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First batch

Osadandaula UK

Kava Enthusiast
Hi all,

Thanks for everyones input of the forum, I've found it really useful.

Having done a bit of reading on here, I was very curious and eventually bit the bullet and bought some Vanuatu melo melo medium grind. The first batch of which is sat in the fridge waiting for, Friday (maybe tursday) night.

My method was 50g in a litre of water heated to 60deg C (140F) left for a few minutes then a quick blast in the blender before traditional prep. The makas are now sat soaking in a pan with another half pint of 60deg C water, I'm gonna leave that to soak and maybe freeze it over night before wringing it out again.

Maybe I should have gone for room temperature but I'm keen to blast out any reverse tolerance and give myself the best chance of feeling something. Think I'll probably try a more traditional prep next time.

I'll report back soon.
 
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Osadandaula UK

Kava Enthusiast
Update

Just tasted tested the first wash and while I've little basis for comparison, I can confirm that this method tastes like the slash of a thousand weasels :ROFLMAO:
 

Groggy

Kava aficionado
Admin
Update

Just tasted tested the first wash and while I've little basis for comparison, I can confirm that this method tastes like the slash of a thousand weasels :ROFLMAO:
Howdy, welcome to KF. It sounds like you have done your research. I recommend you tweak one aspect of your prep method and that is replacing the warm/hot water for room temp., filtered water. Traditional kava preparation is done with cool water, some may think you would be robbing yourself of kavalactones, but what you are really doing is creating a beverage equally as strong that will taste 5X better. Be sure to do a second wash to maximize the root, I pretty much always add 5-10 grams on the second wash for a bit of a boost and if I feel like it (some kavas are strong enough that 2 washes with no extra powder are necessary.) Sometimes you can get away with a weaker third wash, again depends on the potency of the kava.

Good luck & keep us posted!
 

Osadandaula UK

Kava Enthusiast
Everything I've read suggested the hotter the water the stronger the batch, if less balanced and worse tasting. Do you disagree? Maybe I'm better reducing volume of room temp water, and then adding a top up to second wash... Hummm so many options!

Does filtered water make a difference? Our water is quite hard here.
 

Osadandaula UK

Kava Enthusiast
I got a bit carried away yesterday afternoon and shelled most of it. Not sure if I felt anything, I mean I did feel something but so mild it could have been placebo. Feeling a bit… almost hungover this morning and maybe still a bit floaty. Maybe just dehydrated but I haven’t drunk alcohol in years and the feeling is a bit unwelcome. Is that normal the next day? I ate about 8:30pm having started shelling around 4pm.
 

Osadandaula UK

Kava Enthusiast
I guess that's a "no" on anyone else feeling hungover...

Anyway, I've persevered the last couple of nights. Polished off the hot batch :yuck: and had a couple of instant Solomon's chasers. Then last night had a batch of the melo melo made the traditional way with warm (30deg C) water, this was unsurprisingly easier to drink than the hot batch and I didn't feel like I was poisoning myself. Definite not placebo this time, really nice and heavy feeling, vaguely reminiscent of valium. I like the feeling, might look into some mixers to make it taste more tolerable again though.

Made sure I had plenty of water through the day and while I'm aware something happened last night, I wouldn't liken it to a hand over just slightly off colour.

Let the good times roll.
 

Osadandaula UK

Kava Enthusiast
Though I'd share a bit more of my journey if anyone's interested.

The next batch after 30c traditional prep was similar but reduced water content, 50g to 600ml instead of 1L, still 30c. With similar results just less mud water to chug.

I had been leaving it 3-4 hours after a meal and then not eating after, maybe just some milk to rinse my mouth and add a bit of fat but I'd never really felt hungry before shelling. I did a bit of reading about food / fat interaction and was interested in experimenting. Yesterday I'd had breakfast early and by 11am was really hungry, so I smashed a couple of shells of instant Solomons chief (10g in 200ml x 2), then half an hour later had cheese on toast.

Well cover me in Kava I was baked! Before and after lunch!

Tomorrows batch of melo melo is in the fridge, 50g in 600ml at 38c, soaked longer (10minutes), heated back to 38c, blended, wrung out 4 or 5 times, heated back to 38c before one final wring out. Just had a taste test and it's proportionately where you'd expect it to be at 38c, between 30c (almost pleasant) and 60c (barely drinkable), it's OK. I've a feeling its going to be strong! Tomorrows plan, lunch at noon, kava 8-8:30pm then hot fatty meal (probably pizza) half an hour later. Then kick back and relax :smuggrin:

Even having done quite a bit of reading, it's still a leaning curve, one which i'm enjoying. Thanks again for everyone input.
 
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