I had plenty of KOH (potassium Hydroxide) handy so I used it for a noman tek extraction, basifying to about 12-13 PH (purple test strip) but I've got almost no spice being pulled out with either heptane or bartoline mineral spirits (naphta). Anyone know what the problem is & how I can get at the spice?
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Theoretically, it should not matter if it's Na or K but you never know how it turns out in practice. Never mind the pH paper, what's the KOH concentration?
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The KOH was never weighed out but in 750ml of water there is I'd say around 2 tablespoons of KOH. It was added bit by bit to the water so can't be too sure but overall think it must be about that.
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Maybe pH is too low, two tablespoons is not much. KOH has a higher mol mass than NaOH: 40 grams of NaOH is equivalent to 56 grams of KOH.
Hard to tell from here what's wrong... all I can think of is add some more KOH and heat the whole thing in a water bath when pulling. Good luck!
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I've now added 39g more KOH. I'll see if it makes any difference, though I'm skeptical as ph test strip showed it heavily alkiline anyway.
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There's always the chance that the bark is the problem...
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I use 75g (ish)of NaHO for 750mL of water to 50-75g of powdered bark. 13 tea spoons? stirring over and over per 5 spoon fulls. Never tried KHO, but Might consider it if its lest caustic and less suspicious /easier to acquire. All illegal narcotics are medicinal. Boredom is a disease worse than cancer. Drugs cure it, with little or no side effects if used as directed - Doug Stanhope.
Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual. - Thomas Jefferson
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SWIMfriend wrote:There's always the chance that the bark is the problem... True, but its from the same batch that has proved good in the past so I'm tending to assume its good quality bark.
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SWIM used 500 mL water, 250 mL KOH (2.5 Molar) to get pH up to 12.5
That's a lot of liquid.
SWIM did not find KOH to be an economically viable base.
Was SWIY's KOH food grade or fertilizer/hydroponic grade?
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It was KOH flakes, solid rather than liquid.
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