Kratom (mitragyna speciosa) comes in
several different forms. Extracts are highly concentrated and super
potent. People love extracts, because they are more convenient and
pleasant to use than kratom powder.
While extracts can come in tinture,
resin (typically the most potent extract), liquid shots, or dry
granular form, we’ll focus on the dry granular extracts.
Dry granular kratom extracts are tart, not bitter, so your tongue won’t rebel against them, though the tartness is very sour. If you dislike tart substances like lemons or Sweet Tart candies, you might find extracts to be a bit weird. This is a minor problem that is easily solved. Just add some dry extract to your kratom powder or load kratom extract into capsules.
Remember that extract should be used at about ¼ the amount that you use with regular kratom powder.
CAUTION: One must use all kratom
extracts sparingly, with great respect for their strength, because
regular use will cause tolerance to develop quickly. In other words,
you don’t want your body to get used to the super powerful effects of
extracts, so that regular powder no longer has much impact. With
kratom, it’s smart to take the lowest dose amount and dose frequency
possible, that provides the desired effects.
So extracts should be used in very tiny
amounts and only on special occassions, for example, when your
symptoms are more intense than usual. Another good use of extracts is
when you’re tired of taking so much bitter, regular kratom powder in
your mouth, and want to give your tongue a break. By using extracts,
you bypass the typical bitter taste and exchange it for what to most
people is considered a nice tart taste.
It’s best to just sprinkle a little
extract into your regular powder, or if you take extracts instead of
powder, take about ¼ the amount that you normally use in powder
form. So, for example, if you typically take 2 level teaspoons of
regular powder per dose, use just ½ a level teaspoon of the extract
granules.
Dry, granular kratom extract will
surprise your tastebuds. Instead of being bitter like kratom powder,
it’s very tart. Many kratom users like the taste of extract a lot
better than regular powder. Extracts are fun to nibble on, but don’t
get carried away! Measure your dose and stick to just that small
amount.
Now, how is extract made? How is it
derived from kratom plants?
There are a few different methods for
distilling kratom to get extracts.
3 Most Common Kratom Extraction
Methods:
Steeping kratom leaves in water
(cold or hot, but not boiled – boiling kratom leaves can destroy
the alkaloids) is one way to make a kratom extract, in the form of
tea. Kratom tea is not very concentrated, but it’s a way many people
like to take kratom, as it can easily be flavored or sweetened with
honey or sugar.
You can also extract kratom
alkaloids by using a solvent like ethanol or ethanol plus water. The
solvent is what pulls the kratom alkaloids out of the leaves,
leaving the plant material behind. You take raw
kratom leaves and dissovle them in a mixture of ethanol and water
(or just water). It’s best to add some citric acid as a
preservative, and to test the extract to make sure that its pH is
acidic, preferably around pH 4. Shake the mixture well, then store
it in a cool, dark place for 1-2 weeks and let it steep. After 1-2
weeks, strain the mixture, and let half of it evaporate, to reduce
the liquid content. Sometimes, glycerin is added to it to reduce the
acidity. The extract is usually much thicker by this point, like an
oil. Store the final extract product in a dark, air-tight bottle to
prevent air-borne bacteria from getting into it and prevent light
from striking it.
Another
method is to put kratom powder into a kiln, with some ethanol added
to it, which activates the alkaloid content causing it to separate
from the plant. Then this mixture is stirred by hand or machine for
a minimum of three days – and no more than a week. Stirring helps
the alkaloids to separate from the kratom powder and makes it easier
to extract them in a concentrated form. After this is accomplished,
the liquid extract is derived by pressing the powder which has been
mixed with ethanol. This liquid is then placed in a spray container
where the consistency levels are handled more successfully. When
full, the liquid in the containers are sprayed onto wide glass trays
and are allowed to fully dry. When the liquid in the glass trays has
dried, the crystallization process begins, often expedited via a
tranditional scratching method which breaks up the dried extract and
makes it appear in a granulated crystal form.
It’s recommended that you have some
kratom extract on hand for emergencies or as a change of pace from
regular powder doses.
If you suddenly experience an injury,
or a situation of extraordinary pain, depression, anxiety, or low
energy, kratom extracts can be the ideal way of going beyond what
your regular kratom powder does for you. Kratom extracts can replace
or boost your normal kratom powder dose.
Don’t worry about the enhanced effects
of kratom extracts. These effects are what you’re already familiar
with from your use of kratom, but more intense.
As long as you reduce the amount and
just take little bits of dry granular extract, or sprinkle a tiny
amount into your regular kratom powder, you should be fine. It’s
really wonderful having super potent kratom extracts in your supply
for times when you really need it.
