anyone tried the AluBall?

[The Kap'n]

Ok, so gave the aluball a good testing. Was able to fit 40 grams in the ball, but I wouldn't suggest it. After shaking for about 10 minutes I separated the ball and about 1/3 of the kava in the center was completely dry. I know I went above and beyond the recommended amounts, so I'm not the least bit upset by it. In fact it still made a respectable kava beverage, albeit a little light. Great device! Anyone who wants one shell of kava, this is for you. If you're a kava hardhead, or looking for a stupidly strong beverage, then you may want to stick with traditional prep. If you're aching for a shell, and don't want to make up a whole batch, get one. It's worth it.

 

[Kavafied]

Ok, so gave the aluball a good testing. Was able to fit 40 grams in the ball, but I wouldn't suggest it. After shaking for about 10 minutes I separated the ball and about 1/3 of the kava in the center was completely dry. I know I went above and beyond the recommended amounts, so I'm not the least bit upset by it. In fact it still made a respectable kava beverage, albeit a little light. Great device! Anyone who wants one shell of kava, this is for you. If you're a kava hardhead, or looking for a stupidly strong beverage, then you may want to stick with traditional prep. If you're aching for a shell, and don't want to make up a whole batch, get one. It's worth it.

Wow, that was some rigorous testing you did there. As noted on our instructions, the AluBall was designed for about 2TBSP of Kava Powder. When it is over packed, you limit water flow and movement within the ball thus restricting the Kava from being strained properly.

Thanks for the review. We've already discovered so many new ways to use the AluBAll for Kava from listening to our customers.

 

[Edward]

Question... How well does this work with juice?

Oh and @Kavafied you mentioned shipping to the UK? Remind me again how?

 

[Kavafied]

Question... How well does this work with juice?

Oh and @Kavafied you mentioned shipping to the UK? Remind me again how?

Works great with juice, milk, I even make a Kava protein shake with it after workouts. Yes, we ship to the UK. The website should be able to process orders from there. We ship USPS 15-Day International. Its $15 shipping if you buy 1 or 2.

 

[Edward]

Ok so my initial feeling was I'd rather mix up a full batch and then relax... my solution... just buy two of these... mix a couple of shells and job done. I'll post a review once they arrive. By the way, shipped already, I have a tracking number within about 10 mins of placing the order.

 

[bridgesoid]

Well the Aluball arrived and I've used it a couple of times and it works as it's supposed to.

Unfortunately the main kavas where I am are of a very fine grind and so too much sediment gets through with these kavas for me personally, (I'm trying to minimise skin issues). Worked perfectly with coarse ground kava and it has still been great for cutting down on prep time when out of the house, I carry a cup and mini bag inside the shaker and strain into the cup through the mini fijian strainer bag. Zero sediment and no squeezing required so with a little tweaking I have things working the way I need them to

 

[Kavafied]

Well the Aluball arrived and I've used it a couple of times and it works as it's supposed to.

Unfortunately the main kavas where I am are of a very fine grind and so too much sediment gets through with these kavas for me personally, (I'm trying to minimise skin issues). Worked perfectly with coarse ground kava and it has still been great for cutting down on prep time when out of the house, I carry a cup and mini bag inside the shaker and strain into the cup through the mini fijian strainer bag. Zero sediment and no squeezing required so with a little tweaking I have things working the way I need them to

We're glad you found a way to adjust to your liking. We too are used to using very fine Kavas and through development of the AluBall we had to find a balance of functionality and taste.

 

[blindy107]

Man @Kavafied, mine is still estimating delivery date as yesterday...

Are you delaying shipment because I'm a Seahawks fan?

This thing seems perfect for me. I usually make my "to go" orders of kava in my protein shaker anyway. Caaaant wait! I think if it holds 25 grams I'll be happy. That's usually half my batch of 4 shells.

 

[Kavafied]

Man @Kavafied, mine is still estimating delivery date as yesterday...

Are you delaying shipment because I'm a Seahawks fan?

This thing seems perfect for me. I usually make my "to go" orders of kava in my protein shaker anyway. Caaaant wait! I think if it holds 25 grams I'll be happy. That's usually half my batch of 4 shells.

Lol, it should be on its way. All orders are shipped on the same day or the following. Only exception would be if you ordered on a Saturday, then it wouldn't hit the mail until USPS opens on monday.

The AluBall was made to hold about 2-3 tbsps. Thats roughly, 14-20 grams of root. If you try to overpack it, you will loose effectiveness as you will limit water flow within the ball. We now offer the option to buy the shaker bottle with two aluballs for those that like to make a thicker batch of grog.

 

[blindy107]

Lol, it should be on its way. All orders are shipped on the same day or the following. Only exception would be if you ordered on a Saturday, then it wouldn't hit the mail until USPS opens on monday.

The AluBall was made to hold about 2-3 tbsps. Thats roughly, 14-20 grams of root. If you try to overpack it, you will loose effectiveness as you will limit water flow within the ball. We now offer the option to buy the shaker bottle with two aluballs for those that like to make a thicker batch of grog.

So you can shake both your balls at the same time in one shaker?

 

[Kavafied]

So you can shake both your balls at the same time in one shaker?

Yes. We've done a lot of experimenting with the AluBall™ and found it to work just fine with two. We also went to extremes with this cooler below

 

[blindy107]

Rad

 

[Kavafied]

Rad

 

[Kava_Lavar]

Many thanks to the creator of this product. I have been lurking around here for a while (this is my first post) but hadn't tried Kava because I am not going to spend the time to do the traditional method. (Tried it once didn't see any difference between traditional and this aluball)

This was the perfect solution for me. I use 4oz of water (120 to 140 degrees) to 2 heaping tablespoons (any more than that doesn't seem to help). Shake vigorously for about a minute. Pour contents into cup. Re-shake the ball without water then pour again. I repeat this probably 3-4 times to get remaining water out of ball. Then open ball and use back of spoon and apply pressure to the kava until it is gritty to squeeze out remaining water.

