SWIM may have added too much Sodium Hydroxide to a small mixture of bark and water that was pre-mixed in a small water bottle. (ratio unknown) SWIM was slowly adding the Sodium hydroxide, (SWIM read and experienced that when the PH is the right level the mixture will turn black) until the mixture turned black...SWIM ended up adding the whole LB. SWIM had tried to extract via freeze precipitation but has pulled only a small amount between two pulls.
SWIM was thinking about adding more water to lower the pH but was also wondering if adding lemon or something acidic would help reverse the problem. SWIM was also considering just tossing everything. Maybe SWIM pulled all the crystals?
CAN SOMEONE GIVE SWIM ADVICE?!? <3 MUCH APPRECIATED, THANK YOU!

Too much NaOH can't really happen with extractions. You're probably fine.

Have you checked the FAQ, and extraction help threads, yet? The answers you seek may be there.

Don't be in a rush, the spice isn't going anywhere. Taking things slowly and making sure you take the right steps next are important, but beyond that, it is really hard to ruin an extraction beyond being able to salvage it.

Good luck!

Really? I've heard that before but I wonder if thats been put to the test....

I have read other forums about what could possibly be going wrong and I haven't found very much useful information.
SWIM suggests to add more NaOH because SWIM thinks the pH isn't high enough...

We aren't in a rush at all, this whole extraction as taken at least one month...maybe more...id like to learn from this, experiment...just wanted to see what others think.
We've even tried heating up the solution and then tried to pull and the same results came about...Thanks for the luck

More information would be helpful:

• What is the volume of the solution you added NaOH to?
• How much bark did you use?
• What kind of bark did you use?
• How are you performing pulls?
• How much naphtha are you using per pull?
• How much spice have you managed to extract so far?

As a side note— you will find you get more help with your questions with a more descriptive title to your thread. I half thought of replying to your thread with other lyrics from the famous Beatles song when I saw it. Most of the time I would not have bothered opening such a thread at all.

-When SWIM first started the experiment, SWIM had the solution in a half gallon jar.
-An unknown amount of bark was used...
-MHRB
-SWIM was pulling what looked like re-crystallized NaOH
-about 1 cup, maybe 1.5
-what did pull, SWIM said about .2

What is now going on with this experiment is
SWIM decided to add water to the solution to dilute the concentration of NaOH in the solution, there is now a little less than one gallon total of MHRB, WATER, & NaOH...the little less is so the naptha could fit....
SWIM's FOAF found a pH reader and SWIM decided to see where its standing now...
The solution varies from a 13.07 to 13.12...
SWIM now pulled from this solution and it seems as if there will be crystals forming, its a milky color right now in the naptha, it is in the midst of evaporating...
Ill post the end details....it seems though as if there is such a thing as adding too much sodium hydroxide

LOL, that would have been fine, I don't mind a little humor and fun
My reasoning for having that song title as my subject was because one, a lot of people would look at the thread and two, thats what popped into my head when I asked myself the question of "hmm what should this title be?"

A better thread title may have been ”STB extraction problems, too much NaOH?” or similar. A fun title may pull in some but many will also ignore it. Another thing to note is that by being clear and descriptive the thread may well help someone else when they have a similar issue in future.