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Off smelling dry Kava

LabRat

Kava Curious
Bula ,Hi all ,has anyone ever encountered off smelling dry Kava, almost a hint of a sour smell,and if so is it safe to use, there's no evidence of mold or mildew, what are your thoughts?
 

TheKavaFlow

Kava Podcaster
Eek, kava already smells funky on its own! Add in a sour smell and well... you've got some bad kava, my friend :(

edit: Is it like milk that's gone bad?
 

TidyMinion

Kava Padawan
YES I have it's like a sour but sweet kinda smell? a little mildewy or something? yeh against my better judgement one time I went ahead and tried making some grog from it (i was less experienced w/ different types of kava at that time so almost thought that's just what it was)

anyway i didn't get sick from it even though it tasted like kava mixed with a potent incense stick. was hard to get down. I dunno tho i say do so at your own risk. I've since learned more or less what kava should look, smell and taste like and I've rarely, if at all since then, got any more kava like that. fluke happening i'm sure.
 

Krunkie McKrunkface

Kava Connoisseur
YES I have it's like a sour but sweet kinda smell? a little mildewy or something? yeh against my better judgement one time I went ahead and tried making some grog from it (i was less experienced w/ different types of kava at that time so almost thought that's just what it was)

anyway i didn't get sick from it even though it tasted like kava mixed with a potent incense stick. was hard to get down. I dunno tho i say do so at your own risk. I've since learned more or less what kava should look, smell and taste like and I've rarely, if at all since then, got any more kava like that. fluke happening i'm sure.
Most kava vendors would happily refund or replace. Give them that opportunity!
 

sɥɐʞɐs

Avg. Dosage: 8 Tbsp. (58g)
Review Maestro
I had some wakacon lawena that had a kind of sour scent mixed in...I drank it and it was great...but that's probably not wise, especially if the smell were strong enough to cause aversion.

Other occasions that I've had a different non-kava scent in a bag, but not a sour smell, it was from having aerials mixed in or the powder having been baked.
 

Krunkie McKrunkface

Kava Connoisseur
I had some wakacon lawena that had a kind of sour scent mixed in...I drank it and it was great...but that's probably not wise, especially if the smell were strong enough to cause aversion.

Other occasions that I've had a different non-kava scent in a bag, but not a sour smell, it was from having aerials mixed in or the powder having been baked.
Wakacon has really excellent customer sevice. I'm sure they would have been happy to refund or replace. I've never heard of them not doing so, even when the customer was totally wrong, which is usually the case, but just part of the kava business. I'm sure our vendors here have some horror stories, which of course they will not tell.
 

sɥɐʞɐs

Avg. Dosage: 8 Tbsp. (58g)
Review Maestro
Wakacon has really excellent customer sevice. I'm sure they would have been happy to refund or replace. I've never heard of them not doing so, even when the customer was totally wrong, which is usually the case, but just part of the kava business. I'm sure our vendors here have some horror stories, which of course they will not tell.
I'm sure they would, but the only reason I ever order from them is to get kava fast and avoid a hassle by using Prime's one-day shipping. Packing it back up and returning it would create a hassle and leave me with no kava. The scent wasn't off putting enough for that and it turned out fine. I think it might just be an inherent aroma to this kava, if it was something else, then it didn't effect my negatively in any perceptible way.

I've willingly consumed Tudei kava adulterated with leaves and stems before...and finished the bag. It takes a lot to deter me once I've paid for it and got it in my hands.
::chugger::
 

Krunkie McKrunkface

Kava Connoisseur
I'm sure they would, but the only reason I ever order from them is to get kava fast and avoid a hassle by using Prime's one-day shipping. Packing it back up and returning it would create a hassle and leave me with no kava. The scent wasn't off putting enough for that and it turned out fine. I think it might just be an inherent aroma to this kava, if it was something else, then it didn't effect my negatively in any perceptible way.

I've willingly consumed Tudei kava adulterated with leaves and stems before...and finished the bag. It takes a lot to deter me once I've paid for it and got it in my hands.
::chugger::
I find the wakacon lawena smells less like kava than most other kavas. It smells weak and not very kavaish but I have bought many pounds of it and it has always performed as expected. I mostly use it for blending, though.
 

