Please help, it's too acidic!

[Rustt]

I made my first batch of Ayahuasca the other day but kept the vine and viridis separate during the brewing process. It appears I used too much acid (distilled white vinegar) for the viridis as I was unable to keep it down longer than 10 minutes. I asked for some advice earlier via chat and was directed to the A/B tek which calls for sodium hydroxide (POISON). Doesn't look like a good idea since the viridis will be consumed as a solution prior to extracting the DMT (I'm just not prepared yet to take it further)
Any advice on how I might basify yet still consume safely as a drink without extracting?

My only other thought is to reduce more as each dose was 25 g at 100 mL. Perhaps consuming less at a higher concentration is the key rather than basifying...

 

[DudeMeetTyler]

not sure on this one .. but i dont think evaporating is the way to go, (though someone should be along to correct me if need be)

although vinegar is said to evap off, if you reduce your volume would it not make it more acidic if it doesnt evaporate/evaporate in enough quantity? thus making it worse to drink?

sorry i cant be of further assistance

 

[Kash]

DO NOT drink anything with sodium hydroxide in it. POISON AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!

You can SAFELY basify your brew by adding alittle bit of baking soda until it doesnt taste horribly acidic.

Also for future reference if you use citric acid instead of vinegar it isnt nearly as hard on your stomache, and taste is much more tolerable.

 

[Rustt]

DO NOT drink anything with sodium hydroxide in it. POISON AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!

You can SAFELY basify your brew by adding alittle bit of baking soda until it doesnt taste horribly acidic.

Also for future reference if you use citric acid instead of vinegar it isnt nearly as hard on your stomache, and taste is much more tolerable.

And that's the power of the collective! Thank you very much.

Also, I read somewhere that Distilled White Vinegar evaporates quick with a taste more tolerable than others and is the most effective. Conversely, someone mentioned that no acid is needed whatsoever with same relative cooking times. On top of that somewhere forum-wise it states that citric acid doesn't create a strong enough bond (relative to something I cannot right now recall) to be as effective yet I hear it recommended with praise quite often. I'm sure there are many techniques and man are they making my head spin:

But I'm not complaining...

 

[Kash]

I prefer citric acid.. Have used many times for brewing MHRB and harmala tea with very strong effects. No experience doing this with Viridis but should be just as effective as vinegar i think.

I prefer taste of citric acid water over vinegar water any day but thats just me.

Plus if you add sugar tastes more like a dmt lemonade instead of with vinegar a dmt pickle juice lol.

 

[Rustt]

I prefer citric acid.. Have used many times for brewing MHRB and harmala tea with very strong effects. No experience doing this with Viridis but should be just as effective as vinegar i think.

I prefer taste of citric acid water over vinegar water any day but thats just me.

Plus if you add sugar tastes more like a dmt lemonade instead of with vinegar a dmt pickle juice lol.

For the sake of scientific research I will try citric acid and sugar on my next brew.

Hmmm, that would likely be the greatest lemonade stand of all time! (Or "of no time" perhaps or possibly even 'every time at the same time'... lol)

 

[tony]

I'm possibly wrong here, so don't actually do this without finding out for sure... but wouldn't adding a little bit of lime (calcium hydroxide) basify it a bit and still keep it perfectly safe to drink?

Or maybe even just some sodium bicarbonate? That's a base isn't it, and people use that to get rid of acid heartburn.. so I guess it's safe to drink.

 

[Kash]

Or maybe even just some sodium bicarbonate? That's a base isn't it, and people use that to get rid of acid heartburn.. so I guess it's safe to drink.

Yes it is a base, sodium bicarbonate is baking soda.

 

[endlessness]

I agree with those that said use sodium bicarb or carb, a small amount, to neutralize the acid. Just add very slowly because it will bubble with CO2, and dont add too much, you dont want a basic solution either, some alkaloids may start precipitating. You can taste it to see as it gets better (or use a pH meter if you have one)

 

[Rustt]

I agree with those that said use sodium bicarb or carb, a small amount, to neutralize the acid. Just add very slowly because it will bubble with CO2, and dont add too much, you dont want a basic solution either, some alkaloids may start precipitating. You can taste it to see as it gets better (or use a pH meter if you have one)

Just to clarify, generally the sodium bicarbonate is added after the reheat and possible reduction, correct? Should the brew be filtered in the presence of alkaloids or can they be consumed?

Thanks for all the advice, DudeMeetTyler, Kash, PhOG and endlessness.

 

[endlessness]

The brew will always have alkaloids, thats what makes you trip... Or do you mean filter the brew if the alkaloids precipitated, after adding too much sodium bicarb? In that case, no dont filter or youll lose the alks.. but you dont want to get to that point, you want to add the bicarb little by little.. when its not clearly bubbling anymore stop adding.

and yeah add the bicarb after its reduced to the manageable amount you want and filtered.

 

[Rustt]

Do you mean filter the brew if the alkaloids precipitated, after adding too much sodium bicarb?

Correct, I should have said, "Should the brew be filtered in the presence of alkaloid precipitate or can they be consumed in solution?"

Thank you, very useful. Time to shop for a digital pH/Temp meter!