Oh Snap! Spice Sing Along Slideshow.

[witchdr11]

I'll provide illustrations, someone else provides the lyrics!

[witchdr11]

Some more pics...

Well here we have the start of a mimosa hostilis inner root bark extraction. Seen are most of the supplies required. Root bark, seen in first post whole, in this second post after grinding in a coffee grinder(RIP). Food grade lye, Naptha (seen in second post), Ammonia for a cleansing wash (I hope this clear ammonia will do, it's ingredients read softened water, ammonia, chelating agent<-what is this?). A ceramic crock pot, a wine decanter, turkey baster and some measuring equipment. More to come as it happens.

[Delafonze19]

Chelation (from Greek χηλή, chelè, meaning claw; pronounced [ˌki:ˈleɪʃən]) is the binding or complexation of a bi- or multidentate ligand. These ligands, which are often organic compounds, are called chelants, chelators, chelating agents, or sequestering agent. The ligand forms a chelate complex with the substrate. The term is reserved for complexes in which the metal ion is bound to two or more atoms of the chelating agent, although the bonds may be any combination of coordination or ionic bonds.
Makes amonia gas stay in the water.
Use it. I find that mine does freeze in thfreezer then expands and make a horible and foul smelling mess

[witchdr11]

Thanks Delafonze!

Ok so here's a question that I have found varying answers to. If someone uses 1/2 lb root bark how much lye and water is going to be required via Marsfold's for a guarunteed ph level? SWIM thinks his plan is to use 43g of lye in 1/2 pint of water, a bit over what is recomended as SWIM has no access to ph paper or meters at the current time. SWIM is fairly certain he could even eyeball the color easily enough but wants to get opinions first. The Marsfold tek reads...

Basification: Premix in advance a solution of: 4 Tablespoons (50grams) of Sodium Hydroxide ("Red Devil" lye) with 1-Pint of HOT Water. Stir well. Slowly add this solution to the wine jug, then cap the jug. Gently tilt the wine jug back and forth for 1 full minute to mix the contents

The above recipe is for 1lb of bark, where as SWIM's is 1/2 lb. An updated version reads 70 grams of lye. Again, SWIM is planning on using ~43gramsof lye to 1/2 pint water. SWIM's plan is hoping to take advantage of the fact that over basification doesn't seem to work in a negative way.

Ok another question. SWIM thinks a defat would be a great extra step to add to this tek before basifying. As Marsfold uses vinegar as his acid, and SWIM would probably like to adjust this tek to use a bit less of acid relying a bit more on natural acidity, would a defat of the aqueous solution with naptha pull any spice? At what ph would one start loosing spice in a defat? Is slightly acidic like Marsfold or SWIM's idea sufficiently acid to prevent any losses? IF so, perhaps a more acidic initial extraction would be called for if trying to add a defat to the tek.

SWIM may even stick straight to the tek and not defat if he feels the yields would not be too oily. I think anyone who understands this process probably understands where I'm coming from. Thanks for your opinions!

[witchdr11]

Since SWIM is asking alot of questions already. SWIM wants to know if there is any harm (or good) in throwing already ground root bark into the freezer to rupture more cells/tissue since he has some time to kill before going spice mining.

[witchdr11]

Shameless bump in hopes for some insights

[witchdr11]

Ok, sorry for a lack of pictures, SWIM says his camera batteries died after a recent upload. Swim says he is freeze precipatating his pulls and evap'ed a small amount already to look at his product. SWIM says without a defat, using 43 g of lye in 1/2 pint of water, he did 4 x 85 ml pulls of high room temp - low 90's warmish naptha to the basified solution.

SWIM used a large everclear bottle for the naptha pulls which turned out to be a nice vessel. The filtered juice from the vinegar and water extraction which was performed 3 times was strained and coffee filtered into the everclear bottle. This came to be approximately 1.2 litres of juice which was cold filtered around 40 hours. A large, dense layer of sludge had settled out. The now reasonably clear red liquid was poured in a decanter. The everclear bottle was cleaned of the sludge and the juice coffee filtered back into it. It must have looked very clear at this point.

The pre-made lye solution was slowly added, with various well defined stages of appearance appearing. At first SWIM says it looked like a grey mass was forming and collaguating within the red liquid. The whole half-pint of 43g lye solution was added, by which time the grey mass had completely disappeared without any stirring. The bottle was now jet black and clear of emulsion appearances. The bottle was then rolled end over end for 5 minutes.

The 4 naptha pulls broke from emulsion extremly quickly. Each pull was rolled end over end for about 5 minutes. Within 20 minutes a clear layer with very few bubbles was completely seperate from the base solution. All pulls were pulled with an eyedropper. The turkey baster did not fit into the neck of the everclear bottle enough to reach the bottom of the naptha layer. All pulls were gathered into one collection jar.

The small amount that swim evap'ed by fan (perhaps 10 ml) yielded snow white crystals. Swim thought they were so white they looked as pure as the food grade lye used for basification. Without any further evaporation the approximately 310 ml of naptha was placed in the back of the freezer. Swim says copious amounts of equally white crystals are falling out already.

[witchdr11]

Swim says the spice is nice. He thinks it seems so clean its probably not worth messing with anymore. He wonders if there is some reason to clean it more if it is white straight out of freeze precip. What do you think?

[witchdr11]

I wish swim's camera had better focus on close ups, but here is pics of what was freeze precipitated I'm fairly certain I've got a bit more in solution because there was at least 300 ml of naptha and it was not evaporated down at all before freezing.

[Delafonze19]

with the focus issue it would be easier to see if it was on black background for contrast. I have not gotten anythign cleaner using amonia. Re crys works to an extent but the goop still usually get scraped up acidentally. Whoever should prob get at least 2.5 grams of spice.

I have noticed I get cleaner better visuals of cleaner spice. Reusing naptha has aquired yellow tint. Prob from fat or what ever theat is not precipitating in the freezer. Charcoal would prob help I can only dream about coffee filters not lab grade.

[eastwood]

Nice.If you was gonna do it again what would you change. nice post.

[witchdr11]

Well I'm not sure what SWIMs final yield is yet so I can't really say what he should change. It seemed to go great really. Special thanks to Delafonze and Marsofold for their help along the way though.

[Delafonze19]

you're more than welcome my friend