Mezcal/tequila

[bayshine]

This is my recipe for some aussie cactus juice 8-}
For around a 95ish lt wash
Around 90lts of agave hearts(trim all leaves of) chopped into fist size chunks and place into a BOP with some mesh in the
Bottom to keep your agave of the bottom and prevent scorching.
Boil/steam for 2days until agave flesh is is very dark brown, soft, sweet and the juice will run out of the fibres when squeezed by hand.
take all pulp out and throw into a wine press or similar an give it a good squeeze or two and with the liquid left in the bottom of my BOP gave me around 40lts at wash @ 1045 :D
Now throw all of the leftover fibre/pulp back into your BOP and add about 40lt of water and boil for about an hour at least and stir the shit outa it.
Then drain all liquid an give your pulp another squeeze and this gives me about 40lts @ 1010, and while it’s hot dissolve in about 10kgs of white sugar.
Throw it all into your fermenter and top up with cold water to about the 90/95 lt mark and stir in some DAP and a pinch of Epsom salts .
This gives me a total SG of about 1060 @ 95ish lt :happy-partydance:
The wash should look that dark it nearly looks like a molasses ferment , and have found that the more fibre you throw in the fermenter with the wash, the stronger the agave flavour but it has to be cooked properly or it will slow the ferment or even stall.
I pitched about half a tin of baker yeast @ 38’c just like my rum, and it went nuts and fermented dry in three days :music-deathmetal:
Double distill if using a pot still but I run through 3 plates on the bubbler @ about 90abv and after cuts yield about 4 it @ 90% :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[bayshine]

Some pics from the last batch that was fermented of the fibre :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[bayshine]

More pics

[bayshine]

More pics

[bayshine]

More

[A&O]

Wow, just learnt something new. Great post thanks so much.

After distillation & cuts, do you get stuck into the spirit (after reducing to 40% obviously) or do you age for a while?

[Sam.]

Awesome work mate :clap:

Can't wait to try this myself one day :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Wobblyboot]

good write up bayshine :handgestures-thumbupleft: what heating are u using for fermenter?

[EziTasting]

Nice work!

Seems very simple, but guessing by the suit its hazardous work! :-D might nee to invest in one of those long-handled paddles they use in South America...

Think I need a genny to run my brewing gear on! Boiling for a couple of days (is that 24 hours?) seems to be the charm after your other underground 'oven' style works... :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Nice work.

[bluc]

Prob be cheaper to use electricity then run a genny. Could always build fire pit and use that :think:

[EziTasting]

Prob be cheaper to use electricity then run a genny. Could always build fire pit and use that :think:

He's been down that road - built a Hungy-style oven; guessing this is more efficient!

Reason for the gennie is It doesn't affect the house hold and I can run it around the back of the shed ... where it does;t inconvenience members of my family...

"Power! UNLIMITED POWER!!"

Screen Shot 2017-12-09 at 8.42.02 am.png

[bayshine]

Even more pics

[bayshine]

Wow, just learnt something new. Great post thanks so much.

After distillation & cuts, do you get stuck into the spirit (after reducing to 40% obviously) or do you age for a while?

I was into it as it came of the still lol but I watered some down to 55% and onto medium toast American oak, but have left the rest white :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[bayshine]

good write up bayshine :handgestures-thumbupleft: what heating are u using for fermenter?

Mate it was pretty warm so I just threw a old doona over the fermenter this time :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[bayshine]

Prob be cheaper to use electricity then run a genny. Could always build fire pit and use that :think:

He's been down that road - built a Hungy-style oven; guessing this is more efficient!

Reason for the gennie is It doesn't affect the house hold and I can run it around the back of the shed ... where it does;t inconvenience members of my family...

"Power! UNLIMITED POWER!!"

Screen Shot 2017-12-09 at 8.42.02 am.png

I used about 1.5 bbq bottles of gas to keep it steaming over about 40+ hours.
I found out I was pretty shit at hungi’s and they didn’t give me any control or the ability to check on progress :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[EziTasting]

Good effort. You’re pretty much pioneering this one for us all!

Love your work! May actually have a go at this one... need to finish other projects first (including a pool)!

[Wobblyboot]

I bought 500g of this yeast from the states http://www.lallemandbds.com/wp-content/ ... OW-RES.pdf got everthing ready to try it apart from the press :handgestures-thumbupleft: iv picked out 2 big agaves to use, 1 is Americana marginata, should be similar :think: will winch them out with 4wd then chop them up..

[A&O]

will winch them out with 4wd then chop them up..

Man after my own heart :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[bayshine]

I bought 500g of this yeast from the states http://www.lallemandbds.com/wp-content/ ... OW-RES.pdf got everthing ready to try it apart from the press :handgestures-thumbupleft: iv picked out 2 big agaves to use, 1 is Americana marginata, should be similar :think: will winch them out with 4wd then chop them up..

I don’t know what type of agaves my last ones were but I think they were amercanos :think:
I think you will get away with out having a fruit press as long as there cooked really well, as you can ring the juice out really easily by hand if you have to, but it would take a bit of time, then throw all the pulp into your fermenter :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Good luck mate and keep us posted, oh and don’t forget about the poisonous sap when it’s raw :))
I found aloevera gave instant relief :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[db1979]

Great work mate ^:)^