Can we use indicators like phenolphthalein to aid in salting mescaline? I’m not familiar with using indicators so I have no idea how they work or if they are super accurate. In the past I’ve used my ph meter to salt mescaline sulfate to a ph of 7 from xylene, the problem being that the small amounts of xylene present in the aqueous phase destroy my ph probe casing. I guess I could be more patient and careful…. I’d like to convert some of my citrate salt into sulfate with a little a/b. Perhaps I can do this on a stir plate with the right kind of indicator in solution?

I don't know about phenolphtalein, but in general, use of pH indicator is very convenient method, I personally use DIY indicator from red cabbage for mescaline. Super easy to make, can be stored frozen in cubes and it works perfectly.

https://youtu.be/oG-pNRVHsc4?si=3t5vyD_f26u3WEUD

Go for pink colour with some violet tones

Red cabbage is pretty versatile as an indicator, going from yellow red in low pH (20% acetic) to blue, green, and then yellow as alkaline pH increases - almost like an inside-out universal indicator. [Corrected - thanks Dd]

Another natural indicator is sunflower seed anthocyanin made by soaking and filtering sunflower seeds with water. That one still needs the pH/colour response documenting but playing around with it demonstrated some useful colour changes. The sunflower extract seems amenable to preserving with alcohol (EtOH/IPA) too.

Attached is a picture of the cabbage juice but it sets me wondering whether the yellow is the high pH or the low. I'd best do some systematic tests with proper notes, then I can throw in some results for beetroot too, which has a simpler colour profile (red/yellow) more akin to phenolphthalein.

It's probably best to avoid phenolphthalein itself if you're intending to consume a product since it's a powerful laxative.

Hey that’s great! I had no idea thanks for the heads up. I imagined with phenolphthalein that it would remain in the acidic water once a neutral ph was reached and the sulphate would crystallise in the water while the indicator would not.… Laxative does not sound like a great admixture however 😂

Red cabbage indicator shows red colour for low pH, yellow for high pH.

Thanks for the reminder, the red area on one side was indeed from 25% acetic acid, the turquoise from sodium carbonate (solid) and the yellow was one prill of sodium hydroxide.