Special thanks to u/ClobWobbler for their assistance!

Last Edits: March 13, 2021

So you want to extract DMT eh?

You've heard the whispers of hyperspace and wish to join the entities. You dream of basking in their unlimited love and unlocking the mysteries of the universe. The potential of traversing the void between realms to reveal the intricacies of the connection between body and soul is far too grand to ignore any longer.

You can get there. We can help.

Extraction Terminology

Some general terms to start us off:

• Tek - an acronym of Traditional Ecological Knowledge but also commonly thought as the short form of technique. It is a set of instructions/ingredients related to ecological resources to produce consistent result. Teks are recommended for anybody new to extraction as they have a high success rate with loads of troubleshooting information available. Sort by the Extraction Tek flair on this sub to see some community created ones or check this list of teks on the DMT nexus or check out the teks submitted to our community.
• pH - logarithmic scale showing the acidity (low pH) or alkalinity (high pH) of a solution with 7 being neutral. You will hear the word basic or base in place of alkaline in most cases. pH is crucial knowledge for extractions as it responsible for conversion of your DMT between its acid salt and freebase form, the latter of which is how it's most commonly consumed or sold and is soluble in NPS. Please note that too low of a pH can destroy the DMT salt molecules, this is not a worry when using typically products like vinegar.
• Acid Salts/Salt Form - exposing DMT to acidic conditions (low pH) will convert it to salt form (i.e. DMT acetate using vinegar and DMT fumarate using fumaric acid, etc), each of which will come with its own set of properties. DMT salts typically are desirable for oral use and storing long term as they are quite stable under normal conditions. Note that some salts are a goo at room temp and vaping salts like DMT fumarate can produce toxic compounds. Always research the specific compound you are producing to identify what characteristics it might have.
• Freebase - when DMT salts are exposed to highly basic solutions they will lose their salt base and become DMT freebase, the most common form of DMT you'll see. Freebase is desirable for vaping as it has a low vaporization point and vapes cleanly. Freebase has its own set of properties that need attention. It isn't notably stable at room temps and will oxidize over time even if stored in optimal conditions, although the speed of which this happen can be drasticly reduced. DMT freebase can degrade and be destroyed when exposed to high temperatures, this is the most common issue people face when trying to vape DMT.
• Non-polar solvent (NPS) - non-polar solvents are what we use to extract DMT freebase from solution. Naphtha and Heptane are probably the two most common solvents used but there are many more as seen here. Some solvents must be evaporated rather than freeze precipitated while also picking up a much wider range of alkaloids, this is true with Xylene, Toluene and d-limonene which produce jungle spice. Please be aware some solvents are more toxic or volatile than others and should only be used by experienced extractors.
• Alkaloids - are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties.
• Re-crystallization - re-x or rex, is a method of cleaning your DMT while producing tighter, larger crystals. It involves dissolving your DMT freebase in a minimal amount of warm solvent, decanting to leave behind any insoluble impurities, and then slowly bringing the temperature down to drop the DMT out of solution while producing tight crystal formations. Typically you would use a different, more selective solvent for this but is not totally necessary. You can learn more about this process here.
• Mini A/B - this is a short version of an Acid/Base extraction typically done on an extracted product or at the end of an extraction to further clean it of impurities. A mini-AB is typically considered to be a better method of fully cleaning DMT than a rex. You can learn more about this process here after step 22 of KemFuns 4 hour ACRB Tek.
• Oxidation/Oxidize - over time DMT freebase will react with oxygen to produce DMT oxide, an amber goo with mild psychoactive properties. You can slow down this process by storing your DMT in an airtight container away from heat and light, especially away from the sun. Stored in a glass container in the freezer and it will likely last longer than you will ever keep it, add in a desiccant or oxygen absorber for maximum effects, be aware of the materials these are made out of and if they food safe as not all are created equal. You reverse this reaction with a Zinc reduction.
• Emulsion - separate from foam or bubbles, emulsion is tiny droplets of liquid encasing another liquid that don't mix (immiscible) with each other e.g. water and naphtha. Particles in your solution increases the chance of emulsion which can be a serious problem in an A/B extraction. To avoid emulsions you shouldn't shake these two liquids together and instead gently mix them together by slowing rolling your vessel end over end. Emulsions are best dealt with vibrations, warm salt water and gentle heat.

Common Ingredients

People often say DMT extraction is like baking a cake. While this is true to a degree as you are following a set of instructions and mixing ingredients together it also doesn't quite capture the potential for danger that is lurking about. Please note that although this may all sound very dangerous, anybody with a sound mind who is willing to take their time with the necessary precautions will be 100% fine.

