Is our beloved root an acid or a base?

[Cmessier]

Because for some reason today its really killing my stomach ... like I drank sulfuric acid. Wondering if some cheese might help ... but if its not acidic then something else is up.

 

[verticity]

The pH of prepared kava appears to be between 7 and 8, essentially neutral.

In the following picture, the top strip was dipped in prepared borogu from KWK, and the bottom strip was dipped in plain tap water. It's hard to see in the picture, but the kava strip is a very slightly darker green than the water one, meaning the kava is just very slightly more basic than water.
,

So the reason for your stomach upset is not related to acidity. Kava can cause stomach upset if it is not filtered well enough so that there are particles and fibers in it, and if you drink too much I think there can also be some kind of neurological action that can cause nausea. Be sure you are using a good filter bag rated a maximum of 80 microns.

 

[Cmessier]

I just use nylons. It usually is a little rough on my stomach but not like this. Maybe its the coffee and donuts I had this morning or the hot wings I had yesterday. But man does my stomach feel awful.

 

[verticity]

I just use nylons. It usually is a little rough on my stomach but not like this. Maybe its the coffee and donuts I had this morning or the hot wings I had yesterday. But man does my stomach feel awful.

Nylons have pretty large holes in them. When I used to do that I found that doubling up, using 2 nylons helped make grog easier on my stomach

 

[_byron]

Even though this was already answered figure I toss this out here.

"The kava juice, prepared from dry or fresh roots, has a pH around 7 just after filtration and decreases slowly to 4.5 in a few hours depending on warm temperatures which accelerate the phenomenon. Once the beverage reaches this acid pH, it is stable but never drunk. The acidification process is much faster if the beverage is prepared from the fresh root. Warm temperatures activate the bacterial degradation but there is no fermentation process."
-source: Is the Quality of Kava (Piper methysticum Forst. f.) Responsible for Different Geographical Patterns?
by Vincent Lebot and Patricia Siméoni

 

[verticity]

Even though this was already answered figure I toss this out here.

"The kava juice, prepared from dry or fresh roots, has a pH around 7 just after filtration and decreases slowly to 4.5 in a few hours depending on warm temperatures which accelerate the phenomenon. Once the beverage reaches this acid pH, it is stable but never drunk. The acidification process is much faster if the beverage is prepared from the fresh root. Warm temperatures activate the bacterial degradation but there is no fermentation process."
-source: Is the Quality of Kava (Piper methysticum Forst. f.) Responsible for Different Geographical Patterns?
by Vincent Lebot and Patricia Siméoni

Ooh, now I'm curious to leave some kava sitting out and see how acidic it gets... I did the above with freshly prepared kava

 

[Intrepidus_dux]

I'm curious too! Let us know. So neat you have pH strips on hand.

 

[verticity]

I left some kava sitting out overnight. It's been sitting there for about 15 hours now. The temperature has been about 65 F.
Left: 15 hour old kava: approx pH = 7, maybe very slightly more acidic than fresh
Right: Tap water: approx pH = 7.5
I'll let it sit longer and see what happens...

 

[verticity]

4 days later...
The kava is getting more acidic. pH is down to about 6. Whatever reaction is causing this is pretty slow at the temperature here compared to the tropics, but it is still happening.
(Left: kava, Right: water)

 

[verticity]

And, no, I'm not tempted to drink it at this point..

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

Acid reflux is typically a result of excess cold liquids and or weak stomach acid. Typically they go hand in hand .

We drink kava cold .. therefore if you do as well it's not the kava but the stomach trying to produce more acid to compensate for the the cold and kava also inhibits digestion on its own . It reduces flow to the stomach..

Alone kava won't typically do this but if you already are doing something else to aggravate it it will push you over


Yeah it definitely gets sour after it sits ! So that makes sense ! @verticity

Also the fact that it's dried will definitely make this take longer than if it was fresh

 

[Cmessier]

That was fascinating. Thanks for all the info!!!! Took a 3 day break and Im feeling better. But I am getting krunked tonight.