So my package arrived tonight, and though I was originally planning on waiting until after the weekend to try.. I felt very moved to try tonight. And since I've heard so much about starting with vine only brews, or at least starting small and working up, I decided I would try my first light batch tonight.. There were certainly effects, but it was much less than I was expecting.. People are certainly right about batches misfiring. Though mine was certainly active.. It was not what I was expecting. I was a little bummed at how light the effects were, but it's a learning experience, and as always, with the intelligence these plant teachers have, I'm sure I got exactly what I needed at this point in my life.. So here's what I did.

My chacruna won't arrive until later, but today I received a little over 100g yellow B. Caapi, and about 25g Mimosa. I've read about so many different preparations.. Most recipes call for several hours or cooking, about 3 hours for each wash, repeating about 3 times.. However I've read so many experience reports where people only brewed for about 15 minutes and had mindblowing effects.. So I didn't place so much emphasis on the amount of time I spent brewing, and tried to just pay attention to the plants themselves.

I took slightly less than 50g of the Caapi vine, pounded with a hammer, and placed the shredded pieces in a pot. I shredded the Mimosa as best I could by hand, and was left with many small strips and chips of it, which I placed about 4g of in another pot. For the Mimosa I added just enough water to cover it, 250ml, and a teaspoon of vinegar. I started the burner underneath, brought it to where it was bubbling just a bit underneath, and then took off some of the heat and let it simmer. I did the same with the Caapi in the other pot, but it needed a bit more water - 500ml.

These simmered for a little over an hour, until the water level was much lower (are you supposed to leave the pots uncovered? I did). I got two more pots and used a T-shirt to strain the liquid through into them. Added water and vinegar again to the original pots, and repeated the process. I did three washes of the Mimosa and two of the Caapi. I also reduced the amount of liquid in the new pots. I was left with much less liquid than I was expecting though.. Both drinks ended up being less than a shot's worth.

I have the feeling that my technique could have been much better, and I really want to learn more about brewing before I give this another go.. It just didn't quite feel right. I had the nagging thought in the back of my head that I cooked it too long, not long enough, too hot, not hot enough.. Not enough water, not enough vinegar. Too much.. Reduced it too much.. Cooked out the actives.. These were all worries of mine.

Anyway, after the drinks were ready I went outside, made a nice place to lay down with some blankets.. Had some water to rinse it down with, and a bucked for the purge.. I drank the Caapi brew first, waited 10 minutes, and then downed the Mimosa. They didn't taste good, but I got them down ok.. For the first 25 minutes or so I felt like I was going to throw up, but that eventually left.. And I didn't feel nausea again at all.. A little gas, but nothing to write home about.. Also.. I didn't purge. Not once. I had read a lot about the effects really kicking in after the purge, so I kept waiting for it, and got worried when it didn't come.. I was actually very hungry most of the time.

It was definitely active though. After about an hour there were definite effects. My thinking was slightly altered. I did notice some visual changes.. Not what I was expecting from any amount of DMT though, from what I've read. Colors were slightly brighter, and I was sensitive to light changes.. but that's about it. Things did look 'different', and some visual effects were definitely there, but hard to put my finger on.

There was a definite body energy to the experience. It was actually quite pleasant. I spent a lot of time thinking about life, and my connection to the universe. Smiled quite a bit. Felt like dancing. Danced a little bit. But really, that was about it..

The effects have almost worn off completely now. I'm sure I'll be realizing more as the next few days go by. Even though it was a very subtle experience I know I'll still need time to integrate.

I guess that's about all I can say about it now.. I'm filled with questions about my brewing technique and the lack of effects I was expecting. I know I got something out of it, maybe more than I realize, but it's hard to put my finger on right now. I did ask the vine to be gentle on me, maybe that's part of it. I was very nervous about using Mimosa and being overwhelmed by the DMT, which certainly didn't happen. And I think I'll need to resist the urge to raise my dose by too much next time.

I do feel quite bursting at the seams to talk about it right now.. but words aren't exactly flowing out of me right now. So I'll leave it at that for tonight. Will be reporting back though. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks all!

In the Aya subforum, I made a pretty comprehensive sticky called All About Aya that covers brewing!

The Mimosa could theoretically be boiled for a shorter time, but Caapi does require the long cooks.

It takes a bit of practice to find your sweet spot, but once you've found it, you will hit it every time. At least you got your feet wet.

I also like to brew many doses at a time, so I have enough for about 6 weeks... to avoid brewing so many times, so there is more to drink if I need it, etc.

you are correct your technique to brew ayahuasca was poor. im not gonna sugar coat it because you got good and solid links/advice you've seemed to ignore in your previous threads.

the rest of this post i have deleted because azreal is correct my delivery was aggressive and not appropriate for the nexus.

p.s. dont throw out the vine you only boiled for an hour, there is much more actives in it and you can do a correct brew after you learn how.

