Spiritveghead Tek (Part 1)
Foreword: This Tek will have parts 1, 2 and 3. Part 1 is the Tek. Part 2 will have the ingredients
and supplies. Part 3 will be A re-x Tek. part 4 will be the FAQ section that I will continue to
update and keep current with all the questions I receive and it will be pinned to the top of my
profile, next to this PDf. To recap, This Tek will give you up to a 2% yield of fluffy white crystals
(depending on your bark quality) that are exceptionally smooth when vaped and will certainly
give you the breakthrough you're looking for. With that being said.... LET’S BEGIN!
1.8 grams of spice extracted using Spiritveghead Tek.
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 temperature water.
3) Before mixing the lye in the water make sure you are wearing your safety glasses, gloves,
and a mask. You do not want to breathe 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 so as to not overheat the water and glass too 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 do not 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 complete 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 is better to use stainless steel
for this step. *Safety tip: Never add water to the lye. it will cause a violent reaction. always, always,
always add 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 are after. While your lye water
is cooling, it is 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 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 is 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 do not 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 do not have scientific evidence of that claim. It is
just something that I have noticed. Continue grinding your bark a little at a time till you have
ground up all 100 grams. Place all 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.
Bark that has been ground to the perfect consistency.
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
too much heat. That is 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 are having trouble getting the lye water to cool to 70 degrees,
cover the measuring cup with a glass plate and place it in your fridge. The keeps the fumes of
the lye contained instead of releasing in the fridge. Just do not forget about it and let it get too
cold. Note: Do not use plastic wrap or foil to cover your lye water! Aluminum and lye produce a violent
reaction that puts off harmful fumes that can kill you. Never use foil to cover your lye water for cooling.
7) Once your Lye water has reached 70 degrees Fahrenheit, it is 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 too 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
are using a magnetic stirrer, I have 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 rest.
Bark that has floated to the top after mixing and resting. Mix and rest until no dry bark remains.
8) Once you are 100% confident that your base is fully saturated and no dry clumps or pockets
of bark remain, it is 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 am 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 have not had a single jar explode. People will say that it is 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 are mixing properly, your solvent
and base will never come in contact with the bag or plastic wrap during the entire extraction
process. I have used this style lid for a few years before I had lab glass and had no issues. You
will not either if you are mixing properly and patiently. *NOTE: You can use your Erlenmeyer flask
with a glass stopper for this step. However, if you do not 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 temperature (70
degrees F.) Naphtha. If you have a beaker set, this is perfect for quickly measuring out your
Naphtha. However, if you do not have a beaker set, that is 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 than other fluids, which 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 temperature 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 do not 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 increases your chances of getting emulsions. You must
remember what is happening at a chemistry level. The lye is eating at the bark and breaking it
down, releasing the spice you are 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 are 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.
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 have 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 is 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 patience
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 especially
important because your base contains lye, and you don't want that in your final product. Take
your time and do not rush! The siphoning process is 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.
A thin layer of solvent remains after the first pull. Any alkaloids from this layer will be collected in the following pulls.
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 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 is not PTFE or HDPE rated.
First pull solvent goes into the freezer for 24 hours.
16) Once you have placed your dish in the freezer, it is 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 than there was on the first pull. If too much
solvent is present in the second pull, the spice will have a tough 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 temperature before use and only use 75ml.
17) Using fresh Naphtha for a second pull also helps in speeding up the extraction process.
Since you are 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 is 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 is 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 have made it this
far, congratulations, 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 is 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 do not 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 to re-use
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.
Pour the remaining solvent off the crystals slowly to allow the floaters to stick to the side of the dish.
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 quickly. Drying the crystals usually takes no more than 3
hours.
crystal dish propped against the wall with a fan blowing indirectly to help speed up the drying process.
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 should not 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 temperature 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.
First pull crystals dry and ready to be collected. Notice the dish itself is also dry from any condensation.