Intrepidus_dux

Kava O.G.
I'm sure they would, but the only reason I ever order from them is to get kava fast and avoid a hassle by using Prime's one-day shipping. Packing it back up and returning it would create a hassle and leave me with no kava. The scent wasn't off putting enough for that and it turned out fine. I think it might just be an inherent aroma to this kava, if it was something else, then it didn't effect my negatively in any perceptible way.

I've willingly consumed Tudei kava adulterated with leaves and stems before...and finished the bag. It takes a lot to deter me once I've paid for it and got it in my hands.
::chugger::
I hate to admit, but I am the same with returns. I was recently going to return a kava strain that I dislike, but didn't want to go without kava and wait. So impatient! So yes, I'm just drinking it instead LOL.
 

Krunkie McKrunkface

Kava Connoisseur
I hate to admit, but I am the same with returns. I was recently going to return a kava strain that I dislike, but didn't want to go without kava and wait. So impatient! So yes, I'm just drinking it instead LOL.
what's the root and what's the result?

There's so much good root there's no need to drink bad root.......
 

Intrepidus_dux

Kava O.G.
what's the root and what's the result?

There's so much good root there's no need to drink bad root.......
It's the 'Eua you recently did a review about, and another random kava from a local health food store herb bulk bins.
Right, so the 'Eua is a perfectly acceptable kava. It is not "bad", it's just that it doesn't meet my needs. Too heady perhaps is the issue? I seem to do better on the heavy strains I'm learning. I'm very new to all of this still. BKH is perfectly willing to take it back, but since I keep using it when I'm out of the strains I prefer, the idea of a return seems silly to me at this point.
In regards to the random unknown kava from the local health food store. That stuff definitely FELT like kava, but now I have hives. It's not clear to me if I have hives from a new food I recently ingested, or that random kava. I didn't run an acetone test on it. Maybe I should do that at some point. It's all fine and dandy though. Last time I had hives it was from being exposed to a commerical cleaner, so who knows. I'm on a steroid pack and I'm sure all will be fine.

Edit: it's not hives, it's dermo. I drank some heavy kava shells tonight at work and made the skin issue worse. I drank too much for too long trying to make kava replace the gabapentin I take for nerve pain. Turns out, kava doesn't work well for nerve pain. It still definitely has it's own special place as a better alternative for the muscle relaxers and the anxiety medicine I used to take! I'll just back off for a bit and it'll be fine.
 
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Krunkie McKrunkface

Kava Connoisseur
It's the 'Eua you recently did a review about, and another random kava from a local health food store herb bulk bins.
Right, so the 'Eua is a perfectly acceptable kava. It is not "bad", it's just that it doesn't meet my needs. Too heady perhaps is the issue? I seem to do better on the heavy strains I'm learning. I'm very new to all of this still. BKH is perfectly willing to take it back, but since I keep using it when I'm out of the strains I prefer, the idea of a return seems silly to me at this point.
In regards to the random unknown kava from the local health food store. That stuff definitely FELT like kava, but now I have hives. It's not clear to me if I have hives from a new food I recently ingested, or that random kava. I didn't run an acetone test on it. Maybe I should do that at some point. It's all fine and dandy though. Last time I had hives it was from being exposed to a commerical cleaner, so who knows. I'm on a steroid pack and I'm sure all will be fine.
I don't believe I did a review of eua, but yeah, it's almost entirely heady, ideal for a light kava at work. It's not going to do much for end of day relaxation, or muscle tension, or anxiety, or sleep. Same with akau. Kula is more balanced, as is tfr, but still, those too really focus on the heady. Generally, Tongans are about the heady, vanuatus heavy, and Fijians balanced, as a rule of thumb.
 

Intrepidus_dux

Kava O.G.
I don't believe I did a review of eua, but yeah, it's almost entirely heady, ideal for a light kava at work. It's not going to do much for end of day relaxation, or muscle tension, or anxiety, or sleep. Same with akau. Kula is more balanced, as is tfr, but still, those too really focus on the heady. Generally, Tongans are about the heady, vanuatus heavy, and Fijians balanced, as a rule of thumb.
Oh! Someone did a review of Eua recently. Anywho, yes what you're saying all sounds accurate. I really need the muscle relaxation bit and usually have no problem using the heavier strains during the day. Good times. I love kava!
 
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