Your Ultimate Guide to Kratom Extract

Kratom Extract is a popular product in the Kratom community, but what are the pros and cons of using Kratom extract. In this article we explore everything there is to know about liquid Kratom extract; How Kratom extract is made, how it effects Kratom tolerance and how to buy Kratom extract online.
Featured Image depicting two bottles of Happy Hippo Brand kratom extract. One Unflavored, and one Coffee Flavor.
September 10, 2021
1 Comment
11 min read

We finally decided to delve into the realm of Kratom Extracts. For a long time, we were a Kratom Company that valued Kratom Powder more than anything, and we didn’t want to go for the mainstream market that other vendors cared so much about.

However, after being in the industry for quite some time, and testing out the right extracts, we decided it was time to bring our own product line to the site. Especially because our customers have highly requested them! 

So here we are! No more carrying around a bag of Kratom Powder wherever you go  - Kratom Extracts are here to expand your options.

Skip to Happy Hippo’s Liquid Kratom Extract to learn more about the products we carry!

What is Kratom Extract?

Kratom, otherwise known as Mitragyna Speciosa, is a natural plant that grows natively in different areas of Southeast Asia. This plant needs tropical climates to flourish, so places such as Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Borneo are the best locations for Kratom to prosper. 

The Kratom leaves are picked from the tree during different stages of the growth process, essentially determined by the color of the leaf. Different colors of leaves carry different alkaloid potency, so the Kratom farmers can decide what time to pick the leaves based on the type of Kratom they want to sell. 

The Kratom leaves are then ground into a fine powder, and this powder is usually sold to vendors exactly the way it is. Vendors then have the decision to ship it back out for proper sterilization and testing, or to sell it without testing. (This is why you should go with GMP certified vendors, folks). 

After testing, the vendor can finally start selling the product safely! However, Kratom Powder doesn’t always appeal to everyone in the market for Mitragyna Speciosa. Some people have only ever heard of K Shots or Liquid Kratom Extracts, so those are in high demand as the industry grows. 

Kratom Extracts are created by taking Kratom Powder and doing an extraction process to isolate the alkaloids in the plant. The alkaloids - Mitragynine and 7-Hydroxymitragynine are the cause of the effects consumers feel when they use Kratom. 

Kratom Extracts make it so that you have to consume much less product to get more advanced effects than regular Kratom products. 

There are 3 common types of Kratom Extracts, these include:

  • Powder Extract: Concentrated form of Kratom powder
  • Tincture Extract: Concentrated oil/liquid form of Kratom (this is what Happy Hippo decided to go with)
  • Resin Extract: Concentrated Kratom paste 

How are the Alkaloids Extracted from Kratom?

Our extracts were made using food-grade ethanol (the same kind of alcohol used in wine or beer) which is used to pull the alkaloids out of the leaf. 

Disclaimer: No, this extract will not get someone drunk nor will it taste like alcohol! 

The Kratom powder made from the pulverized leaf is first mixed with the ethanol and citric acid, then put into a separate container. That container is then placed in boiling water, ensuring no hot water gets into the mixture, which will then be boiled until all the ethanol has evaporated 

A semi-solid, paste-like substance is then created, dried out, and crushed back down into powder 

That powder goes through a similar process again; suspended in purified water, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and citric acid are then added as a preservative, and lastly, we add vegetable usp kosher glycerol, which makes it an oil. 

Extracts that are created this way can also be called ‘tinctures’. 

What are the Pros/Cons of Kratom Extract?

 Pros:

  • CONVENIENCE! No more carrying around a bag of Kratom with you wherever you go. The bottle easily fits in anyone’s pocket 
  • Extracts are essentially easier to consume than the Kratom because it does not have that gritty texture
  • Easily mixes with other beverages
  • Happy Hippo offers a very high-quality extract
  • Very easy to consume! You do not need to have hot water so it blends easier like powdered Kratom, you can drop it into any drink 

 Cons:

  • Tinctures tend to have a bold, metallic flavor
  • Taking extracts for the first time may be harder for customers to measure their serving, but this can be eliminated with practice 

(also see below ‘How Much Kratom Extract Should You Take?’’).

How Strong is Kratom Extract?

Kratom extracts are significantly stronger than other Kratom products; sometimes 10x, 15x, or 20x stronger than Kratom Powder!

