Insta-pot tea

[Maxxx]

Someone posted about making tea in an insta-pot on reddit, and I've been playing around with it for a few days and thought I'd share my findings here. I've had very little luck with tea in the past. I've tried every way of making it I've found, varying simmer times, lemon juice, temperature, crushed leaf vs powder... everything. I've even tried freezing it overnight, and then letting the red bubble thaw and making tea that way, and at best I've found tea to be faster acting, but shorter in duration, and the effects are nowhere near as pronounced as T&W.

Making tea in an Insta-Pot is changing my mind about tea. I've tried a few different ways, but today I put 3 cups of water along with my normal dose of 3g of G. Malay powder in the pot and set it to a high pressure cook for 20 min with the warmer off. Once the 20 min are up, I let it sit in the pot while the pressure releases on it's own for an additional 20 min before manually releasing the rest of the pressure. Then I pour the tea into a container to cool. The tea comes out thick and deep red, and less bitter than other ways I've tried. I can honestly say that it's the strongest, and most long lasting tea I've ever had, and it's not even close. It's so strong that I worry it's going to mess with my tolerance, because every sip has an effect, and that's strange since each cup is only 1g.

Also, I tried making it with a little lemon juice added, but that seemed to lessen the potency. Water, powder, high pressure works the best.

Has anyone else tried this? I'd love to know if other people have had the same results, because I'm a little shocked by how well it seems to work.


EDIT: After posting this I looked online and saw this, which might explain the results.

- Under pressure, water doesn’t boil at 212F. What pressure does, is it raises the boiling point of liquids. So things heat up, but don’t boil.

-Once the pressure is released with Quick Release, the water does come to a vigorous boil. As the pressure goes down, the liquid returns to its original boiling point, which for water would be 212F.

-But if you let the pressure release on it's own, it is less likely to boil. So your tea is being steeped in high degree water–but not being boiled.

-So don’t Quick Pressure Release. And your tea is being well-steeped, not boiled.

This could explain why making tea with an IP is so much stronger. There are a lot of tea recipes online for the IP, and most say to let it run on high pressure for 4 or 5 minutes, so I might try that next time and see if there's a difference. 20 min does seem like a long time, but I just went with the default time. Anyway, a lot to experiment with.

[brave777]

Back in the days when i loved making tea from powder, i literally add like 6 g sometimes 10 and boil it for like 20-30 min. yes boil it... effects were so strong, when i went to work, everyone thought i was hyper like crazy, i think my mind was clean reaching the max peak possible like fantasy world but no wobbles in any way, no negatives just it made me think everything was a dream with a good feel. it only happened when i boiled it and yes i did add lemon and something else i cant remember now. if you dont mind putting extra 3 grams, then do so. tea is amazing. if you do 6 g, then do 9 in pot and boil. everyone should try it at least once. I do not think boiling makes kratom weak by killing alkaloids, dont indo people boil fresh leaves in a big pot outside?

[snively]

brave, how much water did you use to 1g?

[Maxxx]

brave, how much water did you use to 1g?

I put three coffee cups of water in with 3g of powder, so I figured 1g per cup. Seems MUCH stronger than 1g, though.

[BallzDeep9]

What the.... I got NO idea what "Insta-Pot" -- Is THIS what yours looks like?

I think I have one... but mine is called "Rice Cooker" lol

[Maxxx]

What the.... I got NO idea what "Insta-Pot" -- Is THIS what yours looks like?

I think I have one... but mine is called "Rice Cooker" lol

That's it, Ballz... It's a combination slow cooker/pressure cooker that'll probably even clean your windows and walk your dog. lol... Oh, and it also cooks rice.

My wife bought one, and I was skeptical at first, but now I don't ever want to be without it.

[BallzDeep9]

So your tea is being steeped in high degree water – but not being boiled.

High degree water, AND high Pressure too. Like "Instant Extract" maybe?

