Instant kava not quite instant

[maelstrom]

I received 100g of BKH's instant kava on Monday. It's been a few years since I last used this kava. It didn't look like I remembered, and when I mixed 1 tsp with water, it had all kinds of splintery fibers floating on top. See picture:

I poured this into a glass dish to get a better look, then poured it back into the cup. Aside from these floating fibers, there was a lot of sediment left in the bottom:

I don't know what's going on here. I wrote to BKH and was told that some fibers get mixed in when they move the kava from one container to another, and that I could send it back for a replacement. When I got back to them with the picture, they suggested that I strain the instant kava. I put it through the only sieve that I have, but it wasn't fine enough and almost all of the floaters made it through. Not to mention all those fine particles. It looks to me like it's a good portion mixed with a finely ground kava. This isn't just a few pieces.

I guess I'm going to make it to the PO when I can and send it back, but I don't even know why they'd want it.

Has anyone else had this problem?

 

[The Kap'n]

@maelstrom That's really strange. I've had quite a few tins of BKH's instant green kava and this looks nothing like it. This actually looks very close to the 11 year waka they sell. They didn't throw the incorrect kava in there, did they?

 

[maelstrom]

@maelstrom That's really strange. I've had quite a few tins of BKH's instant green kava and this looks nothing like it. This actually looks very close to the 11 year waka they sell. They didn't throw the incorrect kava in there, did they?

I don't think it's the 11 yr waka; I've gone through quite a few bags of it over the years and even at its worst, it never has that many floaters. It looks to me like instant mixed with something, but not the 11 yr waka.

 

[The Kap'n]

I'm going to have to say, that one looks off. The amount of sediment alone is concerning.

 

[maelstrom]

Yeah, and that's only from 1 tsp.

 

[gakers]

Hi i filtered 3 tsp through a 25 micron nylon filter no root pieces but a great deal of sediment,looks like grey clay.I also did acetone test but it looks pretty yellow just a tinge off from chris's kava which I use as gold standard for noble.

 

[The Kap'n]

Hi i filtered 3 tsp through a 25 micron nylon filter no root pieces but a great deal of sediment,looks like grey clay.I also did acetone test but it looks pretty yellow just a tinge off from chris's kava which I use as gold standard for noble.

His normal instant green shouldn't have any chunks whatsoever in it. Something's definitely up with that batch. It probably would benefit Judd to see that personally. I've always wondered what the consistency difference between product taken from the top of the barrel vs product taken from the lower portion or bottom.

 

[maelstrom]

From what I recall there shouldn't be any sediment or large fibers-- after all, it's "dehydrated kava juice." It's like finding coffee grounds in instant coffee.

I'm gonna try to make it to the PO later today to send it back. I drank it anyway a few times--stupid, I know, but I had no other kava available and I was hoping. The effects were pretty negligible and the fibers got caught in my throat.

That said, this is my first experience with BKH that was less than stellar. I'm just surprised they want it back. Thankfully Elle, the lady who answers their emails, said they would reimburse me for the shipping cost.

 

[Bula Kava House]

Hello everyone. It appears there was a mistake on our part. As most of you know, our instant is basically dehydrated kava juice so there shouldn't be any large fibrous pieces. Unfortunately, there was a mixup during packaging that affected instant kava orders from January 29th to yesterday, approximately. The details are simple. Our Nambawan comes from the same supplier as the instant. One of my employees didn't pay close enough attention and put instant kava in a container that still had a very small amount of Nambawan in it. Most orders during the mentioned period were not heavily affected but those that contained kava taken from the bottom of the container possibly had some Nambawan mixed in.

Obviously the "adulteration" was unintentional and is harmless but I'm sure some people who received chunky kava don't feel that they received what they paid for and I agree. If you ordered kava within the dates described above I'd like to make it right. You have four options: 1. Choke down a few twigs and make sure you have a toothpick handy. 2. Receive a free replacement and send back your unused portion (We'll reimburse the shipping cost). We'll also give you 20% off your next order for your troubles. 3. Keep the instant you have but still get a coupon code for 20% off your next order. 4. Send back the remaining kava (not a nearly empty tin) and receive a full refund. If you would like a replacement or feel you are owed a discount please send an email to [email protected].

Please know that not all instant kava sent during the aforementioned period is affected. If your order is affected it will look like the first photo in this thread. Sediment at the bottom alone does not indicate that there is Nambawan mixed in. Instant kava is not 100% water soluble. It mixes quite well, better than micronized, but left to sit it will always leave a little mud at the bottom of a cup.

I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused any of our beloved customers. It was an honest mistake. I hope my efforts to make it right are sufficient. If you need to contact me at all please do not send me a message here on the forums. Please send an email to [email protected].

Bula!
Judd

 

[Bula Kava House]

From what I recall there shouldn't be any sediment or large fibers-- after all, it's "dehydrated kava juice." It's like finding coffee grounds in instant coffee.

I'm gonna try to make it to the PO later today to send it back. I drank it anyway a few times--stupid, I know, but I had no other kava available and I was hoping. The effects were pretty negligible and the fibers got caught in my throat.

That said, this is my first experience with BKH that was less than stellar. I'm just surprised they want it back. Thankfully Elle, the lady who answers their emails, said they would reimburse me for the shipping cost.

Hey there. I'm sorry for your troubles. Not a first impression we like to make. We'd like to make it up to you though. Hopefully the solutions offered in my previous post suffice.

Bula!
Judd