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Kava Preparation Best kava for homebrew micro?

Krunkie McKrunkface

Kava Connoisseur
OK OK, at least once in life, I recon, I should try micro or something like it. So I'll try with that homemade shake micro that Morgan and some others enjoy.

So, for this type of prep, which would be the best or among the best medium grinds for the project and how much should I make and drink?
 

Señor Chuggs

Friend of Kava
Is there a way to shake out the fine particles without them flying into the air and dispersing? I tried that once but about choked on the cloud of dry kava air I engulfed myself in. And there's no way to tell how much kava was lost to entropy.

I'm asking academically, not trying to poke holes in your micro dream @Krunkie McKrunkface
 

Krunkie McKrunkface

Kava Connoisseur
Is there a way to shake out the fine particles without them flying into the air and dispersing? I tried that once but about choked on the cloud of dry kava air I engulfed myself in. And there's no way to tell how much kava was lost to entropy.

I'm asking academically, not trying to poke holes in your micro dream @Krunkie McKrunkface
I think you either do it very gently or use some sort of small enclosure and stick your arm in and look ridiculous. That's my plan, anyway.
 

Groggy

Kava aficionado
Admin
I think you either do it very gently or use some sort of small enclosure and stick your arm in and look ridiculous. That's my plan, anyway.
How about 5 pounds of w/e root inside a large, clear garbage bag, you can seal it around your hand with the strainer inside the bag with as much kava as you can comfortably fit inside the strainer. Then shake the bejesus out of it and repeat.

You can get a 50 micron strainer from kavafied, assuming you don't already have one. Best to use a brand new one with that project.
 

Chillbert

Kava Curious
I've had success placing my strainer bag inside a pint Mason jar, then pulling it most of the way out, leaving a small pocket at the top. Put a couple tablespoons of kava in the pocket and screw the lid on. You should then have your kava suspended just below the metal jar lid with the majority of the strainer on the outside of the jar. Shake like hell, remove the bag with the larger pieces remaining and put those back in your medium grind. Add water to the fine powder in the Mason jar, drink, and enjoy.
 

Señor Chuggs

Friend of Kava
I've had success placing my strainer bag inside a pint Mason jar, then pulling it most of the way out, leaving a small pocket at the top. Put a couple tablespoons of kava in the pocket and screw the lid on. You should then have your kava suspended just below the metal jar lid with the majority of the strainer on the outside of the jar. Shake like hell, remove the bag with the larger pieces remaining and put those back in your medium grind. Add water to the fine powder in the Mason jar, drink, and enjoy.
dude.. wow. Thats perfect. Train an army of monkeys to do that and you control the micronized kava market.
 

Chillbert

Kava Curious
dude.. wow. Thats perfect. Train an army of monkeys to do that and you control the micronized kava market.
Unfortunately my monkey army is occupied with banging on typewriters. They have a Monday deadline to deliver Othello.

Seriously, the technique works pretty well. I don't do it often as I prefer grog. One refinement I neglected to mention is to pour the water through the strainer when you are filling the jar. A small amount of powder collects on the bag during the shaking process. No sense wasting.
 

Redrider

Kava Curious
Unfortunately my monkey army is occupied with banging on typewriters. They have a Monday deadline to deliver Othello.

Seriously, the technique works pretty well. I don't do it often as I prefer grog. One refinement I neglected to mention is to pour the water through the strainer when you are filling the jar. A small amount of powder collects on the bag during the shaking process. No sense wasting.
Wooly Willie would like a word with you.
Seriously, I must give this a try.
 

PapaMoi

Kava Enthusiast
So I had an old milk jug fill of traditional prep in my fridge for over a week. It sat idle so all the kava resin stuff sank to the bottom. I decanted the light/weak kava water off and spread the sludge on a pyrex dish. Drying it out low and slow to make a diy instant kava. Will update with results...
 

Groggy

Kava aficionado
Admin
So I had an old milk jug fill of traditional prep in my fridge for over a week. It sat idle so all the kava resin stuff sank to the bottom. I decanted the light/weak kava water off and spread the sludge on a pyrex dish. Drying it out low and slow to make a diy instant kava. Will update with results...
I wonder if keeping grog that long in the fridge won't affect the taste.
 

PapaMoi

Kava Enthusiast
I wonder if keeping grog that long in the fridge won't affect the taste.
Yea. It tastes like funky, old kava. I've noticed that I feel a deeper effect from leftover kava though. The taste Always reminds me of my home brewing, cheese making, lactofermentation experiments. Always wondering if I should go ahead and ingest it. But I do it for science by God. For science!
 

PapaMoi

Kava Enthusiast
IMG_20180701_151124.jpg
Here's the "instant" I got from the remains of old kava mentioned above. No weird taste either, which surprised me! This is like kava-hash and it sure packs a punch. A Hawaiian Punch.
 

kastom_lif

Kava Lover
Why is it that instant is a fine powder rather than a yellow goop? I'm not a chemist, though starch seems like it would be the factor. Starch is very soluble in water, and very INsoluble in alcohol.

I was thinking of alternate ways to make instant kava, just daydreaming. Had a classic thought experiment going, mentally extracting kava with ethanol in a soxhlet. Then I vaccum distilled off the alcohol in my imaginary lab and thought, "hey wait a minute, this is one way to make concentrate, not instant powder!"

If one were to mix KL concentrate with, say, corn starch... might it turn into a loose brown powder resembling instant kava?
 

Krunkie McKrunkface

Kava Connoisseur
Why is it that instant is a fine powder rather than a yellow goop? I'm not a chemist, though starch seems like it would be the factor. Starch is very soluble in water, and very INsoluble in alcohol.

I was thinking of alternate ways to make instant kava, just daydreaming. Had a classic thought experiment going, mentally extracting kava with ethanol in a soxhlet. Then I vaccum distilled off the alcohol in my imaginary lab and thought, "hey wait a minute, this is one way to make concentrate, not instant powder!"

If one were to mix KL concentrate with, say, corn starch... might it turn into a loose brown powder resembling instant kava?
Kava + Water plus air seems to be a very safe way to make instant..... And effortless if one is merely patient.
 
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