How To Make GHB With Simple Ingredients

Are you looking for an informative article on how to make GHB with simple chemicals that you can get easily? Well, then, I must say that you have landed on the right read! 

GHB (Gamma-Hydroxybutyric Acid) is a 4-carbon compound naturally occurring in the body. It has a structure similar to that of the neurotransmitter GABA. GABA is a neurotransmitter and regulates energy metabolism.

GHB is commonly found in powder form. It can also be mixed with water. Highly concentrated liquid street form of GHB can be found in small plastic containers like hotel shampoo bottles.

There are many street names for GHB, including GGB, Scoop, Liquid Ecstasy, Cherry Meth, Growth Hormone Booster, Liquid X, and Georgia Homeboy.

In this article, I will be disclosing the easiest way to manufacture GHB. Stick till the end for the step by step procedure.

How To Make GHB Or Gamma-Hydroxybutyric Acid: A Step-By-Step Tutorial

GHB, also known as Liquid E, Liquid G, or simply “GHB”, is commonly used in rave and party settings because many users like the effects of GHB to those of MDMA or Ecstasy.

Come, have a closer look at the ingredients and the process of making GHB.

Required Chemicals

To make GHB, you will need the following chemicals. These are just the list of chemicals you would require.

• Gamma-Butyrolactone (GBL) ; 135 grams/120 ml: GBL is almost exclusively used as a chemical intermediate in the manufacture of pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals. It is also used as an intermediate for the manufacture of vitamins and pharmaceuticals. You can easily find it at www.geocities.com/specialtywood_product. The best part is that they sell off these 1000 ml of GHB bottles at just $65 each. They offer GBL as an antique wood furniture paint stripper. Just find it on the internet yourself.
• Sodium Hydroxide or Lye (NaOH) ; 63 grams: You’ll find it in the drain cleaning aisle of most shops. I recommend Red Devel Lye.
• Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) ; 91 grams: This or NaOH can be used, but more KOH is required than NaOH. So, better use NaOH.
• Litmus Paper or pH Testing Papers: These can be found all over the place. Just ask a shop assistant or someone in a large department store.

Procedure 1

1. Transfer the gamma butyrolactone bottle contents to a saucepan made of stainless steel or Pyrex glass. Aluminum cookware is not used for the production of GHB.
2. Put the NaOH bottle or the KOH bottle into the same pan.
3. Slowly fill it with about half a cup of warm, distilled water. Place a quick (the reaction may be “instant”) but not clamped cover over it.
4. After a few minutes, it will start to react on its own. If this doesn’t happen after 2 to 3 minutes, heat it up a bit (after it reacts, take it off the stove). Stir the undissolved NaOH until it is fully dissolved.
5. This step is optional (some people like it that way, while others like to heat the solution up a bit more). Once you’re done, heat it up slowly. You’ll see it starting to boil. Don’t heat it too much, it can burn. Do this for about an hour. Don’t forget to add water, especially if you cook it for a long time. Between step 4 and step 6, you may see a white liquid on the bottom of the pan (this does not happen every time). Do not discard this liquid, it is GHB. Once you add water to the liquid, it dissolves.
6. When you’re done, place it in a Pyrex measuring cup and fill it up with water (I use ice when I’m in a rush) to about 1000ml (about 4 cups). This will give you about 1 gm per teaspoon.
7. Calculate the pH. If the pH is above 7.5, add some vinegar to reduce it below 7.5. It takes 50-75 ml of vinegar.
8. For storage, I use a Mason jar with a plastic lid. I draw the GHB logo on the jar (very important – you don’t want a child to swallow a full glass). I keep it in the refrigerator – the GHB tastes better when cold.

Procedure 2

For this, you would need the following things:

• Clean Dry Beakers 
• Graduated Cylinders
• Set of Chemical Scales
• Narrow Range pH Strips for 5.5 - 8.0
• Hot Plate (If you plan to make powder)
• 2 sealed Tupperware Containers
• Blender
• Pyrex Baking Dish

Now, let’s begin the procedure.

1. Measure Gamma-Butyrolactone accurately in the ml of GBL to be reacted. For example, 120 ml of GBL are to be reacted.
2. Multiply the figure by the average GBL density per ml (1.124 gms/ml). For example, (120 ml of GBL) * (1.124 gms/ml of GBL) = (134.88 gms of GBL).
3. Divide the number by the average molecular weight of GBL (86.09 gms/mol) to obtain 1.567 mols of GBL [(134.88 gms GBL) / (86.09 gms/mol)].
4. The average molecular weight of NaOH (40.0 gms/mol) can be calculated by multiplying the given number by the given value [(1.567 mols) * (40.0) = 62.69 gms NaOH].
5. Measure this much NaOH using a set of chemical scales.
6. Heat 120 ml of GBL to 100°C + 5% of distilled water (by volume) i.e., 6 ml to 100°C
7. Dissolve NaOH completely in distilled water at a rate of 40 grams per 100 mls of water. For instance, (63 gms NaOH) / (40) = 1.575 * 100 ml H2O = 157.5 ml water.
8. Slowly drip 90% NaOH into heated GBL (don’t pour) and ensure that reaction’s happening (the solution begins to boil vigorously). If the reaction is not happening, then you haven’t heated the GBL all the way to 100°C, or you’ve got faulty reactants (dump them and replace them with new ones). Once the solution starts to boil, you can shut off the heat – the reaction will do the work for you.
9. Measure the reaction solution’s pH with a narrow range of pH paper (5.0 to 8.0). Once the range reaches 7.5 - 8.0 stop dripping the solution with NaOH. The mixture will still contain unreacted lactone, so now it’s time for steam distillation.

