Spirit VegHead Tek Part 1

https://www.reddit.com/user/spiritveghead/comments/s9169a/spiritveghead_tek_part_1/
1) Begin by putting on a pair of gloves and safety glasses. Using your scale, measure out 100 grams
of lye in your cup.

2) Next, using your Pyrex measuring cup, measure out 750ml of room temp water.

3) Before mixing the lye in the water make sure you're wearing your safety glasses, gloves, and a
mask. You don't want to breath in any fumes or get the lye on your skin or eyes. Using your
Stainless-steel spoon, continuously mix the water as you add a little bit of lye at a time. You want to
do a tablespoon or so at a time as to not overheat the water and glass to fast. Adding lye to water
causes a chemical reaction that produces a lot of heat. Therefore, your glass needs to be Pyrex or lab
grade Borosilicate glass. Make sure to continuously mix so clumps of lye don't stick to the bottom
of your glass because this could potentially cause weak points in your glass. Keep adding a little lye
at a time while mixing until all 100 grams of lye is fully dissolved in your water. After all the lye is
dissolved, I like to place my glass outside on my porch, till the lye reaction is finished and to
prevent buildup of fumes in the house. Do not use a wooden spoon for this step. The lye reaction is
very sudden and can potentially leach any dyes or treatments used on your spoon that you may be
unaware of, into your water. Even though you should have a spoon with no dyes or treatments, it’s
better to use stainless steel for this step. *safety tip: Never add the water to the lye. it will cause a
violent reaction. always, always, always add the lye to the water.

4) Next, you need to let the lye water cool to room temperature or (70 degrees Fahrenheit). This
will ensure there is no excess heat that will give you yellow gooey spice. In this Tek we do
everything at room temp to achieve the fluffy white crystals you're after. While your lye water is
cooling, it’s the perfect time to prepare your bark chips.

5) Using your scale and bowl, weigh out 100 grams of your bark chips or shredded bark. If you
bought pre-powdered bark, then add the 100 grams of bark powder to your mason jar and continue
waiting for the lye water to cool. If you bought bark chips or shredded bark, then you will need to
grind it up. I like to place my bark in the freezer for 24hrs before grinding it up. Doing this will
make your bark easier to grind up and will assist in breaking the bark down for extraction. It’s not
100% necessary though. Using your grinder of choice, place a small handful of your bark chips in
your grinder and pulse the grinder a little at a time till you have turned the bark to a coarse powder.
Keep in mind that you will still see plant fibers after grinding. This is perfectly fine. You really
don't want your bark baby powder fine because if the bark is too fine it will be easy to get
emulsions. you want a nice Corse powder with no big chunks of bark. I prefer getting bark chips or
shredded bark because I can grind it to the consistency I like. I also feel like my yields are better
however, I don't have scientific evidence of that claim. It’s just something that I've noticed.
Continue grinding your bark a little at a time till you have ground up all 100 grams. Place all of
your bark powder in your mason jar or extraction vessel you chose and continue to wait for your lye
water to cool. *NOTE: grinding your bark in little handfuls at a time will prevent burning out the
motor on your grinder.
Bark that has been ground to the perfect consistency.

6) Using your thermometer, check the temperature of your Lye water until it has reached 70
degrees Fahrenheit (21°C). The trick to getting white crystals is to not pull any plant fats by adding
to much heat. That's why everything in this Tek is at room temperature. If you add the lye water
while it is still hot or warm, your final product will have a deeper yellow tint and be more of a waxy
consistency. If you’re having trouble getting the lye water to cool to 70 degrees, cover measuring
cup with a glass plate or foil and place it in your fridge. Just don't forget about it and let it get too
cold.

7) Once your Lye water has reached 70°F (21°C), it’s time to mix it in your bark. Make sure you
have Your safety glasses and gloves on for this step. Slowly pour the lye water into your mason jar
containing your powdered bark. This is now what we call your base. Be careful not to spill it on
yourself or cause excess splashing to avoid getting it in your eyes. Using your wooden spoon,
thoroughly mix the bark and lye for 2 minutes, then allow your base to rest for 10 minutes. I use a
wooden spoon for this step because if you mix to hard with a steel spoon, you can crack the side of
your jar. After 10 minutes you will notice that dry clumps of bark have floated to the surface. Mix
the base again for another 2 minutes then allow it to rest for another 10 minutes. Keep repeating this
mixing and resting process at least 3 times or until no dry bark remains or floats to the top of your
base. This step is VERY IMPORTANT, and you need to make sure the bark is 100% saturated. If
you add the Naphtha with dry bark still present in your base, it will cause separation issues and
instant emulsions. Be patient and make sure you have the base fully saturated before moving to the
next step. You will notice that your bark has started reacting and has turned black in colour.
*NOTE: If you're using a magnetic stirrer, I’ve found that setting the stirrer to medium high for 30
minutes will speed up the process and ensure your bark is fully saturated without having to let the
bark to rest.
Bark that has floated to the top after mixing and resting. Mix and rest until no dry bark remains.

