Kavalactone Percentages?
- Thread starter Chinaski
- Start date
The blend is possibly more important and a lot depends on what you are looking for from the kava. Some of the stronger ones tend to be more bitter tasting and overall not as pleasant as something not quite so strong but with more rounded effects. Sometimes you want a good strong effect and sometimes you just want to be gently washed. Horses for courses.
(by which I mean the blend of KL's)
(by which I mean the blend of KL's)
recentreturn
Kava Enthusiast
Lower KL kavas can definitely be better. I believe there are Tudei's and wild kavas out there with very undesirable effects but VERY high kavalactone content. In my experience, it is definately true that more kavalactones does NOT simply equal better kava (though it doesn't necessarily hurt either).
Zaphod
Kava Lover
Short answer is no, it doesn't mean it is better. % of each KL might give you more of an idea along with chemotype, but honestly I rarely look at overall % anymore. It just doesn't have that much impact on the experience. In fact, some kavas might be low in % but are much easier to extract the KL from giving you a higher finished product. I tend to base my purchasing more on reviews then on KL% unless it is really, really low.
D
Deleted User01
I agree with @Zaphod. the KL percent is a nice statistic and guide, but there seems to be a lot of different Kavalactones and other ingredients that make for a proper Krunk. Reviews are a somewhat reasonable guide. But it is fun to read the numbers and see if they coincide with the effects. I think the chemotype is a reasonable guide to whether a kava is heady or balanced. I tell ya what. That's why I like Micronized so much. It gives you the full spectrum of Kavalactones both minor and major and I think powder doesn't. I may be wrong but that's my theory and I'm stickin' to it.
SelfBiasResistor
Persist for Resistance!
Total KL % as well as individual KL % matters. They are the active ingredients. It's why cannabis with THC under 1% doesn't make people high and kava with .5% DHM will not help me sleep. The more sensitive, light weight, kava drinker will not notice as much of a difference but the hard head types definitely do. If I brew up a bowl of strong kava, I can always add water and dilute it to stretch out the session but if I brew up some weak 5% or under, I can't drink enough to get the effects I need.
It's also vital that the listed KL content be backed by a lab tested COA covering the batch being sold. There are some vendors that are unwilling to pay for the tests or share the results and will list a KL %, often being higher than the vendors showing proof of batch testing.
It's also vital that the listed KL content be backed by a lab tested COA covering the batch being sold. There are some vendors that are unwilling to pay for the tests or share the results and will list a KL %, often being higher than the vendors showing proof of batch testing.
Zaphod
Kava Lover
Fair enough - and for your particular circumstance then maybe a higher KL% makes it "better" (a pretty subjective term unless you define exactly what you are looking for). KL% is just one factor in many including how well you can extract those KLs. I have had several lower % kavas that gave very pleasant effects, I just needed more of it. That is not necessarily "worse" kava. So I stand by my original comment a higher KL% does not make one kava "better" than another. This is like saying everclear is better than vodka - both have their place, and use, and depending on what you are looking for one is more suited to what you need, but one is not better than another.
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SelfBiasResistor
Persist for Resistance!
I agree for the most part and you're right, "better" is subjective and KL% shouldn't be the only factor considered when buying. However, the total KL% does seem to be a good indicator of the quality of the plant in relation to others that are of similar make up. Some varieties will naturally produce less KLs and that doesn't make them bad but it does indicate the effects will be less intense (some people might want that). A problem I have with low KL root is that if it is below a certain threshold, I can't just use more to achieve the effects I desire. The peak effects are limited by the lack of KLs. This has been my biggest issue with much of the kava available during this potency drought. It's not just that I'm having to use too much, I'm using a lot and only getting mediocre (at best) results.
Your point about KL extraction is also very valid. Certain grinds matched with appropriate strainers will increase the amount KLs that end up in the grog.
Zaphod
Kava Lover
Just for reference can you give me how much of a specific recent batch of kava gets you to where you need to be? Since you describe yourself as hard head - maybe I just don't understand how much you need versus how much money is required to get you there...
recentreturn
Kava Enthusiast
As I understood it, the OP's question was framed as "can" a particular lower kavalactone percentage "kava" be "better" than a[nother] "kava" that has a higher percentage. I think it can. But I agree, all other things being truly equal, higher KL is generally better. However, I think if money was not an object at all, even this could be questioned in virtue of factors like texture, taste etc.
A personal example: I like many other kavas better than Kava Vinaka's "Waka," even though it is listed as having higher KL's. Even Kava Vinaka themselves charge a higher price for their Chief's Choice which SEEMS to be being presented as more premium (given that it actually has a real name as opposed to being just "Waka" or "Lawena," even though it is purely lateral roots) despite having lower KL's than the "Waka."
A personal example: I like many other kavas better than Kava Vinaka's "Waka," even though it is listed as having higher KL's. Even Kava Vinaka themselves charge a higher price for their Chief's Choice which SEEMS to be being presented as more premium (given that it actually has a real name as opposed to being just "Waka" or "Lawena," even though it is purely lateral roots) despite having lower KL's than the "Waka."
SelfBiasResistor
Persist for Resistance!
I start at 10 Tbsp and work my way up from there depending on the product. My old goal was to not exceed 12 Tbsp but that's been upped since I've had access to more kava recently. After I finish the first brew, I usually make 6 or 8 Tbsp of Supreme or Stone to help prepare for sleep. I don't always drink all of that but I'm more likely to if I had a Tongan or some other non sedating (or weak : ( ) product. Low cost/value kava isn't worth the money, I get little to nothing out of it, so if I'm comparing similar products, the total KL% and the chemo type makeup are very important.
SelfBiasResistor
Persist for Resistance!
This exactly.
Comparing dissimilar cultivars, growing regions, stump to root ratio, etc adds more variables but in the end more kavain, DHM and DHK will usually prove to be a more enjoyable/medicinal grog for me. I'm not saying it is THE most important factor, just that it matters and more so for some people than others.