Kava Pulp is Yellow, so Shouldn't Dried Root be too?

[skippykava]

@Gourmet Hawaiian Kava Can you explain why kava root powder isn't yellow since you just use the pulp and throw away the makas? I know the pulp is yellow.

I've bought kava from other vendors where it is yellow and others where it is brown. I don't understand what it would be yellow sometimes and brown other times. I've seen traditional pictures with yellow kava drink and I've made it like that and that was the strongest stuff I've had.

Thank You

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

What do you mean just use the pulp ?

 

[skippykava]

Look at the pulp it is yellow. The brown stingy things are the makas which you are supposed to throw away. Also, do you know if GHK moves the makas on the med grind, or just the micro?

If you make the pulp inside into kava it looks makes yellow kava like this

Or this

 

[TheKavaSociety]

Most kava is brown/light brown. Sometimes a bit grey.

E.g.: Fresh kava in Vanuatu:

 

[skippykava]

Most kava is brown/light brown. Sometimes a bit grey.

E.g.: Fresh kava in Vanuatu:

That doesn't tell you how it was made or how good it is. There may also be a lot more wiggle room when you have stuff fresh on the island because it is naturally fresher and stronger. The logical way to think about this is to identify what sources material is most active and follow it through the whole process. I'm trying to understand the plant and from what I can tell it is that yellow pulpy stuff in the middle that is the good stuff. I want to know if you just make kava powder from that if it will end up in a yellow product always.

 

[TheKavaSociety]

..well, I don't think the photo you found online is the "golden standard" for kava. There are are well-processed, strong and effective kavas that can be very dark.

 

[skippykava]

..well, I don't think the photo you found online is the "golden standard" for kava. There are are well-processed, strong and effective kavas that can be very dark.

Do you know why they are dark though? Is the pulp dark?

 

[verticity]

That doesn't tell you how it was made or how good it is. There may also be a lot more wiggle room when you have stuff fresh on the island because it is naturally fresher and stronger. The logical way to think about this is to identify what sources material is most active and follow it through the whole process. I'm trying to understand the plant and from what I can tell it is that yellow pulpy stuff in the middle that is the good stuff. I want to know if you just make kava powder from that if it will end up in a yellow product always.

The phrase "Fresh kava in Vanuatu" does tell you it is very good.
As far as I know it is kavalactones and kavain in particular that make the pulpy stuff yellow. You might see some kava extracts that are yellow for that reason. Here is my own attempt at making extract using coconut oil, which is rather yellowish:
DIY coconut-kava "paste"
That particular kava was KWK borogu, which was kind of dark before extraction. I think the darkness and non-yellowness simply comes from the other plant material in the root. (i.e. material that is not kavalactones)

 

[skippykava]

The phrase "Fresh kava in Vanuatu" does tell you it is very good.
As far as I know it is kavalactones and kavain in particular that make the pulpy stuff yellow. You might see some kava extracts that are yellow for that reason. Here is my own attempt at making extract using coconut oil, which is rather yellowish:
DIY coconut-kava "paste"
That particular kava was KWK borogu, which was kind of dark before extraction. I think the darkness and non-yellowness simply comes from the other plant material in the root. (i.e. material that is not kavalactones)

I tried to make an extract years ago. I used ethanol which was just a high proof vodka. I put the kava in a mason jar with the vodka and would shake it daily. After a week or so I I'd filter out the vodka and evaporate the alcohol in a tray with a fan. What would rain would be a thick syrup / honey like substance of kavalactone. I found it difficult to consume though as it would melt in my mouth and hard to swallow. I was also using very bad kava at the time with the wrong kavalactones in it. Perhaps I could have dissolved it in water. I pretty much gave up on it either way. I may consider looking into that again in the future. I was dissuaded from it though because I seem to remember reading that the bad stuff is captured more through extraction. I think it was flavokavain B or whatever it is called. It is not in noble or only in very trace amounts, though I don't know how that changes with extraction.

I saw the video with showing the flavokavain B "not in noble". But that may be a relative statement and not based on extraction.

If I was going to get into extraction I might want to try sending it to an extraction service company and also have it tested to make sure the flavokavains where not a problem.

