Oral use - Kava-Kava Preparation Methods

[Alfa]

Kava Brew Recipe

by Murple
Mon May 29 2000
(Distribute Freely)



Required Items:


½ cup Ground Kava Root
2 cups Water
1 cup 2% Milk
Measuring Cups
Blender
Wire-mesh Strainer (the kind that sits on top of a bowl)
Large Bowl or Quart/Liter Measuring Cup
Cheesecloth, Sock, or Scrap of T-shirt Material (optional)
Large Drinking Cup
Chocolate syrup (optional)


Measure out 1/2 cup (120ml) of powdered kava root, put into blender. Use more or less depending on taste and individual response. I find this amount to be good for most occasions. It is also interesting to obtain several varieties of kava and try various blends.

Pour 2 cups (500ml) of water and 1 cup (250ml) milk into the blender.
The purpose of the milk is to provide fats and emulsifiers to help dissolve the kavalactones, as well as for flavor. I find this 2:1 ratio of water to milk to be best... using more milk makes the drink very heavy and filling, using less detracts from the taste of the final beverage. This amount of liquid (3 cups, or .75 liters) is a lot, and is intended for a tasty brew that can be sipped on slowly over an evening. You can reduce the amount of liquid if you want to drink it fast, but be aware that the taste will get much stronger.

Blend the mixture on high for 2-5 minutes.

Strain the mixture to remove the powder
Take the wire-mesh strainer and set it over the large bowl or measuring cup. The idea is to strain out the root powder while collecting the liquid in the bowl. Do this slowly, pouring in a little bit of the liquid, letting it strain completely, pouring in a little more, and repeating. Periodically clump the root powder together. This can be done with a spoon, or with practice you will find that by gently shaking the strainer you can get the kava to roll itself into a ball. This will prevent the strainer from clogging up. When all the liquid has been poured through, press on the collected root powder to squeeze out remaining liquid. The root powder can now be discarded or saved for further extraction. This step will remove the majority of the root powder, leaving only some of the very fine particles in the liquid. I have found that using a wire-mesh strainer to get out the larger particles is much faster than straining the brew through a cloth.

Strain again if desired
If you do have a cheesecloth, sock, or other such material, you can use this to strain out the fine powder still in the liquid, if you so desire. Alternatively, you can get a second bowl and run the liquid through the wire-mesh strainer another time or two and get out a good portion of the powder. You can, of course, leave it in the drink. Most of it will settle in the bottom of the cup. Leaving it in the drink will result in a stronger brew, but some people object to the gritty texture of unstrained brew. This step is optional, therefore.

Pour the brew into your drinking cup
If you want, you can at this point add flavorings. I personally am quite fond of chocolate syrup. Other things that go well are Ovaltine or a little bit of coffee (You'll have to either pre-make some or use instant. Use decaf if you're using the kava as a sleep aid.) A sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom can also be a nice addition. A small scoop of vanilla or coffee ice cream is also good, but requires re-blending the finished product. You want to make sure to add any flavorings as the final step in the process, as they tend to thicken the brew, which would make straining harder. Serve cold.

Drink and enjoy!
The above recipe can be doubled or more for more people. Kava is great to do with friends! I also enjoy a cup of kava before bed, as it promotes sleep as well as dramatically increasing dream activity for most people. Kava is a great way to take the edge off following entheogenic experiences, or to relax at the end of a hard day's work. Kava mixes very well with cannabis, but alcohol and other CNS depressants should not be mixed with kava. Driving and operating dangerous machinery is also to be avoided. Kava is probably one of the most benign of sedative drugs, causing neither addiction nor dangerous physical effects. As with any drug, however, the determined fool can probably misuse it. Remember that sobriety is a very rewarding state of mind, and that consciousness altering substances such as kava should be used with respect, wisdom, and moderation. That being said, enjoy your brew!

Reputation Comments on this post:

This came in handy just now. Thanks.

[Bajeda]

Here are some Kava-Kava preparation techniques I've found searching the web. They may prove useful for some who have trouble with preparing Kava for ingestion, either with diminished efficacy or unfavorable taste. If any swiy tries one of these please let us know how it works.

