Extraction: getting poor-ish yields

[mercurio]

Hi,

I am using the AB method, with the Lex Tek (which I love).
I am not doing the acid wash -- I am looking into re-crystalise, although I am getting 100% white crystals...
I am getting pretty poor returns (around 0.15%), and trying to work out why.
OK, questions:


* How hot does the base soup need to be when shaking? Right now I am getting it pretty hot (I heat it up before adding lye)

* I am using a lot of Shellite (naphtha) to extract, and then I let it evaporate before freezing. I am using half a litre for 2 litres of base soup. Is it possible that I am pulling pretty much everything in the first pull? I am asking because the second pull (which I put in a different container) doesn't yield pretty much anything. Maybe I should really put the solutions together, since the second pull doesn't have enough spice to crystalise?

* My spice comes out white as snow. Does that mean that I don't need to wash/recrystalise?

* the DMT I am getting is strange: It takes a while to hit you; then, it's an intense trip, but it doesn't last very long -- definitely less than usual; once it's over, it's _really_ over. Normally, you feel the after-effects. With this, you have really nothing. Was it the bark, or the process?

Bye!

Merc.

Thank you!

Merc.

 

[endlessness]

Is the bark from good recommended supplier? (check our supplier's section)

What do you mean no acid wash? Meaning you're doing an STB?

The base soup doesnt 'need' to be hot at all, specially when adding lye its not necessary, the only thing it might do is help lye dissolve faster.

Regarding hot naphtha, I would suggest using much less naphtha per pull (though you didnt say bark amount), check the FAQ for recommended pull sizes. The smaller the pulls, the less you have to pre-evap (or not at all), so you can stick in the freezer straight away and it wont be such a waste of solvent and the smell/energy/time of evaping it all. Maybe your yield is poor because you havent pre-evapped your naphtha enough and hence not much is crashing by freeze precip?

Are you making many cycles of mixing/letting stand before pulling the solvent each time? If not, do that.

As for spice color, check this: IMPORTANT: spice color purity fallacy AKA is your dmt ok to smoke ? - DMT Discussion - Welcome to the DMT-Nexus

Also regarding experience effects, even the same batch can give different experiences, and dmt is dmt is dmt. Also check the FAQ regarding not getting where you want with the experience, most likely its the method of vaporization, how are you trying to smoke it?

Good luck!

 

[mercurio]

Hi,

The bark is _definitely_ good
The acid wash is an extra step suggested in the tek. You basically re-desolve the spice in acidic water, and then re-extract it in the naphtha. But it's very time consuming and a bit of a waste.

I found that separation is a lot easier when the whole thing is hot.

You were right: one of the problems was that I didn't evaporate the naphtha enough. How,it's working a lot better. But I have to say, using more naphtha gives me a bit of peace of mind -- and it's easier to get it clean.

No, I didn't let it sit/shake at all. I will do that in my next pool -- thank you!!!

I am smoking it packing it with basil and a bong -- I found this the best way to go.

Thank you!

Mercurio

Is the bark from good recommended supplier? (check our supplier's section)

What do you mean no acid wash? Meaning you're doing an STB?

The base soup doesnt 'need' to be hot at all, specially when adding lye its not necessary, the only thing it might do is help lye dissolve faster.

Regarding hot naphtha, I would suggest using much less naphtha per pull (though you didnt say bark amount), check the FAQ for recommended pull sizes. The smaller the pulls, the less you have to pre-evap (or not at all), so you can stick in the freezer straight away and it wont be such a waste of solvent and the smell/energy/time of evaping it all. Maybe your yield is poor because you havent pre-evapped your naphtha enough and hence not much is crashing by freeze precip?

Are you making many cycles of mixing/letting stand before pulling the solvent each time? If not, do that.

As for spice color, check this: IMPORTANT: spice color purity fallacy AKA is your dmt ok to smoke ? - DMT Discussion - Welcome to the DMT-Nexus

Also regarding experience effects, even the same batch can give different experiences, and dmt is dmt is dmt. Also check the FAQ regarding not getting where you want with the experience, most likely its the method of vaporization, how are you trying to smoke it?

Good luck!

 

[acolon_5]

WAY too much naphtha.

I use 100ml-200ml per 1/2 kilo of bark...and then recycle. Always 100-200ml in the jug and always 100-200 in the freezer....then switch.

I never evap a thing and my yields are always 1%+

Yes this takes more pulls, but much less headache in my opinion.

 

[mercurio]

Hi,

I don't quite get it... but why wouldn't you use more naphtha and evaporate it, and do fewer pulls? Really?
I have a friend who does the same thing and tells me to use less naphtha...

Mercurio.

 

[endlessness]

Because its a waste to use more naphtha with all this evaporating. Not only for your money, but also ecological-wise, its very inneficient to have to evaporate petrochems that took all this extraction/distilation/bottling/transport to reach you.


If your bark is good, then the fix is doing smaller pulls/making good mixing (dont shake! stir/swirl container/etc but careful with spillage, use safety equip). Do it a few times before pulling. You'll have a good yield. Good luck, let us know how it goes