8) Once you are 100% confident that your base is fully saturated and no dry clumps or pockets of
bark remain, it’s time to add the Naphtha or (your solvent). Naphtha naturally evaporates in open
air, so before measuring out any solvent get your jar lid ready. In the first mix video below on, you
will see that I'm using a sandwich bag and a jar ring that is lightly tightened. Plastic wrap and
rubber band also work great! I use this type of lid because if any pressure builds it will escape out
from under the rubber band or jar ring instead of turning my jar into a bomb. To this day I haven't
had a single jar explode. People will say that its bad practice because naphtha should never come in
contact with plastic. They are 100% right! your solvent should never come in contact with plastic.
However, if you're mixing properly, your solvent and base will never come in contact with the bag
or plastic wrap during the entire extraction process. I've used this style lid for a few years before I
had lab glass and had no issues. You won’t either if you're mixing properly and patiently. *NOTE:
You can use your Erlenmeyer flask with a glass stopper for this step however, if you don't have one,
just stick to the mason jar and plastic lid above.

9) Once your lid is ready to go, you need to measure out 150ml of room temp (70°F, 21°C)
Naphtha. If you have a beaker set, this is perfect for quickly measuring out your Naphtha. However,
if you don't have a beaker set, that's okay. 150ml is equivalent to 3 single shot glasses of Naphtha.
You can also place a glass cup on your scale and weigh out 100 grams of Naphtha or 3.5oz.
Naphtha is lighter then other fluids that is why you will only use 100g of Naphtha if weighing it on
a scale. Once you have your Naphtha measured out, pour it into your jar of base and cover it over
with your lid. *NOTE: Spice is perfectly soluble in room temp Naphtha. If you live in a very cold
climate and your average room temp is below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, you will need to warm the
Naphtha to around 66-70 degrees. If this is the case, give your glass of measured out Naphtha a
warm water bath by placing it into a bowl of hot water until it reaches 70 degrees F. Check it with
your thermometer and don't heat the solvent too much to avoid getting yellow spice.

10) Now that your solvent is in your base, it’s time for the first mix. You will perform a total of 8
mixes over a 24hr period or, a mix every 3 hours. Take note of the time you conduct your first mix
because the time of your first mix will be the time the following day, that you perform your first
pull. DO NOT OVER MIX! Just because the layers have separated does not mean that you need to
mix again. Over mixing increase's your chances of getting emulsions. You must remember what is
happening on a chemistry level. The lye is eating at the bark and breaking it down, releasing the
spice you're after. Giving the base three hours between mixes, allows the lye to work its magic and
release the spice. A mix is simply done to collect what has been released over the 3 hours since your
previous mix. To conduct your mix, grab the jar from the top and firmly swirl the jar in a circular
motion until your base and your solvent become one layer. Swirl as hard as needed to get the layers
to mix. Do not allow the Naphtha layer to touch the plastic wrap while mixing. Mix firmly for a
total of 60 seconds then allow the jar to rest for 3 hours before mixing again. If the jar is too heavy
for you to pick up and mix or you're scared of dropping it, allow the jar to rest on your table or
counter while mixing. DO NOT SHAKE THE JAR! *NOTE: If you bought a magnetic stirrer, mix
for a total of 60 seconds on a medium speed.

11) After your first mix, allow the jar to rest for 3 hours before mixing again. Repeat this mixing
and resting period, every 3 hours. This will give you a total of 8 mixes in a 24hr period. This is what
I've found to be the sweet spot without over mixing or under mixing. Following this mixing
schedule has always given me at least 1 gram of spice or more in a single pull with quality bark.

12) After you have Performed your final mix and 3-hour rest period, it’s time to siphon off the
top layer of Naphtha into your Pyrex casserole dish or (freeze precipitation dish.) Grab your Pyrex
casserole dish and place it next to your extraction jar. Get your Pipette and your aluminum foil and
place it next to your jar as well.
Solvent that is ready to be siphoned for freezing.

