degredation of alkaloids during preperation

After reading close to a dozen different extraction methods and hearing both positive and negative reports on all of them, Schwim has noted that almost all of them seem to involve the heating up of a "cactus stew" early on in the procedure. Seeing as so many people claim to have failed at a first attempt, Schwim has deduced that the reason for failure is probably most often from using too much heat when reducing the stew and thereby destroying some or even all of the active alkaloids. Schwim doesn't want to fuck this up, and is wondering if any one knows at what temperature the desirable alkaloids begin to break down?

 

I dont know the exact temperature, you can probably find it on erowid.
Just dont let the stew boil, let it simmer. It should not be bubbling, but there should be steam/vapour gently leaving the stew.
It does take a while- I guess many people get impatient and foolishly and boil it.

 

Hunch confirmed about wanting it to not be bubbling but having the vapor, and also about the no rush rush as well. Good looking out.

 

heat does not destroy the alkaloids.

i cooked san pedro over an open fire, and it got pretty hot. i boiled it down to almost 3 shot glasses worth of material. 2 feet boiled like this for hours was an amazing trip. it takes really high heat to destroy mescaline, and the other alkaloids are pretty stable as well.

 

Open fire? I'm diggin that majorly. Voyages like that always end up wiping the slate clean for a good month or so. If there is rain or snow involved add another two weeks. I guess I may as well quit researching, take my time and cook it up right. Looking forward to this immensely, as I've never taken this particular path to lucidity.