Anyone tried putting washed and dried kava through a coffee grinder?I

[VictoriousSpoon]

I've been thinking during my kava hiatus- has anyone tried grinding up their washed and dried coarse left over kava powder through one of those cheap spinning blade coffee grinders? (like one of these badboys Amazon product ?

I was thinking it might be a great way to get a lot more out of it with less waste.

 

[Zaphod]

I've been thinking during my kava hiatus- has anyone tried grinding up their washed and dried coarse left over kava powder through one of those cheap spinning blade coffee grinders? (like one of these badboys Amazon product ?

I was thinking it might be a great way to get a lot more out of it with less waste.

I have used a blade grinder to turn medium grind into microgrind or more accurately something in-between the two. It works just fine. The blade will dull pretty quickly but it works. Since I don't really like microgrind for general use it wasn't worth continuing. Never tried using it on used medium grind....

 

[VictoriousSpoon]

I have used a blade grinder to turn medium grind into microgrind or more accurately something in-between the two. It works just fine. The blade will dull pretty quickly but it works. Since I don't really like microgrind for general use it wasn't worth continuing. Never tried using it on used medium grind....

I was thinking it might be more efficient to grind the coarse leftovers instead, since all the fine to "micro" particles would have been already consumed, and would make time spent grinding more efficient. (Greater % conversion to small particles per batch/fewer small particles to contribute to blade wear). I'll pick up a grinder and test it out when i resume kava consumption in a month or so, they're pretty cheap.

Do you remember approximately how many batches you blended, before the blades became too dull to be effective?

 

[Zaphod]

I was thinking it might be more efficient to grind the coarse leftovers instead, since all the fine to "micro" particles would have been already consumed, and would make time spent grinding more efficient. (Greater % conversion to small particles per batch/fewer small particles to contribute to blade wear). I'll pick up a grinder and test it out when i resume kava consumption in a month or so, they're pretty cheap.

Do you remember approximately how many batches you blended, before the blades became too dull to be effective?

No...and I can't be completely sure they were real sharp to begin with. It was a coffee grinder I have owned and used for at least 4-5 years before we switched to a burr grinder. I just noticed after 3-4 batches that it was taking a bit longer, felt the blades, and noticed that they were kind of dull. A quick hit with a stone and you can sharpen them back up.

 

[Plantacious]

I've been thinking during my kava hiatus- has anyone tried grinding up their washed and dried coarse left over kava powder through one of those cheap spinning blade coffee grinders? (like one of these badboys Amazon product ?

I was thinking it might be a great way to get a lot more out of it with less waste.

How do you dry your used/washed makas ?
If I put it in the fridge or freezer, it retains the moisture. Unless you intentionally use a drying method. And I'm curious what that is

 

[VictoriousSpoon]

How do you dry your used/washed makas ?
If I put it in the fridge or freezer, it retains the moisture. Unless you intentionally use a drying method. And I'm curious what that is

I found after leaving it in the strainer bag for 24-48 hrs on the , it's usually completely dry. Much easier to clean a bag dry vs wet too because once dry, it solidifies into large loose clumps. No refrigeration. Haven't experienced any unusual smells, so i don't think its needed, at least in drier climates. (I don't use fresh/live root, don't live in a humid climate).

I do recall reading some kavalatones are highly fungistatic (inhibits/resistant to fungal growth).

 

[Plantacious]

I found after leaving it in the strainer bag for 48 hrs on the , it's usually completely dry. Much easier to clean a bag dry vs wet too because once dry, it solidifies into large loose clumps. No refrigeration. Haven't experienced any unusual smells, so i don't think its needed, at least in drier climates. (I don't use fresh/live root, don't live in a humid climate).

I do recall reading some kavalatones are highly fungistatic (inhibits/resistant to fungal growth).

Yea that's my concern - mold growing in an environment of moisture and room temperature, and also in a densely packed object

 

[VictoriousSpoon]

Yea that's my concern - mold growing in an environment of moisture and room temperature, and also in a densely packed object

Check out p12 for some discussion re: various anti fungal/anti microbial qualities exhibited by kavalactones http://digilib.library.usp.ac.fj/gsdl/collect/usplibr1/index/assoc/HASHd801.dir/doc.pdf

After seeing its also an amoebicide, I think this might have contributed to kava's "founding days" among polynesian cultures a thousand years ago- cos it detoxified drinking water. (Beer/wine has a similar history in Europe- for thousands of years, it was largely consumed daily because it killed microbes in fresh water that would otherwise make people sick). In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if kavalactones evolved as a way to make the plant more hardy in humid environments. Many compounds we use evolved in plants for defensive purposes, like caffeine for example- serves plants as a defensive insecticide.

I haven't smelled/tasted/seen anything suspicious in my dried & rewashed kavas yet.

I began to suspect kava had antimicrobial properties after seeing that none of by dried leftovers, nor my bottled stuff had any unusual smells, after mostly empty bottles had been forgotten for a week sitting in the car having fallen under the seat. Usually even empty bottles of plain water in this scenario have a smell from oral bacteria/fungi spores.

 

[VictoriousSpoon]

UPDATE: Ended my kava hiatus today, just drinking once a week.

I tried the coffee grinder today. Blending pre-washed kava did help get an additional wash, but it's not a potent brew for the amount of sediment.
I think just doing the blender method first wash is the best, for the best quality brew. I'm not keen on weak drinks.