For this reason, it is very important to note that any consumer who plans to only use Kratom extracts in their Kratom journey is in for a huge tolerance build-up. Kratom extracts should only be used when you need them for convenience! For example, when you’re in a hurry or you don’t have the space to create a cup of Kratom tea. 

Other than that, Kratom extracts should not be used as a daily product. 

Can I Make My Own Kratom Extract?

Creating your own Kratom extract is tricky, but possible nonetheless. One easy way to create an enhanced Kratom serving is the Red Bubble Technique, check out our blog on this! 

The items needed for making your own Kratom extract at home include:

  • Kratom powder or loose leaf Kratom
  • Food grade ethanol 
  • Citric acid 
  • Measuring spoons or scale to measure grams of Kratom 
  • Measuring cup 
  • Fine strainer or cheesecloth
  • pH testing strips
  • Mason jars
  • Bottles (preferably with droppers in them) to store the final product 

Of course, there are probably many videos out on the web that explain how to make your own Kratom extract at home. Here is a brief step by step in case you’re interested: 

Step 1: Choose the Kratom strain you would like to use in your extract. A popular strain used for this method is Green Vein Maeng Da.

Step 2: Measure out about 100 grams of Kratom powder. 

Step 3: Mix Kratom powder with food grade ethanol. For every 4oz of Kratom, mix with 1 liter of ethanol. 

Step 4: Add citric acid to the mixture and continuously check the pH level. The goal is to get it to a 4 or slightly lower!

Step 5: Add mixture to mason jars and let sit for at least a week or two.

Step 6: After letting sit, make sure to shake well before opening the jar. Wrap a cheesecloth over the opening of the jar and strain the concoction into another container, leaving the plant matter behind. The straining may need to be repeated until the liquid is clear. 

Step 7: Transfer tinctures to smaller bottles and store in a cool, dark, dry area. 

Step 8: When consuming your extract, always start as small as possible, experimenting with your serving size. Enjoy!

What is Full Spectrum Kratom Extract?

While we do not currently carry a Full spectrum Kratom extract, this is something we may look into in the future.

Full spectrum Kratom extract is made primarily with a high quality White Vein Maeng Da, and is combined with organic non-GMO ethanol. This special non-GMO ethanol is said to help extract all the alkaloids instead of only the two primary ones, Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. 

How Long Can You Store Kratom Extract?

Kratom extract is similar to Kratom powder in the fact that as long as stored properly, it can last years. Most botanical extracts can be stored for years with little to no degradation! 

Extracts with bioactive compounds should be stored in a dark space at room temperature. 

What’s the Difference Between an Extract and a Tincture?

Typically, you can find a regular Kratom extract or a Kratom extract tincture

Kratom extracts are created by taking fresh Kratom, either in leaf form or powder, and using hot water to extract the alkaloids, similar to making a Kratom tea. However, instead of only straining the Kratom once and consuming it right then, this is done multiple times until the paste is then mixed with some kind of citric acid or left to dry to become a Kratom extract powder. 

Kratom tinctures are when you take the Kratom extract process from above, and add a food-grade ethanol into the mix. This ethanol allows the organic compounds to break down fully while still keeping the alkaloids intact, giving us a considerably stronger product. 

Are Kratom Energy Shots (K Shots) Made From Kratom Extract?

Yes, Kratom Energy Shots are basically Kratom extracts, with a little more added flavoring!

Each Kratom vendor makes their K shots differently, however Happy Hippo is proud to say we do not include any added caffeine, sugar, or aspartame to our Liquid Kratom Energy Shot

A single K shot has around 5 grams of plain leaf Kratom and a tasty infusion of different fruit flavors to help mask the metallic Kratom taste that resides in the extract. 

What’s the Difference Between a Kratom Energy Shot and a K Shot?

Nothing! The term “K Shot” was popularized by the company Pop Kratom, but has become so synonymous with the products across the industry that other vendors are picking up on the phrase as well. 

Essentially, they are similar products. 

What is Enhanced Kratom?

While shopping online for Kratom powder, you may notice some vendors have powder variations under their “extracts” section. This is usually labeled as “enhanced Kratom”. 

Puddles’ Rule of Thumb for Kratom shopping: Keep it as natural as possible. 