Kidding aside, thanks for posting this. I'm steeping/ freezing most of my doses .. But when I skip the freezing, my minimum process is pouring boiling water over my powder and letting it steep +/- 10 minutes. Then I can decide, how MUCH dirt or sludge to consume.. In my experience, the worst black dirt does not add any potency to kratom.

Where's the Tea Man - Wot? I think many, many, people are looking at tea methods now. It gets tricky with finely milled kratom powder. There is 1 school of thought, that a French Press coffee maker is useful,.. however this Insta-Pot would exert a LOT more pressure and heat!

[Maxxx]

So your tea is being steeped in high degree water – but not being boiled.

High degree water, AND high Pressure too. Like "Instant Extract" maybe?

The tea I made today was so potent that I wonder if you're right. lol. I hope not, because I don't want to kill my tolerance, but damn... I drank one cup of a 3g/3cup batch over an hour ago, and it hit me as hard if not harder than a normal 3g T&W dose. It's mellowed a bit by now, but I'm still feeling it. I didn't even use my top shelf kratom, since I only experiment with the lesser quality leaf I have lying around.

[rhythmsaint]

I've always thought the slow cooker method would work well. I'm going to make a batch myself soon. Thanks for the post.

[gravystainonmyshirt]

Hey, thanks for the post, im curious to try. If anyone tries this pressure cooker method with crushed leaf let me know. Im curious about if crushed leaf has any different effects than the powder or if more crushed is needed vs powder, in pressure cooker or regular boiling water methods. Thanks again

[aqtgirly4u]

Got a few questions Maxxx:

1. How much lemon juice do you use and do you add this to the water before cooking?

2. How long does the tea keep without loosing it's potency and how do you store it? Do you reheat to drink or drink remaining doses cold?

Thanks for this post. I really want to try this!!!

[Maxxx]

Got a few questions Maxxx:

1. How much lemon juice do you use and do you add this to the water before cooking?

2. How long does the tea keep without loosing it's potency and how do you store it? Do you reheat to drink or drink remaining doses cold?

Thanks for this post. I really want to try this!!!

I tired it with lemon juice, but I just eye balled it. I also thought it decreased the potency. I've always thought the effects with tea were stronger without lemon juice, but some people seem to like it. I'd just play around and see what works.

I don't store tea for longer than a day. When I do make it, I'll make it in the morning and it's gone by that night. I also don't drink it hot. I read somewhere that cooling the tea is a crucial step traditionally. I don't know if that's true or not, but I always let it cool before I drink it.

Sorry, not much help.

[Ravenmoon]

One more thing to try in the instant pot, thanks for posting...

[WotAnAtti2d]

Sorry Ballz, I haven't been around much lately....

I made a couple of tutorials a while back for tea - one for powder and later, one for crushed leaf:

Powder - https://imgur.com/a/1AXup

Crushed leaf - http://imgur.com/a/oMN6g

I've had people tell me that they had great results as is, and some people have had to tweak them to your liking. If your dose falls outside of what I calculate, please adjust your own math. Lipton's orange and black pekoe tea really helps cut down the bitterness, that's why I use it in the tutorials.

I bought an electric kettle, so my mom could make her own tea, but of course the only thing that's changed, is now I make it at her place in that pot. It's a very simple device; it's kind of like fire and forget. Two buttons, one to get to boiling and the other to keep warm. It uses a cylindrical strainer. I've only used crushed leaf in it. Maximum amount of water you can put in it it, 1.7L or roughly 56 ounces. That's seven cups and the ratio from my tutorial would be about 4.4 grams of crushed leaf. I round it up to 4.5 grams.

Here's the kettle: https://www.amazon.com/Temperature-Elec ... B01MS8029C It heats up pretty fast, boils it for several seconds, then begins a cooldown. You can set it from this point to keep it warm, but I just let it shut off. Take off the lid to cool it, the pot is very well sealed.

