How can I reduce the losses during extraction? Also which variables influence on this?

So take the pulling. The ratio between amounts of solvents, temperature when pulling, motion applied and time. What are the most optimal conditions to guarantee as much material being pulled from say a strong alkaline water solution containing alkaloids to the solvent in regard of these variables, and are there others as well that have much impact?

Besides this I found the separation of two solvent sometimes difficult. When sucking naphtha with a pipette there always remain a thin layer I couldn't remove from the water. So I added some more and then remove it again, to dilute the concentration that remains behind of the unremovable layer.

Are there techniques for this as well, that promote optimal yield? I was a bit disappointed after my first extraction cause I reckoned there must have been much spice loss due to errors or lack of optimal variables.

I haven't found much info on this, so this thread. I think that knowing some useful tricks can greatly increase yield when you start out extracting spice...

I've never overcome this, that is far from meaning it's not possible tho...

There always that last half millimeter or so, and I've always had a baseless feeling that the effect of gravity means that there is more spice in that layer by volume than the nps up top ( i know, i know, i said baseless, but i don't like hats on beds or splitting poles either...)

The only advice i have is... Keep experimenting and let us all know;

You could all ways buy a separatory funnel for an easier separation. However, I think as long as you do multiple pulls the leftover thin layer of naphtha won't contain much DMT at all.

@null24: I had chemistry classes back in the days and learning how to use a pipette was part of it, but only with water solutions. Never using solvents like naphtha. One thing I learned is that the surface tension of naphtha is very low so the pipette will leak at the bottom. So I am looking for tricks on how to use the thing. Have practiced with it for a while to get a feeling and prevent messy situations. One thing I do is separate multiple times for a pull. So I first suck of the naphtha into another container and there will come some watery stuff with it. So I suck this out from the bottom and after cleaning the pipette transfer the remaining naphtha to yet another container. If needed I repeat this once again. This way I can get as much from the thin layer as possible.

Yet what I do want to learn and forgive me if it is already described somewhere on the forum, but what makes a pull efficient? Like if I let it stand for 24 hours on room temperature with occasional stirring, or have it for two hours on 40 celsius and stir as much as possible... Another is how much solvent for each pull and how this relates to the amount of water and rootbark that is being extracted.