First Time Kava User

[Kava Mang]

Hello All,

I stumbled upon Kava after reading the article for ESPN. Since then i have been dedicating most of my time to studying all i can about Kava. I have watched way too many of Kavasseur's reviews, browsed many vendor websites and perused this forum.

I placed an order with KWK for the sample pack on their website that should be here on Friday, it will be a surprise which strains i end up receiving. I also had an Amazon gift card to use up so i ordered a 1/2 LB of the Borugu from KWK as well.

I will be trying traditional prep. The proper proportions seem to be the toughest thing to figure out about Kava. I think maybe 3 Tablespoons of root to 12oz of water, which should get me three 4 oz servings would be a good baseline to start with. Any suggestions on the ratio would be appreciated from more experienced drinkers, is this too much/not enough for the first time? Is there a suggested strain from KWK that would be best to start with? (granted i don't know exactly which ones i will be receiving in the sample)

I am a former alcoholic (sober for 1 1/2 years) that struggles with anxiety and stress, I've been on and off benzo's for quite some time. I seem to have fallen in love with Kava before even having tried it yet, like it is the missing piece of the puzzle or a long lost friend finally coming home.

I am excited to get this adventure under way and hope to become a permanent fixture within the kava community!

 

[The Kap'n]

Hello All,

I stumbled upon Kava after reading the article for ESPN. Since then i have been dedicating most of my time to studying all i can about Kava. I have watched way too many of Kavasseur's reviews, browsed many vendor websites and perused this forum.

I placed an order with KWK for the sample pack on their website that should be here on Friday, it will be a surprise which strains i end up receiving. I also had an Amazon gift card to use up so i ordered a 1/2 LB of the Borugu from KWK as well.

I will be trying traditional prep. The proper proportions seem to be the toughest thing to figure out about Kava. I think maybe 3 Tablespoons of root to 12oz of water, which should get me three 4 oz servings would be a good baseline to start with. Any suggestions on the ratio would be appreciated from more experienced drinkers, is this too much/not enough for the first time? Is there a suggested strain from KWK that would be best to start with? (granted i don't know exactly which ones i will be receiving in the sample)

I am a former alcoholic (sober for 1 1/2 years) that struggles with anxiety and stress, I've been on and off benzo's for quite some time. I seem to have fallen in love with Kava before even having tried it yet, like it is the missing piece of the puzzle or a long lost friend finally coming home.

I am excited to get this adventure under way and hope to become a permanent fixture within the kava community!

Welcome! Glad to have you with us. The best way to keep things consistent is by using a scale and measuring cup. I measure my kava in ratios and by the gram/ml, personally (and I don't recommend this strength to start) I use a 10:1 ratio (ten being water). 400ml water w/ 40 grams of kava. but this is stupid strength. It's my one shot kava immobilizer that I use before bed. You could start with a lesser ratio. Maybe a 20:1 or 30:1 ratio would be better starting out. You may always adjust up if you feel the need.

Traditional prep all the way. I find it's the most cost effective method of drinking kava.

KWK is good kava. Currently drinking the borongoru, and love it.

 

[Kava Mang]

Thanks for the advice. I really hope that I am lucky and will be able to feel it right away and i don't have do deal with any reverse tolerance issues.

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

Hello All,

I stumbled upon Kava after reading the article for ESPN. Since then i have been dedicating most of my time to studying all i can about Kava. I have watched way too many of Kavasseur's reviews, browsed many vendor websites and perused this forum.

I placed an order with KWK for the sample pack on their website that should be here on Friday, it will be a surprise which strains i end up receiving. I also had an Amazon gift card to use up so i ordered a 1/2 LB of the Borugu from KWK as well.

I will be trying traditional prep. The proper proportions seem to be the toughest thing to figure out about Kava. I think maybe 3 Tablespoons of root to 12oz of water, which should get me three 4 oz servings would be a good baseline to start with. Any suggestions on the ratio would be appreciated from more experienced drinkers, is this too much/not enough for the first time? Is there a suggested strain from KWK that would be best to start with? (granted i don't know exactly which ones i will be receiving in the sample)

I am a former alcoholic (sober for 1 1/2 years) that struggles with anxiety and stress, I've been on and off benzo's for quite some time. I seem to have fallen in love with Kava before even having tried it yet, like it is the missing piece of the puzzle or a long lost friend finally coming home.

I am excited to get this adventure under way and hope to become a permanent fixture within the kava community!

Looks to me like you've done excellent research and have a really good handle on things for starting out. That ratio, 8 TBS of water per 1 TBS grind is a a very good one to start with and one I often use. Depending on the grind it might be a little weak, but it is unlikely to be too strong, and for many it's just right, so it is a great place to start, IMO. If you need you can ratchet down from 8:1 water/grind to 6:1 or even, for getting krunk, 4:1, or ratchet up to 10:1 and still really get good enjoyment.

One tip: Borogu is a fine kava but if you find the taste is too strong, you can mix it with a lighter kava to make a blend that is easier to drink. I love Borogu but I do that blending trick often. Also, it's a mostly heavy kava with little headiness so if I want I will blend in a lighter and headier kava in there to even it out. If you get Vula in your sampler, that would work for blending. So would Borongoru.