23) Once your crystals are fully dry, it is time for everyone's favorite part, scraping the dish! It
is 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
extremely 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 to do 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 recommend then inserting 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 did not buy the little funnel or bottles, it is 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.
A mini funnel will really help in loading up your bottle without losing crystals.
second pull
If you add 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 did not need to get every single spec of spice from your first pull
scrape? Well now that you are adding your second pull of room temp Naphtha to the dish, any
little crystals you could not get in your first scrape, will re-dissolve into the Naphtha and
precipitate into your second pull. Therefore, you do not 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 it
is back up to room temperature 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.
Lab Supplies
1. Safety glasses, gloves, and a mask!!!) These tools are so important! In this Tek you
will be working with lye which is very caustic and can blind you or severely burn
you. When Lye mixes with water, it creates a chemical reaction that produces a
lot of heat and fumes. You don't want to breathe the fumes or get the lye water
on your skin or in your eyes. It can burn you and blind you! This step is
important! Please! DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS TEK WITHOUT SAFTEY GEAR!
2. A coffee grinder, magic bullet, or my personal favorite... a Nutribullet) This is for
grinding your bark into a powder. Powdered bark breaks down faster and
releases the spice you're after. You can buy pre-powdered bark (At extra cost)
and skip this tool if you wish, but I Prefer to buy bark chips or shredded bark
(which are cheaper) and grind it myself. I'll explain why in further detail later. To
save some money, I recommend looking for a grinder at your local secondhand
stores before buying new. However, my personal favorite has become
the Nutribullet! It's very powerful and powders the bark well and fast!
3. A scale that measures in Grams and Milligrams) The scale that measures in grams
is for weighing out your ingredients. Food scales work great! They can measure
grams, fluid ounces, pounds, Kilograms and more. They are very affordable and
available at almost all grocery stores. The scale that measures in milligrams, is for
weighing out your final product and your doses. It's not 100% necessary if you
know how to calculate milligrams on a regular gram scale however, I highly
recommend getting one and saving yourself the headache. I got a milligram
scale on amazon for about $20 US dollars. It makes weighing doses a lot more
precise! Worth the money!
4. A plastic bowl and cup for weighing your dry ingredients) Red solo cups are great
for weighing your dry ingredients however, I prefer a large plastic bowl or
Tupperware for weighing out my bark. If you bought bark chips or shredded
bark, a bigger bowl to hold your bark without it overflowing will make it easier to
weigh out.
5. A Pyrex measuring cup that can hold up to 4 cups or (1 liter) This measuring cup is
one of my favorite supplies of all. It’s available on amazon and most grocery
stores for about $15 US dollars. It allows you to accurately measure out your
water, and it doubles as the perfect cup to mix your Lye water in because it is
tempered glass. It also triples as your freeze precipitation dish (more on that
later). whatever glass you use to mix your Lye and water together, MUST BE
TEMPERED GLASS OR LAB GRADE BOROSILICATE! NO EXCEPTIONS! Like I said
earlier, mixing lye and water creates a chemical reaction the produces a lot of
heat. Tempered glass is made to withstand high heat and freezing colds. I
personally I like to buy the 3 pack. I’ve used every single one for this and other
projects. Another option is a large Patron tequila bottle. The bottles are
Tempered glass. I learned that from Willy Myco on Youtube. They are great
bottles for mixing your lye water. *NOTE: This measuring cup won't be needed if you
plan on using the Erlenmeyer flask suggested in the lab glass section in part #2. The flask
will double as your measuring cup and your half gallon mason jar.
