Hi Friends. This will be my first post on the Nexus

Naturally, I feel the pressure not to ask something that's been answered elsewhere, or post in the wrong section, so please be gentle with me!

A little about myself- I'm someone that has always been fascinated by alchemy, altered states, and pretty much anything of a clandestine nature. I'm insatiably curious, often to my detriment, I feel that curiosity is one of the most important attributes one can have, and I try to help others awaken theirs. I've had many journeys, spice journeys included, however my knowledge of organic chemistry is still in it's infancy. I love a good laugh, and hope to have some here.

I do intend to complete the questionnaire, however right now I have a pressing question:

When using Noman's STB tek, the mix has accidentally been shaken too vigorously, and formed a thick emulsion. The bark was very finely powdered, making matters worse.
It's now in a conical flask on a heated stirrer and has been for some time. In order to resolve the emulsion fastest, should the stirring function and heat be left on or switched off completely? I can't tell whether leaving it stirring/heating is helping it separate or making it worse.

I'd be grateful for any advice, and if this is answered elsewhere, I'd love someone to shoot me the link.

Thanks

The first thing I'd do is check the PH. If you still have scope to add more lye and not go to extremes with the PH sometimes that can help to dissolve an emulsion.

I'd take it off the stir plate and immerse in a hot water bath. You need to heat the whole batch evenly and get the water it's immersed in almost boiling.

While a heated stir plate can easily attain the temp required it really has to be stirring at the same time time so you don't overheat the sludge that settles if it isn't stirring. I could be wrong (I don't have a heated stir plate) but I tend to think the stirring will keep forming the emulsions that you want to get rid of.

Once you get it up to temp sometimes an emulsion will just dissolve back into the soup. Many less problematic emulsions can be re-dissolved with surface tension, they get trapped in a small space and can't disperse. So if you tip the extraction vessel on its side to give the interference zone between the polar and non polar layers as large of a surface are as possible the emulsion will sometimes dissolve as it spreads out and breaks up.

But sometimes emulsions need every trick you can think of - more lye, heat, vibration and maximising surface area between the layers. Sometimes nothing works and you have to suck the emulsion off and do mini A/B on it, sometimes more than once.

Welcome,
Heat bath, and add some non-iodized salt solution.
After your last shake/settle, swirl it around.
Search the site for emulsion, and you can find more detailed info.
Emulsions are really tricky sometimes.
Good luck, hope it works out.