December 4, 2023

Kava is a drink which has been gaining popularity worldwide for the past few years. Originally from the South Pacific islands, it is found more and more in the United States.

The drink is made from the root of the kava plant. This is very woody, with tough fibers. The drink is made by soaking it in water, to diffuse the alkaloid solubles “kavatones” into a drink. In Fiji, for example, is it common to find groups who mill the root with a mortar and pestle, then soak it. Once soaked, the mass is twisted in a sock-like tube to extract the juice. That is the drink. It has a numbing effect, a bit like Novocain.

On a larger scale, the Vincent screw presses have been found to be excellent for extraction. Usually at least two, sometimes three, pressings are used. This is done to maximize the yield.

Where it is grown, the fresh “green” root is soaked. However, all of Vincent’s work has been done with dried root. It is soaked in water for one or two hours, or overnight. We have used a ratio of 2:1 water to root. Once this liquid is pressed from the mixture, the water is evaporated under a vacuum.

It is important to use vacuum evaporation because the temperature must be kept under approximately 170º F. At temperatures above that, the active ingredient kavatones are lost.

Usually kava root is ground with a hammer mill before extraction. In most of our testing, the roots have been snipped into 10 mm pieces, using strong shears. However, recent tests show that Vincent Series VS shredders have proven excellent in this application. Here is a link to a video showing the action: KAVA ROOT SHREDDING Video link https://youtu.be/4MFsbaqicOY.

Our most recent work has been done for a project calling for processing 300 to 500 kg/hr. For this we are recommending a VS-8 shredder and a CP-6 screw press.

ISSUE #352