Blue Agave Spirit

[jonnys_spirit]

Ok thanks SoCD. I tested your notes against glasses of Casamigos Blanco and an 1800 Repossado both of which i borrowed. I’ll get some others also because well, testing is fun

I have sorta segregated my jars as they came off the apparatus into a group that I felt would be “the ones”. I mixed equal amounts of those end’est jars - the headsiest heads and tailsiest tails - mixed 50ml each also with 50ml water. 150ml total. That was jar #10 and jar #21 out of 24. Not all 24 equal in volume but some of em were 250ml, 400ml, 800ml, and a couple about 1/2 gallon jars of “heads”.

In that scenario i sniffed and swirled quite a bit. Ended up eventually finishing the 150ml plus another 100ml or maybe 150 of the others. No doubt that all three were “the same spirit”. 100% Blue Agave. All three unique. The homemade was voted “preferred” by all four testers.

I would classify this test cut-blending of fresh agave azul blanco as fruity, bright, smoothe flowers, and maybe with a hint of darkness. I’m not that great with descriptions yet but i also preferred this blend over what I was comparing to. I’m pretty sure some time on some diverse oak will elevate and the key to flavor nuances are maybe what you do with your dunder and any adjuncts during AF.

I haven’t blended cuts yet so I’ll spend a little more time but i might even be able to widen my initial estimate by one or two jars which could be up to about two additional liters total.

Ciao!
-jonny

[jonnys_spirit]

Blue Agave Spirit from last runs is now pretty much gone - Might be a little left in a jug but need to make some more.

I'm probably going to order 10 gallons of this raw unrefined blue agave "Black 55" to maximize flavor but interested in any other sources if anyone has any.

https://www.21missionsagave.com/raw-blu ... -dark.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I've got almost a carboy of lacto infected blue agave dunder stored from last runs so will prepare the first wash in this run with that. Gonna take a minute because I'm also working through 100lbs of corn and the other HBB grains.

BTW, the spirits from this last BA run were excellent. Glad I saved the stillage from last run so I can keep building up the generations. 5g buckets work pretty well for dunder storage and I use 3,5, and 6g carboys for feints.

Cheers!
-jonny

[jonnys_spirit]

Ordered 10 gallons of "Unrefined Raw Organic Bulk Blue Agave Black Nectar *Black 55". Expecting this batch to be quite flavorful. I think 5 gallons of Agave Nectar yielded about 2 gallons of ~130 proof after cuts and I've still got about 2 gallons of feints from last run. This certainly isn't as economical as my all corn and it's a great sipper.

Cheers,
jonny

[brat]

Quick question what is the flavor comparable to? I've been working on my own agave spirit. I actually found some cooked agave that I've been using. But am curious to know how the 21 mission agave is.

[jonnys_spirit]

This is the first time i’m using this particular blue agave nectar. I’m thinking it’ll be more robust than what I used last time.

Cheers!
-jonny

[jonnys_spirit]

Little update here. The vendor got in touch to make sure I was aware that their unrefined raw black blue agave nectar is about 65-70% unfermentables and that I would probably prefer this one if I was distilling:

https://www.21missionsagave.com/rawbublagdaa.html (1gal BA to 9 gal water/dunder mixture)
With then 0.5 - 1.0% adjunct of the raw agave terpene nectar
https://www.21missionsagave.com/agave-terpenes.html

Recommend keeping the wash in the 5% range...

Changed my order to check out this protocol and I'll add more notes down the road here.

Cheers!
-jonny

[DetroitDIY]

Great thread JonnySpirit. I picked up a gallon of agave a while back. This thread is making me think I should use it, and pick up another 5 gallons while I'm at it.

Thanks for sharing.

[jonnys_spirit]

If you enjoy tequila and mezcal I highly recommend some blue agave runs. There’s a broad range of blue agave nectar available - light, dark, raw, processed and refined. The vendor above has concentrated blue agave terpenes to be used as an adjunct. Lots of variety in flavor and unfermentable’s which combined with various distillation protocols can yield cleaner spirits or more complex spirits. Oak and aging provide further options for blanco, reposado, and anjeo renderings as well as perhaps mezcal style product. Backset, feints, and of course cuts provide further protocol parameters to customize.

I’ve read almost all of the “tequila threads” here and a number of other articles offsite in my research.

