Making your own instant

[Chaucer]

I'm not sure about the different types of dehydrator but I'm guessing there will be a solution for most types usually involving folded up fruit leather sheets...

As far as instant goes I honestly swear that it is so much more effective than med grind. I have tried all types of prep and I never get such reliable results as a couple of teaspoons of instant in some milk. If I had a lot of time on my hands then trad prep just felt right, then the aluball came along and that took over and then I just got to thinking why?! Even with the aluball I have never got such good effects as I have got from instant. Now I'm getting closer to making my own instant from any type of kava which according to reports should be as good as commercial instant... well... colloquially, I'm like a pig in shit!

Edward, I've been very interested in this thread but got to thinking more about it tonight and wanted to throw this thought out . . . do you think that you are getting better results with instant because you are actually consuming more kava when you take instant? Does anyone know what a typical tablespoon serving of med grind reduces down to when dehydrated? Perhaps something else is going on here with the process but I can't see how making a batch of instant from 2 tablespoons of medium grind would make a more potent drink than just drinking the two tablespoons of med grind. In both cases, the amount of kavalactones should be the same. However, I can understand the cost savings in doing this so can't wait to hear how you make out.

 

[wanderingwoodsmith]

I think the basic concept is, with the instant it is not required to use an excess amount of water in order to extract the kavalactones. In essence, you can dissolve more instant kavalactones in the the same amount of water that would be used for traditional prep. Say you use 14oz water and 8tbsp med grind for traditional prep. with instant, you could easily dissolve 16 tbsp worth of med grind in the same amount of water because it has already been extracted. I could be wrong though as I have never used instant.

 

[verticity]

You missed the point of my super immature joke (which was pretty pointless) Lorry the truck, or Lorie the girls name...sorry for the bad humor. I am conversationally functional in the kings English. Lorry = truck. Hood = bonnet. Trunk = boot. Elevator = lift...I'm totally bi-lingual as long as both languages are English!

Super immature! You deserve a good smack on the fanny for that.

 

[Edward]

Edward, I've been very interested in this thread but got to thinking more about it tonight and wanted to throw this thought out . . . do you think that you are getting better results with instant because you are actually consuming more kava when you take instant? Does anyone know what a typical tablespoon serving of med grind reduces down to when dehydrated? Perhaps something else is going on here with the process but I can't see how making a batch of instant from 2 tablespoons of medium grind would make a more potent drink than just drinking the two tablespoons of med grind. In both cases, the amount of kavalactones should be the same. However, I can understand the cost savings in doing this so can't wait to hear how you make out.

I don't exactly know the mechanism yet but I'm more or less convinced that instant is better for me. Trad prep is so hit and miss in terms of how many KL's you're getting out and also for me what matters is getting the KL's in without consuming too much peppery liquid which upsets my stomach. In my experiments with med grind I find that the more shells I consume the worse my stomach upset gets. Put another way the best nights I have had on kava have been in the lorry with instant, never quite replicated at home with med grind and trad prep. I should also say that some of my worst nights on kava were in the lorry too when I overdid it on the instant and got super nausea. Never actual vomiting but I felt close a few times. Once I learned to control the beast then the instant in the lorry was giving me the best time overall. I have to conclude that the instant is basically a more KL rich powder which I need to drink less of to get the good results and drinking less KL strong liquid overall can only be better for my stomach. It's one theory, could be right or wrong.

I think the basic concept is, with the instant it is not required to use an excess amount of water in order to extract the kavalactones. In essence, you can dissolve more instant kavalactones in the the same amount of water that would be used for traditional prep. Say you use 14oz water and 8tbsp med grind for traditional prep. with instant, you could easily dissolve 16 tbsp worth of med grind in the same amount of water because it has already been extracted. I could be wrong though as I have never used instant.

See the above but I think you are about right. I'm looking forward to a lot more people making and trying their own instant because I've had some completely awesome nights on instant especially when mixing with milk. Kava can be a very subtle plant in terms of effects but if you want a magic carpet ride of warmth, happiness and well being then just chug some good instant mixed with milk. It may just transform your opinion of kava. I've had plenty of nights with trad prep of med grind with water where I have felt the effects of kava but it has been nowhere near the level of the instant with milk. Also when you catch a good vibe the next day it's better than sex sometimes... if you get your dosaging right the night before then the main event is great on the night but the next day can be better when you haven't even got the kava rush feeling but your muscles are tingling and warm and you find yourself smiling and happy with the world for no very good reason... it's just so awesome.

 

[The Kap'n]

Also what I ran into with some strains; The higher the kavalactone concentration the more likely it will dry to a state where it may clump together and seem almost "wet" after you grind it. I believe it was paradise kava Fijian that I did everything on earth to dry completely but it was just so heavy with lactones it acted more like a paste. I even used desiccant under a vacuum for days. No moisture, just resins.

 

[Chaucer]

I don't exactly know the mechanism yet but I'm more or less convinced that instant is better for me. Trad prep is so hit and miss in terms of how many KL's you're getting out and also for me what matters is getting the KL's in without consuming too much peppery liquid which upsets my stomach. In my experiments with med grind I find that the more shells I consume the worse my stomach upset gets. Put another way the best nights I have had on kava have been in the lorry with instant, never quite replicated at home with med grind and trad prep. I should also say that some of my worst nights on kava were in the lorry too when I overdid it on the instant and got super nausea. Never actual vomiting but I felt close a few times. Once I learned to control the beast then the instant in the lorry was giving me the best time overall. I have to conclude that the instant is basically a more KL rich powder which I need to drink less of to get the good results and drinking less KL strong liquid overall can only be better for my stomach. It's one theory, could be right or wrong.

