I have discovered that using an old-school coffee percolator takes the pain out of brewing kratom tea. Percolator makes a really great kratom tea. I’d stay away from the automatic, plug-in coffee or tea makers because you’ll want to brew your kratom tea much longer than the typical automatic coffee percolator cycle.
I really like my clear glass percolator for kratom brewing, so that I can watch the tea darken as I go. Find a reliable source of kratom and remember, kratom is usually sold as incense. Personally, I feel it is best to stay away from extracts and adulterated “enhanced” mixtures – I stick with standard, all-natural kratom leaves.
Here’s my simple brew technique on how to use kratom, you will need the following:
- A Half ounce of crushed leaf kratom.
- Some use powdered kratom, but I personally do not like it, because it makes for a muddy kratom tea.
- 2 Liters of water (for two 1-liter brewing cycles).
- OPTIONAL,
Lemon Juice (see amount below) –
A stovetop percolator. – Another container – such as 2 quarts. pitcher, to mix both brew cycles together
Brewing Kratom
1- Place the kratom into the percolator basket and pour 1 liter of water through the basket and into the percolator before placing the upper strainer on, to dampen the kratom leaves. I then like to be sure that the kratom is evenly distributed in the basket after pouring. Some believe that adding up to 25 percent lemon juice with water aids in extracting the alkaloids from the kratom leaf – this is a judgment call that only you can make.
2- Once the water heats-up and starts to percolate, start the clock— and let your kratom tea brew for at least 15 minutes or 20 to 25 minutes is more to my taste. Keep as low a flame as possible, a really hard boil makes for terribly bitter tasting kratom tea!
3- After the 1st brew, leave the kratom in the basket (you can press them with a tablespoon if you like, to extract more liquid, but it is not necessary), pour your brew into a 2 quart container, then pour the second liter of clear water (or lemon-water) through the kratom filled basket and brew it also, just like the 1st. brew… again, 15 minutes or more.
4- You will notice that the second brew cycle produces a lighter tea because you have extracted all of the good things from the kratom leaves, thereby exhausting them.
5- Once finished I discard the leaves (some people eat them), I then mix the 2 brews together in a two quarts container to cool. Some boil the mixture down farther, to make a stronger tea.
6- After some cooling, I pour the kratom tea into cleaned-out plastic iced tea bottles, refrigerate what I will use in a few days, and freeze the rest. Refrigerated kratom tea will only last about 5 days, frozen tea will last months.
Masking The Flavor
While I have never been able to totally mask the bitter flavor and aftertaste of kratom tea, I have discovered that a half teaspoon of a commercial flavoring extract per 16 ounces of tea will really help. My favorites are raspberry & peach, but spearmint & peppermint also work quite well. Also, finding the best place to buy kratom online for better flavor is recommended. Finally, I also add 2 teaspoons of sugar, Splenda or Stevia. I drink my tea cold (iced tea), and usually with a straw, because I don’t like that mouth-numbing sensation, and the straw helps bypass the old taste buds.
Other Options Out There
I’m a big fan of capsules… because there’s hardly any taste at all. “Toss-N-Wash” is another option… place a teaspoon (or tablespoon) of kratom toward the back of the throat, and quickly wash it down with a liquid – a big swallow. I use orange juice, but others claim that there’s actually benefit in using grapefruit juice – a reaction to the acids in grapefruit juice.
Believe it or not, “toss-n-wash” can sometimes leave less aftertaste then tea, but the big problem with toss-n-wash is that occasionally, the kratom gets “stuck” in the throat – which is not a pleasant experience! I haven’t tried “tossing-n-washing” anything other than powdered kratom – I can’t imagine trying to swallow crushed-leaf kratom!
So, there you have it… an “easier, gentler’ method of kratom use. I certainly hope that my experiences and observations with this amazing ethnobotanical might help you and others gain the beneficial effects of kratom. Again, please use kratom responsibly. Don’t drive while under its effects, be sure to give yourself the time needed to enjoy kratoms’ benefits; count-on the effects of kratom to last over 4 hours, and be sure that you are in a safe, relaxing environment before using kratom.
Article Submitted By: Mikaela Smiths