Large amount of sediment/goop after mimosa acid cook

[potato]

I just did an acid cook on MHRB. Three cooks then reduced the total volume by 2/3. Now, I'm letting the sediment settle in a jar. There seems to be a large amount of sediment/goop accumulating in the bottom of the jar. This material is very slimy, goopy and has an elastic quality. The MHRB was not powdered, it was shredded.

I'm wondering if I should basify/pull with this goop included or if I should decant of the liquid and not use the goop.

Here's a pic:

 

[Running Bear]

I would decant the liquid and not use the goop.

 

[potato]

That's the right choice. I'll definitely decant. Probably will try basifying the goop and see if I can pull anything from it.

 

[burnt]

If you doing an acidic extraction and you are concerned about alkaloids accumulating in the goop potentially lowering your yield you could always just rinse the goop (or goop filter cake if you filter it) with some acidic water.

 

[potato]

This goop is very gel-like, sticky and elastic. Truly elastic. I can roll a little string of goop that recoils after I stretch it. This indicates that the acid boils resulted in polymerization of some kind. I suspect that addition of NaOH will result in hydrolysis of some the polymers. This could be beneficial to my extraction.

I want to dissolve this gel-goop into some kind of polar solution. Addition of NaOH could result in hydrolysis of the polymers. I'll try that on a small amount of goop. Might try some other things. If I can't get the goop to dissolve, I'll just rinse it with acidic water as Burnt advised. Thanks!

 

[burnt]

I'm not sure why you'd want to dissolve this goo. Its probably mostly cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin (the primary polymers in wood).

 

[potato]

Firstly, I just want to experiment. DMT acetate should be soluble in cellulose, hemicellulose, and ligin polymers, perhaps even more soluble than in the acid solution. I guess it just seems like a worthwhile experiment to work with the gel.