It might be just as Wanderingwoodsmith suggested that you are consuming less liquid with the same amount of kavalctones when you take instant and so aren't diluting the kava as much. Makes me wonder if all the hydration I do throughout the day is impinging my evening kava session's effects. Some days I will fast from food for 6+ hours and still have minimal effects with the same amount of kava that in the morning gave great effects. During the day I drink lots of water between my morning and evening sessions so it might be best to focus my hydration in the first couple of hours after consuming and then leave a window before the next session. I recently ordered some instant so that I can get a better understanding of how instant compares to med grind. Still loving the convenience of the Allubal and would likely use that as my prep method if I went the instant homebrew route. Plus, my biceps would get huge!

 

[wanderingwoodsmith]

Still loving the convenience of the Allubal and would likely use that as my prep method if I went the instant homebrew route. Plus, my biceps would get huge!

With the shaker can you switch hands and gain a stroke? Giggity!

 

[Sam Handwich]

Ok, instant at home update...this morning I kneaded out a batch of grog using 4 heaping tablespoons of Squanch kava into 24 oz. of hot tap water. I let this settle in the fridge for a few hours then using aquarium tubing I siphoned off the top 12 oz., keeping the tube above the sediment line of course.

I then poured the remaining liquid with sediment into the fruit roll tray of my Nesco Gardenmaster dehydrator-

Tip-if you are doing this 12 oz. seems to be the limit of this tray even though it says it can take 3 cups, it cannot.
I set the dehydrator to its maximum setting of 155 degrees F. and 2 hours later I have this-

It is nearly done with just the one soft spot where it pooled a little deeper. I have broken off a small flake, it crumbles easily and numbed my tongue and the roof of my mouth instantly. I'd call this a success. I'm going to order a few more trays for larger runs and am going to make a stock pile for this year's spring break trip. @Squanch, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this may be the world's first Squanch instant!?

 

[wanderingwoodsmith]

@Sam Handwich should the remaining sediment at the bottom of the grog be thrown away? My thinking is that there are still some active kavalactones in the sediment. Have you tried incorporating the remaining sediment into water and doing the process over again?

 

[Sam Handwich]

@Sam Handwich should the remaining sediment at the bottom of the grog be thrown away? My thinking is that there are still some active kavalactones in the sediment. Have you tried incorporating the remaining sediment into water and doing the process over again?

Thrown away!! no way! I siphoned off half the grog above the sediment then used the concentrated sediment heavy grog for the dehydrator. The part I siphoned off got mixed with my second wash and is currently going into my belly. No waste on this project!

 

[Sam Handwich]

The yield seemed pretty good, ended up with 22g. of finished product from 4 heaping tablespoons of medium grind. I also have enough left over from the siphoning and the second wash to drink this evening. Not bad, I'm ordering more trays tonight and am going to do a larger run next weekend.

 

[wanderingwoodsmith]

Okay thats what I thought. The way it was worded seemed like you were only using the top liquid for the instant. Maybe I read it wrong lol

 

[wanderingwoodsmith]

I think I may try some small experimental batches of adding kava to some super sweet Koolaid. Then dehydrate that to make a sweet flavored instant mix. Any insight on this?
Of course you would need more powder than with straight instant. But it might be worthwhile.

 

[Sam Handwich]

Okay thats what I thought. The way it was worded seemed like you were only using the top liquid for the instant. Maybe I read it wrong lol

Nope, your right. Poor wording, edit completed

 

[Sam Handwich]

I think I may try some small experimental batches of adding kava to some super sweet Koolaid. Then dehydrate that to make a sweet flavored instant mix. Any insight on this?
Of course you would need more powder than with straight instant. But it might be worthwhile.

I've wondered this too, though I am worried about using any chemical type drink mixes with kava. I was pondering what would happen if I made grog with coconut water or almond milk, then dehydrated it. Might be good, might be disgusting? I may try and see.

 

[wanderingwoodsmith]

Go for it and post results @Sam Handwich
You know those little single serve drink pouches you pour in water bottles that are already sweetened? Maybe there is a natural version of those. It would be a lot less added powder in the end result.

 

[Edward]

Excellent stuff fellas. 155 degrees F might be too hot for the KL's? If it worked ok and it's still potent then that's fine but you wouldn't want to cook them too much. I'm hoping to get all of my equipment delivered this week so I am all ready to go for next weekend and a marathon instant making session

 

[The Kap'n]

@Sam Handwich, reiterating @Edward, if possible you may want to lower your dehydrating temp a little. 155°F, while it would take quite a long time at that temp to destroy all the kavalactones, will impart an overly cooked flavor. However, it that doesn't bother you...trudge onward!

 

[Sam Handwich]

You guys got me worried about this, so I munched on a flake this morning (yum!). It is definitely still potent, but is also pretty bitter. I was worried about the dry time and thought it would take forever, but it really only took about 2.5 hours. I've ordered a few more trays and will be making some more next weekend. I think I'll lower the temp to 120 ish and will just let it go all afternoon. Thanks for the tips guys, can't wait to see how the next batch goes.

 

[Edward]

You guys got me worried about this, so I munched on a flake this morning (yum!). It is definitely still potent, but is also pretty bitter. I was worried about the dry time and thought it would take forever, but it really only took about 2.5 hours. I've ordered a few more trays and will be making some more next weekend. I think I'll lower the temp to 120 ish and will just let it go all afternoon. Thanks for the tips guys, can't wait to see how the next batch goes.

I would have thought eating the flakes themselves would be really bitter because it's like tossing without the washing!

Thinking about strains I want to go for first... I'm thinking Malekula Magic...