Hello all, I think this is like my first post. However I have been a member on the nexus for a while and an avid reader/student. I have finally built up the courage and hopefully knowledge to attempt my first ACRB A/B extract based on many AB teks I have read now. This will be a work in progress as I have not yet fully begun the extract (My ACRB is still in the freezer.) So I am going to be updating as I go. Unfortunately I will not be uploading pics at this time, but maybe later. I'm just a paranoid person and feel uncomfortable uploading them to the internet. But hopefully doing this as I go will help me learn further, and possibly assist others in their journey. This is not a massive extract, only a small one since this is for my personal enlightenment and no others. I have felt compelled to do this for years now, and ever since my first experience with this molecule I have felt the strong pull back to it. I feel now it is time to revisit this world, something is requiring my attention I guess. We shall see! Anyway, to my planned method. And PLEASE, feel free to criticize, add suggestions, etc. or just spectate as I go. All help is appreciate

Using 100g of ACRB, placed in freezer to freeze/thaw three times.

While the ACRB has been freezing, clean and sanitize all workspace. I prefer the kitchen, but to each their own. (I mean SANITIZE. Oust the air, sanitize the table, sanitize your vessels, everything. If you know chemistry, you should ALWAYS sanitize the crap out of everything.) Lay out all of your equipment to prepare for the extract and easy access. Wear PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) I prefer to mostly use goggles (not glasses, goggles. No exceptions) and kevlar chemical gloves that go to my elbows.

After the ACRB has finished thawing for the third time, place 100g of ACRB into 500ml of distilled H2O and add 35-40ml of 5% Distilled White Vinegar to a small pot and boil. (I am going to be trying to monitor the temperature as well since water evaporates around 105 degrees Fahrenheit) Allow the mixture to boil for 1.5 hours covered, then transfer mixture to a second pot and begin uncovered reduction. Repeat as needed.

Once reduced, let solution cool to a manageable temperature then pour into your sealable extraction vessel. Make sure the solution stays warm through out. Best method I think I've read is to plug up a sink with hot water, keep boiling water going to pour into it as it cools.

Combine a warm 50g non-ionized NaCl saline solution to the mixture.

Basify the mixture with approximately 37.5g NaOH.

While the mixture is warm still add in 50ml of Naptha, then seal the container.

In a safe area while wearing PPE, vigorously shake the solution. Shake vigorously for 60-90 seconds and then allow the mixture to separate. Repeat five to ten times, upon completion roll jar slowly around in the warm water to reduce emulsions.

Allow mixture to completely separate into two phases, then using a pipet/syringe, remove the top phase and place into a second container.

Leave the vessel uncovered for 6-8 hours to allow crystals to drop at room temperature.

Get another clean, dry vessel to pour the remaining solution into. Put this mixture into the freezer for a couple of days. Do not disturb this mixture during this time. Be patient and allow it to completely finish. After a couple days remove the container and scrape.

Repeat Bassification for further pulls. Allow the crystals to dry.

Note- Always make sure sanitation and cleanliness are constant. Don't use damp or dirty glass. Make sure all glasswear can withstand heat (pyrex).

Make sure anything not pyrex or glass will not dissolve or fall apart when putting certain solutions in.

I will be attempting to maintain a pH of around 4.

All water is bought distilled. Always pouring everything slowly as well, NaOH and H2O produce heat. Always use caution and your head when working with any chemical. NaOH is harmful to humans, so handle with care.

Anyway, I don't really know what more to say at this time. As I said before, I am only running 100g, so that is what this was written for. Any suggestions, advice is welcome. Thank you all, and thank you for such a great collection of knowledge and community.

Looks good.
Personally I would use filtered or spring water.
Add 50g's of salt/saline (NaCl) before the base stage.
Only pull with 30-50ml of solvent.
Your yield should increase

Hope it goes well

Thanks for your input cyb, your guides are actually among some of my favorites that I've read.
Thank you for pointing that out. I will add that in and modify my steps. I want to hopefully get to where I can run a few different methods with 100g increments, figuring out which ones work best for me with what I have. For now I just want to get this one working. Still waiting on the ACRB powder to freeze.. didn't realize how long this would take. Might just let it set all day. Then thaw, then freeze all day just to make sure. I'm not in a rush.