• Lye (aka sodium hydroxide or NaOH) - is a common base typically used to raise the pH of wet teks which converts DMT salt into freebase form. It can easily cause serious chemical burns or blindness if it gets in your eyes when it is dissolved or in dry crystals/granules, it can also cause lung irritation from the fumes it produces when it's dissolved. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is a must when working with lye as well as knowing what other substances it reacts with such as metals like aluminum. It is always good to have a neutralizing agent like vinegar around when working with lye in case of spills, be aware hot basic water will do more damage faster than than cold. Always slowly add lye to water while stirring and not the other way around to avoid explosive results! Never use vinegar to neutralize lye on your skin the heat released from a change in pH and the acidic conditions will damage skin further!
• Naphtha - is a common non-polar solvent (NPS) used in extracts as it is cheap, widely available, dissolves DMT while leaving most other alkaloids out and has poor solubility in low temperatures. Naphtha is not one substance but instead a mix of hydrocarbon distillates, it is commonly sold as camping fuel, paint solvent and lighter fluid . Like most hydrocarbons, it can be quite toxic to your body. It is carcinogen, will absorb through your skin, release noxious fumes and not to mention is highly flammable. Look no further than here and here to see how poorly handled naphtha can go wrong, this is the good side of catastrophe, to see the bad side watch a Freddy Kruger movie! But seriously avoid this potential AT ALL COSTS. Keeping heat and especially open flames away from your naphtha or extraction entirely is the best method to avoid issues. It's best to work with naphtha is a well ventilated area with PPE like gloves and a mask like an organic solvents respirator. Note that napthalene is a different substance altogether and not used in extraction.
• Heptane - (n-heptane), commonly sold as rubber cement solvent (Bestine) or in pure lab forms, heptane is great choice for extraction as it is available as a single pure substance with far more predictable consistency. Most naphtha is mostly heptane with other hydrocarbons. The beauty of heptane is that it shares similar attributes to naphtha but is more selective in what it pulls and will leave most other alkaloids behind resulting in purer DMT, is it also slightly less effective at picking up DMT than naphtha so more mixing it required. All this makes heptane a great choice for cleaning like a rex or mini- AB, many extractors start with naphtha and end with heptane but both can be used interchangeably for this purpose.
• Calcium Hydroxide - ( Pickling Lime, Slaked Lime, CaOH) is another common base used in dry teks to raise the pH, it has poor solubility in water. Often advertised as safer and while it does have a lower pH than lye it can still cause the same damage when used incorrectly including blindness and therefore the same PPE and safety precautions should be taken. CaOH and NaOH are typically not interchangeable between teks.
• Vinegar - common household 5% white vinegar is a great ingredient to have. Not only can it be used in extractions to lower the pH and create DMT acetate but it can also be used as a neutralizing agent to lower the pH for highly basic solutions. This is very useful when neutralizing spills, cleaning your equipment or disposing of spent bark. Be warned >10% acetic acid concentrations become corrosive and can irritate your skin or damage eyes.
• Non- Iodized Salt (NaCl) - used to increase ionic strength which helps prevent emulsions and push the DMT out of solution increasing first pull yields. Any salt used must be non-iodized salt. Pickling salt or any salt meant for pickling is the best as it contains nothing but salt. Kosher salt can work as well but may contains anti-caking agents, it should say on the label if it does, people say this shouldn't harm anything and so far I haven't seen anything stating other wise. Ice cream salt and of course lab grade are other routes to look into.

All ingredients should be pure or at least of a reasonable purity (e.g 99% lye) and you should be checking the SDS (formally MSDS) to see what they truly contain but you should always read the label for clues either way. As an example Coleman fuel doesn't list their added rust inhibitors in the SDS but it does say on the label, evap tests done on Coleman leave residue and have turned extracts different colours. When buying a new brand or can/bottle of solvent an evap test should be done on a cleaned piece of glass that was then wiped down with alcohol to test for residue.

PPE, Extraction Space & Equipment

Along with choosing the right PPE to protect your person you also need to pay mind when picking the materials for your extraction equipment and the area you are in.

Some PPE to consider:

• Lab Goggles - ones that cling to your face and cover a wide area are preferred as they offer far more protection from liquids.
• Rubber Gloves - I recommend ones that go past your wrists at least but the more the better. Rubber gloves protection from heat, caustic liquids and solvents while also giving some extra grip.
• Mask or an Organic Solvents Respirator - dissolving lye in water creates stinging fumes and solvents produce toxic fumes. A cotton mask is better than nothing but really you should be using an N95 or similar. Organic solvent respirators can be found in paint stores and should be used if fumes from your solvents are of concern are mandatory for some solvent, these offer the best protection.
• Apron, Tyvex Suit or similar - having a barrier between you and your skin can be the difference between a big mess or a big burn AND a big mess. Protective suits should be made of water resistant materials or hard, thick fibres.
• Dry Chemical Fire Extinguisher - aim wisely they only go for 10-25 seconds depending on size! These are incredibly effective extinguishers for Class A & B fires in confined spaces. Consider having one of these even if you don't extract DMT!

Considerations for your extraction space:

• Like minded people, alone or own it. We can't in good conscience condone extracting in secrecy potentially putting others at risk.
• Oven range venting outside, fume hood or adequate window ventilation. This is mandatory if doing any kind of evaporation.
• Plenty of space. You want to be able to move freely without knocking something over with space for all of your equipment and ingredients.
• NO OPEN FLAMES, gas stoves and pilot lights are something to consider here.
• NO PETS! Please ensure you pets can't enter your extraction area to prevent from getting hurt or causing damage.