That being said, who knows how exactly these companies are “enhancing” their products without putting some sort of additive into their powder? Enhanced Kratom powder could also be destructive to your Kratom tolerance, normal powder is always the way to go! 

What is Kratom Resin? 

Kratom resin is another popular form of Kratom extract which results in a more solid, thick, sticky paste of powder. 

Kratom resin is extremely strong and should not be used often. In fact, measuring your serving size safely with this form of Kratom can be quite difficult, so sticking to regular Kratom powder or Kratom tinctures would be best. 

Are Kratom Extracts Safe?

Kratom extracts that are sold by a reputable company are considered safe when taken in small servings. Always make sure you are buying from a GMP Compliant Kratom Vendor that uses safe practices and products only. 

In addition, Kratom extracts can sometimes be up to 20x stronger than Kratom powder so they should not be misused or taken too frequently! Kratom extract can highly impact your Kratom tolerance and should only be used on occasion. 

Kratom Extract vs Kratom Powder

As you could imagine, Kratom extract is used mainly for convenience. Newbies to Kratom usually don’t care about the powder if they never originated there, so extracts are the go-to. No bitter, textured taste and they’re quick and easy!

Most veteran consumers realize the impact of Kratom extract on tolerance, so they only use it when they need a more potent serving. 

How to Use Kratom Extract? 

Liquid Kratom Extracts are highly requested by the Kratom community because they are so versatile.

You can either drop some extract directly into your mouth or add it to any beverage of choice without having to worry about it ruining your drink! 

Other extracts, however, such as enhanced Kratom powder or Kratom resin are going to be a little more difficult to determine your serving size and consume. Trial and error is the best practice! 

Photographic image depicting three bottles of Happy Hippo Brand Kratom Extracts. One Unflavored, one Pina Colada Flavor, and one Coffee Flavor.

How Much Kratom Extract Should You Take?

Disclaimer #2: The following serving sizes are specifically for Happy Hippo tinctures - we cannot be sure that this serving size will work well for other vendors' products.

When choosing your serving size - keep in mind that the bottle is equipped with a special dropper:

  • 3 full droppers are equal to about 0.75 grams of plain kratom leaf
  • 6 full droppers are equal to about 1.5 grams of plain kratom leaf

As long as you're not insanely sensitive to Kratom - you should start with 6 full droppers 

A more experienced Kratom user may need to use more to feel desired effects...

However, we ALWAYS recommend starting small with everything you try - and slowly working your way up to find your sweet spot.

You can drop the tincture into any drink or just put it in a few ounces of water (like stated above, this water does not have to be hot!).

Some good suggestions for mixers could be orange juice, tea, smoothies, lemonade, or literally anything with flavor!

Kratom Extract and Coffee

When mixing your Kratom Extract with coffee - be cautious if you are sensitive to stimulants. The effects of the caffeine in the coffee and the concentrated alkaloids from the Kratom extract may be too much at once time.

(Our Kratom extract does not have any added caffeine)

Also be careful when adding your Kratom extract to your coffee that it isn't too hot, depleting the alkaloids altogether.

How Long Does it Take for Kratom Extract to Take Effect?

Kratom extract is typically one of the faster-acting forms of Kratom. The plant cell walls are already broken down and removed, making the alkaloids more readily available when you consume it.

However, the amount of food in your stomach could affect it too; it is best to take Kratom on an empty stomach in small amounts to feel the best effects. Taking too much in one sitting could cause nausea or an upset stomach! 

Kratom extract will usually kick in, on an empty stomach, within about 15 minutes after consumption. 

How Long Does Kratom Extract Affect You?

A common downside to Kratom extracts is that they usually aren’t as long lasting as other forms of Kratom. Kratom extracts typically provide a different kind of feeling overall; this could be because you are not consuming the extra alkaloids that may be carried in the plant matter, but we cannot be sure. 

When you consume a Kratom extract, you typically feel more of a focused mind and quick energy boost rather than the discomfort relief and relaxation that powder can give. 

These quick-punch effects are usually stronger, but only last around 2-3 hours. Kratom powder can last up to 6 hours if you have a low tolerance! 

How Long Does Kratom Extract Stay in Your System?

As with every product someone ingests - this is a more tricky question to answer.

The amount of time something stays in your system is all consumer dependent; Age, weight, diet, metabolism, and even genetics all play a factor! 

