I read about this extraction method on a forum and I was wondering if this process was less safe or not as effective, or what: Extraction Time: 1 gm in 2.5 hrs, 4 gm in 7 hr, 7.5 g total @48 hrs from Mexican MHRB Inner Root Bark Equipment: 5 Litre ceramic mixing bowl, Potato masher, 2000 ml measuring cup, Large flat glass baking pan, Fan, VM&P Naphtha; hardware store, NaOH sodium hydroxide; online auction, often listed as Red Devil Lye. Foreword: This process is much simpler than all of the other DMT extraction teks for Mimosa hostilis root bark. All you need to do is throw pieces of root bark into water which has had a measured amount of NaOH/sodium hydroxide dissolved into it, wait an hour, add naphtha, stir for a few minutes and then pour the naphtha off into a collection container for evaporation. In essence that is all there is to this tek. No need to fuss with acidifying the root bark for a defat, no pH papers needed, no separatory funnel, nothing fancy yet this is a very effective technique with higher yields than any other method out there yet. Break 400 to 500 grams of Mimosa hostilis root bark, whether inner, outer or whole root into small enough pieces all of it will fit into a large ceramic or stainless steel mixing bowl with enough room left over to only fill the bowl half way to the top. Next, completely dissolve 200 grams of NaOH/sodium hydroxide into 2000-3000 ml of tap water and add to the root bark. Wait an hour for the lye/sodium hydroxide to soften up the root bark and then using a stainless steel potato masher stir and mash the base adjusted water into the pieces of root bark for 20-30 minutes and then pour in 250+ ml of naphtha into the bowl and mix for another 20-30 minutes. After you are done mixing the root bark let it sit for a few minutes so that any emulsion which might have stirred up into the solvent to settle out and then just pour the majority of the solvent off of the top of the basified aqueous mix into a large flat glass baking pan and evaporate with a fan blowing air across the top of the fluid to net 600-1000 mg of alkaloid in just a few hours.
http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/dmt/extraction_guide1/dmt_extraction_guide1.shtml Tells you step by step on what to do, great guide.
Notes: Make sure the naphtha is only naphtha i.e. If benzine is in the solution it's bad, if the naptha doesn't evaporate 100% or if there's some odd odor left over after it evaporates it's bad... It's been sad a time or two that there are other solvents that work better than naphtha; but I'm for following directions and using specifically what's being listed. Make sure the sodium hydroxide only contains sodium hydroxide i.e. The only drano/red devil product here in the powder form here contains alum flakes which is bad. "Sodium Hydroxide Technical Grade" is the kind you actually want. There IS lab quality (I believe that's the term) but it's not required and very spendy. You do not want any adulerants that may carry over to the smoking process. You CAN do damage to yourself by not being careful and researching this crap.
He said naphtha VM&P. That's pure. Rosonol is also pure. Like INSANEPOOKIE said just put in on a dish and see if it evaporates clearnly. If you buy something called Sodium Hydroxide, it probably contains only NaOH... just like "lab quality" NaOH. Red Devil Lye is common and very pure. I have found and read over numerous guides multiple times. The most detailed one is listed above. My favorite one was on Lycaeum (I thought), I can't find it right now, if I do I'll post it.