I feel that using straight blue agave nectar in a wash is the way to go if you want to make your own tequila style products.

I might also end up ordering some of the black raw blue agave nectar to experiment with some ratios as that should yield less product but theoretically more robust flavors.

Cheers!
-jonny

[DetroitDIY]

Thanks Jonny. Have you come across sources for agaves other than blue (Agave tequilana). As I understand, there are a variety of other species in the agave family out there beyond blue. I would be interested if you know of any.

Thanks,
DetroitDIY

[jonnys_spirit]

I’m working through the second of two large batch agave ferments with syrup from 21missions. The first ferment took a while and was stripped last weekend. Just topped up the fermenter this morning with another 5g of syrup, agave backset, agave terpenes, and water plus autoclaved yeast trub. I also ordered ten more gallons of raw dark heirloom agave syrup syrup to keep this project going for a bit.

My first strips were run from approximately 5g syrup in 40-45g water and yielded about 3.5g low wines each 15g stripping charge @ 23%abv. Lower abv and quantity’s than I usually see with an AG or something else - of course the starting gravity is significantly lower too..

Cleanup on the agave is definitely less work than AG

Cheers,
jonny

[Oatmeal]

Ugh. I totally just ordered some of the wild blue agave, and terpenes. Confound it! (But thanks for the recipe!)

[jonnys_spirit]

The recipe that 21missions provides is 9:1 water:Syrup... Very simple and low SG - like 1.030'ish.

I also add nutrients and pH balance (calcium hydroxide to 5.5'ish then oyster shells in a bag) like you would a sugar wash... For Terpenes I calculated 200ml max into the wash so I use 100ml to start and can add more into low wines or a third distillation if needed.. I might do a very small side-batch with excess terpenes & smoke to make an essence or two which I can experiment with more safely...

Cheers!
-j

[jonnys_spirit]

This stuff finally fermented dry. I was out of town for a bit and it had stalled when I came back. Before I left it was fermenting very slow and I hit it with additional calcium hydroxide because the pH also crashed.

The nutes I used initially were testing some autoclaved yeast trub - I have another jar or two but won’t be relying on it again. A small mason jar full into 45gallons of ferment. I had ordered an 80g bag of fermaid k as insurance when i got back from travel. That kicked it off and it fermented dry within a day or two. I have another sack of fermaid k for the next batch

I might strip it this weekend and start the next 45g batch.

I’m thinking three of these batches will keep the agave spirits stocked up for a minute and allow a couple experiments.

Cheers!
-j

[GrumbleStill]

Don’t know what others think, but as a Tequila fan, I would love to see a Blue Agave recipe make it into the Tried and True.
With 5 years of development, could jonny’s recipe be the one that gets over the line?

[jonnys_spirit]

Thanks Grumble! This is hardly a recipe basically just an agave syrup wash with nutrients

Stripping one more boiler charge with a dollop of kerrygold butter this time and some evoo it should provide enough low wines for first spirit run. I’ve got about seven more gallons of syrup to ferment on agave dunder + nutrients which along with feints and perhaps some agave wash top up will give me a second 1.5’ish spirit run.

These are lower gravity ferments than my typical 1.079’ish - in the 1.030-1.040 range so they produce less low wines. Smells pretty good in any case!

Cheers,
Jonny

[squigglefunk]

thank you for not calling it tequila

[jonnys_spirit]

thank you for not calling it tequila

I am a little tequil'ish in certain scenarios and the right company

I'd really like to find a source for other Agave's although the barrels and jugs will have a couple years worth after this series of runs

Cheers,
jonny

[jonnys_spirit]

KBWest wild agave syrup from 21missions. A blend of different agaves.

They now drop ship in less than 50lbs buckets. 20kg=44lbs.

I’m going to step feed this wash - add the second bucket as the ferment nears dry.

I’ve probably got 10 gallons fermented agave wash or so left in the fermenter from last ferment. I’ll add about 10g agave dunder, one bucket of the wild agave syrup, top up with 90*F tap water, pH to about 5.5, 100ml terpenes (or maybe none - i can add to low wines or make a small tincture/maceration to blend). Oyster shell grit, hydrate saftq yeast and is should kick off on the trub anyway. 240g fermaid k and 1lbs DAP on hand to stagger nutrients throughout ferment. I’ll keep the temp in the 92-94*F range.