Originally Posted by Kava Chai

recipe I've been working on perfecting is spiced chai-style kava. I found straight kava to be a little strange, so I like to brew a pot of concentrated spiced-chai style kava to be mixed with the desired amount of hot milk, & sweetened with the desired amount of honey. I just simmer a smallish pot of water with a double-load of kava, healthy measures of cloves, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, cardamom, and nutmeg. After it's brewed to the desired strength, I'll pour the mixture through the straining bag to filter out the solids, which leaves me with the brew that I can add any amount of hot milk I like. The spice amounts to add will vary depending on how spicy people like their beverage. You can make large batches of the concentrate to refrigerate once your favorite measurements are established, to avoid doing the brewing process each time you want a cup. You can even froth your milk & make it a kava-latte!

Originally Posted by Vanilla Kava

Like your ideas of sharing stories & recipes. Here is a short recipe. This will be for the people that like something QUICK & EASY!! Just add a few drops of vanilla extract to each cup of Kava made. It mellows the flavour.

Originally Posted by Kava Juice Recipe

1. Mix your kava and water. Using at least two (2) cups of water for every one (1) cup of kava. To make the water just warm enough, mix 1 cups of room temperature water with 1 cup boiling hot water. You may also add about a teaspoon of lecithin.

2. Now is the time to run it through your juicer, or wring it out by hand. If juicing by hand, put a cup of your kava/water mixture into your nylon strainer bag. Twist shut, but don't tie shut. Then wring nylon strainer bag. It's a lot like wringing out a wash cloth. Do this until all your kava has been squeezed dry.


3. If you don't like pieces of kava pulp in your kava bowl when you drink your kava, you can strain your final product with a fine metal strainer. If you don't have one handy, you can clean and rinse your nylon strainer bag and pour it through there.


4. Now it's kava drinking time. Some like to drink it warm or at about room temperature. Some like to have theirs chilled. If you like it chilled, simply refrigerate it until it is cold.
Either way, BULA and enjoy!

Originally Posted by Two Methods of Preparation

Method #1: Ingredients: 1 cup Kava powder, four cups water, 6 tablespoons vegetable oil (I've used olive or canola), and two tablespoons liquid lecithin. Blend at top speed for five minutes. The liquid will be 'coffee-and-cream' colored. Strain through a fiber filter. I usually use an old cloth diaper. You want something pretty loose, like t-shirt fabric or cheesecloth. Straining can take a while and takes some patience. Eventually, all the liquid is out and you have the solids in a ball in your strainer/cloth, and a bowl of suspicious smelling liquid. You can throw away the solid mass.


Method #2: Loosely wrap a cup of Kava powder in a loose piece of cloth. Holding it loosely above the ball of Kava, plunge it up and down in 4 cups of water. Occasionally stop to squeeze out the kava ball. Keep plunging it up and down until the water is the 'coffee-and-cream' color. This should take 5-15 minutes.

Originally Posted by Kool Kava Recipe

* 4-6 tbsp kava kava in nylon strainer bag or cheesecloth (lg cloth teabag will do)
* 1 qt cool water
* 1/2 cup +/- pineapple juice
* 8 tbsp light corn syrup
* 4 tbsp honey
* 1 tbsp almond extract
* 2 tsp coconut extract
* 1-2 tsp vanilla extract

Originally Posted by Coconut Creme Kava

*3-6 tbsp kava kava
* 5 cups H2O
* 3 cups milk
* 1/2 cup light corn syrup (sugar or honey may be substituted)
* 1 tsp coconut extract
* 1 tsp almond extract (or 2 tsp vanilla)

Originally Posted by Kava Lassi Recipe

1 c. yogurt
1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla
pinch cardomom
1 T sugar
4 T kava (adjust as desired)
Put all in blender. Blend 2 minutes. Strain. Drink. Serves 1 person.


Comments: Adding ice to the mix might be a good idea.

Originally Posted by Easy Blender Recipe

This method of preparation is our favorite. It is the very best way to get the most out of your kava. This is a suggested serving for two people.
You may want more or less according to your taste. Leftovers will last several days in the refrigerator.

1) Place 3 Tbs. kava in the blender with 3 cups of water
2) Blend on high for one minute.
3)Strain if a smoother drink is desired.
4)Drink slowly. This will allow some of the lactones to be absorbed directly into mucus membranes of your mouth for immediate effects. It will also cause more of the pleasant tingling sensation that kava is famous for.
This also makes a great iced drink.

*You may want to add a tsp. of granular lecithin or 1 tsp vegetable oil. This helps to emulsify the kavalactones in the water. it also makes for a smoother tasting drink.



