Kava math

[Megan]

Ok so my head hurts from trying to figure this out so I'm turning to you all for help!
I just ordered a pound of boronguru from kwk, I'm trying to figure out how long it will last. So how many servings do you all get out of a pound of medium grind? And another math question, if I want to make a good quantity of it, what is your recipe for say.....a gallon? Thanks!

 

[kavadude]

I'm afraid nobody can answer those questions except for you, because they depend on how much is in a serving for you

A pound would last me a week or so, it would last some people a month.

As far as making a gallon, do keep in mind that kava tends to taste much worse after about 48 hours in the fridge. That said, I'd start off with like 1/4 cup of root to 1 cup water. Root:water ratio should not effect the potency so long as you have enough to knead effectively, so it's mainly a matter of personal preference.. More water = less grainy texture, but more liquid that you have to drink to get the effect.

 

[Megan]

I'm afraid nobody can answer those questions except for you, because they depend on how much is in a serving for you

A pound would last me a week or so, it would last some people a month.

As far as making a gallon, do keep in mind that kava tends to taste much worse after about 48 hours in the fridge. That said, I'd start off with like 1/4 cup of root to 1 cup water. Root:water ratio should not effect the potency so long as you have enough to knead effectively, so it's mainly a matter of personal preference.. More water = less grainy texture, but more liquid that you have to drink to get the effect.

Darn that's what I thought the answer would be : ) as far as...it's personal. Still trying to get thru RT and my boyfriend is starting to look at me like I'm crazy with the amount of $$I'm spending with no discernable effects......yet

 

[Steve Mariotti]

Making up a big batch is advisable if you have enough people to drink it all. The longer it sits in the fridge, the funkier it gets. Kava itself starts at pretty funky but its all downhill from there. That's been my experience. I wonder if any of the wine bottle preservation methods (air pump, canned gas) would help, or whether there's something happening in the chemistry over time.

A pound is not to be trifled with. It's a significant amount of kava. I usually prepare three heaping tbs of medium grind root to two to three cups of warm tap water, knead and strain it until my forearms explode and get three to four shells. Four is plenty for me. I don't want more than four. These are roughly four to five ounce shells.

A pound would last me three weeks or more if I were drinking it every day just like that. Less if I'm sharing heavily, or more if I drink it like I do now, one to two times a week.

You shouldn't be afraid of numbers. Don't be a calcuaphobe. I hid the numbers in words. Cheers!

 

[Crunked]

As a starting point I would recommend 25g in a kava strainer placed in 400mls of luke warm water. Knead for at least 6 minutes. Squeeze the mixture dry. You should then have 360 to 380 mls of kava, depending on the absorption of the borogu. This will make 3 shells. Have them 20 minutes apart on an empty stomach. See how you feel. Don't try and cook dinner or do something taxing at the same time. Let the kava come to you. If you find that 25g is good for you then you should have 18 serves (@3 shells per serving) in 1 pound of borogu.
If you want to hit the ground running, put an Ozia Kava Candy under your tongue while you are kneading the borogu.

 

[Megan]

Ok so I won't make a large quantity, sounds like a bad idea for sure. The first kava I bought was nambawan from bkh and I really enjoyed the process of making it after work every day. So I'll just make it fresh daily like I did with that one. I blew through that 1/2 lb bag so fast though (3 days) trying to get some effects....that I started to worry I'm going to end up spending a LOT before the rt is over. I'm starting to see that variety is key....having different types on hand (micro, medium, extract) seems like the best way to go. I have some candy on the way @Crunked so I will definitely try that!

 

[Mr. Kava]

This is my prep routine. I have tried other variations, ratios, vitamix blending etc., but for me, this routine aways yields good results with no stomach ache from too much root matter:

1:5 kava to water (warm or room temp)
kneed 10-15min with 100 micron strainer bag
Strain again with 55 micron bucket strainer.

Cool in fridge for 30min or so.
Drink 16-24oz over next hour.
Crunk out and feel good.

Best strainers Ive found come from dudadiesel.com, a biodiesel supply company.

Buy the 100 micron 7x16" nylon filter sock bag and then get a 55 micron sock bag or bucket style filter.

 

[Edward]

If you're not getting much effect from your kava try drinking some milk after. I find this really opens up the kava.

 

[CactusKava]

Ok so I won't make a large quantity, sounds like a bad idea for sure. The first kava I bought was nambawan from bkh and I really enjoyed the process of making it after work every day. So I'll just make it fresh daily like I did with that one. I blew through that 1/2 lb bag so fast though (3 days) trying to get some effects....that I started to worry I'm going to end up spending a LOT before the rt is over. I'm starting to see that variety is key....having different types on hand (micro, medium, extract) seems like the best way to go. I have some candy on the way @Crunked so I will definitely try that!

Variety is definitely key, but I think you need to experiment with small batches of varying cultivars of kava rather than grind types. Some people love Nene's heaviness, others love Nambawan because it kicks your face in, and others go for the Loa Waka for its headiness. Soon, people will love Eva (I have to say it, I'm a vendor after all). Differing roots have differing effects. IMO, in the future, buy half pound bags of cultivars you've never tried before until you find the one that has the effects you're looking for.

One more thing -- when you've been making your kava, do you find a decent amount of sediment that sinks to the bottom? You're going to want to make sure there's very fine sediment down there that you can stir around, with no chunks. That fine sediment = kavalactones.

