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Meet a Mushroom Extractor's Best Friend: The Soxhlet Extractor

  • Writer: Sebastian Munevar
    Sebastian Munevar
  • Mar 4
  • 4 min read

This is what happens when a physicist, organic chemist, and glass blower find themselves in a blunt rotation together.


In the growing age of natural products and pharmaceutical alternatives,

we are beginning to see the resurgence of an ancient organism that evolved alongside humans for thousands of years. They have a seemingly unseen, yet significant hand in the ecosystem, and they bring a rare presence that inspires both awe and wonder upon the first glimpse of its colorful and alien-like form. These organisms are none other than: MUSHROOMS!


Now, not all mushrooms are created equal. Some will make you shit your brains out, some will make you throw up, some will help you regulate stress and stimulate the function of your organs, and some might even connect you with your heart and tune you in to the multidimensional frequencies of the realms that exist all around you! So from the woo-woo realms of spirituality and quantum physics, to the cutting-edge tinkering in modern-day labs, we're now being presented with the opportunity to utilize modern tools in the lab to explore mushrooms on a deeper level. How so? MUSHROOM EXTRACTION!


THE ART OF MUSHROOM EXTRACTION


Mushroom extraction is an art (or alchemical process) that allows us to extract and concentrate the medicinal compounds (or essences) that are found in functional mushrooms, like Lion's Mane, Reishi, and Cordyceps. Why would we perform an extraction versus just eating them? Well, the cell walls of these mushrooms are made of a very tough and sturdy substance called CHITIN, and it's the process of extraction that allows us to crack open the shell of mushroom chitin and access all of the medicinal value that are locked inside.


Among many therapeutic compounds found in functional mushrooms, some of the notable ones that we find include: beta-glucans, terpenoids, sterols, and antioxidants. Each of them bring a range of therapeutic properties for your body, so one of the main goals with mushroom extraction is to yield as many of these compounds as possible when we're casting our metaphorical net into the sea of dried mushroom biomass using two kinds of tools on our ship: (1) a SOXHLET EXTRACTOR and (2) our SOLVENT of choice.


SOXHLET & SOLVENT: A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN


Yes, we have the freedom of choice when it comes to how we extract our mushrooms! That includes the freedom to choose your extraction apparatus and your preferred extraction solvent. You may be asking "What are these fancy science words that you're saying to me?". Well, let's start with the first tool: SOXHLET EXTRACTOR.


The Soxhlet Extractor is a glass laboratory apparatus that was created in 1879 by Franz von Soxhlet (Interestingly enough, he was the same guy that first suggested the process of pasteurizing milk). Franz initially created the Soxhlet Extractor as a way to extract the lipids from a solid material. Fast forward 40+ years later and we're still using it to extract lipids, but from mushrooms! So once you have your dried mushroom material ready for extraction, its now time to assemble your Soxhlet Extractor. What does that even look like? Well, let's take a look at the diagram below:




The photo above is a simple graphic that highlights the different parts and functions of a Soxhlet Extraction System. Keep in mind, Soxhlet Extractors can vary in size and design depending on the weight of biomass and volume of solvent that you'll be working with per extraction cycle. For reference, the Soxhlet Extractor in the photo above is a 5L bottom flask with a 2L extractor body.


THINKING OF GETTING YOUR OWN SOXHLET NOW? WELL, HERE'S A TIP BEFORE YOU RUN THAT CARD:


Whenever you find yourself curious to work with a Soxhlet or ready to purchase your own, then I highly suggest that you find yourself a mushroom extraction group on Facebook. Think of it as a way to learn what it's like to work with a Soxhlet before actually buying one. This is one of the best places to start asking questions and start exploring posts by people sharing a little window into their Soxhlet journey. This is the best way to get familiar with different Soxhlet setups from experienced users. It will give you insight into which size and scale will serve your needs relative to your intended goals for extraction. But if you prefer to stay as unbiased as possible from the sea of "it's already been done" methods or less-than-favorable Facebook interactions, then you can stick to this blog post and follow the simple guidance that I offer for getting started.


I honestly had a difficult time finding any information about Soxhlets when I first started looking. I didn't know which size to start with. I didn't know how big the bottom flask had to be relative to the size of the soxhlet chamber. I didn't know how much biomass was too much biomass (or too little) to fill the chamber. I didn't know how much solvent was too little or too much for filling the bottom flask for each extraction. There was so much that I didn't know! So through all of the uncertainty, I ended up finding a medium-sized set (2L bottom flask/1L extraction chamber) to start with and I began to learn the way of the Soxhlet on my own. And to be honest...we still learning to this day!


YOUR SOXHLET SHOPPING LIST:


If you're sort of like me and see yourself as more of a lone ranger or maybe you take pride in learning most of it on your own to a certain extent, then I can drop some hyperlinks to my preferred vendors for purchasing your first 5L/2L size Soxhlet set below:







6) 250v 20amp Outlet for the 220V Heating Mantle Plug: https://www.amazon.com/Leviton-107-05821-WSP-250-Volt-Receptacle-Electrical/dp/B000FPDKOI/ref=sr_1_8?crid=3BTKOETQ3JD11&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.nhvxUt_UVyXStAtr7coLb98WMao-YS-bHAUzqfX2hqNf5JzWa1YnEwT_e_8Z3uGqtfjlaa9tRQvUPxDJOtqsn4gEjCGiDjOHc_JQuHH4tlSlPl1dQNIw9xMI9Xq8m4dAyUc67tpn1_AgTEJJ1Qep84DxQ73X3kSUaYPLucS1Din1PR5QdBt19y3gF2XTk5DEMaUxiHRJbS9EThof_vuOgC1606UTxBdvGzpsUfe3GSCUlfJciGhxIAuHkbDGQvM3rqJJOVI9Sg7EvhGhn_fpoCrtD5I8u8gV0UY6kLimfwE.y-iJYYsh0GwLBWu88CZqVRCswzy_smphFDaDdec4GVI&dib_tag=se&keywords=220v%2Boutlet%2Bfemale%2Bplug&qid=1772494466&sprefix=220V%2Boutlet%2Caps%2C139&sr=8-8&th=1 (Keep in mind, you may need to install 220V copper wire to the new outlet, as well as a minimum 20-30AMP circuit breaker for your electric panel to run the copper wire)




Feel free to send us an email or message out chat on the website with any questions for how to source any alternatives for these items and how to install!


Mush love & happy extractions, my friends!



 
 
 

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