I am certainly curious. I am going to wait for that AluBall to find out if there is anything to it before I start though. I simply won't have time for kava if it takes twenty minutes of kneading. I appreciate that others do this though. I have heard about Stone. It's definitely one I need to try.@Pacifico
I kind of think you should leave the instants, and the micro's alone and focus on traditnal use...
Get your self some good med grind root powder,
Of somthing fairly strong..I sould sugest N@H stone, its around 12% kavalactones if I remember right...
By now you should certainly be over or through RT...
I feel you may need some real root powder like stone, and kneed for 20mins...with 4-6 tbsp and I would think you would have to feel it!
Stone got me through RT is few days but was feeling a little buz on the first dose ever...it is strong
Shakadermis from drinking Shakakea high in Shakalactones.Shakadermis
I just doubt it's a purely physiological phenomenon. If that was the case, then most (if not all?) of the kava users would experience it. However, the majority of the people that I introduce to kava can feel it the first time they try it. We had a few new people trying kava for the first time 2 days ago. All but one felt strong effects and were quite amazed at how pleasant kava is. Also note that most visitors to Vanuatu report feeling the kava effects from just one or two shells. I would say it's a matter of your brew's strength, your mental attitude to kava + a few other variables (empty stomach, good chasers, etc.). I can assure you that not everybody has to go through some kind of "no effects" period.I would have to disagree with the RT myth. Mine lasted about a month. Then a bit more time to reach full effects. While i wasn't using the fine dining kava supplied by GHK, it was still decent quality kava offered by other vendors on this forum. Roots recommended by the kavasseur for good effect. I used more than enough root and nothing but traditional prep.
Sorry if I'm bumping a thread (I just can't work out how to start a new thread) What would you recommend as a heady strain? I can only buy from GKE who are wonderful but I dont' know what strain to buy for a more heady effect.Makakea is a special variety I sell at my store Shakas Makas.
I agree with this, I felt heavier varieties much more noticeably for a long time before I ever could properly tune into headier/lighter strains.
I believe RT is a real phenomenon. I know people who have had no RT (my friend Frank, another guy I know named Matt) and based on those two data points, you might think it's a myth. I have other friends that I've introduced kava to (Mark, Trevor, Sakura, Alan, Elizabeth) who felt slight sedation effects but pretty much nothing else. With the same kava, at the same strength, etc.I would have to disagree with the RT myth. Mine lasted about a month. Then a bit more time to reach full effects. While i wasn't using the fine dining kava supplied by GHK, it was still decent quality kava offered by other vendors on this forum. Roots recommended by the kavasseur for good effect. I used more than enough root and nothing but traditional prep.
No argument there!Well, I still think that while more experienced drinkers become more sensitive to kava, it is definetely possible to feel its effects right from the start.
I've done two "Kava Parties" where I bring all my stuff. Some are homeruns right off the bat. Some are completely unaffected or have some light sedation. Each person gets 1 BIG heaping tablespoon (60 grams, I'm guessing?) of medium grind in the strainer. And I make 3 cups of water (maxes out my container) and split it. With big crowds it gets quite strong. No second wash, so I really torture the bag with extreme pain.It's just a matter of potency, quality, preparation and setting. If you want to test it, ask a kava newbie to fast for 6h, get some GHK instant maha, pour 40g of it into 500ml of water (a kl content close to that of nakamal-fresh, IMO), prepare some hot tea. Ask your friend to down 150ml of kava and have some fruit and hot tea. Wait for 10 minutes, give him another 150ml. Wait for another 10-15 minutes and then ask him to drink the rest. I've never met anyone who wouldn't be affected by this.
I think there are a few things that ensure kava works well.
1. Fasting for at least 6 hours generally ensures the stomach is empty as required.
2. Straining out the kava so it is not thick or chalky will guarantee the stomach can pass the liquid without closing and stopping the process.
3. The right type of kava so when you actually get some effects they are actually good effects you will enjoy. Kava beginning with 46 chemotype and tested.
4. Dose. You generally need one table spoon per cup of water with non-instant, however if using instant if you use too much and aren't straining this can cause thick kava which will cause upset stomach or closing stomach. I think that no kava is truly instant after even trying makas free dehydrated kava. You may actually need more with instant if you want to strain the instant. Instant may actually be a bad balance of particle size especially for some people.
By truly instant I mean you can just mix it with drink without any filtering and still get a good effect. This means not too thick or too weak.What would your definition of a "truly instant" be? The one I drink is super smooth and mixes very well with water. It allows me to make nakamal-strength kava that I can drink without any stomavh upsets greater than mild nausea that I also experienced while drinking fresh kava in Vanuatu
Well, then @Gourmet Hawaiian Kava ' instant are indeed true instants. Super easy to mix with any soft drink/water and very potent at doses small enough not to make the whole thing too thick. As I always say, a strong shell of Chris' instant is the closest thing made out of dried powder that you can get to a shell of fresh kava in Port VilaT
By truly instant I mean you can just mix it with drink without any filtering and still get a good effect. This means not too thick or too weak.
I've tried instant and it was like drinking sand so perhaps some need to be strained? I've not bought any since as I just couldn't take the texture or taste - traditional prep with root works best for meT
By truly instant I mean you can just mix it with drink without any filtering and still get a good effect. This means not too thick or too weak.
Sounds like micro to me maybe?I've tried instant and it was like drinking sand so perhaps some need to be strained? I've not bought any since as I just couldn't take the texture or taste - traditional prep with root works best for me