I have now ordered from a few different places - 5 to be exact. I ordered 10:1, 84%, and two batches of 30%. The 10:1 is brown, muddy tastes, peppery but mild. The first batch of 30% was very similar in taste and appearance but tastes stronger than 10:1, almost burns the throat. Most recently i have ordered one KG from a Chinese Medical supplier, certified to do so. Their extract is a powder, yellow in color - VERY strong smelling material. Not at all peppery, VERY numbing. It is most similar to the 84% pastes i have ordered in the past. What is the reason for such a significant difference? Has anyone else noticed anything like this? Each person claims their material is Superior, personally i think the yellow powder from the certified medical supplier is better. Any thoughts??
Does anyone notice different appearance in 30% extracts?
- Thread starter Ardanio
- Start date
Hi Ardanio, the 10:1 is an extract made from alcohol and that is why the color is different, the color difference between the 30% extracts could be the manufacturer, it could be the carrier they use to make the 30% extract. The yellow color is what you are looking for, that is the color of the kavalactones, that is the color I see when I harvest my kava and it is the color of the CO2 extract that I used to make, most companies use the CO2 extract to make the 30% extract.
Another possible reason for the color difference might be the type of kava that was used to make the extract, I have been told by one of the largest kava dealers in Vanuatu that China did buy a lot of kava to make there extracts and there was some kava that might have been tudey and not noble, the tudey kava has a different color but this being the reason for the difference in color between the 30% extract is purely speculation.
I hope this helps, aloha.
Chris
Another possible reason for the color difference might be the type of kava that was used to make the extract, I have been told by one of the largest kava dealers in Vanuatu that China did buy a lot of kava to make there extracts and there was some kava that might have been tudey and not noble, the tudey kava has a different color but this being the reason for the difference in color between the 30% extract is purely speculation.
I hope this helps, aloha.
Chris
Tyler
Kava Vendor
About 4 years ago, when we were looking into having 30% extract produced for us, we searched absolutely everywhere for a company that produced a yellow kava extract that was desirable. I have chromatographs on over 20 chinese manufacturer's 30% kavalactone extracts. To this day, every single one of them come back as Tudei chemotypes. Not a single one that I have ever tested comes back with a favorable, high kavain, low DHK/DHM content, not one. This was unacceptable. Through extensive trial and error, we contracted a domestic company to produce an excellent 30% material from us using high quality Vanuatu borogu root (25% Laterals) that has an excellent 426 chemotype which is retained through the extraction process.
The following is the typical chemotype of the commercially available, ethanolic 30% Extract available on Alibaba
Typical Chinese 30% Extract Via HPLC
Dihydrokavain: 7.618
Dihydromethysticin: 7.395
Kavain: 4.526
Desmethoxyyangonin: 3.987
Yangonin: 3.975
Methysticin: 2.951
Total Lactones: 30.411
Chemotype: 254136
ROH Polynesian Gold™ 30% Extract Via HPLC
Kawain HPLC 8.30%
Methysticin HPLC 6.52%
Yangonin HPLC 6.27%
Dihydrokawain HPLC 5.84%
Desmethoxyyangonin HPLC 3.18%
Dihydromethysticin HPLC 2.92%
Total Kavalactones HPLC 33.03%
Chemotype: 463215
As to the color, it should be yellow. If its brown, well we see what color noble versus non noble kava turns a solvent. Brown extract is also indicative that the starting material is the above ground portions. Variations between bathes on the yellow extracts have to do with varying lactone and lipid contents of the root. Sometimes you get really sappy roots that darken the yellow. Most often the color has to do with the bulk density of the extract (how much maltodexterin cut is used to bring the lactone content down to 30%).
I know of no one commercially producing a C02 based powdered extract due to patents held by the pierce brothers. Not to mention the cost. Its all alcohol based.
The following is the typical chemotype of the commercially available, ethanolic 30% Extract available on Alibaba
Typical Chinese 30% Extract Via HPLC
Dihydrokavain: 7.618
Dihydromethysticin: 7.395
Kavain: 4.526
Desmethoxyyangonin: 3.987
Yangonin: 3.975
Methysticin: 2.951
Total Lactones: 30.411
Chemotype: 254136
ROH Polynesian Gold™ 30% Extract Via HPLC
Kawain HPLC 8.30%
Methysticin HPLC 6.52%
Yangonin HPLC 6.27%
Dihydrokawain HPLC 5.84%
Desmethoxyyangonin HPLC 3.18%
Dihydromethysticin HPLC 2.92%
Total Kavalactones HPLC 33.03%
Chemotype: 463215
As to the color, it should be yellow. If its brown, well we see what color noble versus non noble kava turns a solvent. Brown extract is also indicative that the starting material is the above ground portions. Variations between bathes on the yellow extracts have to do with varying lactone and lipid contents of the root. Sometimes you get really sappy roots that darken the yellow. Most often the color has to do with the bulk density of the extract (how much maltodexterin cut is used to bring the lactone content down to 30%).
I know of no one commercially producing a C02 based powdered extract due to patents held by the pierce brothers. Not to mention the cost. Its all alcohol based.
Hi Tyler, thank you for confirming that for me, I heard that some farmers in Vanuatu were planting 2 crops, one was the fast growing tuday kava and the other was the noble kava, they would sell the tuday and keep the noble for themselves.
Keep in mind that not all farmers were doing this but it was in direct response to the Chinese demand.
Your tests have shown this to be true, thanks again for the great info. Aloha.
Chris
Keep in mind that not all farmers were doing this but it was in direct response to the Chinese demand.
Your tests have shown this to be true, thanks again for the great info. Aloha.
Chris
skippykava
Kava Curious
I would rather they simply charge more for good kava than food the market with bad stuff.