How to dry cacti?

[Big Jon]

I have just started posting on this forum, even though I checked it out years ago. Loved it, but could t carry out any of the teks rly bc I was too young.

I just finished recrystallization of DMT for the first time and now I have been wanting to do the CIELO tek. I can only find bridgessi whole cuttings, and was wondering about how to go about drying the cactus. I have looked everywhere (Shroomery, Erowid ) and can’t find too much info. Google said something about an oven, but I read on a search here I can even air dry it.

There also seems to be dispute over how to cut it. Whole in 1/4” slices or skin the green part off? Any tips/suggestions how to skin it off? Can I use a peeler or would you have to use a knife in sections?


Any help would be greatly appreciated. I’ve finally figured out most of this tek m, got the equipment needed, and just need help with this final detail!

Thanks so much

 

[blig-blug]

I have no experience with CIELO, but the process to dry and grind the cactus seems to be described well enough in the tek itself: wiki.dmt-nexus.me/CIELO#Cactus_Powder_.F0.9F.8C.B5

 

[Transform]

Also:

All parts of the cactus can be used. Outer green skin yields more than the inner white core for the same dry mass[14], but mescaline is present in both parts of the plant. Outer waxy layers and spines do not yield product, they can optionally be removed but that is not necessary because they are not detrimental to the extraction.

i.e. peeling it would largely be a waste of time, and potent cactus material would tend to be sticking to the skin anyhow, leading to losses in yield.

If you were to use a vegetable peeler to cut strips of cactus, however, they'd probably air dry reasonably quickly. Just make sure you have somewhere ready to hang them up before you start, and that it's well ventilated.

I sometimes wonder whether lateral cuts will dry more quickly than longitudinal ones, on account of the plant tissue structure. Therefore, just slicing thin "stars" from cross-cutting the stem may prove to be more effective than long strips - but this requires (or can require) more space for the drying procedure as well as maybe taking a bit longer to cut.

It also depends on whether you have a food dehydrator, of course.

 

[Big Jon]

Thanks!

Yes, I have a Vevor food dehydrator, I love it.
I read the part of the tek that says put the slices in a food dehydrator @ 120 F and not more than 140 F, but for around how long would you suggest?

 

[Big Jon]

It’s just I work a lot and can rly keep monitoring it all day unless it’s the weekend. Even then I would prefer to have a good idea so as not to dry them too long or too little (if they will re-absorb moisture at some point or not)

 

[Transform]

"Until cracker dry" is usually what gets suggested. How long this takes depends on things like the moisture content of the cactus material, the power of your machine, and the ambient humidity. Airflow is at least as important as temperature. Drying the pieces longer shouldn't be an issue if you can ensure the temperature remains within the correct range. If that can be satisfied, you should be able to leave the dehydrator running while you're at work - if you can be satisfied it doesn't present an electrical fire hazard (which it shouldn't).

 

[DansMaTete]

I use a food dehydrator, cactus sliced in stars (thickness<5mm), set up at 70 C (160 F). Most of the time after 24h it's bone dry, if not i leave it for 24h more, it doesn't hurt.
Then i store it like this or use a blender to reduce it in powder. Ready to extract via CIELO tek whenever i want.

 

[Big Jon]

Wow!

That info is rly helpful. So you don’t need to use a dissectant to keep the powder dry?

 

[DansMaTete]

Nope. I live in a tropical area, it can be quite humid and no problem after few years of storage.

 

[Big Jon]

I use a food dehydrator, cactus sliced in stars (thickness<5mm), set up at 70 C (160 F). Most of the time after 24h it's bone dry, if not i leave it for 24h more, it doesn't hurt.
Then i store it like this or use a blender to reduce it in powder. Ready to extract via CIELO tek whenever i want.

View attachment 104167

View attachment 104168

Nope. I live in a tropical area, it can be quite humid and no problem after few years of storage.

Hell yeah.

Also, I forgot to ask on average how many grams of dried cacti does one 12” cutting produce ?

 

[Transform]

Hell yeah.

Also, I forgot to ask on average how many grams of dried cacti does one 12” cutting produce ?

Kind of depends on the thickness and degree of initial hydration, but expect it to lose 90 - 95% of its mass.

 

[Big Jon]

Kind of depends on the thickness and degree of initial hydration, but expect it to lose 90 - 95% of its mass.

Awesome. Thanks!