How long should the bark soak ?

[justine]

Hi,

I'm performing my first stb (only done a/b until now) and since I am using a separatory funnel to get
the naphta I will have to filter the mimosa. It has already soaked 48h in the basic solution (1g mimosa:1g lye:15ml water)
so can I discard it (it would make further pulls much easier) or is there still dmt in it ?

Thanks

 

[stevowitz]

you should always save your solution until you can be sure that all the dmt is out of it. Do a d-limonene pull at the very end on all the solution.

also, doing 1g batches at a time may not yield to well....maybe do 25 or more?

 

[endlessness]

you cant filter an STB... You will lose all or most of your actives. With high pH, the alkaloids will NOT be soluble in water, so they wont tend to migrate to water, but rather to 'hide' in the bark. Thats why you add the non-polar pulls, because the barks will be soluble in it and not in water.

So you cant use the separatory funnel like this in an STB.. I would suggest crudely separating the solvent layer with maybe a bit of the mimosa into a thin/narrow and tall container. Then separate more easily (or use the sep funnel) for this second separation with little to no bark.

good luck