Spiritveghead Tek (Part 1)
Spiritveghead Tek (Part 1)
Foreword:
Hey everyone! Before I dive into this, I just want to thank you all so much for the love, support, and kind words. This community means the world to me, and I consider all of you, my family! over the last year I’ve gotten the privilege to talk with so many of you and coach many through their first extractions. It’s been amazing to see so much success! I’m so happy to be able to contribute something to this amazing community. I’m so grateful for all of you! You guys/gals are simply the best! Without you all sharing the Tek and being willing to help others through (A simple guide to your first extraction) it Couldn’t have grown into what it has become. Lately I’ve seen the simple guide called lots of names and one of the most common is “Spiritveghead tek” When I published the original guide, I didn’t name it because I figured that if it was worthy of a name, the community would give it one. Now, over a year later, with the countless shout outs from all of you and success stories flooding my inbox from all over the world, “A simple guide to your first extraction” is now simply known as, Spiritveghead Tek! To celebrate its new name, I’m going to bring the Tek to life. In this Tek I’m going to rewrite and revamp the original Tek with new information, photos, links and eventually Video guide to pair with the written Tek. It’s really exciting! I’m going to make this Tek more useful and user friendly with photos imbedded throughout. This tek will have parts 1, 2, 3 and 4. Part 1 is the tek. Part 2 will have the ingredients and supplies. Part 3 will be A re-x tek and part 4 will be the FAQ section thak i will continue to update and keep current with all the questions I receive. To recap, this Tek will give you up to a 2% yield of fluffy white crystals (depending on your bark quality) that are very smooth when vaped and will certainly give you the breakthrough you’re looking for. With that being said…. LET’S BEGIN!
The Tek
1) Begin by putting on a pair of gloves and safety glasses. Using your scale, measure out 100 grams of lye in your cup.
2) Next , using your Pyrex measuring cup, measure out 750ML of room temp water.
3) Before mixing the lye in the water make sure you’re wearing your safety glasses, gloves, and a mask. You don’t want to breath in any fumes or get the lye on your skin or eyes. Using your Stainless-steel spoon, continuously mix the water as you add a little bit of lye at a time. You want to do a tablespoon or so at a time as to not overheat the water and glass to fast. Adding lye to water causes a chemical reaction that produces a lot of heat. Therefore, your glass needs to be Pyrex or lab grade Borosilicate glass. Make sure to continuously mix so clumps of lye don’t stick to the bottom of your glass because this could potentially cause weak points in your glass. Keep adding a little lye at a time while mixing until all 100 grams of lye is fully dissolved in your water. After all the lye is dissolved, I like to place my glass outside on my porch, till the lye reaction is finished and to prevent buildup of fumes in the house. Do not use a wooden spoon for this step. The lye reaction is very sudden and can potentially leach any dyes or treatments used on your spoon that you may be unaware of, into your water. Even though you should have a spoon with no dyes or treatments, it’s better to use stainless steel for this step. *safety tip: Never add the water to the lye. it will cause a violent reaction. always, always, always add the lye to the water.
4) Next , you need to let the lye water cool to room temperature or (70 degrees Fahrenheit). This will ensure there is no excess heat that will give you yellow gooey spice. In this Tek we do everything at room temp to achieve the fluffy white crystals you’re after. While your lye water is cooling, it’s the perfect time to prepare your bark chips.
5) Using your scale and bowl, weigh out 100 grams of your bark chips or shredded bark. If you bought pre-powdered bark, then add the 100 grams of bark powder to your mason jar and continue waiting for the lye water to cool. If you bought bark chips or shredded bark, then you will need to grind it up. I like to place my bark in the freezer for 24hrs before grinding it up. Doing this will make your bark easier to grind up and will assist in breaking the bark down for extraction. It’s not 100% necessary though. Using your grinder of choice, place a small handful of your bark chips in your grinder and pulse the grinder a little at a time till you have turned the bark to a coarse powder. Keep in mind that you will still see plant fibers after grinding. This is perfectly fine. You really don’t want your bark baby powder fine because if the bark is too fine it will be easy to get emulsions. you want a nice Corse powder with no big chunks of bark. I prefer getting bark chips or shredded bark because I can grind it to the consistency I like. I also feel like my yields are better however, I don’t have scientific evidence of that claim. It’s just something that I’ve noticed. Continue grinding your bark a little at a time till you have ground up all 100 grams. Place all of your bark powder in your mason jar or extraction vessel you chose and continue to wait for your lye water to cool. *NOTE: grinding your bark in little handfuls at a time will prevent burning out the motor on your grinder.