Question though, should the NaCl be an aqueous solution? Then added to the reduced acidic mixture? I will be reducing my pull amount to ~50ml at a time now, I am just unsure on how I should go about adding the NaCl. I would assume that since you included saline that it would be aq, I just don't want to make any assumptions as I am also updating my method as I go so I can keep making a better one. Thanks.

Yes, dissolve the salt in small amount of hot water and add it to the mix.

A lot of freebase can be held in a small amount of warm solvent (30-50ml) so pulling with small amounts is preferable to keep the saturation high.
Have a look at the Salt Teks in my signature...all will be explained

edit: I'll attach them here in case you don't have access.

Thanks for the clarification. I'll be making sure to modify my steps as well and I've got them both downloaded now. I will be going back through over the course of the next couple of days and double checking myself.

Scrapped the idea of making NaOH. Managed to find a source. While this little guy is still in the freezing and thawing stages I've also started up a little HBWR extract as well. I will post a new thread later to report the results!

You dont seem to mention a defat anywhere. Definitely please comment on the amount of goo you get once all is said and done, especially since you are evaping rather than freeze preciping. I have never used MHRB which supposedly doesnt have as high of a fat content as ACRB, but it is said that ACRB gets messy at the end of an evap. SWIM always freeze precips to avoid the gooing as much as possible. Try to watch your humidity levels during your evap because even if you get heavy goo'ing, it will really help solidify everything by avoiding a moist environment.

Freezing helps produce a purer product, but evap'ing allows for greater yields at the expense of a more impure product (gooey fats from ACRB).


Im going to go off on a tangent here, but, it almost makes you wonder.... say, if there were a lot of impurities from evaping (as there normally are, especially with ACRB), and then say you perform a Re-crystalization, would the final yield be the same as if you had just freeze precip'd to begin with?


Anyway, look forward to reading the results you get!

So the run went fairly well I believe, other than a couple scares on thinking I had it heated too long or too much. I guess it's all just part of learning and getting used to it as my skill progresses. But to clarify, and I'll need to modify my steps. I did not leave any to evap in a jar out, I went with straight freeze precip and what I pulled last night is looking nice after being in the freezer for less than 12 hours. I'm going to check it again tomorrow when I get up and hopefully look nice. I decided to take a little sample of the top layer without defatting it just to see what would happen before running another pull and it appears to be doing okay. We'll see tomorrow I suppose. My question though now is how long does it usually take your layers to separate?

What layers? In the extraction vessel while mixing the naphtha with the bark juice? If so, they usually separate fully within 10 minutes with the mixture being kept warm-hot.

That's what I was referring to. I was only curious if it took any longer. I have done 4 pulls now and they have been successful. I'm having trouble keeping the crystals at room temperature. I have been pulling and placing them in the freezer until they are evapd and then placing in front of a fan until the smell of solvent is gone.

how are you going to boil 600ml for so long? do you mean in a double boiler warm water bath or do you mean low simmer?

would it be ok to top off the water that Evaps to keep the bark covered? ? if so do you add more vin too? let's say no pH meter but want to top off and keep the right acid level

Apologies for not updating in a while on my work, been having outside troubles unfortunately but things are looking up finally again, so good vibes for all!

And I did not successfully get crystals from this, but I have noted everything that went on and noted the steps I made, where I messed up, etc. So hopefully I can build upon this after I feel more comfortable to do again and once the holidays pass! It was definitely a fun learning experience, with a nice reward still! I came out with about 1.5g of peanut butter looking goo and a few crystals blended in. Smokes perfectly fine as well, have had my one return to hyperspace and put it away for a later date Thank you for all the help and knowledge on here!

And in response to 01777, this is a part that I noted I think I messed up at. I initially boiled in a 1000ml vinegar/water solution that I put the root bark into covered. My hot plates heated faster than I expected and a bit more evaped than I expected. I put back to a simmer and topped up a little bit more.. next time I'm going to work on that step better. And I don't really know of any way to tell you for monitoring pH without litmus paper. I didn't do a double boil on anything, and kept a warm bath for my pulls as well.

One question I have for anyone willing to help is when I'm finished with acidifying my solution do you not put the ACRB into the extraction vessel? As in would you strain out the powder and just leave the dark solution in the vessel before bassifying it? Thanks.