A few slices of fresh ginger root added to the blender is also interesting. You will probably want to strain out the ginger pulp.

Originally Posted by Choclate Milk Kava

3 heaping tablespoons powdered kava root 3 cups Soy Beverage (non-GMO!) 1 heaping tablespoon carob powder (or substitute cocoa powder) 1 teaspoon granular lecithin (optional sweeten further with honey or Stevia extract) Preparation: Blend in blender on high for 2 minutes. Filter through a wire mesh colander.

If anyone else has some cool, effective, and good tasting Kava preparation methods or recipes please post them here! Also, any comments on recipes already posted in the thread would be appreciated. Thanks!

[wOrship]

It is nothing earth-shatteringly new, but this method works well for swim, tastes fantastic to him too, although 84% kavalactone paste doesn't taste bad to swim so probably best not to expect tastebud tingling heaven here.

Start with the freshest, best quality kava you can find, swim currently has freshly ground waka grade vanatu powder which is definately some of the best ground root he has yet found.

Swim finds it is best to prepare the kava in advance of drinking, the day before if possible, it seems to add to the strength if it is left to 'brew' for a while.

1 Pint boiling water
1/2 Pint full fat milk

Mix the boiling water and the milk together, you are looking for a temperature around 60-65C not far in excess of this or you might activate the starches in the root powder and you will find it very gloopy and difficult to strain, although you can drink unstrained so it is not the end of the world should this happen.

Put 5 heapyish tablespoons kava powder in a blender with 5 tablespoons instant hot chocolate powder and 2-3 tablespoons cocoa, eyeball in a few tablespoons of maple syrup to taste and whizz on high for about two minutes. Let your mix cool and then refrigerate for a few hours, if you can leave it to sit for 5/6 hours or longer stirring every now and again then great, if not...strain and enjoy..

Using warm water will not destroy kavalactones but will aid in their extraction as will the fats in the milk and instant hot chocolate powder. Depending on the grade of kava used this should be pretty potent stuff, any unused will keep fine in the fridge.

[Nagognog2]

One warning: Many recipes want you to blend at high-speed for 5 minutes. I swear these recipes were written by the Acme Blender Company. It will burn the motor out. Starting with top-grade powdered Kava~Kava, 2 minutes is the most you'll need. And after a minute, let the blender rest for a minute before going again.

And a whole, live Frog adds flavor and texture.

[enquirewithin]

Originally Posted by Nagognog2

One warning: Many recipes want you to blend at high-speed for 5 minutes. I swear these recipes were written by the Acme Blender Company. It will burn the motor out. Starting with top-grade powdered Kava~Kava, 2 minutes is the most you'll need. And after a minute, let the blender rest for a minute before going again.

And a whole, live Frog adds flavor and texture.

Yes! My cheap Chinese blender starts making a strange sound after a minute.

Simply blending kava root powder, 'chai' (curry kava-- weird) or kavalactone paste with milk or soy milk for two minutes or so seems to work very well. Kava tastes bad so you might as well just gulp it down fast.

SWIM drank a blend of soy/ milk/ 3 or so tablespoons of kava last night. It was almost too strong! His legs became wobbly. A nice sort of inebration however.

[Bajeda]

Originally Posted by enquirewithin

Kava tastes bad so you might as well just gulp it down fast.

Swim actually likes the taste. He likes to complement it with other flavours, which can be tricky, but he has no problem with Kava's natural flavour. Its a matter of preference I suppose...

[tayo]

SWIM likes to chew it and spit it out or swallow it, like a quarter cup at a time for about 5-10 minutes each time... swim gets pretty good quality stuff that is organic and doesnt know what everyone else is dealing with though. but these are interesting recipes. and it numbs your mouth if you chew it!

[hh339]

Originally Posted by Nagognog2

One warning: Many recipes want you to blend at high-speed for 5 minutes. I swear these recipes were written by the Acme Blender Company. It will burn the motor out.

This is to be taken seriously. SWiM probably spent at least over 300 bucks on blenders these last 2 years. Blend for a minute, let it rest for a few. Repeat. Especially with things like Mimosa root bark.

[Pino]

The milk is important. For some reason brews with milk are stronger than brews without. SWIM thinks kavalactones are more solvable in oil than in water.

