Kava newbie here. What am I doing wrong?

[jmcrist]

Hey guys,

I'm new to kava.

My first few experiences were kind of lame to say the least. I assume this was due to reverse tolerance or user error on my part.

My wife and I have tried instant kava, and single cup servings (2 tbsp dried kava per 12 oz. water) around 4 or 5 times.

Each time we couldn't really feel the effects.

Disappointed, I started doing some Googling and found the following thread: http://kavaforums.com/forum/threads/ctahr-extraction-method.5686/.

I used this method to brew up about 4 cups.

I blended 1 cup Waka root (from Bulakava) kava with 4 cups hot water in our blentec strained/kneaded for 3 different cycles. I used a strainer similar to cheesecloth (hardly any kava particles in the water).

It tasted like a bowl of mud, btw

My wife and I drank around 12 oz - 16 oz... And we could feel ... Something.

It was a mellow feeling, but not very strong. It was almost hard to tell if it was the kava or if we were making it up.

So, I guess my questions are...

Are the effects of kava so mild that it's hard to notice?

Am I doing something wrong?

Can I do something to make the effects stronger?

As it stands, I'm going to mix up another batch tonight and I really want it to be a success!

Thanks!

 

[Kojo Douglas]

I would recommend making it by hand rather than blending it. That might just be personal preference though. I feel like I can taste the difference between a Kava made in a blender and a Kava squeezed by hand.

Kava often has a very underwhelming first impression. It is one of the curses and blessings for Kavasseurs, because it means less demand and a better supply for us (Kava is very much a finite product as it is grown sporadically in small island nations [and Hawaii]).

Try 3/4 cup of Kava root to about 1 litre of water. Put it in the cheese cloth and really squeeze it until you can't feel any more oils coming out of the root. The Kava should be thick and rather nasty. If you get the numbing effect, you are on the right path (by the way, did you get that the first time around).

Remember that Kava is not going to bowl you over like a bong hit or a fifth of whiskey. It is a rather subtle medicine with non-addictive properties.

 

[jmcrist]

I would recommend making it by hand rather than blending it. That might just be personal preference though. I feel like I can taste the difference between a Kava made in a blender and a Kava squeezed by hand.

Kava often has a very underwhelming first impression. It is one of the curses and blessings for Kavasseurs, because it means less demand and a better supply for us (Kava is very much a finite product as it is grown sporadically in small island nations [and Hawaii]).

Try 3/4 cup of Kava root to about 1 litre of water. Put it in the cheese cloth and really squeeze it until you can't feel any more oils coming out of the root. The Kava should be thick and rather nasty. If you get the numbing effect, you are on the right path (by the way, did you get that the first time around).

Remember that Kava is not going to bowl you over like a bong hit or a fifth of whiskey. It is a rather subtle medicine with non-addictive properties.

Thanks for your reply. I chose to blend rather than knead because of the results of the study I linked to.

I did attempt to knead in single cup servings though.

To answer your question, yes, every cup of kava I've had to date had the mouth numbing effects (more so on the last batch).

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

Your just in reverse tolerance this is how it seems to start for most people ... kava is not subtle when your done with reverse tolerance.. I can barley whip up the motivation to type this haha!... I just drank some mahakea, hiwa and nene ! And am krunk heavy style ! .. just keep at it. I remmeber back in the day when my prep and the quality I had was both terrible. And I would wonder the same thing. Like what's up with this lmao is it me. Or is kava just subtle.. but since "breaking through" I get litterally fucked up sometimes... like right now lol. In my mind I'm fully conscious but my body is in Wonderland haha!. Seriously it's worth it in the end.. try caps or something else while your in RT to avoid useless bad taste.! Goodluck much love

 

[Edward]

^^^^^ What he said. Ex-Zach-tly. ^^^^^

When I first started I was worried about overdoing it and would mix it really weak. Now I have had some experience of what to expect from kava and am getting better at judging how much root to use and how much water. It just takes time. If you are feeling "something" but not very much then up the root a bit more. Not sure about cups as I measure in heaped tablespoons but I'm guessing 1 cup for two people should be about right although I would use less water, less to have to chug then and I don't mind it a little thicker..

 

[jmcrist]

Thanks everyone!

So... Sounds like it might just be reverse tolerance.

Any idea how long it takes to get over this?

I've probably had 5 - 6 separate experiences with Kava over the last month.

Thanks!

 

[theDrizzle]

Thanks everyone!

So... Sounds like it might just be reverse tolerance.

Any idea how long it takes to get over this?

