GP has it! Now, you're right in that it SUCKS to deal with the large volume extractions of these plant materials. Especially if you are using acid to extract the plant material. Even if you wash the hell out of the acidified extracts (and there's usually a FEW gallons to deal with), When NaOH is added, a shitload of insolubles (soaps) precipitate out; making separations virtually impossible. You can filter it, if you have a few years to kill and a hell of a vacuum. Fuck that. Here's what GP didn't do:
NOTE: This is from a Phalaris Aquatica extraction, not the root as noted above.
You've just basified and all that mustard yellow shit came out of solution. Dump in some Pet. Ether (coleman fuel), about 500ml or so. Mix with overhead mixer for 30 min. Allow to separate overnight and you will see all the yellow shit on top with the pet. ether. Decant off what you can and pour the sludge over a T-shirt filter over a 5gal bucket. Let this sit for a day or two and just let it drip/air dry. You will have a sludgy/slimy CRAP left over. It won't get totally solid, now here's the trick: Get some Diatomacious earth (celite) and add it to the sludge until it is pretty well absorbed. place this in a big beaker and repeatedly wash it with fresh solvent, as ALOT of product is in there. Just wash it until the color (yellow) doesn't come out anymore. Wash the T-shirt in fresh solvent too.. use gloves and your hands to wring out all the goodies. Now, your basic solution should be virtually free of sludge (usually a red solution) and you can proceed with the extractions.
GP KNOWS that the main problem here is that slimy shit. This works well and helps keep GP from getting REALLY Impatient waiting on shit to filter... drip... drip... only 5 liters to go!
Osmium: So how about an Rf value for DMT ?? Where would one find such information? Of course solvent system would be needed as well.
