First STB tek diary

[Macavity224]

So I just started my very first STB tek tonight after a lot of careful planning, and I decided to keep a brief day-to-day update on the process if anyone is interested. Feedback is much appreciated as I still have no idea what I'm doing! :shock:

Tonight I mixed:

- 750ml distilled water
- 50mg NaOH
- 50mg MHRB (Powdered)

I've been swirling it around a bit for the past hour or so, but I'm going to at least let it sit overnight before moving onto the naptha.

I'll update tomorrow.

Thanks for reading

 

[Macavity224]

UPDATE. I tried doing two pulls again tonight with a glass turkey baster. I got maybe 80 percent naptha, but there's still some of the brown goop in the collection plates. If I plan on doing a sodium carbonate wash to the final product, do I not have to worry about it?

 

[Macavity224]

Alright, so here are my results after about 9 hours of the freeze precipitation. I put both dishes in plastic bags full of ice, stuck them at the back of the freezer and put cooling packs all around them. Like I said, there's still a lot of brown crap in there, but I can see some crystals (I think?) Right now I'm letting them dry out and harden up so I can take them out in a few hours.

How does it look? (Besides the brown crap)

https://imgur.com/nH8ui

Honestly though, there's a chance that I might get nothing out of those either. I upped my naptha from 75mg to 150mg for the sake of making the pull easier, but another member of the board told me that 50mg should be more than enough (for a 50mg lye/mimosa mixture). Would I have to start the whole process all over again with the right amounts to make it work if this ends up being a failed attempt?

Thanks.

 

[cyb]

Honestly that pic looks rough..I would be surprised if you got anything growing in there.

You cant get ANY brown goop in there...consider it poison! It will stain your spice and smoking lye will rip your lungs out!

If I were you I would heat up some Nap...maybe 100ml and wash out those bowls with it, and put the whole lot back in the Lye/mix jar...
Then pull the Clear nap back out and refreeze...

If you are having problems separating the nap from the lye...Pull it out with the baster into a clean glass and let it settle again...it will be much easier to see the nap floating...if you cant get the last little bit...just put it back in for the next pull.

 

[Macavity224]

Honestly that pic looks rough..I would be surprised if you got anything growing in there.

You cant get ANY brown goop in there...consider it poison! It will stain your spice and smoking lye will rip your lungs out!

If I were you I would heat up some Nap...maybe 100ml and wash out those bowls with it, and put the whole lot back in the Lye/mix jar...
Then pull the Clear nap back out and refreeze...

If you are having problems separating the nap from the lye...Pull it out with the baster into a clean glass and let it settle again...it will be much easier to see the nap floating...if you cant get the last little bit...just put it back in for the next pull.

At this point, I'm considering just using a funnel and a separator jug, because I've already messed up the pulls twice at this point and I'm about ready to throw the jar against a wall and call it quits.

Any suggestions as to what I should use for a separator? Also, if I added another 100ml of naptha to the collection that would total at 250mg of naptha...150mg is already three times the amount I supposedly should be using, so wouldn't 250mg pretty much destroy my chances of getting ANYTHING out of the whole mixture?

Pretty f$@!#%& aggravated right now.

 

[cyb]

I know its frustrating...keep calm, all is not lost..
A turkey baster is really the cheapest and easiest way to separate the nap from the mix..
Head to the supermarket/$ store and grab one.
If you end up with 250ml...you can put it in a glass roasting dish and blow a fan over it for 1/2 hour...it will evap down (more surface area the better)...the spice will still be in the nap..
when its evapped down to 1/4 around 50/80ml...just cover the dish with food wrap and bung it in the freezer overnight. Job done:d

 

[Macavity224]

I know its frustrating...keep calm, all is not lost..
A turkey baster is really the cheapest and easiest way to separate the nap from the mix..
Head to the supermarket/$ store and grab one.
If you end up with 250ml...you can put it in a glass roasting dish and blow a fan over it for 1/2 hour...it will evap down (more surface area the better)...the spice will still be in the nap..
when its evapped down to 1/4 around 50/80ml...just cover the dish with food wrap and bung it in the freezer overnight. Job done:d

I've been using a glass turkey baster, but I might try to pick up a syringe at the hardware store today (do they sell syringes at the hardware store?) Is it possible to completely evap all the naptha and get the crystals out that way? I'm guessing it would take longer than 30 minutes though.

