Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

I can find commercial brewers using them to make a whisky/vodka with tequila qualities, but no information on how to actually do it. Anyone had a go? It's prime prickly pear season out Goondiwindi/St George way. I'm already using the fruit but I'm interested in the pads as they can be harvested year round.

I take it the pads are the leaves?!?

I'd assume you'd smash them up and do it like a sugar wash... but that's a guess only!

havent used them yet, but got a few growing nearby so interested in this as well.
I would try to blend them up, taste them if they are sweet. if not cock them for a couple of days and taste again. Tequila agaves are roasted in large ovens before fermentation.
If not happy with the SG or sweetness, simply add more sugar ?

rumsponge wrote: if not cock them for a couple of days and taste again.

Pardon ? :scared-eek:

prawnz wrote:

rumsponge wrote: if not cock them for a couple of days and taste again.

Pardon ? :scared-eek:

I think it makes them sweeter :laughing-rolling:

May make an interesting tequilla style drink :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Just visited the local distillery (Castle Geln) and had a chat with the head distiller (I love my job) he said it's much like fermenting the fruit, which he uses to make fortified wines. It only takes a lot longer, which is the same info found on Spike Vodkas website in California. Very tight lipped about the actual process tho

They look to be high in nutrients and low in sugar so may be like TPW used for nutrient and flavor
.

I've just gone and filled a 30l bucket full of the fruit and pads. It's a PRICK of a job by the way :laughing-rolling: :violence-smack: I'm going to do a 20l test batch with the pads and fruit (to up the sugar) they are just soaking in water now to stop the spikes from going air borne when I run them through my food strainer attachment on my kitchenaid

With tequila they slow roast in an ugly drum smoker for a day or two before fermenting.
I think you'll have to do two batches one roasted and one not to be able to compare the difference in taste and yield.
If you need tasters just say the word :laughing-rolling:

After straining the pads, they gave me an SG of 1.015.. Dam. The fruit gave 1.038 and both have a pH of 5.5, so I threw them both in the fermenter, topped up to 20l, and added 5kg of sugar to bring up to 1.08. My water usually is alkaline (6.5), but the wash still measured 5.5. the juice seems to be a good buffer.
I pitched 50g of hydrated lowans. I'll update as it ferments.
Now to deal with the 1000s of spikes in my hands and lips (I just had to taste it)

coffe addict wrote:With tequila they slow roast in an ugly drum smoker for a day or two before fermenting.
I think you'll have to do two batches one roasted and one not to be able to compare the difference in taste and yield.
If you need tasters just say the word :laughing-rolling:

I will have to try that next. Just with the pads and no fruit

A bit of irony
http://www.zacalife.com/blogs/blog/1799 ... l-hangover

Minor issue. This takes off. Moving to bath tub.
https://youtu.be/dc6ztTQVRqw

and to think they introduced the moth and Cane toad to deal with this stuff!!

Imagine they had made it available for Home style distilling!! No Cane Toad! No Moth!! Environmentally friendly and a happy population!! :laughing-rolling:

Win - Win- Win - Win! :laughing-rolling:

Cane toad was for cane beetle man not the prickly pear one of the worst things ever you don't get them in wa yet lol :laughing-rolling:

When I was growing up in Bundaberg we used to go out at night with golf clubs and cricket bats they fly well :))

Wobblyboot wrote:http://www.hillcountrytxdistillers.com/texas-prickly-pear-cactus-moonshine.html

I flicked them an email asking how they do it.

"We add sugar and yeast to get the cactus pads to ferment. As you know, there are LOTS of different kinds of yeast so you will need to experiment to find the one that appeals to your taste. For a 5 gallon mash setup, we would put in 5 gallons of water about 18 lbs of chopped cactus pads and 90 lbs of sugar. Then your yeast according to the directions on the yeast. You can stir the mash the first few days but then don’t stir it anymore and definitely don’t stir it before you pump the liquid into the still. You want the solids to settle to the bottom and if you stir them up, we find it adds more yeast taste which we did not want."

I think they meant ounces and not pounds. That's 500g cactus pads and 2.5kg sugar to 20lt. I used 1.7kg pads and 3kg fruit, i might get a second fermenter going with their recipe

I'm watching with interest, as out at dad's there's lots of prickly pears. Might be a good insensitive to clean up his paddocks lol

Prickly pear some people are allergic and eating the fruit can make them sick .