6) Using your thermometer, check the temperature of your Lye water until it has reached 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The trick to getting white crystals is to not pull any plant fats by adding to much heat. That’s why everything in this Tek is at room temperature. If you add the lye water while it is still hot or warm, your final product will have a deeper yellow tint and be more of a waxy consistency. If you’re having trouble getting the lye water to cool to 70 degrees, cover measuring cup with a glass plate or foil and place it in your fridge. Just don’t forget about it and let it get too cold.
7) Once your Lye water has reached 70 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s time to mix it in your bark. Make sure you have Your safety glasses and gloves on for this step. Slowly pour the lye water into your mason jar containing your powdered bark. This is now what we call your base. Be careful not to spill it on yourself or cause excess splashing to avoid getting it in your eyes. Using your wooden spoon, thoroughly mix the bark and lye for 2 minutes, then allow your base to rest for 10 minutes. I use a wooden spoon for this step because if you mix to hard with a steel spoon, you can crack the side of your jar. After 10 minutes you will notice that dry clumps of bark have floated to the surface. Mix the base again for another 2 minutes then allow it to rest for another 10 minutes. Keep repeating this mixing and resting process at least 3 times or until no dry bark remains or floats to the top of your base. This step is VERY IMPORTANT, and you need to make sure the bark is 100% saturated. If you add the Naphtha with dry bark still present in your base, it will cause separation issues and instant emulsions. Be patient and make sure you have the base fully saturated before moving to the next step. You will notice that your bark has started reacting and has turned black in color. *NOTE: If you’re using a magnetic stirrer, I’ve found that setting the stirrer to medium high for 30 minutes will speed up the process and ensure your bark is fully saturated without having to let the bark to rest.
8) Once you are 100% confident that your base is fully saturated and no dry clumps or pockets of bark remain, it’s time to add the Naphtha or (your solvent). Naphtha naturally evaporates in open air, so before measuring out any solvent get your jar lid ready. In the first mix video below on, you will see that I’m using a sandwich bag and a jar ring that is lightly tightened. Plastic wrap and rubber band also work great! I use this type of lid because if any pressure builds it will escape out from under the rubber band or jar ring instead of turning my jar into a bomb. To this day I haven’t had a single jar explode. People will say that its bad practice because naphtha should never come in contact with plastic. They are 100% right! your solvent should never come in contact with plastic. However, if you’re mixing properly, your solvent and base will never come in contact with the bag or plastic wrap during the entire extraction process. I’ve used this style lid for a few years before I had lab glass and had no issues. You won’t either if you’re mixing properly and patiently. *NOTE: You can use your Erlenmeyer flask with a glass stopper for this step however, if you don’t have one, just stick to the mason jar and plastic lid above.
9) Once your lid is ready to go, you need to measure out 150ml of room temp (70 degrees F.) Naphtha. If you have a beaker set, this is perfect for quickly measuring out your Naphtha. However, if you don’t have a beaker set, that’s okay. 150ml is equivalent to 3 single shot glasses of Naphtha. You can also place a glass cup on your scale and weigh out 100 grams of Naphtha or 3.5oz. Naphtha is lighter then other fluids that is why you will only use 100g of Naphtha if weighing it on a scale. Once you have your Naphtha measured out, pour it into your jar of base and cover it over with your lid. *NOTE: Spice is perfectly soluble in room temp Naphtha. If you live in a very cold climate and your average room temp is below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, you will need to warm the Naphtha to around 66-70 degrees. If this is the case, give your glass of measured out Naphtha a warm water bath by placing it into a bowl of hot water until it reaches 70 degrees F. Check it with your thermometer and don’t heat the solvent too much to avoid getting yellow spice.
10) Now that your solvent is in your base, it’s time for the first mix. You will perform a total of 8 mixes over a 24hr period or, a mix every 3 hours. Take note of the time you conduct your first mix because the time of your first mix will be the time the following day, that you perform your first pull. DO NOT OVER MIX! Just because the layers have separated does not mean that you need to mix again. Over mixing increase’s your chances of getting emulsions. You must remember what is happening on a chemistry level. The lye is eating at the bark and breaking it down, releasing the spice you’re after. Giving the base three hours between mixes, allows the lye to work its magic and release the spice. A mix is simply done to collect what has been released over the 3 hours since your previous mix. To conduct your mix, grab the jar from the top and firmly swirl the jar in a circular motion until your base and your solvent become one layer. Swirl as hard as needed to get the layers to mix. Do not allow the Naphtha layer to touch the plastic wrap while mixing. Mix firmly for a total of 60 seconds then allow the jar to rest for 3 hours before mixing again. If the jar is too heavy for you to pick up and mix or you’re scared of dropping it, allow the jar to rest on your table or counter while mixing. DO NOT SHAKE THE JAR! *NOTE: If you bought a magnetic stirrer, mix for a total of 60 seconds on a medium speed.
