So SWIM followed Noman's Tek to the letter.

After adding 1500ml to container, then 100g lye, mixed, then added 100g shredded MHRB, SWIM shook the mixture up and let sit for 2 hours.

After coming back a thick, light-brown layer had settled to the bottom of the container while there was a dark brown liquid sitting on top. SWIM also noticed a thin layer of foam at the top of his mixture after mixing his lye/water/MHRB mixture.

SWIM decided that this was normal and added 75ml of heated naptha to the mixture. After rolling end-over-end, then letting it settle for a couple minutes, then repeating the process, SWIM pulled the naptha and put in freezer.

SWIM noticed that the light-brown layer was actually the MHRB bark that had settled to the bottom and even after mixing his naptha the foam layer never went away. So it was like:

naptha

---

foam

---

mhrb/lye/water

---

light-brown bark layer


After SWIM waited and pulled naptha from freezer from 2 pulls, no crystals had formed

SWIM wonders, should the MHRB bark be dissolving in the mixture? He used shredded bark but grounded it to a pulpy-fiber in the blender. It also seems like the lye isn't dissolving all the way? What's with the bark settling to the bottom?

Bark settling to the bottom is normal is the heavier material will always separate itself out with gravity.

When you mix your lye with your water, as long as you mix everything until it basically becomes clear water again, you've fully dissolved the lye. I usually dump it into a mason jar, close the lid, shake for a minute, and then set down open the lid to release any pressure resulted from the exothermic reaction.

I know that "foam" layer you speak of, or at least I think I may have an explanation for you. I believe this layer may be plant cells and fatty cells and other alkaloids collected from the extraction. Having that in your mix will not hurt, it's the brown soup that you do NOT want any of in your freeze jar/evap dish.

Also, pulverize the root bark more. It'll make it easier for the soup to break everything down.

My final suggestion would be to lessen your naphtha from 75ml to 50ml respectively. This will make it easier for things to crystallize during the freeze precip. You said you did two pulls, I would actually do 4, and with even less naphtha, maybe even 30ml - 40ml per pull?

Just some suggestions from my little dark neck of the woods!

Good luck!

i notice foam when i use tap water,too much water, or crappy lye.
distilled water and food grade lye all the way!