Hey guys, i don't know if i should preform an extraction with a whole vine or if i should shred it first. Any tips?

the more surface area + cells lysed, the better.

so as finely ground/shredded as convenient/possible.

a hammer, scissors (you want to cut the fibers short as possible), and coffee grinder (in that order) are your friends here.

Ok, I thought that more surface area would increase the amount of alkaloids extracted, but I also remember a lot of people talking about respecting the vine, shredding it may not be the nicest thing to do.

Also, I have a scientific PH meter lying around. Any idea how i can use it to my benefit to get better pulls?

It's like wine. Rough up the grapes to enjoy the end product.


Keep the pH high.


(PS, are you working to extract DMT or harmalas? If harmalas, why are you using vine over rue?)

I am extracting both, I didnt know there was an advantage to using rue, but its too late to change now. It's not terribly different is it?

Vine is arguably better, with higher concentrations of tetrahydroharmine, but at a pretty high monetary cost over rue. Vine is also increasingly difficult to obtain in certain counties and therefore reserved by some for tea while rue is utilized for crude extract.

Food for thought on your next round.

" It's not terribly different is it?"

IME, no. They are not exactly the same but I don't think caapi is any better to be honest. I am not so sure there is significantly higher levels of THH either. It's possible that brewing rue produces THH just as brewing caapi does. This needs to be looked at more.