Home Distiller

I'll make a confession that will probably not be a big surprise. I don't have a few acres of Agave plants growing around my home, so I have no "real" way to make tequila. I've addressed this in the past by using essences with neutral alcohol - and it does make pretty good tequila, but I just hate using essences. No rational reason for my hate of essences (before the flames start), I just got into the hobby because I wanted to do the whole thing myself as much as possible.

So anyway, I'm in my local homebrew shop today and he's got a sign up for Agave extract - for mexican beers, of course.

The questions are...first, anyone ever used Agave extract? Do you run into foaming problems like you do with Malt Extract? Any recipes floating around out there? And how about aging?

If you're using the Agave nectar that is available I don't think you'll have foaming issues. I've always thought the foaming was from leftover starches and protiens.

I have a recipie for Mescal, but that uses the root, not the extract or leaves.

The one ingredient that might be missing is Acacia Bark. I know that is used in the wash boil for Mescal, but I don't know about tequila

Interesting subject booger and Dave. For what it's worth, there are agave nectar suppliers online. Don't know how the prices (expensive) compare to your home brew shop.

http://www.agavenectar.com/wholesale.html
http://www.blueagavenectar.com/buyblueagavenectar.html

If ya'll come across a recipe for a mash made with agave extract or nectar, I'd be interested. Seems they're full of sugars, so fermenting should be easy anyway.

My home brew bubba said 15 pounds of Blue Agave extract in a five gallon batch with high alc tolerant yeast would yield an 18-20% Agave wine. I just kind of choked because he's selling it for $5.99 per pound - $90 for a batch kind of seemed crazy to me...but I'm wonderful at justifying things like this to myself (after all...that's roughly $3 per bottle for good sipping tequila, right?)

I'm going to go back and ask him how much for a 5 gallon bucket - I have a buddy who'd take half of it.

I got the Acacia Bark from a news story on a village outside of the official "Mescal reigon" so that little tidbit might not be in general use.

I got the info (mis-info) about roots vs. tops from a Mexican co-worker who supplies me with Mescal from Durango. He says that the agave is divided into two parts, the top part makes tequila and the lower (root) makes Mescal.

I'm just starting to figure out this shinin' business, so I haven't tried the cactus juice yet, I'm still doin' "barley squeezin's"

I am in the right part of the country for Agave, and I do have feelers out for a plant or two. Agave Nectar at my homebrew shop is runs between $9 and $14 a pound.

THM, what you described is exactly how I saw the process explained on a television program. How was that hooch when you finished it? Did you age any of it?