How much time should SWIM left the bark soaking in the basified solution? Noman's says about one hour, but I've read about people leaving it to soak for 3 or more hours.

Does the basified solution corrode plastic easily? (e.g. plastic can, plastic bottles)

If you are using finely powdered MHRB, then you do not need to wait as long as three hours. The first extraction i ever did i waited 24 hours, thinking the bark needed time to break down. Since powdered bark breaks down really quickly (specially when using the 1g Lye: 1g Bark ratio) it won't take long.

I usually throw the bark in when the jar is a bit cooler to touch. Some people say you can throw the bark in immediately, which would probably still give ok results. I still think, even if using finely powdered bark, you should wait about an hour.

If you use HDPE grade plastic, then you won't have to worry about contaminating your product. I hope that helped clear it up for you.

ok, thank you.