SWIM's favorite recipe is this. It is simple:

Take 400 ml of milk and add 4-6 tb of kava to the milk. Just place in on a stove on 60 degrees and let it simmer for a couple of minutes -10 or so-. Stirring is optional, but recommended. Add some honey.

It will taste like kava with a remote sharp taste like pepper. SWIM likes the taste of kava.
If SWIY don't strain it, the brew is stronger. Just drink it a couple of times unstrained, SWIY will get used to it and eventually going to like it. It will make the whole drinking part more pleasurable.

If you dislike the taste of kava, you can add cocao to it. Just until it taste ok. SWIM also likes vanilla to add to it, when simmering. It adds some extra dimension to the taste.

[dukewizard1986]

For the best kava experience SWIM used a simple method. 8 capsules of kava that contained 75mg kalvacones (and were intended for juicing) were either dumped into some OJ or Cider. This was well stirred and after downing it, the effects were quite potent and lengthy in duration.

[PoolShark1184]

SWIM made a video on how to make Kava if anyone is interested. This is how SWIM makes kava all the time and it works perfectly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkWU93hMPrA

Reputation Comments on this post:

good contribution

[someguy200]

Wow, thats a great video and SWIM really liked the music too. Judging by the look of the bag SWIY scooped the kava out of, SWIY orders from the same place as SWIM, not sure if we're allowed to post site names. Which variety does SWIY go with ?, SWIM always goes with the PNG stuff b/c they claim it's the strongest and he stills has to take like a half cup of root to get any effect at all. He hasn't done much lately b/c he finds the best method is to take a smaller primer dose one day, then a larger dose the next day, and if the second dose is good he won't be "tracking" right for a good 24 hours, which doesn't go together very well with a full time job that involves a lot of driving.

Gotta check this video out too - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr_20c0R-bY

hilarious, and you can tell some of the guys were a bit faded at the end

[radiometer]

My buddy Eddie says he recognized the packaging of the kava they used in the video.

Screw all that elbow grease - just run it in the blender for a few minutes and then strain it through the muslin! Nice video though. The refrigerator tip is appreciated. You should add it to the archive here.

[sellersis]

Hey Man, thanks for the video. Swim is awaiting his kava shipment. He will try this method and let you all know how it turns out.

[Lethargy]

SWIM worked out a method that seems to have amazing results.
He doesn't drink milk but uses plain soymilk and thusly:

Take desired amount of kava (He uses 1/3 cup)
Mix with amount of soy milk desired (He uses about 12 oz)
Blend for 2 minutes in 15 second pulses (reason for this coming up)
Strain
Enjoy! (SWIM mixes about 1 oz of his kava mixture with regular or chocolate soymilk, but one can take "shots" or drink a glass of kava mixture easily)

SWIM noticed when using this method that the multiple short duration pulses caused a large layer of foam, eventually foaming up the entire amount of liquid. He does not know for sure but it seems that the kavalactones move into the foam quite well. He used to drink about 12 oz of water-extracted kava to get the effects he receives from 2 oz using this method. YMMV, SWIM has a great interest in the results, post here if you try this and let me know how it worked out so I can tell him.

Reputation Comments on this post:

neat. very useful ideas. thanks.

[Bajeda]

Originally Posted by Lethargy

SWIM worked out a method that seems to have amazing results.
He doesn't drink milk but uses plain soymilk and thusly:

Take desired amount of kava (He uses 1/3 cup)
Mix with amount of soy milk desired (He uses about 12 oz)
Blend for 2 minutes in 15 second pulses (reason for this coming up)
Strain
Enjoy! (SWIM mixes about 1 oz of his kava mixture with regular or chocolate soymilk, but one can take "shots" or drink a glass of kava mixture easily)

SWIM noticed when using this method that the multiple short duration pulses caused a large layer of foam, eventually foaming up the entire amount of liquid. He does not know for sure but it seems that the kavalactones move into the foam quite well. He used to drink about 12 oz of water-extracted kava to get the effects he receives from 2 oz using this method. YMMV, SWIM has a great interest in the results, post here if you try this and let me know how it worked out so I can tell him.

This is pretty much what my elephant does, though he switches from soy milk to whole milk depending on what he has in the fridge. He also likes adding some honey to sweeten the deal


My elephant also 'whips' the kava brew up quite a bit. He will put the blender on a high speed so the mixture starts getting foamy then will turn it off for a few minutes, blend some more, leave some more time, blend again, etc. It produces a nice frothy brew without the need for straining (any chunks sink to the bottom to help make the final extra-strong cup!) and is fairly strong.

