Actual Blue Agave / tequila recipe from scratch

[barrelcreator]

Don't ask how but I ot my hands on a 81 pound roasted agave plant!!!! It took hours to process down to shreaded fibers but when I was done I ended up unnin git through my wine press and got an even 4 1/4 gallons of juice at approx 38 brix!!! I cut it down to 26 brix with an additional 1 3/4 deminralized water. 6 gallons total. I added one bag of distillers yeast at 80 degrees and after 24 hours have an amazing fermentation going. I am hoping to get approx. 12 to 14 percent alcohol after fermenting.

I have to say the fibers taste and smell very very similar to yams or sweet potatos. The color and intensity of the juices flavor is unbelievable.

I plan on running it through my 3 foot 2" column, 3" condersor coil style offset head reflux still. I am going to remove the packing and insert a very small amount of copper scrubbing. One or two pulled apart prety good.

I have never detuned my reflux still and hope the approach I am going to do it the right way to detune a reflux still to mimic a pot still. If not or if anyone has suggestions, PLEASE send advise. In that respect, send any advise!!! I don't want to mess this one up. Thanks and I post progress.

[barrelcreator]

No body has any advise on tequila? Or how to perfectly de tune a reflux still to mimic a pot still? I posted this because I spent hours looking for actual tequila recipes (not agave nectar) and I figured if I couldnt find it, it probably didnt exist which meant someone else is probably interested in reading about it. ANYONE???

[Tater]

found 48 references when did a search on this site

[punkin]

I am interested in reading all things distilling. I just don't think anyone else has here has done what you are doing.

[barrelcreator]

tater, any of them explain the exact process with actual agave heart? I dont see any. With all due respect it sometimes feels like you have an autoreply telling everyone to read read read. General references yes but exact answers to my questions no.

[barrelcreator]

Punkin, Thanks for the reply. Thats why I wanted to document the process in the thread. So everyone can see its doable and the next person who wanted to try has some guidance. Thats what these threads are for right. Networking info . Helping the next guy if possible. Thanks for the support. Ill keep everyone updated.

[Tater]

tater, any of them explain the exact process with actual agave heart? I dont see any. With all due respect it sometimes feels like you have an autoreply telling everyone to read read read. General references yes but exact answers to my questions no.

Your right I do have that response for posters who seem to want to be spoon fed. http://www.itequila.org/glossary.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[barrelcreator]

Thanks for spoon feeding me................ These sites are for advise right??? For the record, I won't ask for advise before I read so no need to respond back to read because if I post a question I have already read................................

[Tater]

......... These sites are for advise right??? please:roll:

See rule #3 and we even said please Here is the official list of forum rules.
1. Nobody who is under age is welcome here. These forums are not for people who are under legal drinking age in their particular location. Please don't sully our reputation through your actions.

2. Be polite and courteous. Remember that nobody is perfect and nobody knows everything. We've all got our strengths and limitations which is why we share information with each other in the first place. Remember that we're all different and nothing is going to change that fact.

3. Please use the "search" feature before asking novice questions. We're willing to help, but we're more willing to help if you take the time to familiarize yourself first.

4. No porn. Don't post it.

5. Do not discuss politics or religion. These forums are a friendly place for a community which shares a common interest: creating high quality spirits. These discussions only divide people and quickly lead to flaming and hard feelings.

6. No discussions of illicit drugs, their extraction, manufacture or improvement. These forums are for discussing the creation and enjoyment of high quality spirits, not the promotion of mind altering substances.

7. No racism. I don't care what your views are on people who aren't the same color or ethnic heritage as you, keep them to yourself. Remember that I'm a minority as are many others of our members.

8 These forums take a very strong negative view on the usage of plastics in distilling. It simply is not safe to use in any area of hobby distilling (however HPDE buckets are acceptable for fermentation.) There simply are too many types of plastics and lack of reliable information about plastics, for us to reliably advocate its usage anywhere in distillation apparatus. Also, from past posting history, this topic seems to quickly boil down into an almost religious like flame war. Thus we simply will not put up with it, and posts about any form of plastic use will be edited, deleted or locked.

9. It is the hope of this forum to promote the legislation of home distilling as a legal hobby here in the United States. One of our goals, is to prove a quality product can be done safely by the home distiller for personal use only. So any discussion of selling bartering or trading any distilled liquor unless by a licensed distillery will not tolerated. Such post will be edited, deleted or locked.

10. Enjoy the information offered here and share your knowledge with us.
_________________
Moderation; aye sir moderation is my rule. Nine or ten is reasonable refreshment, but after that it's apt to degenerate into drinking.

[pommie]

All though a long time ago this post brings up serious questions. I now have access to lots of agave plants and would like to know if anything can be made from then? I tend to dry things and then reflux them to get a concentrated flavour. It's worked exstremely well with Juniper berries to make Gin. Wondering if it's also possible to reflux Agave root to make good Tequila?

Mike.

[zach]

I recently started a thread on mezcal made with a different type of agave that is available to me. Tequila is a type of mezcal made with only the blue agave.

I'm interested if you could share your roasting, shredding, and crushing process. I have an axe, a machete, and a baseball bat and really don't want to purchase new tools for what might be a one time experiment.

My intention is to ferment the juice and fiber together when I harvest these pinas. I will also put all of the juice and fibers in a pot still for the stripping runs. I have experience with grape pomace and feel confident I can do this. Then double distill the low wines in a pot still.

Shady recently started a thread with pot stills used in mezcal production with youtube videos of producers. All of the artisanal producers are using pot stills. Some had worm condensers, but most are using a LM like clay pot with a copper bowl condenser. All of the crushed agave goes into the boiler for the strip, then double distilled. The fibers recovered from the pot still are used to cover the agaves during the roasting process.

In one of the videos it was said that the key to the mezcal flavors is the fiber which is put in the boiler. I take that it's like the difference between a brandy made with pomace in the boiler like grappa and a brandy made from wine only.

I would think if you run you can run your rig with a lm head and no reflux it will work well.