[aqtgirly4u]

Thanks for all the info guys! My hubby bought me an electric kettle for Christmas for making regular ole tea. Little did he know it would be doing double duty!

[beathappening]

Does brewing it into tea make it stronger?

[Maxxx]

Does brewing it into tea make it stronger?

No, it makes it significantly weaker (compared to T&W), and the effects don't last nearly as long. But, tea hits faster, and it doesn't mess with your digestion since you're not ingesting the powder.

[BallzDeep9]

Wot, quick question - You don't use any acid in your tea making? Other guides recommend a good long soak in Lemon Juice: see Nerds Tutorial on YouTube, for example. He does a full 20 minute steep w/ lemon juice, then switches to water for another 20 min.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VR-n9as ... e=youtu.be

I am trying ACV - Apple Cider Vinegar method & then using some baking soda to offset the acid after 20 min.

[brave777]

Ok one of my family members got instant pot, i put half gal water, 18 grams of white banja from liza, and 12 grams of super green # 3 from smiley, did that last night and today i drank a cup of tea, its been 10 min but i feel its coming on... remembered this thread, need to reread everything. you guys think 30 grams is a lot for half a gal? i was just eye balling. Next i want to do loose leaf Baik bali and see how that goes.

I also didnt use any acid at all, just water and kratom.

[g0ldl10n]

Maxxx, how much tea/water are you left with when you start with 3 cups?

[Cj3]

The Instant Pot and kratom, two things that have changed my life. I’m doing this tea method today!

[Cj3]

1.51g Soulistic G. Bali
1.52g Botanical Bunny Red MD Jongkong
3 cups water in six quart IP
High pressure 20 mins, natural release 20 mins. No keep warm function.

I made this today and it has now been 2 hours and 20 minutes since I drank the tea and the sensations feel like they might be starting to chill out. It took about 15-20 minutes to begin to feel the effects and within an hour they were in full force. Extreme focus and energy, and mild pain relief. After the 20 min natural release, I poured the contents into a large plastic cup and I made no effort to separate the sludge. From there, I measured exactly one cup into a coffee cup and added two ice cubes before gulping it down. It had a mild earthy taste and was not horrible if you like that kind of stuff. I didn’t add anything to it for taste. I have another batch cooking with only the B.B. Red MD JK. That never had much effect with me so I’m hoping this method can change that. Stay tuned.

Edit: It should be noted that aside from two cups of coffee, I was on a 13+ hour empty stomach at the time I drank the tea.

[g0ldl10n]

I tried this method twice yesterday with two different strains I'm very familiar with, this way I could put perspective to the experience.

With my normal tea preparation, one of these stains is fast, and the other is slow.

The first thing I noticed was the taste was much different, which was a lot more like a traditional tea type of taste. Secondly, I noticed the effects came on a lot quicker than normal.

Now, for the comparison to my normal preparation. I didn't necessarily think it was any stronger (or last longer) but what it was, was different. It was a lot smoother, cleaner, not as peaky during the strongest periods. Also, the euphoria was not as intense, but not in a bad way, as the mood lift was substantial. The feeling reminded me of what you would feel when your anxiety/paranoia melts away on Benzodiazepines. I also noticed the effects were on the faster side of things, even with the slow strain.

It definitely works, but it's not a method that's going to replace my typical preparation entirely, as it takes a lot longer, about 1 hour compared to 25 minutes. 20 minutes pressure, 20 minutes letting the pressure slowly release, than another 20 minutes letting it cool down.

Having said that, I will definitely be using this method periodically as a pleasing change of pace to my normal prep, since the effects are quite different.

EDIT:
Now that I think about it, since the effects were very noticeably unique, I feel like shortening or lengthening the time it's under low pressure could have substantial impact on the end result. I'm going to give this a try again today but only keep it under pressure for 10 minutes.

My normal prep I simply use 208 degree water from an electric kettle, and let the Kratom steep until it's cool enough to drink (usually around 25 minutes). When I compare that to the pressure cooker method, it's about 1/3 of the time, so maybe shortening this process will make a difference.