Mixing is the biggest question I get asked about the most. Some people can’t get the layers to mix or they see the layers separate quickly and think they need to instantly mix again.
Here are some pieces of information I wanted to share about this clip and figured it would be the most beneficial to share until I release the entire video. Here are some notes I wanted to point out.
- I’m using a square shaped jar. I’ve had a lot of people think that because their jars are square in shape that it won’t work. This is false, and square jars work just as well.
- how hard and long I mix. It’s okay to give your mix some force to get the layers to become one. This mix was about 40 seconds at a consistent rate.
- In the hyperlape, notice the big bubbles of naphtha returning to the surface. I’ve tried to explain this to lots of people before but now with this video representation you can see what I mean. A slow swirl allows big bubbles of naphtha to dive to the bottom of your soup before returning to the surface. Think of your naphtha like lava in a lava lamp. You want big bubbles to move through the base before surfacing. Shaking the jar breaks thes big bubbles into tiny bubbles that make it easier for your base to become trapped in. A consistent swirl is all you need to get big bubbles like the ones you’ve seen.
- the hyperlapse was shot over a 10 minute period. That’s how quickly your layers separate. It’s fast! But that doesn’t mean you should mix! You have to remember that the lye needs time to release the spice. Just because the layers separate after 10 minutes doesn’t mean you should mix. Over mixing will cause emultions. There still needs to be about 2 to 4 hours to give the lye time to release more spice to be collected. If I gave you 1 dollar every hour, it’s best to wait till the pile of money becomes 100 dollars before you take it. Allow your base to do its thing before you mix it demanding more spice. Over a 24hr period I only recommend mixing 6 to 8 times (a good mix like you saw in the video). Anything over that, you’re risking emultions.
- mixing is simply a step used to collect what your base has released. Mixing harder or more often will not magically increase the amount of spice the bark contains. How much your bark contains is all in your bark quality which, is the number 1 factor in getting bigger yields. Quality bark is a must for high yeilds. Add all the salt and vinegar you want but you can’t get more then what nature put in there. You can’t get 100 dollars out of 10 dollars. There’s not enough vinegar in the world.
I hope this helped clear up some questions. Keep an eye out for the re-write of “a simple guide to your first extraction” AKA spiritveghead Tek. Which will be released soon. It will contain pictures, links, updated information and FAQ as well as the video extraction you have all been asking for. As always I’m around if anyone has any questions. Best wishes and safe travels everyone
11) After your first mix, allow the jar to rest for 3 hours before mixing again. Repeat this mixing and resting period, every 3 hours. This will give you a total of 8 mixes in a 24hr period. This is what I’ve found to be the sweet spot without over mixing or under mixing. Following this mixing schedule has always given me at least 1 gram of spice or more in a single pull with quality bark.
12) After you have Performed your final mix and 3-hour rest period, it’s time to siphon off the top layer of Naphtha into your Pyrex casserole dish or (freeze precipitation dish.) Grab your Pyrex casserole dish and place it next to your extraction jar. Get your Pipette and your aluminum foil and place it next to your jar as well.
Solvent that is ready to be siphoned for freezing
13) In a well-ventilated area, wearing your safety glasses, gloves, and mask, remove the plastic wrap from the top of your mason jar and begin siphoning off the top solvent layer. DO NOT SUCK UP ANY BASE WITH YOUR SOLVENT. Take your time with this step. It requires patients and a steady hand. It can be hard to stabilize the tip of your pipette, so I recommend resting the tip of your pipette against the side of the jar, just below the surface of your Naphtha. This will help steady the pipette and help prevent pulling up base with your solvent. If you accidently pull up any base return it to your jar, not your Pyrex freezer dish. This is very important because your base contains the lye, and you don’t want that in your final product. Take your time and don’t rush! The siphoning process is very slow and delicate. *TIP: If you pull any base into your pipette, keep the tip of your pipette in your solvent and wait. you will notice the base will start to roll out of the Naphtha in your pipette and return to your base layer just as it does in the jar. _*NOTE:_ If using a separation funnel add your base and solvent from the jar into your funnel and allow the layers to separate before removing the base layer.
