Replace: This venture continues! You’ll be able to observe our progress within the “Lotecito Log“.
On this unusual pandemic yr asking adults what they did throughout quarantine has turn into as widespread as asking children what they did throughout summer time trip.
Whereas most of North America was in peak sourdough bread making, we determined to sort out a distinct type of venture. Since we stay 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 residence can’t 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 kind of agave, producing throughout the denomination of origin, and following the identical course of as tequila, we’re technically making an “agave spirit.”)
Our aim: make one thing drinkable.
We’ve been by means of sufficient distilleries to know that tequila making isn’t straightforward. One misstep alongside the way in which might spoil a complete batch, so we made positive to have a number of phone-a-friend connections* in place from the very begin.
After doing the maths, we determined that we would wish one cooked blue weber agave piña. (In a standard manufacturing course of you may 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 doubt 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 work out sluggish prepare 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 venture.
“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 Might 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 previous agave got here from Mexpan, Ixtlán del Río, which is situated 80 kilometers from Tequila within the Mexican state of Nayarit. (Slightly greater than an hour west of the city of Tequila.)
On the way in which residence to Tlaquepaque, the automotive, filled with agave nonetheless scorching to the contact, smelled superb. (Thought for brand spanking 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 the intention to launch the sugars which are clinging to the fibers. Sometimes a distillery will use a curler mill, or tahona, to do that work. As a substitute, we used 2 picket 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 stage was 12 brix, which is increased than most distilleries use. Our logic was that we had restricted fermentation capability, so we wanted to profit 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 crammed 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 discovered : 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 most likely an important step within the course of as a result of that’s the place most of the aromas and flavors come from,” Grover stated. We did plenty 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 deal with increased temperatures (this was occurring in Might, the most well liked month of the yr in Jalisco). This yeast pressure is understood for its slow-and-low traits. We weren’t in a rush, and feared a effervescent fermentation that may overflow the tanks.
We additionally determined to ferment with out fibers, for 2 causes: first, the fiber cap that varieties on the prime of the tank might trigger it to overheat, and secondly, we needed to maintain methanol ranges down within the ultimate product (fibers include extra methanol). Additionally, we didn’t need the fiber to take up an excessive amount of house in our limited-capacity tanks.
A few of our favourite tequilas ferment with out fibers (Fortaleza, G4, Terralta, Don Fulano), so we weren’t fearful 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 is just not 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 about the temperature to rise to 83˚ F. Nonetheless, after checking in with a number of of our tequila pals, they had been fearful 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, regardless that we might see there was nonetheless some fermentation exercise occurring. The brix stage dropped from 12 to six, which implies the yeast had already consumed half of the accessible 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 accomplished this earlier than, we didn’t know at which level the fermentation can be completed. The danger of letting fermentation go too lengthy is that it could begin to odor like vinegar after which the completed product could be overly lactic, like spoiled milk. We undoubtedly needed 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 precise.
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 fuel heater to convey it as much as temperature. There’s undoubtedly one thing that appears like a little bit of magic if 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 start out and cease gathering the distillate.
In the course of the first distillation, we determined to start out gathering at 37% abv, and to cease gathering when the tank reached 23% abv.
In the course of the second distillation, we began gathering at 73% abv, and stopped gathering when the tank reached 47% abv (or 12% abv direct from the nonetheless.)
We initially needed 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 beneath 15% alcohol might result in elevated quantities of methanol within the ultimate product.
Each jiffy we took samples from the nonetheless and saved notes on which aromas had been coming off. It is a fascinating expertise that each tequila lover ought to have. It’s a good way to study which forms 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 implies “tiny lot” in Spanish, we thought it will be enjoyable to have actual labels made, disclosing all of the manufacturing particulars.
Is it protected to drink? We had it examined, and the entire lab outcomes present that it’s protected; nothing fell exterior of industry-standard authorized limits. In different phrases, you received’t go blind consuming our agave moonshine.
Listed below are the check outcomes, exhibiting the higher and decrease limits a product should fall into in numerous classes to be legally bought and safely consumed.
Classes Discovered
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 strive it at 10.
2) Conserving the temperature extra constant appears to be one thing our tequila-making pals really feel is vital. We weren’t fearful about it sufficient, so subsequent time we are going to ensure that it doesn’t have a lot variation. Will probably be fascinating to match the distinction within the ultimate product.
3) We must always measure the alcohol stage 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 fearful. Subsequent time we must always gather 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 firstly of the distillation. It will definitely went away, however brought about us to panic a bit (okay, quite a bit) after we noticed it.
This entire course of was immensely enjoyable and fascinating. The end result was a drinkable product, so we achieved our quarantine mission.
It’s additionally not on the market. So, if you wish to strive 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 subsequent batch. 🙂
*Because of Guillermo Erickson Sauza, Ana Maria Romero Mena, Antonio Rodriguez, Jaime Villalobos Sauza, and Sergio Mendoza for being supportive of our venture, and for taking our calls and messages (generally in the midst of the evening.)