One additional thing my elephant does is make alot more kava than he needs at the time of preparation. He will drink one cup, but leave the blender container in the fridge overnight for future consumption. When he wants another drink of kava he gives it a quick blend (just a few secs) and pours his drink. My elephant has found that the kava brew gets much stronger after being left to sit overnight, so he does this often with good results.

[~lostgurl~]

A new entry has been added to Drugs Archive

Description:
3 mins

This video shows how to make kava in the traditional method.

To check it out, rate it or add comments, visit How to Make Kava-kava
The comments you make there will appear in the posts below.

[~lostgurl~]

A new entry has been added to Drugs Archive

Description:
7 mins

Home video on "The Art Of Drinking Kava-Kava"

To check it out, rate it or add comments, visit The Perfect Kava Session
The comments you make there will appear in the posts below.

[PoolShark1184]

SWIM also finds that kava potentiates with the addition of milk, and when left in the refridgerator over night.

[shatteredparadigm]

Originally Posted by PoolShark1184

SWIM also finds that kava potentiates with the addition of milk, and when left in the refridgerator over night.

SWIM was wondering the same thing. Since it can't steep like tea, SWIM thought letting it sit in the fridge overnight might be a good way to ensure all the active chemicals are extracted... Anybody else have thoughts on this?

[rawbeer]

SWIM has found the creamier and fattier the brew, the stronger. And keep in mind, the traditional method is not used in modern clubs - the traditional method is to chew the root and spit it out, so that the saliva forms an emulsion with the kavalactones. That would put off most modern customers.
Following Dale Pendell's reputable advice SWIM adds lecithin to his brew - one or two capsules depending on the size of the brew. He does think it makes a difference. However he uses more cream than Pendell's recipe calls for - as above, the fattier, the better the effect, and, in SWIM's opinion, the flavor. And it looks less like a muddy tidepool with more milk/cream in it.

[Bajeda]

Some local gerbils told me that they enjoy mixing in ice cream with their kava to make shakes. They recently mixed a few scoops of Ben & Jerry's S'mores flavour ice cream in with two cups of milk and three heaped tablespoons of Kava (shake or pick off any big pieces) on several occasions. It tastes quite nice, and may work better for those who have trouble stomaching Kava's taste. The gerbils used a blender to make the beverage, blending the kava and milk until it is frothy, then letting it sit in the fridge for 10-15 minutes, and finally mixing in the ice cream before blending one more time. They didn't strain the mixture at all, but took care to keep most of the bigger chunks of root out and only put in the fine powder. The fudge and marshmallow parts of the ice cream changed the consistency of the shake, so it helped cover up any loose kava bits. Other varieties may work also, but I think a dark chocolate flavour works best.

[Richi]

A hypothetical friend of mine is wondering why would one need to put powdered kava root into the blender? Swim put the kava in a strainer bag and into water, and it seeped right through the bag. It was as fine as it could have been, he said.

[kavaman]

Why a blender? The kava lactones are oil like substances and don't really dissolve in water. So, what you want to do is emulsify those lactones...make them into tiny droplets that are suspended in the water. Then its easily absorbed in the mucus membranes in your mouth as well as your stomach. A blender is good but any means of agitation works. Putting into a cloth bag and dunking and squeezing is at time honored method. Shaking it in a jar can work well. Straining is not necessary but it sure makes it go down easier. I have been drinking,buying selling and growing kava for the last 12 years and I have come to the conclusion that plain water is effective as adding oil, milk or whatever. If you are doing it for taste, that's another story, it won't harm the kava. A little heat from the blender won't do it any harm either. Just don't boil it!

Reputation Comments on this post:

helpful post, but please don't refer to experience in the first person, even though kava is legal where you live

[xxrtagxx]

SWIM will take and post some pictures to show how SWIM would prepare the kava traditionally. Adding milk or other things to it just sounds odd to SWIM. SWIM has attended many kava clubs in their day, and never saw anyone add oil, or milk to the kava. Interesting ideas though.

Will take & post pictures & SWIM's method of making kava soon.

xxrtagxx added 1435 Minutes and 30 Seconds later...

After playing around on You Tube, SWIM has since decided to not bother with pictures. There are plenty of videos that show the traditional methods.

Reputation Comments on this post:

looking forward to seeing those pictures!