed to air is white still, but also not fully dry.. so. you make the choice, let it air dry, put a cloth over the dish to keep out dust and hair, as well as to slow the air flow to slow oxidizing. I believe it is oxidizing since its on the outside of the spice only. but its really a matter of preference. I still use a fan though, blown over top of the dish with a shirt over the dish. that way its very minimal oxidizing, and still drys it fast. another note, if its winter, open a window or two, let in dryer air so it dries faster, as long as the house aint freezing it will still evap quicker with a window open. new air is almost always dryer than the air in your house.

and thats my $0.02 haha i liked that snozzle.