So SWIM decided to embark upon the wonderful world of the Changalicious. Using pure acetone he placed a batch in last night and this morning found it all evaporated. However, there was a distinct gooey green layer around where the acetone rim used to be. He took out his changa and weighed it: the total should have been around 400mg, but his dry matter only weighed 280mg. Does the gooey green layer contain most of his spice? Or are those just plant alks/compounds that seeped out and left the solvent?

It seems like this would really mess up dosing and such since one wouldn't know the ratio. SWIM tried to redo it, and added more acetone to dissolve the green gunk, and once again the green stuff forms ABOVE the acetone rim, almost like the acetone repels it (or the atmosphere attracts it).
Could someone please explain to SWIM what the problem might be here?

NOTE: There is A LOT more green goo, it deff seems to be repelled from the solution by the acetone, forming a really big ring of it around the changa. Very strange. Do I just assume all the spice is absorbed into the leaf then, and make my calculations based on the total amount of leaf left. Meaning I've made like a really high ratio changa?

PICS:

Mine had a green layer on my electric sheep and it did not seem to make my leaf lest potent by not scraping it up. I am not exactly sure what the green ring is though I was wondering the same. It may just be chlorophyll from your leaf but thats just a shot in the dark

For what it's worth it shouldn't contain DMT.. DMT is so soluble in acetone it definitely shouldn't float on top like that..

I hope someone with some personal experience can answer for you

yah, I havent been able to dig up any information about it, or about other users discussing it.
The problem with the changa teks is that people don't show any steps in between... just A) Leaf sitting in acetone ... straight to B) leaf on a scale! lol So who knows what they saw in between. Thanks thought for reassuring that all the spice stays in the acetone, that's the main thing SWIM was worried about (of course!). Much appreciated, and yes if anyone out there has experience and can shed some more light on this, please do. It's prob not that serious of a topic, but doesn't ever hurt to have more knowledge.

That would mean that ~100mg of leaf matter has seeped out, thats alot.
Was the leaf dry to start with? Is the Acetone clean/pure?
Have you tried to scrape up the green goo and does it smell of dmt?



Try this, dissolve the goo in some acetone, then throw the changa back in with it, leave to evap again but be sure to give it a mix everynow and then. So as the acetone is evaping you are mixing the green goo layer into the leaf. Leave it to fully dry, and if there is some green goo left just scrape it up with some of the changa, then mix it all up nice and good.

PS: I cant see any pics.

Woops, dunno why the pics disappeared! Now they're uploaded, have a look! You'll see that the green layer is almost avoiding the acetone. No clue how the hell that happens lol! Maybe SWIM should put a video camera on it, since it looks like magic! We'll set up the CHANGA POLICE : HEY GREEN GOO, WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING WITH THAT SPICE??!?!?

Yes, the leaf was dry to start with, acetone was tested for purity on a mirror and glass top table. No smell of spice on the goo, then again the changa doesn't have a spicey smell either (different smell than usual though. This IS SWIM's first attempt at Changa afterall, so he's never had much to compare to). The changa WORKS! That's for sure! =P

Scrape up that green goo with the herb and smoke it!!!

Oh ya, the blend wont really smell of DMT, different than the original leaf forsure.

When I make my changa I always try and make sure that the potency of the herb or herbs is uniform. This takes most of the guess work out of dosing.

Sooooo..... How I do this is I dissolve my FB spice into my solvent. I never use acetone, I use 99% IPA. IPA seems to evap faster and there is allot less odor emitted. I know that acetone does work. Anyway I take my herbs that I want to infuse and I put them in a small jar with my Spice/IPA solution. I put a lid on the jar and shake it up good and let it soak for a few days. I make sure all of the plant matter I want to infuse is soaking, soggy, completely saturated wet. IME often this takes time. Let it soak good. Let the infusion happen, dont rush it, dont be in a hurry. I usually warm up my IPA/Spice solution in a warm water bath first and I frequently keep it warm wile the herb is soaking up the spice.

IMO if you just pour the solvent spice/solution on to the herbs you want to infuse, make sure its covered, and then let it evap, you prolly wont get complete infusion of all your herbal matter.

The green goo is normal. Once its all dry I normally wipe the green ring/residue off with some of the changa.

My changa normally has a wonderful boquet of spice when finished. Thats really how I know its finished.

May I offer a suggestion? If I understand this correctly you are kinda new to changa?

IMO you should start with a simple caapi infusion. Learn from that and build on that.

My experience with mixed herbs is that they have differences in dryness, texture and density that cause them to absorb the spice/solvent solution at different rates. A good soak before evap is a must. To be safe I would let it soak a day or three. Uniformity in dosing is a must, IME/IMO of course.

Ice House, this seems like very good advice! I never thought about covering the mixture and letting it sit for a while. I figured it would "soak" while the acetone/IPA was still evaporating, but that is obviously not sufficient. I guess I failed to think of the logical step of CLOSING the container for a day or two and letting the infusion happen. THANKS!

Still kind of confused with the green goo haha. Right now switching to 99% IPA, and going to see how that fares.