 

[cyb]

I've been using a glass turkey baster, but I might try to pick up a syringe at the hardware store today (do they sell syringes at the hardware store?) Is it possible to completely evap all the naptha and get the crystals out that way? I'm guessing it would take longer than 30 minutes though.

Baster is good
Syringe probably at the pharmacy (say it is for syringing your ears...get a big one if poss)
Freezing is by far the easiest way...
Evapping all the way by air...takes a while unless you have a fan..
It will give you crystals but you will also get all the other stuff as well and its just a waste of Nap..

 

[Macavity224]

I've been using a glass turkey baster, but I might try to pick up a syringe at the hardware store today (do they sell syringes at the hardware store?) Is it possible to completely evap all the naptha and get the crystals out that way? I'm guessing it would take longer than 30 minutes though.

Baster is good
Syringe probably at the pharmacy (say it is for syringing your ears...get a big one if poss)
Freezing is by far the easiest way...
Evapping all the way by air...takes a while unless you have a fan..
It will give you crystals but you will also get all the other stuff as well and its just a waste of Nap..

How long would you say it takes a typical pull to create crystals from the freeze precip? I've heard anywhere from "overnight" (I'm guessing like 6-8 hours?) all the way up to 24 hours. My situation is a little complicated because of my living situation...I have to put the dishes into the freezer after everyone goes to sleep and take them out before everyone gets up, so I don't have a ton of time.

 

[cyb]

That should be fine.. 12hrs is ok...18hrs is better...
You can use the nap for another pull...so if any is still in there it will stay with the next pull..

 

[LionDragon]

I've been doing extractions for roughly a year now and think I may be able to help.

First off, ditch the turkey baster. I've used half a dozen different types of basters and none of them compare to the medical grade syringes you can pick up at any pharmacy for FREE (in the US at least). The precise control you get from a medical syringe is unmatched. Mine looks something like this, minus the needle:

http://stopthedrugwar.org/files/imagecache/300px/800px-Syringe2_0.jpg

I have a small collection of them from various Walmart and Target pharmacies. My primary syringe is a little 5mL guy that allows me to pull naphtha from my wide mouth mason jars without grabbing a single drop of lye/bark stew. Even better, on the rare occasion some of the lye/bark mixture does make its way into the syringe, it'll sink to the bottom and requires no more than a simple push to plunge the stew straight back into the jar. Squeezing the top portion of a baster is much less precise.

I use 50g bark, 750mL water, 64g lye, 55mL naphtha in 9 separate jars all at once, which allows me to extract spice from exactly one pound of MHRB at a time. I place all naphtha pulls in 3 quart glass baking dishes (1 dish for every 3 jars) and freeze them covered for 24 hours and uncovered for another 24 hours. (NOTE: I have a spare freezer for storing uncovered; doing so in a freezer that contains food/ice will contaminate said food/ice with naphtha.)

I hope that helps a bit. Stay positive and keep trying. You'll definitely get it eventually!

 

[Macavity224]

I've been doing extractions for roughly a year now and think I may be able to help.

First off, ditch the turkey baster. I've used half a dozen different types of basters and none of them compare to the medical grade syringes you can pick up at any pharmacy for FREE (in the US at least). The precise control you get from a medical syringe is unmatched. Mine looks something like this, minus the needle:

http://stopthedrugwar.org/files/imagecache/300px/800px-Syringe2_0.jpg

I have a small collection of them from various Walmart and Target pharmacies. My primary syringe is a little 5mL guy that allows me to pull naphtha from my wide mouth mason jars without grabbing a single drop of lye/bark stew. Even better, on the rare occasion some of the lye/bark mixture does make its way into the syringe, it'll sink to the bottom and requires no more than a simple push to plunge the stew straight back into the jar. Squeezing the top portion of a baster is much less precise.

