Arcendus
Newbie
Up until yesterday my experience with Kava was limited to Yogi brand Kava Stress Relief tea, which seemed to have no effect whatsoever even when using 3 bags at once. I knew this wasn't the real deal by any means, but it was cheap and I'd been looking for some bagged tea for home (saving loose leaf tea for the office, which sounds counter-intuitive but who knows), so it served its purpose. Long story short I somehow ended up on this forum, saw the promo code for 25% off Nakamal at Home Stone Kava, read that it's awesome stuff, and ordered 500g. I also ordered 4oz soy lecithin and a strainer bag, and off we go.
I brewed some up Saturday afternoon, chilled it, then drank it down Sunday afternoon. Needless to say it was a pretty awful experience, with the taste being far more unbearable than I'd anticipated, to the point where I could stomach only half (8oz), so I didn't even get the full effect, and I'm hoping someone can help narrow down where I went wrong.
First off, I measured 50g of kava in a bowl and mixed in 1tbsp soy lecithin. I then rinsed the strainer and placed it in another large glass bowl, followed by pouring the kava into the strainer. Heated some filtered water in a teapot until it was 120F, then poured it into the strainer. I kneaded the bag for 15 minutes, then transferred all the liquid into a decanter and tossed it in the fridge. The decanter was one of those whiskey kinds, so it wasn't perfectly airtight but I doubted that would make much of a difference. The next day at 5pm (empty stomach) I poured 4oz, drank as quickly as possible, and it was pretty gross but doable. 15 minutes later came the next 4oz, which was significantly more difficult. I avoided as much of the "dust" on the bottom as possible, but I'd also shook up the kava mixture prior to drinking, so maybe that was the wrong thing to do. Dumped the remaining 8oz down the drain in frustration and made dinner (fish and rice). I definitely felt relaxed and a bit spacey, but couldn't really enjoy it.
The best way I can describe my feeling after drinking it is as if I'd drank liquid soap, in that sort of "I just drank something that I really shouldn't have" sort of way. I'm still very hopeful and will probably try it again in a month or so, as the things I've read about this stuff really sound fantastic (and I'm looking to get away from scotch), but it would help significantly if I knew of a way to improve the experience.
Thanks!
I brewed some up Saturday afternoon, chilled it, then drank it down Sunday afternoon. Needless to say it was a pretty awful experience, with the taste being far more unbearable than I'd anticipated, to the point where I could stomach only half (8oz), so I didn't even get the full effect, and I'm hoping someone can help narrow down where I went wrong.
First off, I measured 50g of kava in a bowl and mixed in 1tbsp soy lecithin. I then rinsed the strainer and placed it in another large glass bowl, followed by pouring the kava into the strainer. Heated some filtered water in a teapot until it was 120F, then poured it into the strainer. I kneaded the bag for 15 minutes, then transferred all the liquid into a decanter and tossed it in the fridge. The decanter was one of those whiskey kinds, so it wasn't perfectly airtight but I doubted that would make much of a difference. The next day at 5pm (empty stomach) I poured 4oz, drank as quickly as possible, and it was pretty gross but doable. 15 minutes later came the next 4oz, which was significantly more difficult. I avoided as much of the "dust" on the bottom as possible, but I'd also shook up the kava mixture prior to drinking, so maybe that was the wrong thing to do. Dumped the remaining 8oz down the drain in frustration and made dinner (fish and rice). I definitely felt relaxed and a bit spacey, but couldn't really enjoy it.
The best way I can describe my feeling after drinking it is as if I'd drank liquid soap, in that sort of "I just drank something that I really shouldn't have" sort of way. I'm still very hopeful and will probably try it again in a month or so, as the things I've read about this stuff really sound fantastic (and I'm looking to get away from scotch), but it would help significantly if I knew of a way to improve the experience.
Thanks!
. Leaving it in the fridge only makes it worse. Next time make it with cold water and give it a squirt from one of those little green lime juice bottles, it will help a bunch. You definitely want to keep it agitated to drink the sediment, that's the good stuff! Drink right away and don't let it sit overnight.