Steam Distillation Or The Purification Step

1. Place the solution in a thermometer capable of reaching 200°C and turn up the heat. You may wish to add a pea gravel boiling stone (don’t use a boiling stick as you’ll burn it up and don’t use chemical boiling stones as they contain metals which are not intended for human consumption).
2. Cut the heat back to 150°C - 155°C when the solution reaches 150°C - 155°C. Keep the temperature at this until all bubbling has stopped. The beaker is now filled with melted NaGHB.
3. Boil enough water to create the desired dilution, such as 1 gram NaGHB per 5 ml of solution, to achieve 990 mls.

• Using a metal spatula, scrape out thin strips of NaGHB melt.
• Pour the NaGHB strips into the Pyrex casserole.
• Return the melt to the low heat to maintain it at room temperature.
• Allow the strips to cool. If the strips are between 1/2" and 1" in width, they will curl.
• Place the strips into a sealed Tupperware container.
• Pour out more strips and repeat the process until all of the melt is used up.

1. Allow the strips to cool in the Tupperware container and shake the strips a little (holding the lid snugly closed). This will loosen the strips.
2. Place the broken NaGHB particles into a high speed blender (not more than 1/3 full). You may need to shake the blender a bit to ensure everything is ground to powder. Pour into a sealed Tupperware container.
3. It’s over. Have fun. And please don’t take GHB and drive.

How To Make GHB In Powdered Form

Never combine GHB with alcohol or other Central Nervous System depressants (e.g., sleeping pills).

Safety Measures: Always wear gloves and safety goggles. Wash your hands thoroughly with cold water if any of the ingredients or intermediates come into contact with your skin. For step 3, only use an electric oven. The pilot light of a gas oven may burn alcohol fumes, creating a fire hazard.

Here is an easy step-by-step process of making powdered GHB if you wish to have it in this form.

Ingredients You’ll Require

• 60 grams of NaOH
• 120 ml of gamma butyrolactone
• 1000 ml of pure ethanol

Note: 

• These amounts aren’t set in stone – use as much or as little as you need, but stick to the same proportions. While the NaOH can be dissolved in smaller amounts of ethanol, these proportions simplify and speed up the process.
• Ethanol must be pure – no water in it – don’t use vodka.
• GHB won’t crystallize if there’s water in the solution.
• Denatured ethanol – you can use denatured ethanol, but make sure it completely evaporates before you swallow.
• Ethanol – you can use methanol, but it’s toxic and you’ll need to remove any excess before you swallow. Only 500ml is needed, but make sure you completely evaporate all the methanol before you swallow (check there’s no ethanol odor left).

Getting The Ingredients: NaOH, denatured ethanol (Denatured ethanol) and methanol (Methanol) are all readily available on the yellow pages. These chemicals are so widely used that you won’t be asked what you’re going to do with them.

Gamma-Butyrolactone (GBL) is hard to locate. Several companies sell GBL online. See above in “Where to Buy GBL” at the top of “Making GHB” on “The Chemicals Needed”.

Required Equipments

• A screw cap bottle with a capacity of 1000 ml or more; if you opt for plastic use HDPE (will be clearly indicated on the bottom).
• A glass container with a volume of at least 1200 ml.
• 2 coffee filter papers.

Procedure

1. Add the NaOH to the ethanol: Put the ethanol in a screw cap bottle. Add the NaOH, shake, and let stand until it cools. Keep shaking until all of the NaOH is dissolved. Make sure to loosen the cap every so often to relieve the pressure.
2. Once the NaOH has completely dissolved (this may take up to 1 hour of shaking and wait), pour it back into the glass pot and add the GHB. A precipitate will form (this is GHB). Let stand for 1 hour.
3. After letting it stand, filter through the two coffee filters (inside each other) to collect the precipitate. Dry the precipitate in an oven at the lowest temperature for 24 hours. Only use an electric oven. In gas ovens, pilot light may burn alcohol fumes, creating a fire hazard.
4. You can store it in powdered form (in an airtight bag) since it is hygienic and absorbs water from the air. You can also dissolve it in 750ml of water; this gives a solution with about 1g GHB per teaspoon (don't swallow the neat solution as unreacted NaOH can burn your skin). You can also mix it with 1/2 cup water of fruit juice.

Final Thoughts

GHB is made easily from its parent compound, gamma-butyrolactone (GBL). GBL is used as a solvent in floor cleaners, nail polish, superglue remover, etc. Saponifying the lactone with lye (sodium hydroxide) results in a near quantitative conversion. However, this method has some drawbacks; there have been some case reports of unprocessed lye containing GHB being consumed as caustic acid. GBL also converts into GHB in vitro and, therefore, has the same symptoms as GHB. GBL is bioavailable and more effective than GHB on the equimolar basis.