I use 50g bark, 750mL water, 64g lye, 55mL naphtha in 9 separate jars all at once, which allows me to extract spice from exactly one pound of MHRB at a time. I place all naphtha pulls in 3 quart glass baking dishes (1 dish for every 3 jars) and freeze them covered for 24 hours and uncovered for another 24 hours. (NOTE: I have a spare freezer for storing uncovered; doing so in a freezer that contains food/ice will contaminate said food/ice with naphtha.)

I hope that helps a bit. Stay positive and keep trying. You'll definitely get it eventually!

Yeah, I was kind of on the verge of getting a syringe...this basically confirms it. Also I find it incredibly ironic that the URL for the picture comes from a website called "stop the drug war" haha.

Also, what state do you live in? I don't think you can buy syringes where I live.

 

[Macavity224]

UPDATE:

I haven't attempted another pull in a few weeks. I finally got a glass syringe to use and I found that getting mostly naptha out (still a few brown specks here and there) is much easier. I just put the collection plate in the freezer for the night...will post results in the morning.

 

[Macavity224]

Still no damn yield. I did a 10 hour freeze precip with absolutely no results. All that's left at the bottom of the collection dish is some brown goop. What am I doing wrong? This is the 4th or 5th pull that's given me nothing.

 

[gammagore]

How long would you say it takes a typical pull to create crystals from the freeze precip? I've heard anywhere from "overnight" (I'm guessing like 6-8 hours?) all the way up to 24 hours. My situation is a little complicated because of my living situation...I have to put the dishes into the freezer after everyone goes to sleep and take them out before everyone gets up, so I don't have a ton of time.

dude, pls dont take any offence but, why are you sneaking around at night doing freeze precips? and are you extracting without the permission of the home owner?

 

[Macavity224]

How long would you say it takes a typical pull to create crystals from the freeze precip? I've heard anywhere from "overnight" (I'm guessing like 6-8 hours?) all the way up to 24 hours. My situation is a little complicated because of my living situation...I have to put the dishes into the freezer after everyone goes to sleep and take them out before everyone gets up, so I don't have a ton of time.

dude, pls dont take any offence but, why are you sneaking around at night doing freeze precips? and are you extracting without the permission of the home owner?

Yes, I still live with my parents and I highly doubt they'd be ok with the idea of me synthesizing hallucinogenic drugs in their basement. Some may view it as disrespectful, etc., but what they don't know won't kill them.

 

[endlessness]

Yes please read our attitude page, no tips on "stealth teks", if house owners are not ok with it, you should not be extracting in their house.

If for some reason, say things catch on fire and fireman have to come in and they see extraction supplies.. Your parents could get arrested and lose all their belongings because of you. DO NOT EXTRACT IN THEIR HOUSE. Rent a house somewhere, find a friend, etc.. Just dont do it where owners dont agree with.

 

[gammagore]

thanks endless, you beat me to it.

one last question macavity, how old are you?

 

[Macavity224]

Yes please read our attitude page, no tips on "stealth teks", if house owners are not ok with it, you should not be extracting in their house.

If for some reason, say things catch on fire and fireman have to come in and they see extraction supplies.. Your parents could get arrested and lose all their belongings because of you. DO NOT EXTRACT IN THEIR HOUSE. Rent a house somewhere, find a friend, etc.. Just dont do it where owners dont agree with.

Fair enough. I've been alternating between doing it at my house and a friend's house (he lives alone) but I wanted to be able to at least get something and learn the tek before I go renting a motel room or something and start synthesizing larger amounts. But your point is fair and appreciated, and I won't do anymore "stealth teks."

On a side note, I take every precaution because I'm not trying to blow anything up. All the chemicals and other supplies are kept hidden away in my car. I'd never risk hurting anyone but myself doing this, and there's not a physical shred of evidence in my house of what I was doing, nor is there anything that could cause an explosion, etc. As for the stuff I keep stashed in my car, I could dispose of it in a matter of a few minutes. Hopefully that makes me sound like less of a jackass.

 

[Macavity224]

thanks endless, you beat me to it.

one last question macavity, how old are you?

26. Not sure how this is related?

 

[gammagore]

just to be sure your not under 18 as per forum guidelines. seems like irresponsible behaviour to me for an adult.

seeing as the Nexus does not condone this extraction setup, im locking this thread.