14) After you have siphoned most of the Naphtha from your jar you will notice that there is a thin layer of solvent that is impossible to pull without getting base with it. Do not worry about this thin layer of solvent as we will retrieve whatever spice is left in it with a second pull. Cover your jar with the lid and move to the next step.
15) Cover your Pyrex casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil to avoid evaporation while in your freezer and place it in your freezer at the coldest setting, for 24 hours. The time it takes for your crystals to fully form depends on the temperature of your freezer. I have had fully formed crystals in 12 hours with a freezer that was at -8 degrees F. however, most standard freezers will not reach this temp. Be patient and wait the full 24 hours. NOTE: Do not keep pulling your dish in and out of the freezer to check for crystals. Every time you pull your dish from the freezer, the Naphtha begins to warm up and will re-dissolve your crystals back into the Naphtha. This will make your crystals take longer to fully form. Be patient and if you must check, just look through the glass dish while keeping it in your freezer. TIP: Do not use plastic wrap for covering your freezer dish. when the dish gets cold the plastic wrap will not stick to the dish and could fall into your Naphtha during the precipitation process. Naphtha should never touch plastic that isn’t PTFE or HDPE rated.
16) Once you have placed your dish in the freezer, it’s time to measure out fresh Naphtha for a second pull. If you want to re-use your Naphtha from the freezer just place your covered jar on a shelf or in a cabinet until you have retrieved the crystals from the first pull. I Personally like to use fresh Naphtha for every pull to make sure my Naphtha is at full potency for each pull. If you decide to use fresh Naphtha like myself, after placing the first pull in the freezer, measure out 75ml of fresh Naphtha and add it to your jar and then cover the jar and mix. I repeat the mixing process (A 60 second mix every 3 hours) for 24 hours. You use less Naphtha for a second pull because there is less spice in the bark then there was on the first pull. If too much solvent is present in the second pull, the spice will have a difficult time precipitating from the solvent. *NOTE: Going forward, any pulls after your first will be done with 75ml of naphtha. If you decide to reuse your Naphtha, you will need to bring it back up to room temp before use and only use 75ml.
17) Using fresh Naphtha for a second pull also helps in speeding up the extraction process. Since you’re adding fresh Naphtha to your jar and mixing for 24 hours, that means when your fist pull crystals are done 24 hours later, your second pull solvent will be ready to go in the freezer.
18) After your first pull has been in the freezer for 24 hours, it’s time to collect the crystals you have been patiently waiting for!
Crystals seen stuck to the inside of the dish like snow in a snow globe. It’s beautiful.
19) Begin by putting on your safety glasses gloves and mask. Get your Pyrex measuring cup (that you washed with soap and water after using it to mix the lye water) and place it on a stable surface like a kitchen table or counter. Remove your dish from the freezer and remove the foil. You should see all your beautiful crystals stuck to your dish! If you’ve made it this far, congratulation’s, you have just successfully extracted the spirit molecule from root bark that mother nature gifted to us all! Shine on you crazy diamond!
20) Once you have removed the foil, it’s time to pour off the remaining Naphtha in your dish, off the crystals. You will notice that there may be floating crystals in your dish. This is perfectly normal and easy to deal with. Some people will pour their Naphtha through a coffee filter to catch these crystals. I don’t prefer it though. I personally prefer to slowly pour the Naphtha off the crystals, into the Pyrex measuring cup, while spinning the dish to allow the floating crystals to stick to the sides as the solvent pours out. After you have all the Naphtha poured off your crystals, cover the measuring cup with foil to avoid evaporation. *NOTE: If you plan on re-using the Naphtha for a second pull you will need to warm the Naphtha up to room temperature before placing it back in your base. you can give it a warm water bath in the measuring cup to help speed up the warming process.
21) Now that your dish is drained of all the Naphtha, you need to allow the crystals to dry. Take a paper towel and place it down at the base of a wall or shelf, where you will allow the crystals to dry. With the crystals facing down, prop the dish against a wall so that any remaining Naphtha or moisture will run off the dish and get absorbed by your paper towel. If you want to speed up the drying process, you can place a fan near the dish and have it on a low setting. Do not let your fan blow air directly at your crystals. The fan is only to help get some airflow around your dish. the crystals will dry pretty quickly. Drying the crystals usually takes no more than 3 hours.