6. A half-gallon mason jar) This is the jar we will be using as our extraction vessel. I
like using wide mouth mason jars (if I'm between flasks), because they are cheap
and available everywhere, including secondhand stores. I like using the half
gallon size because it gives me plenty of room to work and I like to buy the 4 pack
because that means I can extract more bark at once. mason jars are also
tempered glass. Even though we won't be using any heat in this Tek, I still prefer
them just out of personal preference and for their strength. A mason jar or
tempered glass extraction vessel isn't 100% necessary for this Tek. You can use
any glass jar or bottle if its large enough to hold all of your base and naphtha,
while still having room to mix, without the jar being completely full. I've seen
liquor bottles used, giant pickle jars used and many other food jars that work fine
if you don't plan on heating them up. If it's not tempered glass, you can't freeze
it or heat it. we won't be using heat in this Tek so just get yourself a nice big
pickle jar if you can't get a mason jar. Just remember that taller is better than
wider. A wide jar will make the Naphtha layer too thin to pull accurately. *NOTE: If
you have the Erlenmeyer flask with a glass stopper as mentioned in the lab glass section in
part #2, then use them instead. I highly recommend them if you can afford it.
7. A stainless-steel spoon and a wooden spoon) What's the point of needing 2
spoons? The stainless-steel spoon is for mixing the Lye into the water. A lot of
different metals react with Lye, and you don't want toxic metal erosion in your
lye water that will work its way into your final product. When the lye is reacting in
the water, you will use a stainless-steel spoon to mix the lye water together.
Stainless steel can handle the reaction of the lye water and won't release
anything harmful. The wooden spoon is used for mixing the bark and Lye water
together in your extraction vessel (mason jar) without the risk of accidentally
hitting the side of your jar too hard with a metal spoon and cracking it. Your
wooden spoon should be 12 inches or longer so it can reach the bottom of the
jar, and it should have no chemical coatings or dyes on it. Bamboo spoons work
well too. If you can't find a good wooden spoon (Chem. free) a dried stick with
the bark peeled off from an oak tree (or any hardwood tree) will work perfectly.
Some people use chopsticks, but I do not recommend them. They are difficult to
use with a large jar because they don't reach the bottom and they don't mix very
well. They also could fall into your jar and be hard to retrieve without pouring
everything out of your extraction vessel. *NOTE: If you plan on using a magnetic
stirrer, like the one mentioned in the lab glass section in part #2, you won't need the two
spoons mentioned above.
8. A digital cooking thermometer) This will help you read the temperature of your
Lye water and let you know when it has cooled enough to pour it into your bark
powder. You can find cooking thermometers cheap online and at grocery stores
for around $10 US dollars. I recommend the digital ones that have stainless steel
tips only! They read the temperature quickly and accurately. This isn't 100%
necessary but if you want white spice, you need to make sure you know the exact
temp of your Lye before adding it to the bark. Every single degree matters.
9. A glass pipette) This tool is necessary. It's used for siphoning off the naphtha or
(solvent) which contains your spice. You may have heard you can use a glass
turkey baster; however, I do not recommend them. They have been used
successfully but with all the people I have helped through this Tek, they tend to
cause more problems than anything. Glass pipettes and turkey basters cost the
same amount of money on amazon and the differences between them are night
and day. Pipettes are a lot more accurate and will allow you to siphon off your
naphtha accurately without pulling your base layer (containing lye) with it.
Please! Do yourself a favor and buy yourself a nice glass Pipette and don't forget
the pipette pump with it. The one pictured below is mine. It is very accurate and
allows me to collect my solvent accurately in about 4 minutes. I 100% hands
down recommend you go this route for siphoning! The pipettes with the rubber
bulbs are hit and miss. I've had some that work great and others that don't work
at all. Squeeze bulbs also require a very steady release, so the pipette doesn't
suck too hard, bringing base up with your Naphtha. Buy yourself a nice lab grade
pipette with a thumb-controlled pump. If extracting is becoming your hobby, just
buy the proper tool and save yourself the headache. If you Absolutely cannot get
a pipette, another good option is a Luer lock reusable glass syringe. They are
available online for about $20 U.S dollars. They are accurate and allow you to
siphon your naphtha layer quicker if you get the 50ml size. Just make sure to also
buy the stainless steel Luer lock needle tips with it. *NOTE: You will not need a glass
pipette if you plan on buying the separation funnel mentioned in the lab glass section in part
#2. However, I personally still like to have one on hand for small separations and I actually
prefer them over a separation funnel.