Tiny tiny pinch of SO2 to remove chloramine in the tap water. I know I know but a tiny tiny pinch into a 50g barrel works for that. No trace

Cheers,
Jonny

[jonnys_spirit]

This ferment kicked off yesterday with almost zero lag. I had the existing yeast bed slurry and added another dose of rehydrated SafTq blue agave yeast on top of that. Almost zero lag so i mixed in the 80g of fermaid k yesterday when I saw some fermentation activity. The correct nutrient really gave it a nice boost along with a solid 92*F set point.

+1 for fermaid k. Maybe even fermaid o but have not use O yet for agave.

Cheers,
J

[jonnys_spirit]

Spirit run Saturday!

Approximately 15 gallons of pure blue agave low wines @ somewhere between 25-30%abv. Picking up the shed to line up some jars

The wild heirloom agave ferment went from 1.030 to dry and has been step fed back up to 1.030 and another 80g baggie of fermaid k is arriving today

Cheers,
J

[jonnys_spirit]

Approximately 2.5g Blue Agave @ 120 proof. This is really smooth proofed down to 45%abv.

I threw in a finger each of toasted peach and toasted plum plus broke up a finger of toasted oak into four pieces and charred each @ about #2 char over maybe 75% of the length. I’ll probably remove the peach and plum at some point and let the oak continue to integrate before filling a used BadMo that had some Rat Bastard Rumski melding.

Wild Heirloom Agave is slowing down so I’ll check pH and might step it up if needed. It’s just under 1.020. Looking forward to comparing these two from different syrups.

Cheers!
-j

[jonnys_spirit]

Stripped some wild heirloom agave this weekend.

I didn’t measure the abv yet but it was cloudy earlier than usual during the run. Nice spotting of oils came over late in the run. Ran it down until I couldn’t taste the alcohol anymore then ran it some more.

I step fed this ferment and it stalled @ just under 1.020. Took a lot of slaked lime to bump the pH, a couple 80g baggies of fermaid k, ten packets of ec1118, and a jar of bakers wouldn’t kick start it even after a month so I ran it. Interesting that it didn’t taste sweet though.

Lesson learned - keep gravity low and don’t push it. 1.030 range for starting gravity.

Cheers!
-jonny

[jonnys_spirit]

Finally stripped the rest of this agave ferment last weekend.

For the spirit run I now have approximately 11 gallons low wines @ 30%abv, 3 gallons of agave feints from last spirit run (didn’t measure abv yet), and 2 gallons of fermented agave wash. This should fill the boiler for a good spirit run.

This wash (heirloom agave) was significantly darker than last time which was more of a blonde color.

Cheers!
-j

[Wildcats]

Sounds great! Can't wait to hear how the spirit run goes.

[Deplorable]

Johnny, if you ever decide to part with that copper milk can I'd sure like to have first dibs on it. I wouldn't even dick with the patina.

[jonnys_spirit]

Johnny, if you ever decide to part with that copper milk can I'd sure like to have first dibs on it. I wouldn't even dick with the patina.

I reckon this one’s a lifer deplorable but if I ever come to my senses and swear off the likker I’ll let you know

It was a scratch and dent but perfectly functional from mile-hi. I don’t think they stock them anymore for some reason…

I was looking at 8g spirit stills but talked myself out of it.. Maybe someday

Cheers,
Jonny

[Deplorable]

Yeah, I figured it was a keeper, but it never hurts to ask.
I've also considered a larger boiler, but I just can't justify it. A bigger boiler means bigger ferments, and more time at the still that I just don't have.
And frankly, I seem to be doing just fine with my current kit.

[harold01]

I have had a raw blue agave ferment going for 23 days now and still going

[jonnys_spirit]

I have had a raw blue agave ferment going for 23 days now and still goingIMG_1363.JPGIMG_1362.JPG

Hi Harold, Interested in your starting gravity, fermentation temp, nutrients, ph adjustment, and where the gravity is after the three weeks...

What I have see is that a starting gravity of about 1.030'ish will ferment dry and higher than that it is apt to become "stuck"...

Cheers!
- jonny

[harold01]

My first try at it, no nutrients just syrup and water, oyster shells and shell grit, purge with an oxygen generator twice a day for five minutes or so
Hydrometer stays in full time just for reference, while it keeps dropping its still fermenting
Didn't check what SG it started at and it stays at 30°in a temp controlled fridge