^olympus mon: chill, but keep bringing the truth. delivery matters.

Cheers Dig, I tried my first vine 2 nights ago as well (40g vine only). Mine was very mild and I felt hungry too (I actually cooked dinner, ate, and then slept within 6-7 hours of drinking). It sounds to me like you didn't get maoied enough to let the mimosa through. My advice for brews (mostly learned from the snakes cacti brew stories):

keep track of color/taste of the watery bit that comes off every time you separate. I like to do many small amounts of liquid so I can see when the water starts to leach out less and less color and tastes weaker and weaker. A full strain/filter is not necessary for every separation, you can just use a jar/cup to get most of the watery part out, refill with fresh water, and do final filter at the end. Eventually the water will come off more transparent and dilute. Color/taste does not necessarily mean actives but it's some input, and will inform your judgement. Use your judgement.

(my experience did match others though... around 9 hours brewing for the water to come off very light. probably 2/3 of the color came out in the first 4 hours or so)

reducing a ton may not be beneficial. It's personal preference, but I think a slightly larger amount (~300ml) of better tasting brew can be easier on the stomach than a vile little shot. Also, with larger amounts of liquid there is less loss due to transferring between vessals or spills, and less fear of burning.

I'm still learning the vine so someone with more experience might rightfully contradict my advice, but I feel like I'm on the right path. You might want to try brewing your used vine some more and see if strong tasting/colored brew comes off, maybe add it to your next brew. There is no need to drink all the brew you make at once. You can make extra and save some for another time or use it to boost if you don't think you got enough. I think its a bad idea to brew and drink in haste. I always let it be in the fridge overnight and settle out the nasties while dreaming about what is in that jar. good luck

It is very important to let the sludge settle out of your Mimosa, too--let it sit for at least 24 hours. It should be clear, like a light red wine.

Well thank you to everyone that's chimed in so far.

But first, mon:

I haven't ignored anything that's been posted in my previous threads.. I read ms_manic's post about Aya more than once. I've read quite a bit more than that actually.. I'm just very new to this, and there is some terminology that I don't think I fully understand. And of course, there are lot's of contradicting opinions when it comes to brewing and such. I know my technique could have been better, but it was my first time, and that's why I'm very grateful for a place like this, where I can come and ask people what I can do to make it better. I'm trying my best to not take this lightly, and to have a great deal of respect for these plants.

Now, I think there may have been some confusion about my first post.. Sorry if it wasn't clear, I was still slightly altered when I posted.. I brewed the Caapi for what ended up being close to 4 hours.. I did three washes of a little over an hour each, plus a reduction. Same for the Mimosa.

But one thing I think I'm hearing here is that my Mimosa certainly should have been broken up more? That's good to know, and thank you. The Caapi I think was shredded quite well, I did use the hammer method, and then tore it apart more by hand. While I'm sure I could have brewed longer, I don't think the Caapi was my problem, because the effects I felt seemed mostly like how I've heard the Caapi described, and I think I felt maybe a small small tryptamine type feel in the background..

But anyway.. The Mimosa was tricky for me.. I filtered it well and got almost all of the sludgy stuff out. But when I was reducing it I was left with very little liquid and a powder/sludge type stuff stuck to the bottom of the pan. Did I heat too long? Too much? Some friends on another forum told me that with Mimosa I don't need heat, or even vinegar. What do you guys think about all that?

I want to try to figure that part out as best as possible so I can tell if the weakness of the Mimosa was more due to my technique, or to the batch that I have, so I don't overshoot the mark next time.

Anyway, thank you all for you replies, and I apologize for my ignorance on some of these topics.. I'm very much still in the kiddie-pool in this world. So I appreciate your help, and continued patience with me. But please don't think I'm lazy. I've spent a WHOLE lot of time reading about this. And while I could read everything there is to read, I still prefer to get feedback from actual living, breathing people, who have personal experience in this area. I thank you for helping to point out my mistakes in a kind way.

Also, I will be planning on allowing more time for brewing this time. I only had about 4 hours to dedicate last night.. Which at the time I felt was about right. I was just trying to listen to the plants. I could have spent a little more if I thought it was needed. But I live with some family members right now, so taking up the stove all day is a little rude. Thankfully they're very supportive and understanding of my new endeavors with these plant teachers, especially after the incredible experiences I've had recently with Iboga.

Anyway, thanks again all.. And again I apologize for my ignorance. I'm just a baby here, but I'm trying to learn as best as I can. So I thank you if you can help to point out my mistakes so that I can correct them in the future.