If your pseudo is from the generic 120's, you should expect it to contain orange II type gakk. You have freebase crystals from a tetra trap type extraction, and IMHO that will not give really clean pseudo. Your freebase crystals are likely heavy with PEG and orange II.
I have found that japan drier works as advertised in the extraction process to break down the OII gakk. The PEG can be attacked and removed from the crystals by the addition to the crystals of a little hot water...don't use too much. The crystals will reform and float, and should be filtered off and rinsed with a little cool water.
I might suggest that you dissolve the freebase crystals in tolly or xylene, wash that with a ten percent NaOH solution three times, then wash with water. If you get a grey emulsion in the water washes, be glad you did this step.
I do not take issue with any of the advice you have recieved. I might drop the water from 1:1 with the pseudo to 1:0.8; I would recommend a balloon, as the inital formation of HI gas outstrips the condenser's ability to condense all of it, icewater or not, at first. While I like cold water in the condensor at the start of a reaction, I do not use, nor have a seen a need to use, ice or ice cold water for the entire reaction. I change the water with fresh cool water if it gets warm.
For the size reaction you contemplate, I would recommend a smaller flask, a 250 would be fine, and recommend using a round bottom flask. I use an oil bath (actually a cool-to-the-touch deep fat fryer with a modified lid I can mount the flask to-- this keeps the heat in the cooker and the smell to a minimum, and provides a window to view the reaction. (I have done many of these reactions on a simple hotplate in a flat bottom flask, and have had good success with these also.)
I do not recall the temperature you intend to use. I recommend a temperature just below 100C.
