Hi all,

So I've simmered 300g of Peruvian Torch to snot, and now I want to reduce it to resin. I've heard from 2 sources that temperatures too high will kill the mesc content, but what I don't understand is, the simmer must bring temperatures to 212F/100C, so why can't I reduce at 200F/93C? I've yet to find an explanation, I'd love some input.

Thanks.

Likely being one of the 2 sources , i will proffer this guess in answer: the simmer is 3x1hr, whereas to reduce the snot to resin is (at 130f approx) about 48 hours + for the quantity you have, I imagine. At higher temps, you might halve that time, but then you are exposing the alkaloids to a near boiling temp for 24 hours + instead of 1 hour. So, dear boy , it must be a question of time exposed to those temps!! While you lose some after an hour, perhaps you lose most alkaloids after a time of X...?

My uneducated 2 cent guess...

JBArk

Thanks Mr. Bark for your reply. This brings us back to our freeze precip interrogation, does it not? (ie, when the molecules reach the temperature, voilà, the reaction happens...)

I'm leaving it at 150 for now, but I'm afraid it might not be ready in time... we'll see.

We'll just have to drink the bitter snot then! Anyone else wanna back up/squash my 2 cent theory ?

I've wondered how true the heat degradation rumors are... some facts:

mesc FB boils at 180 C in standard conditions

when water is just starting to show bubbles forming its about 70-80 C in standard conditions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiling

dissolving non volatile compounds in water raises the boiling point (and depresses freezing point, think of salt, antifreeze, etc)

some liquids will evaporate with different speeds related to their temp well below their boiling point (think of evapping water at room temp vs evapping at a hot temp vs boiling for example. Mesc FB could evap slowly at T < 180C? I think this is what jbark is getting at)

Sooo, as you reduce the solution becomes more concentrated and the boiling point will increase more. I doubt it gets anywhere close to 180C though. Having a stove on high can lead to very uneven heating also. Maybe the mesc evaps out slightly faster at a slightly higher temp? Honestly, I suspect inactive cactus is the real reason people think heat degrades tea.

EDIT I did some research and found someones attempts to distill FB mesc were very much unsuccessful. I highly doubt any of it is evapping.

heat damages mescaline? no. the bp is well above boiling

heat does not in any way harm mescaline, especially not in acidic plant form.

if it did, long boils pc at 220+ wouldn't work, and they do. see the post i linked to, i've tested it personally. results with pics...
https://dmt-nexus.me/for...&m=168258#post168258
dg