A method for preparing a polymer product, the method comprising polymerizing conjugated diene monomer, optionally together with vinyl aromatic monomer, within a hydrocarbon solvent by employing a lithium-containing initiator, thereby forming a living polymer cement, where about 0.04 to about 0.2 moles of the alkyl lithium initiator per 100 g of the monomer are employed, where the concentration of the monomer within the solvent is about 1 to about 30% by weight, and where the living polymer cement includes a lithium-containing residue, adding a quenching agent to the living polymer cement in an amount sufficient to quench all of the living polymer within the cement, thereby forming a non-living polymer cement, passing the non-living polymer cement through a purification medium, where the purification medium includes alumina, silica, or both, thereby separating at least part of the lithium-containing residue from the polymer cement, collecting the polymer cement after passing the cement through the purification medium, adding an antioxidant, and desolventizing the polymer cement.