25ml hand pump purchased on amazon for 8 dollars and a 25ml glass Pippett that I purchased on
amazon for 18 dollars. They are sold separately.
1. A Pyrex casserole dish) This is what you will use to collect the spice from your
naphtha. This is the freeze precipitation dish I mentioned above. The dish needs
to be Pyrex or tempered glass if you plan on freezing the spice or (freeze
precipitating the spice) from your Naphtha. I prefer to use a larger dish with a
larger surface area like this one. It allows the spice to crash out or (precipitate
out) of the naphtha quicker. I've used a variety of casserole dishes. Large, small,
shallow, and deep. No matter what size you use, it won't affect your results, it will
only affect how well you will be able to retrieve your dried crystals in the end.
Ultimately you need to use a dish that will allow your hand to fit inside to scrape
the crystals out with a razor blade. You want to be able to reach all the corners of
your dish comfortably. If your dish comes with a lid, you can use that instead of
aluminum foil when it comes time to precipitate, just don't let your Naphtha
touch the plastic lid! Plastic should never touch your solvent unless it is HDPE or
PTFE rated.
2. A small glass container with a sealing lid to store your spice) There are many styles
of jars and bottles out there that will be suitable to keep your spice in. When it
comes to picking the jar or bottle, you need to make sure it has an airtight lid and
preferably one that screws closed. Do not use corks. Corks are breathable and
will allow your spice to oxidize. I also try to avoid jars or bottles that have a snap
or pop top. I've had bottles that accidentally popped open and allowed the spice
to spill out in a backpack. That's not something you want to discover after you
have finally made it out to your camping spot in the middle of nowhere. Another
thing I look for in a storage container is tinted glass. Tinted glass will protect your
spice from light which is particularly important! light, moisture, and air will cause
the spice to oxidize and hurt the potency. These little bottles are the ones I
personally use, and they haven't let me down. I also use these little funnels. It
helps you to accurately get your spice into the bottle without spilling. 100%
recommend!
3. A few miscellaneous supplies you will need are...) A rubber band or the ring for
your mason jar (if using one), aluminum foil, a quart sized sandwich bag or
plastic wrap and of course your razor for scraping your dish.
Ingredients
For this Tek you will use,
1. 100 grams of powdered Mimosa Hostilis root bark or (MHRB) This Tek will not
work with ACRB. As I mentioned above, you can buy pre-powdered bark however,
it usually costs a few dollars more. Lately there has been an issue with buying
pre-powdered bark. The problem is that you can get bark that is too fine. You
don't want to use bark that is baby powder fine, because it can cause instant
emulsions or suspend itself in your Naphtha layer which will cause separation
issues and make it almost impossible to siphon off your Naphtha. This is
becoming a common issue that I think is due to bark vendors growing in
popularity so their grinders may have been updated to bigger, more powerful
grinders to keep up with the demand. To clarify, this is just my opinion and I have
no facts to back it up. It's just a hunch. I personally prefer bark chips or shredded
bark and then I grind them myself. This ensures that my bark isn't too fine. You
still want to see some small plant fibers in your powdered bark. You want more
of a course powder. The lye is strong enough to break these small fibers down
without you dealing with separation issues. I put on my favorite music and just
have a grinding session that I put lots of love and positive vibes into. I just feel
like the more you put in the process the more you will get out of it. Just my
personal preference though. I also like to place my bark in the freezer 24hr prior
to extraction. This makes the bark easier to grind up and assists in breaking the
bark down for extraction.
2. 100 grams of Sodium Hydroxide or (Lye) Sodium Hydroxide is commonly used to
bring your water to a ph. level of 14 which will be Alkaline enough to allow the
bark to break down and release the spice within it. It’s available in most
hardware stores in the U.S and sold as a drain cleaner. Make sure That you are
using 100% pure Lye and always check the SDS sheet (safety data sheet) online to
ensure there are no other added ingredients that weren't listed on the bottle.