EDIT 2:
So I tried this method again with a strain I know well, but only kept it under low pressure for 15 minutes (instead of 20) and without lemon juice (I put lemon juice in it after for taste however). This time its effects are exactly in line with what I would expect from this strain, and it does seem a bit stronger, but not by much. I'll have to make my final determination by it's duration, which I'm currently at about an hour at the moment

EDIT 3:
I must say, it was definitely stronger, so much so I definitely could have used less, as my usual dose of this familiar strain made me nauseous. I don't typically get nauseous unless I try a new strain, but never with one that I'm accustomed to. 15 minutes instead of 20, without lemon juice until after I take it out of the pressure cooker, and will use only 75% of my normal dose.

[trigger]

I’m definitely going to try this!

[brave777]

Even better, put that tea in a mason glass the refrigerate it. When you take your regular powder dose, after 3-5 hours you can sip on tea, i am doing it right now and enjoying the feel. I added apple cider vinager few table spoons and shook it then placed it into a frig. when i pull out i just add honey and taste is like tea, nothing like raw powder kratom, very enjoyable.

[Maxxx]

I tried this method twice yesterday with two different strains .

Since I started this thread, I've tried quite a few different methods with the IP. My favorite when I make tea now is to let it go on high pressure for 5 min and then let the pressure release naturally for about 10 min. That seems to work just as well as the 20 min pressure cook. I've never tried it on low pressure. Does it still come out as dark?

There are recipes online for making iced tea in the IP, so I just follow those. Still love the IP, especially that you can just throw everything together and forget about it for 15 min, but my new way is to boil a little water in a coffee cup, dump the powder in and stir, then fill the cup with OJ and drink it all at once. Gets rid of any bad bugs that might be present, and it still has the full effects of T&W, so I'm happy with it.

[trigger]

Anyone drink the tea after straining out the sludge? Is it necessary to eat the sludge?

[brave777]

Anyone drink the tea after straining out the sludge? Is it necessary to eat the sludge?

I thrown mine away , used triple mesh filters. But wonder if someone enjoys sludge?

[Cj3]

I left the remaining 2 cups of what I made yesterday in the fridge. I brought some with me in a travel coffee cup when I went with my son to mow the neighbor’s yard. As he mowed, I sipped the tea and did all of the edging and weed eating. It was 86F and very humid. We were both soaked through with sweat, but I still feel lively and chipper!

[brave777]

I left the remaining 2 cups of what I made yesterday in the fridge. I brought some with me in a travel coffee cup when I went with my son to mow the neighbor’s yard. As he mowed, I sipped the tea and did all of the edging and weed eating. It was 86F and very humid. We were both soaked through with sweat, but I still feel lively and chipper!

Sludge must be gold, i ll have too gargle it and force it down, i ll regret tossing my sludge away if it makes me lively and chipper! :O

[Maxxx]

Is it necessary to eat the sludge?

It's not necessary, but the effects are stronger and last longer when you do.

[trigger]

Okay, based on the comments here, I guess I need to adjust/lower my tea expectations. I reckon I’ve had quite a bit of success if it’s not supposed to be as strong. I can’t use acidics like lemon or acv, because it makes the tea taste disgusting and doesn’t raise the effects enough to warrant that much unpleasantness. But making a simple tea for instant mood lift and mild relaxation that tastes good - that’s something I have down. I’m gonna attempt this in the insta pot tonight.

[Cj3]

This is my new preferred method. I like a good earthy taste and this chilled tea just seems so smooth. I’ve been using bottled water to make it and then after it cools, putting it back in the bottles and into the fridge. A 16.9oz water bottle is equal to about two cups. This morning I drank a bottle of the tea I mentioned the other day, then I had my coffee. I don’t know if I’ve been that productive at work all year!

Edit: AND I’m using less than when I T&W!