What yield are you getting with this process? I suggest you try increasing the basic pH a bit more, like 12.5-13 and see if possibly you get an increase in yields.

Regarding the smoking method, do you do it in a pipe or a bong? With freebase, my preffered method used to be making an ash-sandwich in a bong and going very easy on the lighter. Now the GVG is by far my preffered method, even after trying many other ways this much better by far imo in terms of effectiveness and smoothness of vapor. Its completely different to vaporize dmt, and to smoke it. If you ever have 100bucks you can spend, I highly suggest checking it out, it seems expensive but very very worth it.

Its cool that you are teaching yourself  My education also has nothing to do with chemistry, I learned all I know chemistry-wise here in the forum and with experiments, so its good to hear more people taking the initiative to teaching themselves. With just a bit of time and reading one can learn so so much here

You didnt answer me regarding other psychedelic use. Did you try or plan on trying oral dmt/ayahuasca yet? What about other psychedelics, whats your experience with that?

See you around