Replace: This mission continues! You may comply with our progress within the “Lotecito Log“.
On this unusual pandemic 12 months asking adults what they did throughout quarantine has turn into as frequent as asking youngsters what they did throughout summer season trip.
Whereas most of North America was in peak sourdough bread making, we determined to sort out a special type of mission. Since we reside within the Mexican state of Jalisco, have tequila {industry} pals, and an limitless curiosity about tequila manufacturing, we thought we’d attempt to make our personal tiny batch of tequila, or “agave spirit”, by hand.
(Disclaimer: Something we make at dwelling can not legally be referred to as “tequila” as a result of it isn’t made below the supervision of the CRT. Though we’re utilizing the identical sort of agave, producing throughout the denomination of origin, and following the identical course of as tequila, we’re technically making an “agave spirit.”)
Our purpose: make one thing drinkable.
We’ve been by means of sufficient distilleries to know that tequila making isn’t simple. One misstep alongside the way in which may destroy a complete batch, so we made certain to have a number of phone-a-friend connections* in place from the very begin.
After doing the mathematics, we determined that we would want one cooked blue weber agave piña. (In a conventional manufacturing course of you will get about 9 liters of 40% abv tequila out of a single 50-kilo agave. ) Being optimistic, we aimed for 4 liters, utilizing what would little question be a much less environment friendly technique.
However, the place to get the cooked agave? That is the one step we couldn’t do ourselves since we couldn’t determine the right way to gradual cook dinner a 50 kilo agave at our home. We shared our plan with Guillermo Erickson Sauza, Founding father of Tequila Fortaleza, and he was amused by our mission.
“You will get one from me,” he stated. So we had been off to the Fortaleza distillery within the city of Tequila to pinch an agave contemporary from the oven.
Sourcing the Agave
We set out early within the morning on Could 16, 2020. Grover chosen a 50.7 kilo mass of completely cooked, slow-roasted agave (it spent 3 days in a brick oven on the Fortaleza distillery).
The 6-year outdated agave got here from Mexpan, Ixtlán del Río, which is situated 80 kilometers from Tequila within the Mexican state of Nayarit. (A little bit greater than an hour west of the city of Tequila.)
On the way in which dwelling to Tlaquepaque, the automotive, filled with agave nonetheless sizzling to the contact, smelled superb. (Concept for brand new enterprise: cooked agave air fresheners.)
Extraction: CrushFit
As soon as again in Tlaquepaque, the extraction started. That is probably the most labor-intensive a part of the method, which entails crushing the agave with a view to launch the sugars which can be clinging to the fibers. Usually a distillery will use a curler mill, or tahona, to do that work. As a substitute, we used 2 wood posts to smash the cooked agave in plastic cement mixing trays, after which washed the fibers by hand. This course of took 2 full days.
Fortunately, we had some assist. Our pals Karla and Andres, who’re agave spirit lovers in addition to crossfit fanatics, noticed their 2 worlds collide. Quickly “CrushFit” was underway.
Our goal sugar degree was 12 brix, which is larger than most distilleries use. Our logic was that we had restricted fermentation capability, so we wanted to benefit from what we had. Packing extra sugar and fewer water into the containers appeared to make logical space-saving sense on the time.
We ultimately partly stuffed two 40-liter stainless-steel pots, and two 19-liter glass carboys with the sugary water (mosto). We managed to create 83 liters of mosto, and there was nonetheless loads of sugar left on the fibers. (Lesson realized : Rinsing by hand is a really inefficient extraction technique!)
Along with stainless-steel tanks, we additionally fermented a portion in these glass carboys.
Fermentation: The place The Magic Occurs
“It’s in all probability an important step within the course of as a result of that’s the place lots of the aromas and flavors come from,” Grover stated. We did loads of superior analysis on this and ultimately got here up with a plan.
We selected a champagne yeast (Lalvin EC-1118) as a result of it could actually deal with larger temperatures (this was taking place in Could, the most popular month of the 12 months in Jalisco). This yeast pressure is thought for its slow-and-low traits. We weren’t in a rush, and feared a effervescent fermentation which may overflow the tanks.
We additionally determined to ferment with out fibers, for 2 causes: first, the fiber cap that kinds on the high of the tank may trigger it to overheat, and secondly, we wished to maintain methanol ranges down within the last product (fibers include extra methanol). Additionally, we didn’t need the fiber to take up an excessive amount of area in our limited-capacity tanks.
A few of our favourite tequilas ferment with out fibers (Fortaleza, G4, Terralta, Don Fulano), so we weren’t apprehensive about lacking out on taste. Typically, when the manufacturing course of makes use of a tahona or is crushed by hand, fibers are put into the fermentation tank just because the extraction course of just isn’t as environment friendly, giving the yeast an additional alternative to eat the sugar that’s nonetheless sticking to the fibers.
We pitched the yeast (dry) at 78˚ F, after which allowed it to ferment naturally, exterior on our lined rooftop. Inside 24 hours, the exercise brought on the temperature to rise to 83˚ F. Nevertheless, after checking in with a couple of of our tequila pals, they had been apprehensive that the temperature was too low, and we weren’t doing sufficient to control it.
