tequila or mescal

This area is for recipes that are not yet proven, use this area for experiments, recipe research and development of your own variations. Once a recipe is accepted as being good by the consensus it will be moved to the proven section.

tequila or mescal

Postby kiwikeg » Sun May 03, 2015 7:59 am

Hi as requested here are my notes making tequila or mescal. Please remember that I did this over two years ago and the details are a little bit fuzzy.
Its based on junkyard dawgs efforts for mescal in T&T over on HD

I had access to some agave americana plants. You may be able to use other types of agave but you must do your own homework if doing so.
I towed the plants out with the ute.
Hack them up into fist sized chunks
Put into a baking tray and cover with tinfoil.
Roast them in a hangi or ask a kiwi to borrow their palangi hangi/keg hangi.
Using the baking tray catches all the juice. Cut up smaller and mash in a BOP

Crush the nectar out you will need a winepress or some boards and a jack or clamp thats where I had the most issues.
Add to juice to fermenter and a bit of the pulp say 4 double handfuls? add sugar couple of kilos yeild will be SFA without adding sugar.
Yeast- no recall of what I used, it probably was safyeast malt whiskey as I used that for everything back then.
Run thru pot still or maybe bubbler with upto 3 plates. Back then I probably used my Alex in pot mode or a pot with a single plate.

The ratio of sugar to agave seems not to be critical. The agave takes over anyway.

Once you have done your cuts carbon filter the white dog. This reduces the soapy flavor. Don't argue with me just do it.

If doing several back to back ferments use the backset add some sugar and agave and fire it back up.
To colour use plain american oak from wine barrel, without extra toasting or charring.
Thats about it with out access to the right agave you are going nowhere. Check out little old ladies gardens as agaves were all the rage in tbe 70s. A seaside township in NZ has thousands of agave americana plants growing every where along the beach road
kiwikeg
 
Posts: 985
Joined: Sat Apr 21, 2012 8:49 pm
equipment: Fsd bubbler

Re: tequila or mescal

Postby 620rossco » Sun May 03, 2015 8:14 am

Great rundown.
Leaving the wash to settle as long as possible will produce a much cleaner, less soapy product.
The wort should look and smell drinkable before distilling, may make carbon filtering less necessary.
620rossco
 
Posts: 61
Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2012 11:47 am
equipment: 3"pot 2"double bok 3"LM/VM.

Re: tequila or mescal

Postby MickC » Sun May 03, 2015 8:45 am

I've been thinkin of tryin a Tequila but cbf hunting down the agave.

Was wondering if you could use Agave syrup ?


http://shop.coles.com.au/online/nationa ... agave-dark
MickC
 
Posts: 105
Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2015 2:47 pm
Location: Vic
equipment: The little 5lt ones you get from a home brew shop :(

Just built a 3" Boka :)

Re: tequila or mescal

Postby kiwikeg » Sun May 03, 2015 8:25 pm

MickC wrote:I've been thinkin of tryin a Tequila but cbf hunting down the agave.

Was wondering if you could use Agave syrup ?


http://shop.coles.com.au/online/nationa ... agave-dark

@ $2.22 per 100ml I'd just goto the bottla for a 40oz of Pepe Lopez... but if you could get it at a decent price it would be the go.
kiwikeg
 
Posts: 985
Joined: Sat Apr 21, 2012 8:49 pm
equipment: Fsd bubbler

Re: tequila or mescal

Postby MickC » Mon May 04, 2015 7:58 am

Hmmm yep the cost of the syrup was something I thought may make it cost prohibitive.

May look for some agave and try a mix of syrup and the pulp.
MickC
 
Posts: 105
Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2015 2:47 pm
Location: Vic
equipment: The little 5lt ones you get from a home brew shop :(

Just built a 3" Boka :)

Re: tequila or mescal

Postby Urrazeb » Mon May 04, 2015 11:52 am

Hi KK, have you got some quantities for the agave?

I'm thinking about having a crack at this :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Urrazeb
 
Posts: 2340
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2012 8:42 am
Location: Perth
equipment: Column & pot

Re: tequila or mescal

Postby kiwikeg » Mon May 04, 2015 7:14 pm

Urrazeb wrote:Hi KK, have you got some quantities for the agave?

