swim's advice concerning various odors and flavors along the way:
don't put a whole lot of stock in it. it doesn't take much contamination to alter odor or flavor.
swim has never really noticed any of the smells that are often mentioned. had he been obsessed with detecting them, he might have assumed he'd failed in the dream and tossed the baby out with the bath-water.
swim has never stuck a gram of meth in his mouth and sucked on it to analyse its flavor closely; its always bitter as fuck to him, and causes a yucky expression, followed by a desire to wash it down w/ water, and fast.
psuedo-HCl is also disgustingly bitter. presumably, more so than meth, but its difficult to compare 2 gross tastes quantifiably...at least for swim.
as per the saltyness within the bitterness;swim has never noticed it. not arguing that it isn't there...i don't know. just saying, that if swim missed it, you might also.
i'd guess that any hint of saltiness in meth is just that: salt.
swim has yet to smell the fish; the smelly socks; the old lady's crotch, or any of the other common indicator aromas frequently mentioned here.
again, not suggesting that bees who detect these indicators are whacked.
just suggesting that they needn't bee of much concern.
to a newbee, the smell of strong acids (HCL and HI specificly), the feel of strong base (NaOH specificly) and the taste of salt (NaCL) and bitterness (meth and Psuedo-eph) are enough to go on.
it is handy to have at least one reference point of pure precursor and pure end product from which to make coarse judgements about the quality of yours.
noting the texture of pure Psuedo-e crystals, for instance, will immediately force you to notice the gumminess that might bee in your feedstock; and you'll know that its polymer-laden. same with mbrp and glueiness.
same is true with various cuts added to street product:
if you've managed, at least once in your life, to put 10 mg of highly refined meth HCl on your toungue, and later on, you put 10 mg. of half meth; half msm on your toungue, you'll probably notice immediately that it isn't bitter enough.
traces of excess HCl, NaOH, and solvent residues are also easily detected by a semi-educated nose and toungue.
and even the eyes and fingers.