13) In a well-ventilated area, wearing your safety glasses, gloves, and mask, remove the plastic
wrap from the top of your mason jar and begin siphoning off the top solvent layer. DO NOT SUCK
UP ANY BASE WITH YOUR SOLVENT. Take your time with this step. It requires patients and a
steady hand. It can be hard to stabilize the tip of your pipette, so I recommend resting the tip of your
pipette against the side of the jar, just below the surface of your Naphtha. This will help steady the
pipette and help prevent pulling up base with your solvent. If you accidently pull up any base return
it to your jar, not your Pyrex freezer dish. This is very important because your base contains the lye,
and you don't want that in your final product. Take your time and don't rush! The siphoning process
is very slow and delicate. *TIP: If you pull any base into your pipette, keep the tip of your pipette
in your solvent and wait. you will notice the base will start to roll out of the Naphtha in your pipette
and return to your base layer just as it does in the jar. *NOTE: If using a separation funnel add
your base and solvent from the jar into your funnel and allow the layers to separate before
removing the base layer.

14) After you have siphoned most of the Naphtha from your jar you will notice that there is a thin
layer of solvent that is impossible to pull without getting base with it. Do not worry about this thin
layer of solvent as we will retrieve whatever spice is left in it with a second pull. Cover your jar
with the lid and move to the next step.
A thin layer of solvent remains after the first pull. Any alkaloids from this layer will be collected in
the following pulls.

15) Cover your Pyrex casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil to avoid evaporation while in
your freezer and place it in your freezer at the coldest setting, for 24 hours. The time it takes for
your crystals to fully form depends on the temperature of your freezer. I have had fully formed
crystals in 12 hours with a freezer that was at -8 degrees F. however, most standard freezers will not
reach this temp. Be patient and wait the full 24 hours. *NOTE: Do not keep pulling your dish in
and out of the freezer to check for crystals. Every time you pull your dish from the freezer, the
Naphtha begins to warm up and will re-dissolve your crystals back into the Naphtha. This will
make your crystals take longer to fully form. Be patient and if you must check, just look through the
glass dish while keeping it in your freezer. *TIP: Do not use plastic wrap for covering your freezer
dish. when the dish gets cold the plastic wrap will not stick to the dish and could fall into your
Naphtha during the precipitation process. Naphtha should never touch plastic that isn't PTFE or
HDPE rated.
First pull solvent goes into the freezer for 24 hours.

16) Once you have placed your dish in the freezer, it’s time to measure out fresh Naphtha for a
second pull. If you want to re-use your Naphtha from the freezer just place your covered jar on a
shelf or in a cabinet until you have retrieved the crystals from the first pull. I Personally like to use
fresh Naphtha for every pull to make sure my Naphtha is at full potency for each pull. If you decide
to use fresh Naphtha like myself, after placing the first pull in the freezer, measure out 75ml of fresh
Naphtha and add it to your jar and then cover the jar and mix. I repeat the mixing process (A 60
second mix every 3 hours) for 24 hours. You use less Naphtha for a second pull because there is
less spice in the bark then there was on the first pull. If too much solvent is present in the second
pull, the spice will have a difficult time precipitating from the solvent. *NOTE: Going forward,
any pulls after your first will be done with 75ml of naphtha. If you decide to reuse your Naphtha,
you will need to bring it back up to room temp before use and only use 75ml.

17) Using fresh Naphtha for a second pull also helps in speeding up the extraction process. Since
you're adding fresh Naphtha to your jar and mixing for 24 hours, that means when your fist pull
crystals are done 24 hours later, your second pull solvent will be ready to go in the freezer.

18) After your first pull has been in the freezer for 24 hours, it's time to collect the crystals you
have been patiently waiting for!
Crystals seen stuck to the inside of the dish like snow in a snow globe. It's beautiful.

19) Begin by putting on your safety glasses gloves and mask. Get your Pyrex measuring cup
(that you washed with soap and water after using it to mix the lye water) and place it on a stable
surface like a kitchen table or counter. Remove your dish from the freezer and remove the foil. You
should see all your beautiful crystals stuck to your dish! If you've made it this far, congratulation's,
you have just successfully extracted the spirit molecule from root bark that mother nature gifted to
us all! Shine on you crazy diamond!

20) Once you have removed the foil, it’s time to pour off the remaining Naphtha in your dish, off
the crystals. You will notice that there may be floating crystals in your dish. This is perfectly
normal and easy to deal with. Some people will pour their Naphtha through a coffee filter to catch
these crystals. I don't prefer it though. I personally prefer to slowly pour the Naphtha off the
crystals, into the Pyrex measuring cup, while spinning the dish to allow the floating crystals to stick
to the sides as the solvent pours out. After you have all the Naphtha poured off your crystals, cover
the measuring cup with foil to avoid evaporation. *NOTE: If you plan on re-using the Naphtha for
a second pull you will need to warm the Naphtha up to room temperature before placing it back in
your base. you can give it a warm water bath in the measuring cup to help speed up the warming
process.
Pouring the remaining solvent off of the crystals slowly to allow the floaters to stick to the side of
the dish.