I'm thinking about having a crack at this :handgestures-thumbupleft:

First find your agave. You need the pina or core of a whole plant might be enough for a couple of batches depends on the size of the plant you have available. Its a big plant but you just use the pina.
Screenshot_2015-05-04-21-11-57~2.jpg
kiwikeg
 
Posts: 985
Joined: Sat Apr 21, 2012 8:49 pm
equipment: Fsd bubbler

Re: tequila or mescal

Postby Hawkeye » Sun May 10, 2015 6:21 pm

Agave plants flower and then die, so if you see one flowering, ask the owner if you can have the plant since it's going to die soon anyway.

Tequila... Made myself violently ill as a teen on it, to the point where I am conditioned to throw it up as soon as it touches my tongue.

Maybe if I ever made some it would taste better and I'd be able to break the habit... :obscene-drinkingdrunk:
Hawkeye
 
Posts: 94
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 11:01 am
Location: Hobart
equipment: 4 inch, 4 bubble plate on a 50L keg with 500mm packed section.

Re: tequila or mescal

Postby Urrazeb » Tue May 12, 2015 8:44 pm

I've seen some cracker agave around my area.. just got to wait for that ugly flower to show it's head and I'll be door knockin
Urrazeb
 
Posts: 2340
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2012 8:42 am
Location: Perth
equipment: Column & pot

Re: tequila or mescal

Postby Urrazeb » Fri May 22, 2015 9:31 am

Ok, I was on my way home from a mates last night and spotted an agave americana being choked by some sort of vine... so i did what any distiller would do - offered the owner to put it out of it's misery and make some TEQUILA!!

At first he was reluctant - some bloke rocks up asking if he can dig up a agave in your garden, don't blame him.

Then I told him what I intend to do, well that was it lol

Great guy really... if you see an agave around it may be worth asking.

I hope to have it by next weekend and will kick off the ferment shortly after. Shall post results.
Urrazeb
 
Posts: 2340
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2012 8:42 am
Location: Perth
equipment: Column & pot

Re: tequila or mescal

Postby kiwikeg » Fri May 22, 2015 3:29 pm

Urrazeb wrote:Ok, I was on my way home from a mates last night and spotted an agave americana being choked by some sort of vine... so i did what any distiller would do - offered the owner to put it out of it's misery and make some TEQUILA!!

At first he was reluctant - some bloke rocks up asking if he can dig up a agave in your garden, don't blame him.

Then I told him what I intend to do, well that was it lol

Great guy really... if you see an agave around it may be worth asking.

I hope to have it by next weekend and will kick off the ferment shortly after. Shall post results.

Awesome take a machete, cane knife or sharp spade to get those leaves off. Dig around the roots and then tow it out with the ute.
Make sure you check out junkyard dawgs efforts on HD before you start. I wouldn't say that anyone has cracked tequila yet so take photos and post your progress please. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
kiwikeg
 
Posts: 985
Joined: Sat Apr 21, 2012 8:49 pm
equipment: Fsd bubbler

Re: tequila or mescal

Postby crow » Sat May 23, 2015 3:15 am

Agave syrup like you see in Costco has so much preservative in that it will not ferment at all and will kill any ferment you add it to
crow
 
Posts: 2363
Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2012 1:44 am
Location: Central Highlands Victoria
equipment: ultra pure reflux still and a 4" 4 plate MacStill built copper bubble cap column and a 500mm scoria packed rectifying module

Re: tequila or mescal

Postby maddogpearse » Thu Sep 17, 2015 9:41 am

Urrazeb wrote:Ok, I was on my way home from a mates last night and spotted an agave americana being choked by some sort of vine... so i did what any distiller would do - offered the owner to put it out of it's misery and make some TEQUILA!!

At first he was reluctant - some bloke rocks up asking if he can dig up a agave in your garden, don't blame him.

Then I told him what I intend to do, well that was it lol

Great guy really... if you see an agave around it may be worth asking.

I hope to have it by next weekend and will kick off the ferment shortly after. Shall post results.


So...did you make Tequila Urrazeb or what? I'm interested to hear how it went!
maddogpearse
 
Posts: 477
Joined: Wed Jun 10, 2015 2:11 pm
Location: Bendigo - Victoria
equipment: 4 plate single cap primus glass bubbler. Optional 600mm packed section. Block head with 3" Shotgun PC
50L Keg with 5000W electric elements.