22) There are 2 ways of knowing your crystals are dry. #1) You should smell no Naphtha. If the crystals are fully dry, there will be no smell of Naphtha. You should only be able to smell the spice which has been described as a new shoe smell. It smells different to many people, but one thing is for sure, we all know what Naphtha smells like, and it shouldn’t smell like that. #2) The condensation on the outside of your dish, from the freezer, will also be dry. Just like pulling a cold beer out of the fridge, your dish will also get condensation on the outside of it as the dish warms up. Once your dish is back to room temp and is completely dry to the touch, most likely your crystals are dry as well. However, if the smell of Naphtha remains, allow them to dry longer.
23) Once your crystals are fully dry, it’s time for everyone’s favorite part, scraping the dish! It’s time for you to collect all your precious crystals and hard work into one pile. Put on a pair of gloves and use your razorblade to begin scraping your crystals into a single pile. I highly encourage wearing gloves for this process. The crystals are very fragile, waxy, crystalline, and very sensitive to heat. The heat from the tips of your fingers alone is enough to start melting them so try to avoid touching them. If you are planning on doing a second pull, you DO NOT need to scrape every spec off your dish because you will get them when you perform your second pull.
1.5 grams of crystals from the first pull
24) Once all your crystals are in a single pile, you will need to weigh them to determine what the yield was from the first pull. Place a small square of wax paper on your milligram scale and tare the scale. Once your scale reads 0.000, use an index card to begin scooping up the spice and placing it on your scale. *Tip: lay down a sheet of paper and place your scale on top of it. If any crystals fall off the index card or your scale, the crystals will collect on the paper, allowing you re-claim them.
25) After weighing your spice, get your airtight bottle ready to fill. If you bought the bottles and mini funnel, I recommended then insert your funnel into the mini bottle and using the wax paper from your scale, fold the paper and pour the crystals into your funnel a little at a time. If you didn’t buy the little funnel or bottles it’s okay. Fold the wax paper from your scale or fold an index card and use it to funnel the spice into your chosen container. This requires a steady hand and patience. *TIP: Always place your container on a sheet of paper while filling the bottle so if any spills happen you can collect the crystals from the paper you laid down.
Second Pull
If you added a fresh 75ml of Naphtha to your base after siphoning the first pull, your second pull is now ready to go into the freezer dish. You can siphon off the Naphtha from your base, into your freezer dish and cover it with foil. Then, place it into your freezer for another 24 hours. Remember how I said you didn’t need to get every single spec of spice from your first pull scrape? Well now that you’re adding your second pull of room temp Naphtha to the dish, any little crystals you couldn’t get in your first scrape, will re-dissolve into the Naphtha and precipitate into your second pull. Therefore, you don’t need to worry about a tiny spec of spice left behind on your dish. I promise you will get it all because you will keep pulling until you have nothing left to retrieve in the dish.
If you did not use a fresh 75ml of Naphtha and you want to reuse the Naphtha from your first pull, take the Pyrex measuring cup of Naphtha that you pored off your crystals from the first pull and give it a warm water bath to bring the Naphtha back up to room temperature. Once its back up to room temp or (70F.) add it to your base and repeat the mixing process for another 24 hours before siphoning into your dish. This is another reason why I Prefer to use fresh Naphtha for every pull. In the 24 hours it takes your crystals to precipitate from the first pull, you could already be getting the second pull ready to go once you recover your first dish of crystals. I personally have seen no difference in yield when re-using the Naphtha or adding fresh Naphtha.
This is the end of part 1.
1
Was going to say… props on a thorough tek. 2 things though…
- I’ve had great success with chunky bark. In my early days I found myself beating bark wrapped in a towel to ’ powderize ’ it. This was after burning out the motor In little ninja blender. I then realized that bark chips simply require more time for the lye water to break down. IMO powered bark vs shredded is a matter of time, not necessity. 2 ) in regards to safety, everyone I have taught, I make 3 things as essential safety requirement… 1) goggles or glasses 2) gloves and 3) WHITE VINEGAR. I won’t proceed on an extraction unless I have WV next to me. Just in case I get a splash of lye water on me, I immediately wash with white vinegar to neutralize any burn. I also wipe down my work space with white vinegar just in case a little granule or two or lye may have fallen out. Don’t want to have that on my skin or anything else after the fact. Hope this wasn’t too much and is helpful! Otherwise great job on spelling it out for first timers!
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So I didn’t include white vinegar because it’s more of a myth. It will neutralize lye however it takes so much of it to do so. You need about 28oz per 1 gram of lye. Another thing is that when adding vinegar to lye it creates Another chemical reaction that generates heat. And that’s the last thing you want on a chemical burn. That’s why on the back of lye bottles it says to flush really well with water and not vinegar.