Extraction Equipment Materials:

Your extraction equipment should use suitable materials for your substances. Lye reacts violently with certain metals like aluminum to produce hydrogen gas while naphtha can dissolve and degrade certain plastics and rubber. You need to choose the right material and right type of vessel for your extraction.

1. Borosilicate glass - this is the glassware we should be aiming to use. It has 1/3 the thermal expansion of typical soda-lime glass and thus is much more resistant to heat stress cracks and thermal shock that you may encounter using mason jars. It is also highly resistant to corrosion and has great impact resistance compared to other glass types. Media bottles, beakers and Erlenmeyer flasks are examples of borosilicate glassware that is commonly used. When buying boro glass, considering the cap material is also a question you must ask yourself. Glass and PTFE (Teflon) are best but polypropylene caps can be used as well. Rubber can be a less desirable choice as it can be dissolved by some solvents but will also expand in its presence, wrapping it in teflon tape can help mitigate this.
2. Food grade stainless steel - this is the only metal I would recommend to people and mostly something like this would be used during A/B extractions to simmer your plant material. Strong acids and bases can still cause damage to SS alloys and thus should only be used with typical weak acids like vinegar. Pay special attention to cheap SS cookwear as it may contain many alloys.
3. Soda-lime glass (Mason Jars) - abundant, cheap and available in many sizes, mason jars are an enticing option for any new extractor because they probably already have it! Mason jars can be used safely as long as precautions are taken but since they are not as resistant to thermal expansion great care must be taken to ensure they don't crack, ruining your extraction or hurting yourself. Always heat up mason jars slowly and as even as possible, the temperature of the water should be close to the jar to avoid shock when submerged and never go from hot to cold or cold to hot! Please use a cloth or similar to cover the bottom of your water bath to avoid direct counter and do the same for your counter. Only use high quality mason without cracks.

Common Extraction Equipment:

Here's a few common pieces of glassware and equipment used by many novice and experienced extractors.

• Griffin Beakers - typical lab beakers are an awesome addition to extraction or household as they have tons of uses outside of the lab. Use these to measure you liquids and weigh your solids but more importantly these can be used to safely dissolve lye into water. Perfect for use on a hot plate or a magnetic stirrer and great for mixing DMT in vape juice. Griffin beakers are cheap and I recommend getting a set with a decent number of beakers. Cut balloons to stretch over the top to make cheap, quick and very very cute lids!
• Glass/Wooden Stirring Rods - I recommend avoiding metal when stirring inside glass as it's possible to break it if you aren't gentle enough. Glass stirring rods are cheap and abundant, they are made for this! Barring that wooden or bamboo chopsticks work great, although don't use finished ones with a coating.
• pH Meter - teks are recommended for beginners as you don't need a pH meter but if you ever want to scale or deviate from the teks then getting a pH meter is a must. Without hitting the proper pH you may not get anything from your extraction at all. Cheap meters from Amazon are okay but you MUST be able to calibrate it and definitely buy some calibration powder as well. Test your meter before use and always clean it thoroughly after use then let dry completely. You may need to calibrate every time you extract. If you think your meter is broken or misreading, it probably is! Listen to your intuition these things can be duds.
• Glass Pipettes/Turkey Baster/Eye Dropper - the defacto tool when pulling solvent from your extractions but they have a few other uses as well. Save yourself the headache and get a set of pipettes with at least one 10-25ml pipette in there. Best to have more than one as they can get dirty from extractions when you pick up soup. If you don't/can't have a pipette then a glass turkey baster or eye dropper will suffice although they both come with issues, eye droppers are small and basters will often drop small amounts of pulls out of the tip when moving.
• Media Bottle - these are a great extraction vessel I would recommend to anybody who is interested as I use them myself! the GL45 polypropylene cap holds up well to any or solvents or basic solution. I've had mine laying on its side for weeks and at this point has had more than a 1L of solvent go through it. Not hot plate friendly and you will need to use a water bath to heat them.
• Erlenmeyer Flask - a solid choice for extraction and hot plate/magnetic stirrer friendly. They comes in two types, wide and narrow necks. The wide necks need a PTFE or rubber stopper but the narrow ones can use a glass plug.If using rubber plug I would recommend wrapping it in Teflon tape to protect it. Also be aware you may need to hold the plugs in when mixing.
• Mason Jars - This section was mostly already covered above but I'll add some more here. Although I personally wouldn't recommend mason jars for an extraction vessel (Especially not large amounts like 1 gallon jars) they serve a few useful purposes for less dangerous tasks. I use mason jars to store used solvent and for freeze precipitations as they are easy to seal airtight and move around. If using mason for extraction then please take great care to ensure to eliminate as much thermal change as possible.

All good things must come to an end and this is one of them. I've been working on this throughout the week so I think it's time to publish it and let you guys have at it because I'm tired of staring at it and honestly I'll never stop adding things unless I just do it! Please inform me of any typos, mistakes or incorrect information in the comments, RAKE ME THROUGH THE FUCKING COALS. Open to any improvements or suggestions as well, easy to miss stuff when making something this big! I have meetings through most of the day so may not be the most responsive!