You want the Lye in a dry bead form, and you don't want anything that contains
other chemicals or dyes. Some food grade Lyes will say 99.99% pure and they are
perfectly fine to use as well.
3. 750ml of water) I prefer to use distilled water because the ph is neutral but it's
not 100% necessary. You can use tap water or bottle spring water. It's up to you. I
do however recommend that if you're going to use tap water, allow your water to
sit in an open bottle, jar or cup for 24hrs to allow all the chlorine to evaporate
from the water before use. This step with tap water is necessary.
4. 150ml of Naphtha That has passed an Evap test) There are a wide variety of
solvents out there that will work however, depending on what country you're in,
it may not be available to you or, it's called by a different name. You can usually
find Naphtha at most hardware stores in the U.S in the paint section. Other
solvents that are commonly used are, Rosenthal's lighter fluid and Zippo
Premium lighter fluid because they are also, Naphtha (light petroleum distillate)
If you can't find Naphtha, please look in the FAQ section at the bottom for
alternative solvents.
Lab glass. Encouraged, but not mandatory.
I never included a "Lab glass" section in the simple guide because most people simply don't
have it. However, thanks to the internet, the number of people that have access borosilicate
lab glass is growing and I encourage the use of it for safer, cleaner extractions. It's not 100%
mandatory though. I always encourage you to use what's available to you. You don't need
fancy beakers or separation funnels to experience nature’s gift of spice. Don't let anyone
discourage you from being resourceful and using what you have. Even someone with a fancy
set up is still extracting in their kitchen, not a lab. If you're passionate about chemistry and
have a fancy $500-dollar magnetic stirrer and a few hundred dollars’ worth of lab glass, good
for you! However, most first timers will not have these fancy set ups, and I don't believe their
efforts should be discredited or mocked because of it. Nature respects and appreciates
resourcefulness. Use what you have and overtime you can slowly improve your methods and
work your way up to fancy tools. With that being said, I do encourage you to use the best gear
available to you. Don't cut corners! If you're passionate about the molecule and the chemistry
behind it, you should put in your best effort to use the best tools you can get and be as safe
and as clean as possible. I don't know a single person that does something they love, half
assed. If you have the money and the resources, below is a list of lab glass that you can use in
place of the above supplies, if you decide you want to put the extra time and money into your
supplies list. However, a few of them I just don’t recommend using even if you already have
them.
Borosilicate, glass beaker set) You can get them for about 10 US dollars. I personally bought
the 3 pack that came in (50ml, 100ml and 250ml). They have come in handy for quick
measurements, Evap tests and re-x steps. They have also come in handy for a variety of other
projects and make everything easier. I 100% recommend getting them if you plan on
extracting in the years to come.
Borosilicate, 1000ml Erlenmeyer flask) If you decide to buy this piece of lab glass you will use it
in place of the mason jar and plastic wrap lid. You want 1000ml in size and I usually buy 2 at a
time because they are very handy. The top of your Erlenmeyer flask will come with a rubber
stopper, but this isn’t a problem. I will go over the rubber stopper in more detail in the FAQ
section (part 4). I highly recommend using lab grade flasks to help in the siphoning stage. It
will also help to avoid unnecessary contamination caused by accidentally allowing your
Naphtha to touch your plastic lid on the mason jar. A flask with a stopper is a very professional
way to ensure a clean product and makes the siphoning stage easier.