Good luck!

 

[blindy107]

@Megan i would start with cheaper root for RT or maybe even the Gaia capsules. 20$ on Amazon for 60 caps. Kalms boronguru is pretty pricey for RT root. That being said, it's delicious.

 

[Megan]

@Megan i would start with cheaper root for RT or maybe even the Gaia capsules. 20$ on Amazon for 60 caps. Kalms boronguru is pretty pricey for RT root. That being said, it's delicious.

I have kava king instant that I've been trying to get through rt with but I started to question whether it's not "strong enough" to get through with. I still have a half lb bag of it so I will definitely use it all before I get into the boronguru.
@CactusKava yes there is very fine sediment at the bottom when I knead it...almost like super fine sand. Thank you for the help you guys!

 

[Deleted User01]

@Megan, I used to make kava and put it in 2 lock top beer bottles that are 16oz each. However, after a week, the taste degrades. But who cares, its kava, it already tastes bad. Here is another tip. I used those 17 oz cans of coconut water. Make sure it is water and not creme and don't buy any that have coconut bits in them. So I use the coconut water and some regular water to make a decent batch and the taste improves .... for kava. Honestly, that's why I do Micronized and Instant. And if your boyfriend is concerned with the $s, just have him look at the booze/bar bill and you'll see that Kava is a heck of a deal. I track my booze bill and it ain't cheap either. But at least I don't spend money on over-priced booze at bars and restaurants.

 

[Blippy5]

1lb lasts me about one week to a week and a half of daily drinking. I've got a hard head for these things though.

 

[Deleted User01]

Ok @Megan, no more hemming and hawing, here is a recipe to yield (2) 16 oz bottles:
1.5 to 1.75 cups Kava depending on strength of kava.
2 cans of coconut water 34 oz.
Water 8 oz.
Total Liquid is 42 oz.
Heat up the Liquid to 120.

1st Batch First wash.
Dump Kava with 30 oz Water at 120 degrees in the Blender.
Blend on high for a minute.
Dump in bowl and Knead.
Pour into a pitcher (you will mix both first and second wash together and then put in bottles)

2nd Wash.
Heat up the rest of the liquid to 120.
Dump the water in the strainer with the "spent" Kava.
Knead again until your forarms are bulging like Steve Mariotti.
Dump into the pitcher that has the first wash. Yield should be a little over 32 oz.
Now pour into 2 bottles and refrigerate. If you have any left overs, then "down the hatch"!

 

[Megan]

Thank you!

@Megan, I used to make kava and put it in 2 lock top beer bottles that are 16oz each. However, after a week, the taste degrades. But who cares, its kava, it already tastes bad. Here is another tip. I used those 17 oz cans of coconut water. Make sure it is water and not creme and don't buy any that have coconut bits in them. So I use the coconut water and some regular water to make a decent batch and the taste improves .... for kava. Honestly, that's why I do Micronized and Instant. And if your boyfriend is concerned with the $s, just have him look at the booze/bar bill and you'll see that Kava is a heck of a deal. I track my booze bill and it ain't cheap either. But at least I don't spend money on over-priced booze at bars and restaurants.

Yes!! Good beer is expensive! I know for sure that I've saved money on alcohol since I'm abstaining to be mindful of the kava. I know he's probably thinking of all the car parts he could have bought with the money I've spent so far lol. But he also knows that the pay off (eventually) of having a girlfriend that is not wracked with anxiety=priceless.

 

[Deleted User01]

Heh, heh, heh, .... yeah, you can play the "no anxiety girlfriend" card and that should work all day long and all year long. Men don't understand a lot of things but they do understand that one anxiety thing.

 

[Steve Mariotti]

Yes!! Good beer is expensive! I know for sure that I've saved money on alcohol since I'm abstaining to be mindful of the kava. I know he's probably thinking of all the car parts he could have bought with the money I've spent so far lol. But he also knows that the pay off (eventually) of having a girlfriend that is not wracked with anxiety=priceless.

Pro tip: don't drink kava and alcohol in the same 24 time window. Unless you enjoy flu like symptoms and a sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament.

 

[Deleted User01]

Steverino, how many drinks do you think it takes to catch the kava flu? Or is 1 enough? Or are you saying don't get shitface and drink kave in the same 24 hour time frame. And I would like to get the members opinions on this. It might explain some things and it is also going to be a major bummer for me if it is true. That means that you drink, you have to go substance free for a day before you do kava.

 

[Megan]

Pro tip: don't drink kava and alcohol in the same 24 time window. Unless you enjoy flu like symptoms and a sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament.

THAT does not sound fun. Duly noted.

 

[Steve Mariotti]

Steverino, how many drinks do you think it takes to catch the kava flu? Or is 1 enough? Or are you saying don't get shitface and drink kave in the same 24 hour time frame. And I would like to get the members opinions on this. It might explain some things and it is also going to be a major bummer for me if it is true. That means that you drink, you have to go substance free for a day before you do kava.

For me, 3 beers and 3 shells in the same 24 hours is pain. One beer and 4 shells probably isn't too bad. The only times I've overlapped I've regretted it, so I give myself at least 24 hours before switching teams. Observing that, I do switch back and forth and am just fine---provided I don't get three beers deep and lose good judgment. Any time I'm thinking "Hey! Drinking is great! Why don't I do this more often??" I know I've entered that zone.