Swim has been getting told that peoples favorite deamster are orange crystals. Swim trys to explain that he likes em white cause the whiter the better but some people just like it pretty. But he is curious to what may cause this orange color now. He uses HCL, NaOH, and Naptha and the only color he has got was yellow, he thinks cause of the naptha. Swims question is do you think its the acid/solvent being used or mabey the plant that is making it orange? If so what chems do you think may be doing it? He was thinking mabey they are using some kind or citric acid. Probally dumb but he thought that since oranges are ...well... orange

From my knowledge, I know spice extracted with naptha can be yellow because naptha also extracts oils from mimosa which tend to make it yellow. But when you further refine the spice (eliminating the dmt-n-oxide and other impurities)... the crystals become whiter.

It does strike my curiousity as to why when you extract with xylene, the "mystery alkaloids" they tend to be orange, and sometimes dark, brick red.

Ahhh thanks. Cant believe I havent read the jungle spice thread yet. That would have cleared it up for me.

Yup extract with toulene or xylene and you'll get some orange goop.


I like mine white or clear as well.

or leave the spice to oxidize a bit - different to the xylene way but it is a different experience.