Borosilicate, 1000ml separation funnel with stand, PTFE stopcock and 24/29 top
joint) The separation funnel will allow you to accurately separate your base layer from your
solvent. This is one of my favorite pieces of glass though I find it to be overkill. It requires that
you separate the bark before loading into the funnel or it will just clog the funnel. It's a great
piece of glass and does serve its purpose but, I find it to be more of a hassle for MHRB. This
will take the place of siphoning with a pipette if you choose to get one. I prefer the pipette
honestly. But nonetheless, it is still a cool piece of glass.
magnetic stirrer with PTFE stir bars) A magnetic stirrer can help you in many ways. First, it will
help your mixing stages in being more through. It allows you to mix your lye water without a
spoon and reduces the risk of accidental splashes. I love mine! However, personally, I find
using the stirrer for mixing my solvent to be overkill. Because the stir bar moves so fast it
creates tiny air bubbles and makes it easier to get emulsions. Another downside to you this
form of mixing is that the thick bark at the bottom of your jar won't allow the stir bar to move.
You must manually start swirling the jar to get the bark moving before you can set it on the
magnetic stirrer. It is a great tool to have and serves a good purpose. I just do not recommend
it for your 6 to 8 solvent mixes.
This is the end of Part 2.
(Part 3 Evap test and Re-x Tek)
What is an Evap test or (evaporation test)? In short, an evaporation test or (evap test), is a way
to check the purity of the naphtha you're using for your extraction. It's a way of making sure
your solvent isn't leaving behind any harmful residues after it has evaporated. You don't want
your solvent leaving anything harmful behind that would coat and dry to your final product
that you intend on ingesting. Each batch of solvent is different, so it's very important to check
your solvent for impurities every time you buy a new bottle or can. Always look at the SDS
sheet before using, to make sure there are no added chemicals. An evaporation test is as it
sounds. you evaporate a small amount of the liquid in a beaker or a shot glass to see if any
residues are left behind after it has fully evaporated.
LEFT: solvent that has failed an Evap test and has left behind harmful residue when evaporated. Not safe
to use for extracting. RIGHT: solvent left no harmful residue once fully evaporated. This is what you want
to see. Which is nothing. A slight water make is okay.
To conduct the test) Place a few drops of your solvent in A beaker or shot glass and place it in a
well-ventilated area. Allow the solvent to naturally evaporate until your beaker or glass is
completely dry. Once it’s fully evaporated, look at the bottom of the glass, if there are any
residues or yellow goo's, the solvent is NOT SAFE to use for your extraction. Buy a new bottle
of solvent to test. However, if the bottom of the glass looks clean and clear, then that bottle or
can of solvent is safe to use and won't leave anything harmful behind that will adhere to your
final product. Remember to always conduct an Evap test on each new bottle or can of solvent.
Do I need to perform a Re-X or (re-extraction)?
The short answer, yes! Why? Because it's a step that will make your final product cleaner and
safer. A re-x or re-extraction is a process that I would like to see become a standard step in all
Tek's. It's another step we take to ensure we have a product that will be safe to use. Will you
die from not performing one? No, you won’t. The score board of deaths by spice (which is
zero) speaks for itself. If you followed the Tek, you more than likely have some clean looking
spice. However, that does not mean that you shouldn't perform a re-x. Some impurities are
not visible to the naked eye. I’ll admit that I have used the spice from this Tek multiple times,
(harm free) without performing a re-x and the experience was just as amazing as always.
However, you just went through this entire learning process and finally extracted your own
spirit molecule, don't you want the product to be the best product you can make it!? Of
course, you do.
LEFT: freshly extracted spice that hasn't gone through Re-x. You can see it has more of a yellow tint and
has some waxy chunks. RIGHT: spice that has gone through Re-x. You can see that it has an overall
cleaner look and is whiter. The smell also isn't as pungent as it was before Re-x, meaning it will be
smoother when vaped.
If you siphoned off any base layer into your freezer dish, you 100% must perform a re-x, no
questions asked. The base layer contains lye and will cause severe headaches and nausea if
you smoke it. You CAN NOT just pick the little black spots out of your crystals. You must
perform a re-x! This is where your passion for quality product over quantity of product comes
into play.
