No longer feeling the effects of Kava.

[DaveDream]

I'm relatively new to Kava so I tried the much praised Malekula Magic Kava.
I experimented with two preparation methods. One using a rolling pin and ziplock bag method. And the other using a blender.
At first I felt a numb mouth but no other effect from either method (I assumed reverse tolerance).
It was not until I got to the bottom of packet and used the blender method that I noticed something. When I was on my last cup of the evening I suddenly felt heady as if drunk. I got a good nights sleep and still felt a little heady for couple of hours in the morning.
So I ordered some more Malekula Magic. I have used two packets since my heady experience and I have had no effect, not even a numb mouth.
Am I doing something wrong or should I try another brand such as the Hawaiian Nene Kava? Or could my latest batch be off?

My current method: Half a cup of Malekula Magic to three cups of water or one cup of skimmed milk and two cups of water. Blended for around five minutes. Strained through a cheese cloth. Then ready to drink or put in the fridge for an hour to make it taste better. A third of a cup drunk at a time at 20 minute intervals.

 

[Deleted User01]

@DaveDream, blending may not be enough. Once you finish blending, dump the grog in the strainer. Then start kneading and squeezing the holy mother loving #%## out of it. Keep wetting it in the Grog and keep squeezing and wringing. Do this for at least 5 minutes if not more. That will insure that all the Kavalactones are released. See if that helps. If it doesn't, then at least you will be in shape to compete in the World Hand Raslin' Contest. Honestly, that is what I do. Blend with liquid at 120 degrees and knead at the remaining temperature which I hope is around 110 degrees.

 

[DaveDream]

@Deleted User01 Thanks for advise. I usually pour the liquid through a cheese cloth and squeeze like there is no tomorrow. I'll try with liquid at the temperature you suggest.
My main concern is that using the method where I got the heady feeling before I've never been able to get that feeling again.

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

Yeah its easy to get attached to a method if it provided you with the effects you like, but really it was just kava. Not the method. You'll get the heady effects again don't worry. The traditional method is more than suitable for a heady experience.
Sorry but why are you using skim milk? Not that you need fat , but if you did isn't that the no fat milk?

 

[Deleted User01]

@DaveDream. The temperature thing helps but if you are already squeezing, that should have worked. Are you doing your kava at least 2 hours after any mea? Also, you may have to try some other strains. Perhaps you have developed a tolerance to it (which is also strange). It's hard to believe that you regressed back to reverse tolerance but stranger things have happened in the Kava World. Everyone has their own chemotype and we never know how they will react to one thing or another.

 

[DaveDream]

@Zachary. Thanks for your comment.
I was following another preparation method to see if it works. I've used coconut milk today to see if that works.
I've read a lot of places that suggest fat is a good way of extracting the Kavalactones.

 

[DaveDream]

@Deleted User01. That's why I was wondering whether my latest batch of Kava was off or whether I should try another brand.
I've read so many different accounts that I am not sure what is best.

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

That's what I mean though ... isn't skim milk almost fat free? Lol

Get some Gourmet hawain kava. Hanakapi will set ya right. If your looking for forsure potency.

 

[DaveDream]

It's about 1%.. but I take your point

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

Lol I would ditch the milk! Add it after ...if you use pure water you get to see the milky oils from the kava on top of your water ! Which for me is like oh yeah there it is

 

[DaveDream]

Thanks both for your advise. I'll definitely give it all a try.

 

[verticity]

Instead of cheesecloth, try nylon knee-high stockings for kneading and/or filtering. The cheesecloth may be filtering out too much.

 

[DaveDream]

@verticity. Thanks I'll add that to my shopping list.

 

[Deleted User01]

@DaveDream, if you had access to Micronized or a good instant Kava, you could horse that down and see real quick if you are still in reverse tolerance or not. I think we are finagling with your Kava Prep and from what you have told us, I don't think it can make that big a difference. Hell, even pop a bunch of kava candies. When you are doing something 90 percent right, and still seeing no progress, then it's time to overhaul and try something new. I definitely thing you are stuck in a kava rut and you need to break out with something totally new.

And once more, please make sure you are taking your kava on an empty stomach. You never mentioned that in any of your posts.

 

[DaveDream]

@Deleted User01. I only take Kava on an empty stomach. A minimum of two hours after eating.
Thanks. I will try a Hawaiian Kava next and look into a supplier for Kava candies

 

[ta-va]

Hi Dave,
Maybe a coincidence but I recently got some Malekula Magic from GKE and it's not doing it for me. I just this week picked up some Opihikao from the same vendor and it's an amazing experience in comparison. I had a very happy Birthday on Tuesday when it arrived, I can tell you!
I wonder if the latest batch of Malekula Magic just isn't living up to its reputation at the moment?

 

[DaveDream]

@ta-va. I'am going to try another Kava brand to see if this could be the case. Along with the advise I've received on this thread.

 

[tomkrat]

that sucks that both y'all got weak effects from the malekula. i was poking around for some heavy chemotypes and the malekula was one of the front runners for my next purchase

 

[Bubba Bula]

Instead of cheesecloth, try nylon knee-high stockings for kneading and/or filtering. The cheesecloth may be filtering out too much.

^^ this

I was using a cotton muslin bag. I recently switched to the kava bags sold by kavaboy, and the kavaboy bags made a HUGE difference.

 

[Jay Charles]

i know this is an old thread but i've battled with the "kava rut" many times in my years of kava drinking. i would get persistent nausea suddenly from kavas that had been working daily for months. i would do different tests to see if changing my prep methods would help and sometimes it would. but confusingly it would come back without much reason that i could see. i found that the "nobler" the kava, the less this would happen.. but then i noticed weird stuff like suddenly it would happen with seemingly all heady kavas (including the most noble ones). i think the way its prepped DOES have an impact on this, but now i'm wondering if there's something like "strain fatigue" you can get from only having one strain for a long time. that's the only thing i can think of.

and malekula magic was my alltime favorite kava and it bums me out to no end that it seems impossible to get now. i saw a place online that was selling it (and it seemed in stock), but it said it didn't ship to my country. i guess it's gone for good for me :/