micronized prep

[jones-in_j]

so question... i've been reading that a lot of people use a blender to mix their micronized... i also remember reading somewehre that agitating it is important to release the psychoactive components... not sure if this is just with thicker grinds/traditional prep... but anyway, i have some micronized and simply am using the stir and chug method... is this sufficient to getting everything i can out of it? of course it'll be a little more gritty as a result but i could care a less about that, i just want to know that i'm getting as much effects as possible, thanks

 

[kavadude]

It is the most efficient if you consume it unstrained. It's just not how pacific islanders have traditionally done it, and can IMO have some unpleasant side effects. If you choose to strain it, that's when you need to blend, knead, whatever.

 

[jones-in_j]

cool thanks for the reply

one other question... and i've been browsing the forum trying to find the answer, i'm sure its here somewhere but i can't find it

how would you guys differentiate micronized vs instant in your own words?? i just tried micronized for the first time yesterday, and find that it blends almost just as well in a drink as the instant did (i get my stuff from gourmethawaiinkava btw)... i have crohn's disease and was surprised that i woke up this morning with no stomach problems, whatsoever

micronized is considered to be stronger and more long lasting then instant, right? i guess thats the main thing i'm interested in verifying. chris is the man and sent me some VERY generous samples in the past so i could try it with my crohn's cuz i was super worried about how it would affect my digestive tract, and i'm now finally ready to place an order and just want to make sure i get what i should

right now i definitely think i'm gonna go with micronized though... and get some moi, mahakea and boroguru.. i haven't had kava enough to be able to tell a huge difference between the strains yet and feel i def need more experimenting

he sent me a sample of the nene instant before but it seemed *extremely* weak compared to the others... was it just my inexperience with kava and i didn't drink enough of it, or would you guys agree with that statement?

 

[sɥɐʞɐs]

Micronized is finely ground root powder, you consume all of it, therefor you don't lose any of the kavalactones.
That's why it's stronger. I don't see any reason to pay twice the price for micro, if you're going to strain it still.

Instant is kava that was prepared traditionally, using fresh root, water and kneaded. Then the water is dehydrated from it. The powder that remains is instant powder.

Effects last longer depending on the strain's chemotype and how much you drink.
Lighter, 'headier' strains always feel mild to me.

 

[jones-in_j]

awesome thanks for the reply, micronized it is! placing my first order now


aaaaand it's submitted, pretty excited to get it and get more into my kava research... with my initial sample it took me a long time to dig into the different strains, but i foresee this being something that happens more often for me in the near future man am i relaxed today

 

[yardcat]

Hey Jones, I've been using micro mahakea and Boroguru a lot lately because of long work hours for a couple of months. Comes in handy. I got the 8 oz mason jars and put in 2 teaspoons maybe a tablespoon. I shake like a mofo for couple of minutes and chug. Works like a charm. Still like making a batch of grog with medium grind on weekends with Kalm with Kava boronguru, just takes a little more work. Really though I get great mileage out of GHK micro and it's pretty instant for me when I just need a quick unwind after work.

 

[Deactivated Account]

It is the most efficient if you consume it unstrained. It's just not how pacific islanders have traditionally done it, and can IMO have some unpleasant side effects. If you choose to strain it, that's when you need to blend, knead, whatever.

KD do you still get derm from it ?

I imagine so.

 

[kavadude]

Oh yeah. I've gotten dermopathy from micronized, instants by themselves.

 

[Deactivated Account]

Oh yeah. I've gotten dermopathy from micronized, instants by themselves.

Hmmm....im going to be in a reptillian state by the time i get to SF then.

Ive promised a friend to have a bit of Chris's micro left to bring home for her ...its going to be tough fufilling that.

 

[kavadude]

Good news is, you can order as much kava as you want.... just gotta time it perfectly for your return trip is all.

 

[jones-in_j]

what the hell is dermothrapy???

so with my crohn's as an update.... the last time i drank kava i didn't notice any stomach discomfort, however the next day i had pretty severe stomach pain... this makes me worried that it was from kava the day before (my stomach doesn't normally hurt *that* bad, it was unusually bad)

i'm wondering if i should have ordered thicker stuff instead so i could have gone thru the traditional preperation method and filtered it real good... hm... i just drank a fat tablespoon of micronized again so i guess i'll see how i feel again tomorrow.... to be fair my stomach is already wrecked today due to eating pizza last night, so even if it is real bad i can't entirely accurately attribute it to the kava, but we'll see how it goes

 

[The Kap'n]

what the hell is dermothrapy???

so with my crohn's as an update.... the last time i drank kava i didn't notice any stomach discomfort, however the next day i had pretty severe stomach pain... this makes me worried that it was from kava the day before (my stomach doesn't normally hurt *that* bad, it was unusually bad)

i'm wondering if i should have ordered thicker stuff instead so i could have gone thru the traditional preperation method and filtered it real good... hm... i just drank a fat tablespoon of micronized again so i guess i'll see how i feel again tomorrow.... to be fair my stomach is already wrecked today due to eating pizza last night, so even if it is real bad i can't entirely accurately attribute it to the kava, but we'll see how it goes

Dermapothy is the flaking and scaling of your skin due to over-consumption of kava, or consumption of the incorrect parts of kava. It also happens very quickly when consuming non-noble kavas. After a year of self abuse while drinking micronized tudei kava I had what literally looked like a bloody tiger pattern on my back due to it. It can get quite awful if not addressed.

My sympathy goes out to you. I eat things without thinking, and reading your post made me really see how much care must go into every day choices like what you're having for dinner. I can tell you that traditional grind allows you to more easily filter out unwanted sediment whereas micronized is pretty much toss and wash.

 

[Deleted User01]

@jones-in_j . I have been doing Micronized for 1.5 years with no dermopathy or stomach issues. But... I only do the Micronized from GHK that has no Makas. Just pure unadulterated Kava and fresh from the farm. When you toss and wash regular powder, you are getting the Makas. When you strain powder, you are filtering out the Makas. There was a recipe here for making Micronized Syrup. Somebody was straining the micronized to create a concentrated syrup which could them be dumped into juice or water. That might be a good way to consume Micronized for someone who is sensitive to the fiber. KavaDude has always been sensitive to Micronized. It just doesn't sit well with him. So you have to try it for yourself and find out if you can take advantage of this potent and convenient type of Kava or whether you are doomed to the strainer. FYI, I haven't strained in at least a year. Just instant and Micronized for me. I just don't have time for the strainer.

 

[Rishi678]

I have some micro Boroguro from GHK, just wondering what would be a good starting dose for someone relatively new to kava?

...Also, do most people just drink it unstrained or do most people strain the micro?

 

[chasemandingo]

I take a level tablespoon. Add to about 5 fluid ounces of water. Then I use whisker to whisk the kava and down before any non-soluble particles settle out of suspension. Wait 30 minutes and repeat until you feel good!

 

[Rishi678]

Thanks I had some last night without any special prep method and it worked fine, felt even better than the traditional kava I prepared last week so I'm very happy with this Micro stuff