 

[Kava Mang]

Looks to me like you've done excellent research and have a really good handle on things for starting out. That ratio, 8 TBS of water per 1 TBS grind is a a very good one to start with and one I often use. Depending on the grind it might be a little weak, but it is unlikely to be too strong, and for many it's just right, so it is a great place to start, IMO. If you need you can ratchet down from 8:1 water/grind to 6:1 or even, for getting krunk, 4:1, or ratchet up to 10:1 and still really get good enjoyment.

One tip: Borogu is a fine kava but if you find the taste is too strong, you can mix it with a lighter kava to make a blend that is easier to drink. I love Borogu but I do that blending trick often. Also, it's a mostly heavy kava with little headiness so if I want I will blend in a lighter and headier kava in there to even it out. If you get Vula in your sampler, that would work for blending. So would Borongoru.

Thanks Krunkie,

I will definitely take you up on your advice if that is included in the sampler. I will be sure to post my results/experiences after my first weekend of kava drinking, stay tuned!

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

Good luck, have fun, thanks for keeping us posted and, oh yeah, Bula!

 

[Kava Mang]

Upon arriving home from work last night i was pleasantly surprised to find my order came a day earlier than expected. I had to go run some errands with the wife and kids so there was not enough time for a traditional prep. I decided to bring along the KWK concentrate airplane size bottle that i received in the sample. I poured it in a bottle of water and drank it on the 20 min ride to the shopping center. My anxiety was a little heightened with not knowing what to expect, or if anything would even happen if i was going to experience any reverse tolerance.

Once we were in the store i started noticing that everything kind of looked "cool" and i was focusing on things I wouldn't normally focus on, soon a warm feeling started to wash over me. I enjoyed a good 20 minutes of supreme euphoria and enjoyment while exploring the toy aisle with the kids. Amazing! The euphoria eventually wore off into a nice mellow relaxing feeling that lasted the rest of the time out and about. I normally do not like shopping, it is usually stressful and increases my anxiety. The KWK concentrate turned it into a fun and relaxing experience!

When we got home i decided to knead up a bowl of KWK Borogu. It was around 8 PM so i decided to not include any Boronguru as Krunkie suggested, i wanted to make sure things didn't get too heady before bedtime. I put 3 tablespoons of root into 2 cups of water and started to squeeze for about 10 minutes. I was a little worried about the taste because everyone seems to say the Vanuatu strains are the worst tasting of the bunch. I actually enjoyed the taste, not bad at all (kind of like chewing on a pine cone or some bark or something). My mouth immediately went numb and slowly i started to feel more and more relaxed and a little "marshmallowy". After a few shells i was extremely relaxed and went off to bed. Slept like a log and still feel great today.

My first night of kava was amazing! I am most excited to learn that i do not have much in the form of Reverse Tolerance.

Tonight we are off to bring the kids to see Santa and i will be sure to have a belly full of Borugu in me.
My second batch of the night will probably be a mixture of Borugu and Borunguru as Krunkie suggested.

Bula!

 

[Zaphod]

Upon arriving home from work last night i was pleasantly surprised to find my order came a day earlier than expected. I had to go run some errands with the wife and kids so there was not enough time for a traditional prep. I decided to bring along the KWK concentrate airplane size bottle that i received in the sample. I poured it in a bottle of water and drank it on the 20 min ride to the shopping center. My anxiety was a little heightened with not knowing what to expect, or if anything would even happen if i was going to experience any reverse tolerance.

Once we were in the store i started noticing that everything kind of looked "cool" and i was focusing on things I wouldn't normally focus on, soon a warm feeling started to wash over me. I enjoyed a good 20 minutes of supreme euphoria and enjoyment while exploring the toy aisle with the kids. Amazing! The euphoria eventually wore off into a nice mellow relaxing feeling that lasted the rest of the time out and about. I normally do not like shopping, it is usually stressful and increases my anxiety. The KWK concentrate turned it into a fun and relaxing experience!

When we got home i decided to knead up a bowl of KWK Borogu. It was around 8 PM so i decided to not include any Boronguru as Krunkie suggested, i wanted to make sure things didn't get too heady before bedtime. I put 3 tablespoons of root into 2 cups of water and started to squeeze for about 10 minutes. I was a little worried about the taste because everyone seems to say the Vanuatu strains are the worst tasting of the bunch. I actually enjoyed the taste, not bad at all (kind of like chewing on a pine cone or some bark or something). My mouth immediately went numb and slowly i started to feel more and more relaxed and a little "marshmallowy". After a few shells i was extremely relaxed and went off to bed. Slept like a log and still feel great today.

My first night of kava was amazing! I am most excited to learn that i do not have much in the form of Reverse Tolerance.

Tonight we are off to bring the kids to see Santa and i will be sure to have a belly full of Borugu in me.
My second batch of the night will probably be a mixture of Borugu and Borunguru as Krunkie suggested.

Bula!

Another one down, another one down, another drinks the root! Glad to have you aboard the kava train - and great job doing your research before jumping in. This forum is a great place with a wealth of information and great people to help you out. Enjoy!