How to Re-X
A Re-x is a straightforward process in which you re-dissolve your freshly extracted spice into
some fresh, warm Naphtha and put it through the precipitation process a second time. After
you dissolve the spice in fresh Naphtha, any base or impurities that have worked their way into
your final product will sink to the bottom of your Naphtha, allowing you to pour the good stuff
into your dish for freezing, while leaving the bad stuff behind. For the re-x process you will
need a standard pot, your Pyrex freezer dish, aluminum foil and a beaker or tempered glass
cup (8oz mini mason jars work great)
Begin by putting on your safety gear (glasses, gloves, and mask) and weigh out the spice you
plan to Re-x. You will use 50ml of fresh Naphtha for every 1/2 gram of spice you plan to Re-x.
1/2 Gram of dried spice =
50ml of fresh Naphtha or Heptane
1 grams of dried spice =
100ml of fresh Naphtha or Heptane
1.5 grams of dried spice =
150ml of fresh Naphtha or Heptane
2 grams up to 3 grams of dried spice =
200ml of fresh Naphtha or Heptane
1. For example, let’s perform a Re-X on 1 gram of dried spice. Since I'm using 1
gram of spice, I will measure out 100ml of fresh Naphtha in a Beaker or small
mason jar. *NOTE: The glass you use to perform your Re-x needs to be tempered or
borosilicate glass because you will be using heat in this process.
2. After adding the measured Naphtha to a glass or beaker, cover the glass over with
aluminum foil to prevent evaporation and fumes.
3. Next, turn on your kitchen sink faucet and let the water get as hot as it can get.
Grab a pot and fill it up with hot water until the water line in the pot reaches the
same height of the Naphtha in the glass. *TIP: You do not need boiling hot water for
this process. If the water from your faucet doesn't get hot, place the pot of water on your
stove, bring the water to a gentle simmer and then shut off the heat. Never use open flames
around Naphtha.
4. Once your hot water is ready, grab your covered glass of Naphtha and place it in
the hot water bath. Allow the Naphtha to sit in your hot water bath for 15
minutes, occasionally swirling the Naphtha around every 3 to 4 minutes. This will
allow the Naphtha to heat up quickly and evenly.
5. After 15 minutes, peel back the foil and add the dried spice to the warm Naphtha.
Place the foil cover back on the top of your glass and begin to swirl the Naphtha
around to mix the spice.
6. Mix the Naphtha and spice for 5 minutes while keeping the Naphtha warm in the
water bath. you will notice that the spice almost instantly dissolves in the warm
Naphtha and all the impurities will stay as solids at the bottom of your glass.
7. After you have swirled your spice for 5 minutes in the warm Naphtha, it’s time to
pour the Naphtha into your Pyrex casserole dish to freeze precipitate for another
24 hours. Remove the foil on your glass of Naphtha and Pour the Naphtha into
your Pyrex casserole dish, being sure to leave behind the solid chucks of
impurities and black base, behind.
8. Once your Naphtha is in your casserole dish, cover the dish tightly with foil and
place it in the freezer for a minimum of 24 hours to let the crystals fully form.
9. 24 hours later you will have fresh white spice that is cleaner and safer. Remove
the foil cover and pour the excess Naphtha off the top of your crystals. Pour
slowly to allow any floating crystals to stick to the side of your dish as before. Dry
out your dish and scrape up your clean spice.
And there you have it! You just performed a Re-x on your first yield and cleaned up your spice
making it safer for use. Like I mentioned before, I’d like to see this step become a standard in
all Tek's. So, if it’s so great, why isn't it? The simple answer is that performing a Re-x will
decrease your original yield. After performing the Re-x on 1 gram of spice, my recovered
crystals only weighed .665 milligrams (a little over half a gram). Unfortunately, there are
people that prefer quantity over quality, and I can only assume why ($) That is why it’s always
safer and smarter to perform your own extractions, so you can be sure that you are getting
exactly what you want and making it a safe as possible. Please take the time to perform a Re-x
and don't skip it for a higher yield of less quality product.
This is the end of part 3.