3
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!
First it take ONE OUNCE (28g) of vinegar to neutralize 1 g of lye. Your claim is it would take 828ml of vinegar to neutralize 1 g of lye. You only use 750ml of water in the entire tek.
According to your instructions you add 100g of lye to 750ml of water. That’s a little over 133 mg per ml. A jug of vinegar (I don’t care what kind) is plenty to help neutralize small spills.
You are correct when saying the gold standard for skin contact with lye is to flush with water. How about we look at the actual occupational safety standard:
Skin Contact: Avoid direct contact. Wear chemical protective clothing if necessary. Quickly take off contaminated clothing, shoes and leather goods (e.g. watchbands, belts). Quickly and gently blot or brush away excess chemical. Immediately flush with lukewarm, gently flowing water for at least 60 minutes. DO NOT INTERRUPT FLUSHING. If it can be done safely, continue flushing during transport to hospital. Immediately call a Poison Centre or doctor. Treatment is urgently required.
We are not talking about a small spill here. If you dump a full liter of caustic soup all over the front of your clothes you need to RUN to the shower. You also need to be very careful about taking off your clothes but that’s beside the point.
If you spill 10ml on the back of your arm flush it with vinegar and then walk over to the sink and hold it under running water for a minute or two. The key here is to flush for longer than you need to.
Finally, how do you clean up a lye spill that never touched you? Let’s say you didn’t notice that some of the sodium hydroxide solution was running down the side of the container while you were pouring it into the bark and now you have 200 ml of strong sodium hydroxide solution sitting in a puddle on your work surface. What are you going to do?
Let me tell you what you are going to do. If you are outside you are going to take a hose and spray it down. If you were doing it over the sink, congrats, turn on the water and enjoy cleaner drains. Anyplace else you should contain the spill with DRY rags and then pour or spray vinegar on the spill until neutralized.
The really ironic thing is I am not nearly as safety conscious as I should be, and I roll my eyes when I see a safety disclaimer acting like lye is lava, but having a liter of 5% acetic acid next to you when working with strong bases is a no brainer.
Oh and I am not even going to dignify the heat thing with a response, but you may want to delete that part, it makes you look really dumb.
1
Great job- with easy to follow text, and quality photos. Your efforts are much appreciated by this community!
One question about the solvent mixing schedule: You recommend mixing every three hours over a 24-hour period….but I can’t imagine anyone is going to be setting an alarm and getting up from their sleep during the night to mix. Do you have any idea how much it would effect the yield if someone skipped a mix (or two, depending on how much sleep a person gets). Have you experimented with alternative mixing schedules and had significantly different yields?
Edit: I posted this before reading all four parts, and you addressed my question in the FAQ, thanks!
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So try starting the stirrer really slow and gradually building speed. If it gets flung off to the side constantly without mixing, your stir bar could be to big. I use a small one about 1/2 inch.
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Awesome l! Keep us all posted on how it goes! If any questions arise that aren’t in the FAQ let me know and im happy to help! Best of luck and be safe!!
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Oh, I intend to! Lol
2
Love it! Safety gear is first and foremost! Way to go! You got this! Safety gear is the most over looked thing and it really separates the people who are truly passionate and the people that are looking for buck$. Let us know how it’s goes!
1
I’ve been doing no heat STB extractions for a while and people are always surprised by my results. I get good yeilds of almost pure white crystals. Nice detailed instructions on what I think is the easiest way to extract with great results.
2
Thank you! Yeah the results are awesome for people wanting white spice instead of yellow. No heat is the way to go plus, it’s one less thing you have to deal with during the extraction.
1
Could there be a benefit to adding a water wash between the naphtha extraction and precipitation? Just adding some distilled water to a tall glass, transfer the naphtha into the glass and gently stir, then reseparate and transfer to the precip tray. Would that help pull out water soluble impurities suspended in the naphtha?
Update
The first pull has been precipitating about 14 hours so far, and I can confirm that a water bath is a useful addition. I took a tall narrow drinking glass (borosilicate not necessary) and added maybe 150mL of filtered water. Pipette the NPS off the soup, but instead of dropping it straight into the precip tray, release it underneath the water in the glass. Smaller bubbles of NPS is actually better so there’s more surface area to remove impurities, and the concentration of emulsifiers in the extracted NPS is so low you don’t run much of a risk of forming an emulsion at this point. Then just let the NPS fully separate (stirring with a glass rod or vibrating helps pull out any bubbles of naptha stuck on the bottom of the glass) and transfer to the precip tray as normal.
