Kava Preparation Experiments in kava. Soak, long stir, etc.

[Tojomo]

I have some kava experiments I want to try/share. I have no way to test potency other than taste/feel impressions. All experiments will be 5 tbsp of powder in 4 cups of water. At some point the water will be heated to just over 100 degrees f. First let's establish a control group for comparison.

Control (Normal prep method):
1. Blend 5 tbsp kava in 4 cups water at 100 degrees f for 3 min (blendtec blender)
2. wait 3 min
3. Blend kava for 3 more min.
4. Strain with cactus kava strainer.
5. Strain with t-shirt
Results: Mild. Feel like more should be extracted.

Last night I tried a soak experiment:
1. Put 5 tbsp in 2 cups water overnight.
2. Added 2 more cups hot water. Final mixture temp 100 degrees f.
3. Blended for 3 min
4. Wait 30 min
5. Blend 3 min
6. Strain with cactus kava strainer
Results: This was much stronger than control.
Notes: Not sure if it was lack of straining with t-shirt (more particles) or all the soaking.
Next possible tests: 1.Try control method without t-shirt strain. 2.Try soak method with t-shirt stain.

Stir plate experiment:
1. Blend 5 tbsp kava in 2 cups water at 100 degrees for 3 min (blendtec blender)
2. Pour in Mason jar and place on stir plate with magnetic stir stick for 4 hours.
3. Add water to bring back to 100 degrees f.
4. Blend for 3 more min.
5. Strain with cactus kava strainer.
Results: This experiment is on going. Will get back to you when finished.
Notes: had to turn down stirrer to 4.5 because stir stick randomly dislodged at 5.5. (using corning scholar 171 stir plate and I believe a 1.5 inch stir stick)

 

[Tojomo]

Past experiment, cold cream in cold water:
1. 5 tbsp kava in 4 cups cold liquid (lined bottom of blender in cream and filled the rest with water)
2. Bend 3 min
3. Wait 3 min
4. Bend 3 min
5. Attempt to strain (see results/notes)
Results: cream turned to kava laced butter on top of liquid during blending. Doesn't seem especially strong.
Notes: I did a similar experiment with warm water and the butter wasn't a thing. The butter is hard to drink/deal with. Almost must be consumed with spoon first.

 

[The Kap'n]

I love these sorts of posts. Welcome to kavaforums!

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

Science!

Yup, that's how we learn. I applaud all these attempts and the thinking behind them.

 

[Tojomo]

Thanks for the warm welcome guys.

I really want the benefits of kava for the least money. I hate wasting money. And I want to share that so the next person can get even better results.

Stir plate experiment:
Results: So its been four hours so I strained and tasted it. That is the most potent kava I have ever had. The numbness in the mouth was incredible.
Next test: run stirrer over night

 

[Tojomo]

Stir plate experiment #2:
1. Blend 4 tbsp kava (i only have 4 left... Waiting for shipment) in 2 cups water at 100 degrees for 3 min (blendtec blender)
2. Pour in Mason jar and place on stir plate with magnetic stir stick for 24+ hours.
3. Add water to bring back to 100 degrees f.
4. Blend for 3 more min.
5. Strain with cactus kava strainer.
Note: wish I had that 5th tbsp. Oh well might need to redo this one. However if it is more potent than 4 hours at 5 tbsp we know it is a good method. Also since I am out may need to do control again for new strain.

Also if anyone has any experiments they would like me to do, let me know.

Kava in Mason jar getting stirred:

 

[Intrepidus_dux]

I wish I had a stiring plate laying around. You must be into other kinds of experiments too!

 

[Tojomo]

Stir plate experiment #2continued)
Notes/results: So I left it stirring for 29 hours because I got stuck at work. It smelled gross. Not sure if it went bad or broke down weirdly. The smell wasn't horrible but it was enough to turn my stomach. I was not going to drink it at all but tasted one shell for science. The mouth numbness was similar to 4 hours so I think I will leave my stirring at 4 hours going forward.
Possible future experiments: stirring with hot water, stirring without blending, blending then soaking in the fridge.

 

[Tojomo]

Ok update. My cup of questionable smelling, kava that had been stirring for 29 hours, that I drank for science has un settled my stomach. Not dying or anything but for sure more than placebo. Kava definitely goes bad within 1 day on the counter. Sad. No kava for tomorrow.

I have kept kava for multiple days in the fridge, even mixed with dairy and its fine. Never on the counter again.

 

[Palmetto]

A blender does the stirring process faster. Soaking the kava cold overnight allows for more KLs to migrate from the center of the particles, thus more available to be released = stronger. Rather than cream, I would use polysorbate 80. It is a food emulsifier much better suited to kavalactones than lecithin (phosphatidylcholine). A sonicator might could help tear apart the particles and release more KLs.

