I have heard that when extracting DMT it's best to not extract from above about 200 grams of bark for best results as for some reason this can be wasteful. Makes little sense to me, but providing this is even true does it also apply to cacti?

Would it be best to extract from smaller 100-200 gram amounts rather than say a pound? I also work with glassware of only about 1000 ml (sep funnel conical flask etc) so although I plan to do AB and reduce down the volume of liquid I will start with, I am guessing I should scale down to at most 200 grams?

Any thoughts?

Several smaller extractions are generally better. That way if you screw something up, you won't lose all your precious cactus/bark/whatever. For whatever reason, I always go with 100g extractions (well with an exception for Syrian Rue as it is cheap, plentiful, and legal...)

Also, a lot of people use the dried outer flesh as opposed to whole cactus in an extraction. I usually extract the whole thing, core and all. But to each their own...

Good luck wolf!

Edit: Also this thread posted twice for some reason, but I'm sure a MOD can fix it!

Thanx dude!

I was thinking about doing an ethanol extraction so I could take my time and not have to spend any time over a hot stove. I have already done this before with a simple cacti/alcohol extraction but this time after pooling extractions I would, defat with xylene, add base and then pull with an NP solvent.

I don’t really want to spend all day boiling cacti and that’s really the most crucial part because you can’t wander away!

Are there any disadvantages of doing it this way as opposed to with water?

I don't think there are any real disadvantages behind the different methods. After all, they are all means to the same end... I typically go with dry teks when it comes to mescaline (69ron's lime tek mainly). No boiling necessary but you do have to dry (I use a food dehydrator) and powder your cactus. Base and then pull with NP. I love limonene so that is my preferred NP on most adventures. But with limonene you have to salt it (Mescaline) out because Limonene doesn't evaporate cleanly even when its purity is high. That leaves you with Mescaline Acetate which can be consumed as is or cleaned up with MEK (MEK is really a nasty chemical to be working with, IMO so I only use it when I want to see a purer end product).

Hum luckily I have an industrial sized dehydrator from my Shroom days sitting here collecting dust!

Limonene seems cool I should get into that but was always put off by the salting and lack of being able to use freeze precipitation!

I know thats just being ridiculously lazy!

I'm pretty new to this game though so I get a pass!

Ethanol and xylene are miscible, so defatting an ethanol solution with xylene isn't possible.

Thats a rather important point. I guess I will skip the defat! To be honest I dont care too much about obtaining crystals or anything like that. I didnt even RX my DMT as I dont believe in it!

Out of interest. Naphtha defat would be OK?

Thats a rather important point. I guess I will skip the defat! To be honest I dont care too much about obtaining crystals or anything like that. I didnt even RX my DMT as I dont believe in it!

Out of interest. Naphtha defat would be OK?

Whoops, should have picked up on that...I apologize, I was very tired the last time I posted on this thread!

As for a "defat"... I've found that it isn't entirely necessary, especially since you said you were not worried about purity or crystals. Besides, people tend to either love or hate the extra alkaloid content of an "impure" extract. It feels more like mescaline tea that way but without having to chug a bunch of funky/nasty cactus juice...

I prefer to eat my Mescaline Acetate as is with no further cleaning. But that may just be me ...