I've probably had 5 - 6 separate experiences with Kava over the last month.

Thanks!

I had basically the same question yesterday. Just don't do like me and think it'll never work and overdo it! It quickly came right back up after some heavy effects. [emoji38]

Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk

 

[Blippy5]

It varies for everyone. I think mine took about 2.5 weeks?
Kava is not subtle when it starts working, it does have subtle effects, but you know it when you got it.
I have tried both blending and by hand, I prefer hand made. I think blender might be slightly stronger than hand squeezed, but if you have good technique it's not too bad.

 

[KavaCat]

You're not doing it wrong. Don't drive yourself crazy thinking that you need some new kind of method... just keep drinking it, and wait. I know that's hard, but wait. Like I told someone else a few days ago, I have read a lot of cases where people were just about to give up on kava- or did give up on kava for a while, before trying again- when their tolerance finally died.

HOWEVER, get something other than instant kava. I've gotten SEVERAL bags of instant that just did absolutely nothing, or took $10 worth of it to do anything. Not acceptable. And as a newbie, there's going to be no way for you to tell if you have a dud bag of instant, or if you're just personally not getting anything out of it. Try micronized kava from Gourmet Hawaiian Kava, or kava extract from Paradise Kava. Both require no straining at all and are very good quality products. You only have to use about half as much micronized as usual, about 1-3 tbsp per person. Paradise extract has the dosage on the label, but I've found I prefer two doses (1/2 tsp). Micronized kava will cost much less, but if you want as little taste as possible, you can dissolve a little paradise extract in a cup of tea or cocoa.

Most of all, don't give up. That's the biggest factor in whether or not you'll come to enjoy kava one day, I think. It's the grandpa of herbal supplements: You can't rush it! It's going to take as long to get to the car, bathroom, etc, as it does, and not one minute sooner! lol

 

[KavaCat]

Oh! Kalm with kava is a pre-made drink that's also highly recommended around here. I'm not sure it's very cost effective, or if it's strong enough to help a new person get over reverse tolerance, but it couldn't hurt at all.

 

[jmcrist]

Thanks everyone!

 

[Kojo Douglas]

I wish there was some science behind Reverse Tolerance. I went almost a full year without Kava and it hit me all the same on my first session back in.

 

[The Kap'n]

I wish there was some science behind Reverse Tolerance.

Me too. I'd love to know why some people feel it 100% out of the gate, and some it takes weeks to a month to feel.

 

[Kojo Douglas]

It's certainly the biggest barrier to turning people on to Kava. A lot of the time I'll introduce people to Kava and they'll just look at me like I am demented when they take their first gulp.

 

[The Kap'n]

I'd love to know how kava bar owners deal with it. I guess we've just been saying that reverse tolerance is a thing for so long that it's actually become a thing.

I'd also like to know if cross reverse tolerance applies differently to different chemotypes. I swear it takes me a few days to fully feel a certain kava's effects when switching from one strain to another.

 

[KavaCat]

I'd love to know how kava bar owners deal with it. I guess we've just been saying that reverse tolerance is a thing for so long that it's actually become a thing.

I'd also like to know if cross reverse tolerance applies differently to different chemotypes. I swear it takes me a few days to fully feel a certain kava's effects when switching from one strain to another.

You know what? I'm actually the reverse of that! I actually usually feel a new strain stronger than a strain I've been using a while.

 

[The Kap'n]

@KavaCat Gah, and I believe it completely. Kava is a fickle beast. Definitely room for numerous studies to be performed.

 

[TheKavaSociety]

I suppose most people grow more sensitive to kava over time. But often the fact that some people don't feel anything is a matter of inadequate amount or bad extraction. When I visited Vanuatu I saw quite a few travelers/tourists with no kava experience that would walk into a nakamal, order a big shell and feel it straight away.

 

[Edward]

I've probably had 5 - 6 separate experiences with Kava over the last month.

That there could be your problem, I'd recommend daily use for a few weeks and see how you feel after that. You won't need to carry on drinking every day but at least at first you want to get some KL build up to start you off.

 

[winder]

You know what? I'm actually the reverse of that! I actually usually feel a new strain stronger than a strain I've been using a while.

This is me as well, and why I'm turning into such a whore for having as many strains/kava products on hand as possible. I find I really need to mix up my kava routines in order to get the effects I enjoy. If I have the same kava 3-4 days in a row the effects seem to become muted, if there at all. Or maybe the effects of a single strain become so "background" to my mind that I don't register with the same degree of pleasure/enjoyment.