Palmetto
Thank God!
I've heard it claimed time and time again, that kneading kava forces oily substances (kavalactones) into water, with the implication that oily substances are more soluble in water after the use of force. That's not a very sound theory, according to physical and chemical principles. While it is true that slightly soluble substances can be dissolved more with agitation (some force), or better yet into suspension with agitation, the actual mechanisms going on to introduce more kavalactones into water are the following (using purely physical and chemical principles):
1. The starch in kava has some affinity for oily substances. Kneading helps to dissolve more starch in the water, which actually makes the water less polar by occupying many of the hydrogen(/oxygen) bonds that would otherwise hold the water together and push away nonpolar molecules.
2. Kneading helps form suspensions of starch + kavalactones, as well as keeping those suspended particles suspended longer through agitation.
3. Kneading helps to expose more of the powder particle surface to water during hydrating and breaking apart the powder particles. Increased wetted surface area increases the kinetics of solute transfer from the powder particles to water.
4. Kneading may potentially rupture the cell walls of intact cells, thus making it easier for the cells to release their contents.
So while my explanation might not sound all that different than what some readers understood all along, it might help to clarify the actual mechanisms for others.
1. The starch in kava has some affinity for oily substances. Kneading helps to dissolve more starch in the water, which actually makes the water less polar by occupying many of the hydrogen(/oxygen) bonds that would otherwise hold the water together and push away nonpolar molecules.
2. Kneading helps form suspensions of starch + kavalactones, as well as keeping those suspended particles suspended longer through agitation.
3. Kneading helps to expose more of the powder particle surface to water during hydrating and breaking apart the powder particles. Increased wetted surface area increases the kinetics of solute transfer from the powder particles to water.
4. Kneading may potentially rupture the cell walls of intact cells, thus making it easier for the cells to release their contents.
So while my explanation might not sound all that different than what some readers understood all along, it might help to clarify the actual mechanisms for others.