So we put some warmth mats below the tanks, and obtained the temperature as much as 93˚ F, which helped to maintain the temperature from dropping through the cool nights. After that, the temperature remained at 90˚ F for the rest of the fermentation.
The yeast carried out precisely as anticipated, and seven days later we began distillation, though we may see there was nonetheless some fermentation exercise happening. The brix degree dropped from 12 to six, which suggests the yeast had already consumed half of the obtainable sugars.
Some distilleries will begin their fermentation at 8 brix, after which wait till the mosto reaches 1 brix — a change of seven — earlier than distillation. We thought {that a} change of 6 was adequate. There was additionally a priority that we’d enable the fermentation to go on too lengthy. Since we’d by no means executed this earlier than, we didn’t know at which level the fermentation can be completed. The chance of letting fermentation go too lengthy is that it could actually begin to odor like vinegar after which the completed product may be overly lactic, like spoiled milk. We positively wished to keep away from that.
It turned out that we had been nowhere near that time, however now we all know!
That is the complete setup. Fermentation tanks on the left, and copper pot nonetheless and water cooling tank on the correct.
Distillation
“Don’t blow your self up!”
That was the primary bit of recommendation we obtained from Guillermo. He was significantly involved that we had been going to injure ourselves as soon as we obtained to the distillation step. So we approached this a part of the method fastidiously.
We purchased a tiny 5 gallon copper pot nonetheless on-line, and used a propane gasoline heater to convey it as much as temperature. There’s positively one thing that appears like a little bit of magic while you expertise distillation for the primary time. This was probably the most thrilling a part of the method.
The primary query we confronted: when to chop heads and tails? There’s a sure artwork to this, and grasp distillers know precisely when to begin and cease accumulating the distillate.
Throughout the first distillation, we determined to begin accumulating at 37% abv, and to cease accumulating when the tank reached 23% abv.
Throughout the second distillation, we began accumulating at 73% abv, and stopped accumulating when the tank reached 47% abv (or 12% abv direct from the nonetheless.)
We initially wished to distill to 46% abv, however when what was coming from the nonetheless was 12% abv we determined to cease early, since taking an excessive amount of from the nonetheless under 15% alcohol may result in elevated quantities of methanol within the last product.
Each jiffy we took samples from the nonetheless and stored notes on which aromas had been coming off. This can be a fascinating expertise that each tequila lover ought to have. It’s a good way to be taught which sorts of aromas and flavors are pure to tequila. (Trace, tutti-fruity and cake batter icing are usually not pure!)
So as of look, that is what we detected:
START @74.8% abv
—
—
END @12.8% abv
Yield
We ended up with 4.9 liters at 47.1 abv. Success!!
After it rested in glass bottles for 80 days, we added water and introduced it right down to 44.4% abv, which is the precise level the place we felt it opened as much as showcase its distinctive traits. We ended up with 6 bottles (700ml). Since we had been calling it our “Lotecito”, which suggests “tiny lot” in Spanish, we thought it will be enjoyable to have actual labels made, disclosing all of the manufacturing particulars.
Is it secure to drink? We had it examined, and the entire lab outcomes present that it’s secure; nothing fell exterior of industry-standard authorized limits. In different phrases, you gained’t go blind ingesting our agave moonshine.
Listed below are the take a look at outcomes, exhibiting the higher and decrease limits a product should fall into in numerous classes to be legally offered and safely consumed.
Classes Realized
1) 12 brix might be too excessive. There was simply an excessive amount of sugar there and the yeast couldn’t get round to consuming all of it within the time we allowed for fermentation. Subsequent time we’ll attempt it at 10.
2) Holding the temperature extra constant appears to be one thing our tequila-making pals really feel is important. We weren’t apprehensive about it sufficient, so subsequent time we are going to make it possible for it doesn’t have a lot variation. It will likely be fascinating to match the distinction within the last product.
3) We should always measure the alcohol degree within the completed mosto along with the change in brix. We might want to buy some alcohol measurement instruments able to detecting decrease ranges of alcohol.
4) We reduce too many heads this time, and we shouldn’t be so apprehensive. Subsequent time we must always accumulate the heads into smaller vessels after which combine them again in as wanted to convey extra aromas and flavors.
5) Deep clear the nonetheless between first and second distillations. Subsequent time we are going to run some steam by means of the nonetheless earlier than beginning the 2nd distillation. We didn’t clear it totally sufficient and a few unusual, thick, yellow stuff got here out initially of the distillation. It will definitely went away, however brought on us to panic a bit (okay, lots) once we noticed it.
This complete course of was immensely enjoyable and fascinating. The outcome was a drinkable product, so we achieved our quarantine mission.
It’s additionally not on the market. So, if you wish to attempt it for your self, any Tequila Matchmaker person can come to Guadalajara and pattern it at our workplace whereas it lasts!
We’ve already obtained plans for the following batch. 🙂
*Because of Guillermo Erickson Sauza, Ana Maria Romero Mena, Antonio Rodriguez, Jaime Villalobos Sauza, and Sergio Mendoza for being supportive of our mission, and for taking our calls and messages (typically in the course of the evening.)