 

[Tojomo]

A blender does the stirring process faster. Soaking the kava cold overnight allows for more KLs to migrate from the center of the particles, thus more available to be released = stronger. Rather than cream, I would use polysorbate 80. It is a food emulsifier much better suited to kavalactones than lecithin (phosphatidylcholine). A sonicator might could help tear apart the particles and release more KLs.

I've never heard of polysorbate 80 before. I am looking into it. Might buy some for a test.

Scientific quality sonicators are $$$. Do you think that an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner would work. I don't know to much about the equipment or sonicators/ultrasonic devices in general.

I have read a theory on here that freezing can rupture the cell walls also. So that will be today's test.

 

[The Kap'n]

I've never heard of polysorbate 80 before. I am looking into it. Might buy some for a test.

Scientific quality sonicators are $$$. Do you think that an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner would work. I don't know to much about the equipment or sonicators/ultrasonic devices in general.

I have read a theory on here that freezing can rupture the cell walls also. So that will be today's test.

We've had several runs at using an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner to make kava, and from what I remember it was just an added step without much addition to strength. The heating action may have caused the slight increase. A real sonicator may actually work, but like you said, $$$.

 

[Tojomo]

So I am off today. Time for an experiment.
Today I want to compare stirring to freezing. I want to try to rupture the cell walls as Palmetto suggested but using equipment I have on hand aka my freezer. (if anyone wants to buy me a sonicator...)

I ran out of my previous kava blend and just bought some new stuff (borogu). Unfortunately since I want to try various strains it will be hard to compare results between past and future tests. Therefore going forward my tests will take an a/b format. I will do two methods at the same time and compare the results. Stronger/Weaker.

For my 'a' test (quasi control) today I will use my new favorite method:

1. Blend 5 tbsp kava in 2 cups water at 110 degrees for 3 min (blendtec blender)
2. Pour in Mason jar and place on stir plate with magnetic stir stick for 4 hours.
3. Add 2 cups water to bring back to 100 degrees f.
4. Blend for 3 more min.
5. For this one I am going to soak till my 'b' test is done. That way the will be in water the same amount of time.
6. Strain with cactus kava strainer.
7. Leave in fridge while other mixture cools so test is done at same temp.

For my 'b' test I will be feeding the mix:
1. Blend 5 tbsp kava in 2 cups water at 100 degrees for 3 min (blendtec blender)
2. Pour into shallow freezer safe Tupperware and put in freezer.
3. After it freezes (not sure of the time here) break it up, put it in the blender and add 2 cups 188 degree water to bring ice back to 110.
4. Blend for 3 more min.
5. Strain with cactus kava strainer.
6. Let cool in fridge.

Note: I will time this so both mixtures get strained at approx the same time.

 

[Tojomo]

We've had several runs at using an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner to make kava, and from what I remember it was just an added step without much addition to strength. The heating action may have caused the slight increase. A real sonicator may actually work, but like you said, $$$.

I wonder if a sonicator would homogenize any fats used to encourage kavalactone extraction. I know my Kava butter float that I got using cream was a bit gross. However if it was homogenous it would be fine

 

[Tojomo]

Experiment Freeze Vs Stir
Notes: I thought ice would count as 32f/0c and adding 188f/86c water would average to 100-110f/38-43c. I was working on the straining the ice Kava first. I even erred on the side of straight boiling my water (212f/100c) and adding it slowly. I was going to stop when it hit the desired temp but in the end the brew was still cold during the second blend of my frozen Kava test.

So when I went to do the second blend on the stir test, I also left it cold. Even added a few cubes of ice to make sure the experiments matched. I want the only difference to be frozen (ruptured?) Kava vs agitated Kava.

Also, cold Kava apparently makes a foam in the blender. At first I thought it was the ruptured cells of the frozen batch but it did it for the stir test as well.

Results: Very similar. Gun to my head, I would say the freezer Kava was a tinch stronger, but the difference was so slight that I am not even sure if it is real. Both methods are good.

Possible further tests:
Maybe redo this test and let the freezer Kava melt first so both Kavas are actually 100-110f or 38-43c during the second blend, like the original premise of the experiment called for.

Maybe do a abcd test at some point comparing a quick blend, a blend and soak, a blend and stir, and a blend and freeze. This would compare the same amount of work with and with out a soak. Does soaking do anything? It would compare agitation to soaking. Am I getting stronger Kava because it is in the water longer or because I am stirring it? It would double check the original experiment that makes me feel a 4 hour stir in between blends is better than just the blends. And it would double check today's results. I will have to do this when I need a lot of Kava.