 

[sɥɐʞɐs]

Kavas are different shades, it's completely natural. Check out Chris' (the owner of GHK) personal stash of powders, made from noble cultivars in his yard.

When I was in Vanuatu, the motherland of all things kava, I drank kava every night and it was always some
shade of brown or slate/brown...on occasion you might see slight greenish tint. I've only had kavas that
turn a yellowish color a few times out of the hundreds and hundreds of times I've made kava.
No need to be drawn to the color yellow specifically, in fact, in Vanuatu the bad Tudei kava is often referred
to as Yellow Kava. But this does not imply that all yellow kavas are Tudei.

 

[HeadHodge]

But this does not imply that all yellow kavas are Tudei.

And like you said before.... Green kava doesn't always mean it's green.

 

[Gourmet Hawaiian Kava]

@Gourmet Hawaiian Kava Can you explain why kava root powder isn't yellow since you just use the pulp and throw away the makas? I know the pulp is yellow.

I've bought kava from other vendors where it is yellow and others where it is brown. I don't understand what it would be yellow sometimes and brown other times. I've seen traditional pictures with yellow kava drink and I've made it like that and that was the strongest stuff I've had.

Thank You

HI, sorry I am late in replying. The yellow in the kava when it is fresh can tell you a lot about the kava, it can tell you if it is going to be strong or weak. The kavalactones are yellow and if you make an extract using CO2 then the product will be a bright yellow. Sometimes they will add some 30% kava extract that is yellow to the brown colored kava and that is one reason you might get a yellow look to it. There is a natural yellow look to some kava, even when it is dry. The thing is if I were to harvest a kava now and it is nice and yellow, when it dries it will not be yellow anymore, I suspect that it is because of oxidation and it is the oxidation that turns is from yellow to the different shades of brown. The amount of lateral root has an effect on the color too.
If you make an extract using a solvent then it will turn out black because it is extracting more than just the kavalactones. The CO@ extract is more pure, here is a picture of some CO2 extract that I use to make.----

Here is a picture of some fresh root all cut up and ready to dry-----

Here is the same root all dry in my dry box---

Here is a picture each of the different kavalactones-----

I hope this helps you to understand what makes it yellow and what changes its color from yellow to the different shades of brown. Aloha.

Chris

 

[kasa_balavu]

Wow, thanks for sharing those pics of the crystallized kavalactones, @Gourmet Hawaiian Kava. I've never seen that before.

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

Right that's interesting ... have you found them to vary based on strain used for extraction of kavalactones ?

 

[Skitty]

Chris, are you going to make kava extract, maybe using coconut oil or olive oil?

 

[Gourmet Hawaiian Kava]

Right that's interesting ... have you found them to vary based on strain used for extraction of kavalactones ?

The kavalactones remain the same but the % of the kavalactones can change, I do notice that some kava I harvest is more yellow than others like the Papa Kea is a lot more yellow than the Nene. Aloha.

Chris

 

[Gourmet Hawaiian Kava]

Chris, are you going to make kava extract, maybe using coconut oil or olive oil?

I do not make extracts anymore, since my friend moved back to Europe, he was the owner of the CO2 extractor I used. I am looking at new products to come up with and an extract might be a possibility. What do all of you think? Should I come up with an extract?
Aloha.

Chris

 

[kasa_balavu]

I am looking at new products to come up with and an extract might be a possibility. What do all of you think? Should I come up with an extract?

Definitely make an extract. It'll be great as a standalone product, and in any case you'd need it as the base of any other product you can come up with.

 

[Crunked]

I do not make extracts anymore, since my friend moved back to Europe, he was the owner of the CO2 extractor I used. I am looking at new products to come up with and an extract might be a possibility. What do all of you think? Should I come up with an extract?
Aloha.

Chris

Yes, an extract would be great as long as it was sugar free, preferably using sucralose or erythritol or both.
It would also help with mail delivery to certain countries, Chris will know what I mean.

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

If you make an extract, I wish it could be very full spectrum, with more than just kavalactones. Im only half a fan of extracts but getting to choose the variety would be awesome .