@lokbot I'm unfamiliar with the Super-Easy No-Filter Harmalas Tek. However, I read somewhere in this thread that you siphon off the top layer. To m
e, that sounds like you would have to tilt the jar, although I may be misunderstanding the technique.
A little backstory: I remember doing a harmala extraction using the
Tao of Harmala Extraction, mainly because Gorodtek made a video about it back in the day, so I essentially just followed his tutorial. What I particularly remember about that process was how much of a pain it was to filter the plant material.
Using coffee filters was frustrating because they would clog and eventually tear. This can be somewhat circumvented by using mesh with a micron size comparable to that of coffee filters. I bought some mesh from ‘Ali-something’ for that purpose.
However, an even easier way to separate the plant material (sediment) from the liquid is to use a syringe and tube, or an electric pump. I outlined this approach in my
The Tao of Harmala Resin Extraction tek, specifically in step 8.
Regarding the
Super-Easy No-Filter Harmalas Tek: if you really do have to tilt the jar to separate the liquid from the plant sediment, it might be worth looking into using a syringe and tube instead. They're relatively inexpensive (few bucks) and make the process considerably easier. I remember sharing a similar technique on this platform, and someone even posted a video of themselves using an electric pump. That works too, although an electric pump can break down, whereas an inexpensive 50 mL syringe and some tubing will last a very long time.
The syringe is used to create the vacuum, while the tube allows the liquid to flow. In principle, you could even omit the syringe and use your mouth to create the suction, but I would strongly advise against that when working with NaOH, since getting a strong base in your mouth would obviously be a serious safety hazard.