Although there is not a lot of research on this subject, Kratom can stay in your system anywhere from 24 hours to 7 days, and that is if you are not a habitual user. 

Is Kratom Extract Offered in a Variety of Kratom Strains?

Maeng Da Kratom strains have been known as the most potent Kratom strain for as long as Kratom has been used. Therefore, Maeng Da is the primary strain used when creating a Kratom extract. 

Other strains can be used if preferred, but they may not be as effective. 

Is Kratom Extract Legal?

Anywhere that Kratom is legal, Kratom extract should be legal as well. The only thing that may affect this are states with the KCPA enforced, in which you should always read about your local laws and regulations before buying a new product. 

To read more about Kratom legality, check out KratomGeek’s article, Is Kratom Legal?

How to Find a Quality Vendor for Kratom Extract

When finding a quality vendor to buy any Kratom product from, there are many things to consider before making a purchase, but here are the most crucial ones. 

  1. GMP Certification. Originated from the American Kratom Association, this certification ensures that the product you are buying has been sterilized and tested before being put on the market! 
  2. Quality Reviews. Make sure to check outside sources such as Reddit or TrustPilot to see unbiased reviews about the company.
  3. Fast Shipping. No one wants to wait over 2 weeks to try a new product, try to find a vendor that has reliable and fast shipping! 
  4. Customer Service. If anything were to go wrong with your package, you want to know that the company has a reliable team to help assist you so your money doesn’t go to waste. 

How to Buy Kratom Extract in Stores Near You

Although we don’t recommend buying Kratom products from a gas station, there are other places that may carry reputable products. Vape shops and smoke shops usually have a decent selection of Kratom products on their shelves, and Kratom extracts are the quickest selling! 

To see a list of the stores that carry Happy Hippo around the US - check out our blog on How to Buy Kratom Near You!

How and Where to Buy Kratom Extract Online

A common issue that Kratom vendors seem to run into is figuring out a good credit card processor for their customers to use conveniently. Believe it or not, banks do not like working with anything pertaining to Kratom. 

This makes it extremely difficult to get websites and credit card processors to allow vendors to collect money through them - actually, nearly impossible.

However, some vendors have figured out other ways to collect payment that is safe and effective for purchasing Kratom. 

Happy Hippo offers some of the most payment options out there, these include:

  • Mobile Check 
  • Bitcoin
  • Ethereum
  • ACH/eCheck
  • MESH Credit Card 

Check out our blog section Customer Guides to see how to use these payment methods. 

Happy Hippo’s Liquid Kratom Extract 

We carry FOUR flavors of extracts: Non-flavored, Coffee Flavored, Pina Colada and Razzleberry! 

The Non-flavored Kratom Extract is what you would consume after finishing the last step in the extraction process - it has a metallic taste to it if taken on it’s own, so don’t be alarmed!

The Coffee flavored Kratom Extract has a slight vanilla aftertaste - although the flavor of coffee comes out more when taken on it’s own 

The Pina Colada flavored Kratom Extract is the perfect taste of Pineapple and Coconut

The Razzleberry flavored Kratom Extract is a mix between Blackberry and Raspberry. Perfect to add to a smoothie!

Our very own Happy Hippo Employees have tested out the tincture - and we all agreed this extract was great for energy and focus, as it is an extraction from our Green Maeng Da Kratom Strain.

The reason our Kratom extract is so special is because we truly took the time to find the perfect, quality product before deciding to let our customers try it. It has been months and months of trial and error, but we finally think we found the holy grail! 

If you have any more questions about our new Kratom extract - feel free to message our Hippo Helpers at help@happyhippo.com!

Please note that all comments are reviewed and must be approved before being published.

Article Comments

1 Comment
Mike

Thank you for publishing this article. It is very informative and clears up my many questions regarding what to expect from the many forms of kratom.
I use at least 28 to 35 grams of leaf per day.
From what I have learned here, I believe I would have to use the entire tincture $16.00 bottle equivalent to 9 grams of leaf
Three to four times per day.
Quite expensive!
Out of curiosity I will try one soon.
I might just note here that I’ve been needing to use kratom for pain since around about 2016.
I have tried many company’s along the way. With that said, here I am back at Happy Hippo because of the consistent quality and great service overall.
Thank you for the regular sale promotions !!!
Thank you,
A loyal customer