Re: tequila or mescal

Postby bluc » Wed Mar 02, 2016 3:38 pm

Anyone bought any of the dark agave syrup off ebay? Its expensive about $250 for 20L. Thinking maybe buy some and bubble smoke through it for a more smoky tequila taste? Then making a sugar head with it, just waiting till I have enough cash to get 20L...
bluc
Site Donor
 
Posts: 8967
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2015 5:47 pm
Location: sunshine coast
equipment: 2" pot with 2" shotty 400mm long 5x 1/2" on a t500 boiler.
50l keg boiler 4" still mount 4" sight glass 1" drain..
4 plate 4" bubbler, 600mm packed section

Re: tequila or mescal

Postby bayshine » Fri May 13, 2016 6:32 pm

Just drove past the neighbors place this arvo and they had just dug this up,agave Americana I think :-D
So for now I will just pop him in the freezer and scout out a few more till I have enough to roast and then do a 100lt wash :handgestures-thumbupleft:
He's only small so I hope he's got some sugars in him, it will be a sugar head no doubt.
Have to say I got a bit of sap on my leg an arm and it's itchy as hell and a spike in the foot as I was only wearing my Chinese safety boots :teasing-tease: :angry-banghead:
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
bayshine
 
Posts: 873
Images: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 16, 2013 11:30 pm
Location: Turquoise coast dubbya aye
equipment: FSD 6 inch 5 plater block head On a FSD 100lt pro boiler
3” copper reducer bokka on a keg boiler

Re: tequila or mescal

Postby EziTasting » Fri May 13, 2016 6:42 pm

I remember seeing them all over the neighbourhood, make a great fence plant! help keep undesirables out ... now you can harvest it for tequila too! :dance:

So, what are you going to do with that? Bend it and mash it...? Squeeze it, like grapes?
EziTasting
 
Posts: 2084
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 5:15 pm
Location: FNWA
equipment: Newbie - Keg Boiler & 4" 4 plate glasser

Re: tequila or mescal

Postby bayshine » Fri May 13, 2016 6:57 pm

When I get some more I'll trim some more of the outsides off and cut into chunks,then wrap it foil and slow roast in the webba for two days .
I don't have a stone mill crusher and donkey :teasing-tease: or a press so I will probably just blend it and chuck it all in the fermenter and top it up with a sugar head :handgestures-thumbupleft:
bayshine
 
Posts: 873
Images: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 16, 2013 11:30 pm
Location: Turquoise coast dubbya aye
equipment: FSD 6 inch 5 plater block head On a FSD 100lt pro boiler
3” copper reducer bokka on a keg boiler

Re: tequila or mescal

Postby wynnum1 » Sat May 14, 2016 9:02 am

How do they replant they where looking at growing commerialy in Queensland.
wynnum1
 
Posts: 1494
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2011 1:18 pm

Re: tequila or mescal

Postby rumdidlydum » Sat May 14, 2016 10:11 am

bayshine wrote:Just drove past the neighbors place this arvo and they had just dug this up,agave Americana I think :-D
So for now I will just pop him in the freezer and scout out a few more till I have enough to roast and then do a 100lt wash :handgestures-thumbupleft:
He's only small so I hope he's got some sugars in him, it will be a sugar head no doubt.
Have to say I got a bit of sap on my leg an arm and it's itchy as hell and a spike in the foot as I was only wearing my Chinese safety boots :teasing-tease: :angry-banghead:

Great score :handgestures-thumbupleft:
I've been eyeing one at my old ladys house :O)
Keep us informed when you get to the next step :D
rumdidlydum
 
Posts: 2619
Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2013 7:20 pm
Location: CQ
equipment: The infamous Illuminated chicken leg boiler, Rum glass and other bits and bobs

Re: tequila or mescal

Postby bayshine » Sat May 14, 2016 11:11 pm

Will do :handgestures-thumbupleft:
bayshine
 
Posts: 873
Images: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 16, 2013 11:30 pm
Location: Turquoise coast dubbya aye
equipment: FSD 6 inch 5 plater block head On a FSD 100lt pro boiler
3” copper reducer bokka on a keg boiler

Next

Return to Recipe Development



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests

cron

x