I can’t confidently speak on the washing action (ie removing trace lye and water soluble plant matter suspended in the NPS) without performing controlled experiments and somehow measuring the product purity, but it definitely makes extracting the NPS much less stressful. If I pick up some of the soup, it’ll just dissolve into the water layer and solids will settle to the bottom. Only downside is you lose a thin layer of NPS that can’t be precisely pipetted off, but the narrower the container the lower the yield loss.
1
you sir; are a scholar and a saint.
I thank myself.
Sorry, I thank yourself. Fuck, thank you or me or it or us.
Its irrelevant, thanks for this comprehensive, detailed and easy to follow guide. I haven’t finished my extraction yet, however this is the first time I managed to get the layers to separate. I feel the trip coming on already and i’m anxious to see how it turns out. whatever happens, I enjoyed reading all your work. you are intelligent and witty at the very least; but probably infinite in scale, abundant in quality and permeating everywhere/nowhere.
2
I’m really happy you enjoyed the tek. I just want to see you all succeed and you will succeed I know it! Sorry for the late reply I’m moving so had to abandon my post for a bit. Thanks for the kind words I really appreciate it. I’m happy to help🍄
1
having to stir every 3 hours , do you normally set an alarm ? or pull an all nighter? im worried im going to pass out and sleep thru it haha
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Personally I use a magnetic stirrer that’s hooked up to a timer so it automatically mixes for me. However if you don’t have those things don’t worry about every 3 hours. Mix before bed and when you wake up and just continue the mixing schedule from there.
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I seriously had this same type of question because I work too much and hours to wait to stir is problematic.
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Brilliant I was really worried about that part
1
When mixing using a magnetic stirrer do the two layers mix? Or does the lye mix just spin underneath the solvent layer. I bought the mixer you reccommended and am trying to determine the speeds I should run it. Thanks.
1
Steps 10 & 11, if It’s a case of simply waiting for the lye to release DMT from the bark. Rather than mixing every 3 hours, wouldn’t it be the same to simply let the mix sit for 24 hours, and then mix it for a few mins at the end (i.e. no need to mix in between)?
Step 9. If more than 150ml of naphtha is used, would that make it easier for the DMT to move into the NPS? Ignoring the naphtha wastage, and if the pulled NPS is evaporated down then it removes precipitation issues?
1
Is there a need to add salt to the base solution? I have only done an ACRB hot extraction salt Tek. Going to be doing a MHRB extraction soon.
2
Nope. This tek doesn’t require salt or vinegar. This is what we call a STB tek or (straight to base). Teks that use salt and vinegar are A/B tek or (acid/base).
1
on step 7, why do you have to wait for the bark 10 mins, why can’t you just mix it all in at once? will doing so mess up the process ?
2
The waiting process is explained in step 7. After mixing, wait 10 minutes and you see dry bark has floated to the surface. The point of waiting is to give the bark time to become fully saturated. If there’s dry bark in your base when you add the naphtha you will get instant emulsions or suspension.
1
If using 50 grams MHRB, water should be halved as well ~ 375 ml? I could not find it in the comments. Thank you for the assistance.
2
Yes in half. This question is answered in the FAQ section in part 4. All 4 parts are pinned to my profile.
1
What kind of lye to use ? Food grade sodium hydroxide?
1
I have a question regarding subsequent pulls. Given the reasoning for the 24hr mixing period on the first pull (allowing the lye to break down the bark powder), wouldn’t that mean that the lye has had sufficient time to break down the bark and the following pulls would simply be to mix the base to allow the naptha to collect the remaining spice left behind after the first pull?
1
Hi! Thank you for such an awesome guide I will be trying it tomorrow! I got a PYREX Erlenmeyer flask to use as my extraction container. I saw you recommend adding the bark powder to the extraction container then adding the lye water to that. Would it be okay if I made the lye water in my flask then added the bark powder to that? Or should I stick with how you’ve laid it out and get a second 1L measuring cup so I can add the lye water to the bark? Thank!
1
I’m sorry but no, the lye is not breaking down the bark physically and leaving the deems leftover.
After doing an acid bath, the DMT is left in the water as a water soluble substance.
The lye is changing they molecule from a salt to a freebase, making it soluble in a variety of solvents other than that it water so as to leave many lipids and other plant days behind.
Other than that info, good tek.
1
Does a rubber stopper work as well as a glass stopper for a flask, where I don’t need to worry about pressure build up or solvent touching the rubber?