21) Now that your dish is drained of all the Naphtha, you need to allow the crystals to dry. Take a
paper towel and place it down at the base of a wall or shelf, where you will allow the crystals to dry.
With the crystals facing down, prop the dish against a wall so that any remaining Naphtha or
moisture will run off the dish and get absorbed by your paper towel. If you want to speed up the
drying process, you can place a fan near the dish and have it on a low setting. Do not let your fan
blow air directly at your crystals. The fan is only to help get some airflow around your dish. the
crystals will dry pretty quickly. Drying the crystals usually takes no more than 3 hours.

crystal dish propped against the wall with a fan blowing indirectly to help speed up the drying
process.
22) There are 2 ways of knowing your crystals are dry. #1) You should smell no Naphtha. If the
crystals are fully dry, there will be no smell of Naphtha. You should only be able to smell the spice
which has been described as a new shoe smell. It smells different to many people, but one thing is
for sure, we all know what Naphtha smells like, and it shouldn't smell like that. #2) The
condensation on the outside of your dish, from the freezer, will also be dry. Just like pulling a cold
beer out of the fridge, your dish will also get condensation on the outside of it as the dish warms up.
Once your dish is back to room temp and is completely dry to the touch, most likely your crystals
are dry as well. However, if the smell of Naphtha remains, allow them to dry longer.

First pull crystals dry and ready to be collected. Notice the dish itself is also dry from any
condensation.

23) Once your crystals are fully dry, it’s time for everyone's favorite part, scraping the dish! It’s
time for you to collect all your precious crystals and hard work into one pile. Put on a pair of gloves
and use your razorblade to begin scraping your crystals into a single pile. I highly encourage
wearing gloves for this process. The crystals are very fragile, waxy, crystalline, and very sensitive
to heat. The heat from the tips of your fingers alone is enough to start melting them so try to avoid
touching them. If you are planning on doing a second pull, you DO NOT need to scrape every spec
off your dish because you will get them when you perform your second pull.
1.5 grams of crystals from the first pull.

24) Once all your crystals are in a single pile, you will need to weigh them to determine what the
yield was from the first pull. Place a small square of wax paper on your milligram scale and tare the
scale. Once your scale reads 0.000, use an index card to begin scooping up the spice and placing it
on your scale. *Tip: lay down a sheet of paper and place your scale on top of it. If any crystals fall
off the index card or your scale, the crystals will collect on the paper, allowing you re-claim them.

25) After weighing your spice, get your airtight bottle ready to fill. If you bought the bottles and
mini funnel, I recommended then insert your funnel into the mini bottle and using the wax paper
from your scale, fold the paper and pour the crystals into your funnel a little at a time. If you didn't
buy the little funnel or bottles it’s okay. Fold the wax paper from your scale or fold an index card
and use it to funnel the spice into your chosen container. This requires a steady hand and patience.
*TIP: Always place your container on a sheet of paper while filling the bottle so if any spills
happen you can collect the crystals from the paper you laid down.
A mini funnel will really help in loading up your bottle without loosing crystals.

second pull

If you added a fresh 75ml of Naphtha to your base after siphoning the first pull, your second pull
is now ready to go into the freezer dish. You can siphon off the Naphtha from your base, into your
freezer dish and cover it with foil. Then, place it into your freezer for another 24 hours. Remember
how I said you didn't need to get every single spec of spice from your first pull scrape? Well now
that you're adding your second pull of room temp Naphtha to the dish, any little crystals you
couldn't get in your first scrape, will re-dissolve into the Naphtha and precipitate into your second
pull. Therefore, you don't need to worry about a tiny spec of spice left behind on your dish. I
promise you will get it all because you will keep pulling until you have nothing left to retrieve in
the dish.

If you did not use a fresh 75ml of Naphtha and you want to reuse the Naphtha from your first
pull, take the Pyrex measuring cup of Naphtha that you pored off your crystals from the first pull
and give it a warm water bath to bring the Naphtha back up to room temperature. Once its back up
to room temp or (70F.) add it to your base and repeat the mixing process for another 24 hours
before siphoning into your dish. This is another reason why I Prefer to use fresh Naphtha for every
pull. In the 24 hours it takes your crystals to precipitate from the first pull, you could already be
getting the second pull ready to go once you recover your first dish of crystals. I personally have
seen no difference in yield when re-using the Naphtha or adding fresh Naphtha.

This is the end of part 1.