N
Noname
You can get 2-3 decent shells from makas (used kava). @Krunkie McKrunkface has more info on this
NileKinnick
Kava Curious
I guess I've been doing two batches with my stuff. ~16 tablespoons soaked and then kneaded with just over 4 cups of water. Then a second batch with 3 cups of water. That about fills two of these cylinder plastic containers I have on hand for storing leftover soup. I may be overdoing the powder. I've done that with KWK Borogu and Vula Waka, and Cactus Malolo. The Malolo powder from Cactus seemed finer, so I may need to cut back on powder for the same batch.
N
Noname
Use blend and strain method and you'll probably need a lot less.16 tablespoons is a lot
Plantacious
Kava Enthusiast
I've been throwing away perfectly good kava ?!
N
Noname
Yup. Atleast now you know. I did it today and gonna make it a habit from now on
Plantacious
Kava Enthusiast
That probably explains why some "kava bars" have really weak kava.
I bet they re-use their kave 5 times or more, to be cheap.
I bet they re-use their kave 5 times or more, to be cheap.
Krunkie McKrunkface
Kava Connoisseur
I wouldn’t frame it in those terms. If you are getting what you want and/or need from your kava then you’re fine.
I find I get the most out of my grind combining aluball for the first two washes with kneading in a bag for 4 more washes, plus I salvage sediment to use for kava flakes and powder. I get 24 cups of grog out of each cup of medium grind. I think even more than an issue of not wasting root, the thing here is different experiences beyond just the first two washes. I think there may be some character to kava some might miss out on, which would be a shame. I have yet to hear of anyone else who makes or enjoys kava flakes but they really are fantastic.
One of the reasons few have trod this path is the issue of critical mass. To get to 6 washes, you need a big bag of makas, but an individual can do that just by saving makas in the freezer till enough has accumulated so that the 6th wash, when you get down to it, is a non-trivial volume and a worthwhile strength. For me that means makas from what started out as 2 cups of medium grind. For the 3rd wash I use 8 cups hot water, let it soak for 10 minutes then knead for 5 minutes. This makes almost 10 cups of 3rd wash. Then I use 4 cups water for the 4th, 2 cups for the 5th and 1.5 or 2 cups for the 6th wash.
Krunkie McKrunkface
Kava Connoisseur
If you do it right each shell you produce should be of equivalent strength, though of different character, because the kavalactone profile will be different with each wash. Also, unless you only drink one type of kava, the makas accumulated in the freezer will be of different varieties, so those 3rd through 6th washes will have a mongrel character, and the more varied the mix the better, IME.
Of course, you keep the strength uniform my adjusting down the water ratio as the grind gets more used up.
N
Noname
@Plantacious
I am referring to basically used medium grind root (makas)that has been used to make the kava only and then put aside for later to make shells out of the non used up makas. The makas have kava in them. How much till you get all the kavalactones? Depends on how much makas you have. I'd say one tablespoon of makas =1 shell.
I am referring to basically used medium grind root (makas)that has been used to make the kava only and then put aside for later to make shells out of the non used up makas. The makas have kava in them. How much till you get all the kavalactones? Depends on how much makas you have. I'd say one tablespoon of makas =1 shell.
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N
Noname
I wonder how a kava session from only makas would feel?
Krunkie McKrunkface
Kava Connoisseur
now that I can tell you. I have experimented and had sessions from only 1st wash, only 2nd wash, only 3rd, etc and here are my results:
1st wash only - great
2nd wash only - great
3rd wash only - great
4th wash only - great
5th wash only - great
6th wash only - great
7th wash only - ok but sort of so-so
Hope this helps
Probably best of all is really strong 3rd wash
Krunkie McKrunkface
Kava Connoisseur
with all due respect, I don't see how that makes any sense. It started out dry and you got kavalactones my macerating after rehydrating. Even if you knead till dry, why couldn't you again get kavalactones after rehydrating? Until all the kavalactones that you could get are gone?
What I find is you can go back to the well again and again, up to a point, and that point is at around 6 or 7th wash. But all my root gets at least a 6th wash. The key, I believe, is in having sufficient critical mass of makas to get grog out of. You need to have a big bag of makas on that third wash if you are going to get anything at all out of the 6th wash, it's economies of scale. But that is easily dealt with by simply accumulating makas in the freezer from 1st and 2nd washes until you have a big enough volume.
Krunkie McKrunkface
Kava Connoisseur
the way you are talking about it, I still have a really hard time understanding what you mean. I do know, because I've done it a zillion times and do it at least twice a week, is that with what started out as two dry cups of medium grind, after being used for a couple of washes, I can aggregate and knead those makas 4 times to make a total of one gallon of grog. Or more. But a minimum of one gallon.
I don't know what to say more than just invite people to try it, by following exactly to the letter my instructions, and if it fails then you know I'm full of crap. But if it works for you, then maybe I'm not.
N
Noname
How many shells from 4 tablespoons of makas?
Kimmer
Patently irritable
I didn't mean dry like powder, I meant that the wet, kneaded Kava was wrung to the point of feeling dry, which is what I use to base whether or not to attempt a second wash. If it doesn't feel oily anymore I figure my job is done.
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Krunkie McKrunkface
Kava Connoisseur
I think if you simply re-rehydrate again you will find you can get more, but it may need to be aggregated with other makas. If you start with just 4 TBS of grind, e.g., you can really only get a couple of washes before it plays out, maybe three at the most, but if you add it to a whole bunch of other makas you can get more out of it. This is especially so, I find, if you use the AluBall for the first two washes and then switch to trad prep kneading with a bag for the 3rd through 6th washes.
Plantacious
Kava Enthusiast
Is freezing necessary if you use the makas within a few days ?
Is refrigeration okay for 2-3 days ?
Is refrigeration okay for 2-3 days ?