The Kava Journal
Field notes, research, history, culture, cultivation, and observations from more than two decades working with kava.
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Latest from the Journal
The full short warm-water extraction protocol from White Paper No. 2 — fresh frozen root, 30-second maceration, a 150 µm nylon bag, three cycles — and why most of the kavalactone in the cup is carried on solids, not dissolved.
Inside White Paper No. 5: 85.5% of the Kava Reaches the Shell — and 90% of It Is Riding on Particles
A four-variety mass-balance study measured where the kavalactones go when kava is prepared in an Alu Bottle Shaker. One 60-second cycle moved 77.8% of the root's kavalactones into the shell. Another 60 second extraction moved that extraction figure to 85.5% and 90% of that arrived on suspended particles, not dissolved in water. Traditional kava is a suspension, not a solution and the Alu Shaker® is highly effective at making a quality kava beverage averaging 100mg of kavalactones per 125ml serving.