verticity
I'm interested in things
I did a bunch of tests recently to try to figure out what, if any, effect heating kava has on the results of the "acetone test" (visible absorption spectum of acetonic kava tincture). This test is often used to test if kava is noble or tudei. The test is not perfect, but it is useful because it is very simple and inexpensive.
Heat treating kava is done by some kava producers for two reasons:
1. Sometimes the kava is placed in an oven to dry it instead of traditional sun drying. Dried kava powder that is sold is required to have a moisture content of 12% or less to prevent mold and things from growing. For drying, a temperature of 140°F (60°C) is typically used.
2. Lately some producers have started heating kava at higher temperatures to sterilize it to kill bacteria. According to a communication from an industry insider, the typical temperature this is done at is about 180°F (82°C). Since that temperature is higher than the usual drying temperature I was wondering if it would effect the visible spectrum in the acetone test.
Here is the "Executive Summary" of my results:
Heating kava at a temperature up to 180°F (82°C) does not effect the results of the acetone test for nobility. It might change or degrade the quality of the kava in other ways (according to the Fiji kava producers guidelines), but it won't cause false positive tests for tudei.
At higher temperatures, around 260°F (127°C) the acetone test result starts to shift into a region where it is difficult to distinguish noble from tudei. And you shouldn't drink kava that has been heated to that temperature anyway, because unknown chemical reactions are happening, the health effects of which are not known.
Here are all the sordid details:
http://kavascience.org/posts/m268-Heat-treating-kava--What-effect-on-acetone-test
Heat treating kava is done by some kava producers for two reasons:
1. Sometimes the kava is placed in an oven to dry it instead of traditional sun drying. Dried kava powder that is sold is required to have a moisture content of 12% or less to prevent mold and things from growing. For drying, a temperature of 140°F (60°C) is typically used.
2. Lately some producers have started heating kava at higher temperatures to sterilize it to kill bacteria. According to a communication from an industry insider, the typical temperature this is done at is about 180°F (82°C). Since that temperature is higher than the usual drying temperature I was wondering if it would effect the visible spectrum in the acetone test.
Here is the "Executive Summary" of my results:
Heating kava at a temperature up to 180°F (82°C) does not effect the results of the acetone test for nobility. It might change or degrade the quality of the kava in other ways (according to the Fiji kava producers guidelines), but it won't cause false positive tests for tudei.
At higher temperatures, around 260°F (127°C) the acetone test result starts to shift into a region where it is difficult to distinguish noble from tudei. And you shouldn't drink kava that has been heated to that temperature anyway, because unknown chemical reactions are happening, the health effects of which are not known.
Here are all the sordid details:
http://kavascience.org/posts/m268-Heat-treating-kava--What-effect-on-acetone-test