Cactus Mash

[violentblue]

we've got these small ground cactii around here that produce a berry that taste something like Kiwi Fruit. collecting the enough berries for a wash would take way too long, But I was thinking of attempting a poor mans tequila.
anyone attempted such a thing? what method would you use to convert the sugars, or is this a waste of time?

[Tater]

Dont know if its a waste of time or not but they bake it to convert in the other cactus http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... blue+agave

[StabbyJoe]

Other thing to try might be a maceration or a panty-dropper type syrup if you can be bothered getting the berries for it.

"Cactus panty dropper" doesn't have a great ring to it...



Saw what looks a damn lot like a whooole lot of blue agave in the front yard of some folks down the street. Fought the urge to rip it all out of their front garden for tequila
Guess I was in a good boy mood
Don't know the probability of it actually being blue agave, though.

[Mr.Moonshine]

Doesn't matter if it's blue agave or not, as long as it's agave full stop you're safe. Blue agave is the cacti you use for making tequila, whereas you can use any kind of agave for making mezcal, which is almost the same drink. Mezcal isn't so popular in mexico, seeing as it doesn't have as pure a flavour as tequila, but it's about the same as drinking a blended whiskey in scotland. Keep in mind though, that agave hearts (In the plant itself) take 10 years + to mature to a fermantable stage (At least for commercial distilleries), so ripping up a centuary plant from people's front yard might make them a little mad :p

[theholymackerel]

Mezcal isn't so popular in mexico, seeing as it doesn't have as pure a flavour as tequila, but it's about the same as drinking a blended whiskey in scotland.

No way!

Mescal is SUPER popular with the Mexicans I know. They make fun of Americans for drinkin' crappy, over-priced tequilla, and they make fun of Americans for drinkin' margaritas also.

While I tend to like tequilla better, I've had six-dollar bottles of mescal every bit as good as a 80$ bottle of agave puro.

PS: Agave is a succulant, not a cactus.

[junkyard dawg]

Mezcal is very popular! So is Sotol...

http://www.ianchadwick.com/tequila/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

is a very informative site.

I just had a $6.50 bottle of mezcal that I bought in a border town. Mezcal Zapoteco. Good stuff... Hacienda de Chihuahua sotol is better than most every high price tequila I've had...

[violentblue]

would you use standard enzymes or something special?
I want to give this a try, even if it doesn't turn out well I'd know for sure.

no these cactii are everywhere around here, anywhere where its dry and the soil hasn't been tilled.

[junkyard dawg]

what are you wanting to try? What is the cactus?

[Islandboy85]

This is on the island of Bonaire where I grew up. It's made from the second layer of the cactus skin, not the hearts of the Cadushy cactus. http://www.cadushy.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow it's dried, then soaked in a neutral spirit made from local sorghum. Hope this helps.