Today I decided to do my first Caapi extraction,
I got everthing started and realized I've made a big mistake

I am hoping I can still save it.

I am using "Easy Caapi Vine Alkaloid Extraction Guide"
and this is where I went wrong.


I boiled the plant matter, filtered, reduced.
Then instead of adding lye (NaOH)...... I added Lime (Ca(OH2)

I cant believe I did this! silly error on my part.

I dont have lye (NaOH) at the moment and can not get any any time soon.

So, is it possible to finish the extraction using the Lime (Ca(OH2)?

I started looking around to see if I could and I found this thread.
here
which says it might be possible? but does not really say how to do it this way.


I really don't want to throw this batch out. Even if there is a way to keep it as a tea or something?

Any help would be much appreciated.

As it is now, I have about 500 ml of plant juice with 5 grams Lime (Ca(OH2)
mixed in it, sitting in a cup.

Thanks. I know if there is a way to do it someone here would definitely know.

This is only my second extraction. DMT was my first. I used the A/B fluffy
white fun fest and it came out perfect.
So I am new to the worlds of extractions please keep this in mind went trying to help.
thanks.

The thing is that lime is not very water soluble, as you may have noticed, so it wont be effective in raising the pH as lye would.

Did anything precipitate as you added the lime? did part of it stay undissolved in the bottom?

You can add sodium carbonate to the mix, since sodium carbonate + calcium hydroxide makes sodium hydroxide. Im not sure how much you'll need of it, just add some, hopefully alkaloids precipitate, then you decant/filter, redissolve it in warm vinegar again and base with appropriate base next time. This way even if there's some undissolved calcium hydroxide on the bottom, when you use enough vinegar, it should neutralize it all, and your alkalids should dissolve, so you can proceed with the extraction

good luck and let us know how it goes

Right now in the cup there is about, 1 inch of clear liquid at the top.
and more and more seems to be separating.
With the thick cream color stuff taking up the rest of the cup.

I don't have sodium carbonate here at the moment and would not know where
to run out and get it last minute. (It is NOT baking soda right?)

I don't know if it makes a difference but I did use vinegar when boiling the vine and reducing.

I guess worst case scenario. I save the mix, get either lye or sodium carbonate and
try to do it again the right way?



I was really hoping there would be a way to do it with the lime....

today I picked up some sodium carbonate, dissolved about 5 grams in 50ml of water and stirred it into the mix.
That was about an hour ago, and still no separation....
Not sure what to do at this point? any advice?

The strange thing is, as it sat over night with just the lime it looked like it was separating. There was about
2 inches of a light brown liquid on top and the rest was a think cream color at the bottom.

I am at a loss here. If the Sodium carbonate doesn't do something tonight I might just scrap the whole thing
and order some new Cappi and get the proper chemicals.

Any help would be much appreciated.

I decided to add more sodium carbonate. And finally got the alkaloids precipitate. Yeeaahhhoooo.

Back on track. Hopefully the rest goes well.

Thanks endlessness, I appreciate the help.
Will update when I get a final product!