I read on here that hot water is not recommended (leaking?) but I haven't had any issues with leaking and have used it for more than 10 days now
Thinking of adding some almond milk or lecithin to increase potency but not sure I believe that it will help and I am happy with the results. I understand that kava is not soluble in water and needs fat but I digress. Will report back if I see a difference.

I am a big guy and it is absolutely necessary to fast before drinking otherwise the effects are so mild to the point it's not worth it to me. I like borogu and fu'u from BKH strains after waking up and heading to work (any other strains better than these for being at work?). Empty, Empty stomach is key for me. Energized, Mental Focus and more sociable. Loving kava and am so happy there is an easy way with the Aluball.

Another thing that has stopped me until now was all the talk about the bad taste of Kava. The first time I had some I thought it just tasted like muddy water but wasn't unbearable (not that I would know what that tastes like!). Now I actually crave it for the taste.
Maybe it's because I was drinking whiskey quite heavily for the past 6 months. Which in fact I don't crave anymore thanks to Kava drinking.

 

[Squanch72]

Since juice is fine I think I may try it in some V8 Splash when the new balls land. Might try the double ball method for Weekends
I picked up one of these Coleman 1/3rd gallon jugs to use when I accidentally broke the shaker bottle, I think it would be big enough for both balls. Maybe I should of bought the 1/2 gallon sized jug

 

[Kavafied]

Many thanks to the creator of this product. I have been lurking around here for a while (this is my first post) but hadn't tried Kava because I am not going to spend the time to do the traditional method. (Tried it once didn't see any difference between traditional and this aluball)

This was the perfect solution for me. I use 4oz of water (120 to 140 degrees) to 2 heaping tablespoons (any more than that doesn't seem to help). Shake vigorously for about a minute. Pour contents into cup. Re-shake the ball without water then pour again. I repeat this probably 3-4 times to get remaining water out of ball. Then open ball and use back of spoon and apply pressure to the kava until it is gritty to squeeze out remaining water.

I read on here that hot water is not recommended (leaking?) but I haven't had any issues with leaking and have used it for more than 10 days now
Thinking of adding some almond milk or lecithin to increase potency but not sure I believe that it will help and I am happy with the results. I understand that kava is not soluble in water and needs fat but I digress. Will report back if I see a difference.

I am a big guy and it is absolutely necessary to fast before drinking otherwise the effects are so mild to the point it's not worth it to me. I like borogu and fu'u from BKH strains after waking up and heading to work (any other strains better than these for being at work?). Empty, Empty stomach is key for me. Energized, Mental Focus and more sociable. Loving kava and am so happy there is an easy way with the Aluball.

Another thing that has stopped me until now was all the talk about the bad taste of Kava. The first time I had some I thought it just tasted like muddy water but wasn't unbearable (not that I would know what that tastes like!). Now I actually crave it for the taste.
Maybe it's because I was drinking whiskey quite heavily for the past 6 months. Which in fact I don't crave anymore thanks to Kava drinking.

Thanks you for your kind words. We are glad the AluBall has been the perfect fit for your Kava usage. That is good to hear you enjoy the taste of Kava now. We love it too! Like tasting different wines and coffee. With this in mind, we will be distinguishing our upcoming Kava from Tonga like we've always done within the Tongan community....by the island it is from so that you can appreciate the different tastes Kava Tonga has to offer.

 

[Squanch72]

So excited for more Tongan root to be in the market!!!

 

[blindy107]

Me too man. Gotta get that tong. I like the idea of using multiple balls too! If only usps would get it together...

Welcome @Kava_Lavar ! I think the issue with using heat may be damage over time. The hot water builds up too much pressure and can start to wear on the threads. I've blown through tons of shakers due to my desire to make hot coffee and tea beverages in them...hah!

 

[dino9832]

I got my Aluball yesterday! It was running a day late from what USPS predicted. Probably all the online shopping is slowing the mail service. :/
Anyhow, it worked splendidly!

I filled it about half way with water. Then, put a HEAPING 2 tblsp in one half of the ball. There was still room for more, but I figured as easy as it is, I'd go for efficiency over quantity.

I shook it vigorously for a minute. Trying to decide whether I should allow the ball to hit the ends of the cup, or reverse the shaking motion just before it hit.
I opted for "just before it hit" in order to save wear and tear on the ball.

The first batch came out nice and strong! I also filled the cup half way with water again, and shook the same kava filled ball to extract the last bit.

After pouring the second batch, I swung the empty cup in circles, using centrifugal force to drain the last bit of water from the ball. What was left in the ball looked pretty used up! I don't feel like I threw out good kava. The Aluball did a great job of extracting the good stuff.

I did note that there did NOT seem to be much sediment. I was using some Loa Waka from KalmWithKava. Tonight, I might see how it works in my favorite water bottle. I take my bottle everywhere. And, if the ball fits, I could put a loaded ball in a ziplock for later use.

 

[Squanch72]

I don't notice any sediment and I am using pretty fine root. Even that last drop left in the bottom doesn't seem gritty to me. I need to try that @dino9832 spin in circle with no water trick. That should save the ball and the mug. I also do a second wash. 3/4 cup of water for the first wash then pour that in a cup, then add 1/4 of water for the second wash and pour that in the cup, then the no water shake into the cup.