New to kava.

[kl.2345434]

Hey everybody,

I'm fairly new to kava and have only tried it on a few occasions. So far I've found the effects are fairly mild. Recently I ordered about 1lb of Isa Kava from paradisekava.com and while I did get a buzz off of it, I had to drink a fair bit to get an effect. I'm wondering - do the extracts and/or frozen kava tend to be more potent? I'm also kind of wondering if maybe I prepared the kava incorrectly as the effects I got didn't quite match what I've read online. Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[krunkedout]

Extracts are more for just a quick fix. And trust me, the more often you do it the stronger it gets. There usually a reverse tolerance with kava which means you have to do it so much until it gets stronger. Good luck!

 

[kavadude]

I tried paradise kava extract when I was first starting out and had to eat a lot (compared to the recommended dose) to get an effect. It's a pretty expensive way to get started on that reverse tolerance. I would recommend just working your way through that pound before you try anything else. As far as preparation, how much kava are you using and what are you doing with it?

 

[kl.2345434]

More than recommended actually, I think the last time I had some I used two cups of kava to one cup of water and then put it through a blender prior to straining it. I tried using a lower dose before that (2 tablespoons as recommended) and felt absolutely nothing.

 

[Vekta]

Good gawd! 2:1 of Isa would put me in a comma! Wait a while...if you're even half like me, and some others here, that will hit you like a truck after a while.

 

[kl.arkitech]

I'm kinda going through the same thing, I get very mild effects in contrast from the reports of other people. So far I've went through a pound of chief's jungle, approx. a 1/2 pound of borogu and tonite I made a bowl with about 5 tablespoons of boroguru. Out of all of that kava I can count on one hand the number of really mellow sessions I've had. It might just be my metabolism, my alcohol tolerance is extremely high and when I used to buy weed I could go through grams of the stuff without being phased much.

 

[kl.el187joker]

dont worry my friend your krunk will come. and then you will know what we have all been talking about. just continue paying your dues respectfully and listen to the kava. And after you get that breakthrough krunk it wil be on everry time. just remember; empty stomach, MEASURE, soak at least 45 min(i usually soak for a couple hours if i have the time), and knead hard. I remember before i got my first real krunk i would use a whole cup and all i was getting was a slight calm and a gag reflex. now a couple tablespoons gets me krunk(though i usually drink more to keep it peaked longer) sometimes the intensity is almost to much and i spend a few minutes trying to figure out how to come back down. Jus keep at and best of luck to you in this new krunk year.

 

[kl.2345434]

This actually partially explains why I'm not getting a buzz off of it. Usually when I knead it I only do so for 10 mins. One question, if I put it in a blender for an hour will it have the same effect as it would if I kneaded it? Do you have any idea? Thanks.

 

[krunkedout]

This actually partially explains why I'm not getting a buzz off of it. Usually when I knead it I only do so for 10 mins. One question, if I put it in a blender for an hour will it have the same effect as it would if I kneaded it? Do you have any idea? Thanks. 

I strongly advise kneading, even if you blend. I actually blend my kava for a minute or so with a stick blender and then proceed to knead for 15 min or so.

 

[kl.2345434]

The idea of kneading it for an hour sounds intolerable to me. If I blend it for a similar amount of time and then knead it for 10 mins or so will I get a similar effect or is kneading just plain better for some reason?

 

[The Kap'n]

With kneading you actually make the fibers act as a sponge which allows water to be expelled from the root and also allows them to soak it back up. The more times you soak and press out the fibers, the more kavalactones you will get. It's the equivalent of getting soap out of a shower sponge.

 

[Ed!]

There was a study posted here a while back that showed that blending was actually more effective than kneading. I don't know exactly how they conducted it because that seems contrary to what most people believe here, but if you don't want to knead, there is no reason you have to.



Me, I do both. I blend for a couple minutes in a cheapo little Hamilton Beach blender and then I knead for 15-20 minutes.

 

[kl.2345434]

Excellent.