And does anything need to be changed regarding the room temperature rule if I’m making this in the summer where the inside of my house can often times exceed 75 degrees?
1
This is really great work. Thank you!
One suggestion. Maybe you want to have a look at the pinned tek in r/unclebens. It is similar to yours in that it has 4 parts. I feel that it does a really good job at structuring the contents, e.g. by means of links to each parts in every part, tables of contents with direct links etc.
Maybe you find some inspiration for further improvements there.
1
i spoke too soon i need help, ive mixed a couple times now, it’s been about 8 hours since my first mix. and my top layer is declining in height. its getting smaller. i think my plastic lid maybe hasnt been tight enough and some is evaporating. im using 40-60 petroleum ether. can i add more and try securing a bit tighter? any other ideas on what could be happening?
2
Sandwich bag and elastic band is more then enough to stop evaporation. Have you kept the bag on since you added the naphtha? Are you mixing the way I showed in the video? How many ML of fluid total is in your jar right now? If it’s still sitting at 1000ml then your naphtha is still there you might just have emulsions or separation issues.
3
i have kept the bag on the whole time, ive been swirling/swooshing as instructed. i used 50g of mhrb, 375ml of water, 50g sodium hydroxide and 75ml of petroleum ether. i cannot measure how much total is inside currently as my jar has no scales. when i added the water+lye to the bark. the mixture was still a bit warm :/. a few minutes after first mix with petroleum ether, i had a nice layer initially but it is dwindling.
assuming the naptha is still within, is there anything i can try to get him to transcend the muddy waters, while holding my sweet spice babies
5
hey, it worked out great! i diluted a couple tblsp of lye in water and added it to the base. i also put it in a hot water bath. it worked in bringing my naptha out. i just pulled my crystals out the freezer yesterday and had lovely white fluffy dry crystals. thanks to you and the reddit community, i had the most powerful trip last night. the fact i made it myself was just a little on the nose lol :)))))
1
Hey I am sorry if this is a stupid question but adding 150ml of naptha to 100g of mhrb seems slow if you need to stir it for a day every 3 hours, so my question is, will I extract the spice in the naptha faster if use more naptha? for example : 200ml or 250ml since it seems like that would cover a greater area and get more spice in itself.
EDIT : Would this apply for lye aswell?
1
Based on your pictures, are you sure you used 750 mL of water and then 100 g of bark? Your mason jar looks pretty darn low with the naphtha on top. I’m following this text verbatim and it doesn’t look as though 100g of Bark will fit in the jar with 750 mL of water, let alone adding naphtha after that. Thanks!
1
What do you do with the “spent” naphtha after pouring it off the crystals, if you don’t reuse it? Can it be placed in the freezer to further precipitate, or another place that is colder? Can whatever remains crash out by adding a chem to alter the pH more, or use an a/b to pull what’s left out?
1
About how many pulls can be done from the same jar of base?? I haven’t found anything that supports beyond 2 being the max. Anyone ever push it to the limit?
1
How many times can you pull from the same jar of base? I don’t see anything that would suggest success beyond the 2nd pull. Any thoughts on this?
1
For tripling this, 2250ml water 300mg lye 300 bark? Or much less lye.
Asking for those who are sizing this up to one a one gallon container
2
I don’t recommend extracting that much in one vessel. If something goes wrong you will loose all of your bark in one go. I’d recommend 3 jars with 100g each. Start them at the same time and then Siphon your solvent all into one freezer dish.
3
1
If I had too can I add more Lye to the solution? I added what was said but was curious if adding more would help speed the process
1
If I use a sep funnel during the siphoning phase, won’t the base liquid clog the funnel unless it’s filtered first?
1
I have the NaOH solution at 63 degrees. Would that be too cold? Just wondering how cold is “too cold”.
1
I have a borosilicate glass beaker. It has a plastic lid. At no point can I screw it completely shut?
1
Why is the top of my soup bubbly between the naptha? This is right after my first mix.
1
I read that naptha is fine on many plastics just not for long term storage fyi
1
Is the lye, or food grade sodium hydroxide, liquid or more like a powder?
1
Is it worth the effort to go for a third pull? Anyone had any luck doing so?
5
The patent on Cyb’s expired so the generics are starting to roll out. I’m playing and regardless it always nice to see someone knowledgeable and willing to help.. although most questions lately seem to be about said tek, which potentially adds more confusion in the end but all in all I hope people are able to benefit from it in one way in another
1
Do you know what % has the lye solution? Can bring some from my work but its 40 or 45% lye.so maybe dont have to Mix it by my own
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