Teresa | Agave Spirit Distillers Recipe Kit BeerCo

Tequila is a distilled spirit made from the Weber blue agave plant.  The Mexican government decrees that tequila is only allowed to be produced in Mexico, and only in certain designated regions.  Teresa is your Tequila Queen of the South.  She is alluring, enchanting and fearless.  Made with 100% Pure Organic Agave Syrup from Mexico this is our take on how to make a delightful light and bright Agave Spirit with some options to flavour boost and/or oak age and rest your spirit.  Like all good things, time, attention, care, patience and persistence will be your reward when it comes to fermenting, distilling and resting this Agave Spirit.  So, what are you waiting for?  Arriba, abajo, al centro y adeeentrooo! 

Salud! #enjoyresponsibly #conbuenosamigos #distilsafely

Teresa | Agave Spirit Distillers Recipe Kit Contents:

• 5.6 Kg Organic Raw Blue Agave Syrup
• 1 x 5g packet EC-1118 LALVIN Yeast
• 75g (70mL) of Still Spirits | Distillers | Light Spirits Nutrient – (Included in Kit)
• 1 x 130g packet Still Spirits – Turbo Clear

Equipment Required: (NB: note included in Kit)

• 30 Litre AMPI HDPE Plastic Food Grade fermenter or larger with tight fitting lid
• Senior Airlock or S-Type Airlock and Grommet for Airlock
• Long Handle Plastic Spoon
• Hydrometer
• 250mL Glass Measuring Cylinder
• HI98103 Checker pH Tester

Vital Stats:

• Fermentation Batch Sizes: 20 Litres / 5.3 US Gallons
• Boil Time: 0 mins
• Starting Gravity (est.) 1.070
• Final Gravity (est) 1.000
• Agave Wash (Mosto Vivo!) ABV: 9.3% 

OPTIONAL EXTRAS (SOLD SEPARATELY):

• Anti-Foam Agent – Still Spirits Distilling Conditioner

Fermentables:

• 5.6 Kg (3.785 Litres) of Organic Raw Blue Agave Syrup

Yeast:

• 1 x 5g packet EC-1118 LALVIN Yeast

Aids:

Water Adjustments (Optional fermentation pH is between 4.0 to 5.0):

• Potassium Bicarbonate (sold separately, NOT included in Kit)
• Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda) (sold separately, NOT included in Kit)
• Calcium Carbonate (sold separately, NOT included in Kit)
• Citric Acid (sold separately, NOT included in Kit)

pH: This is critical. Check the pH daily during fermentation and adjust it with Potassium Bicarbonate or Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda) or Calcium Carbonate to keep it between 4 and 5. Add your buffering mineral 1 Tablespoon at a time, and check pH before adding more.

• 1 x 130g packet Still Spirits – Turbo Clear (included in Kit) to clarify wash (rum wine)
• 75g (70mL) of Still Spirits | Distillers | Light Spirits Nutrient – (Included in Kit)

Method:

1. Mix 5.6 Kg (3.785 litres) of Organic Raw Blue Agave Syrup and 16 litres of water in your fermenter.  Add the 50g (45mL) of Still Spirits | Distillers | Light Spirits Nutrient.  Stir vigorously or use an oxygen aeration kit to oxygenate the wort prior to fermentation.
2. Test the pH of your wash. The ideal pH is 4.5 to 5.0. Use citric acid to bring the pH down and potassium bicarbonate or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) or calcium carbonate to bring it up.
3. Pitch the Yeast – sprinkle on top of the wash.
4. Allow to ferment in the temperature range 32-35C.  A warmer fermentation will ferment more quickly and produce some more ester character to your wash and final spirit.  Agitate and/or stir the wash daily to purge the C02 and increase oxygen to assist with yeast health.  Once the Specific Gravity has dropped by more than 1/3 to 1/2 pitch the remainder 25g of the Still Spirits | Distillers | Light Spirits Nutrient.  Once again, stir vigorously or use an oxygen aeration kit to oxygenate the wort to maintain a healthy vigorous fermentation.
5. Fermentation should be completed within 3-5 days.   Wait for two consecutive days of consistent low Hydrometer readings.  You should get very close to 1.000 given the high fructose content of Agave Syrup.
6. Once fermentation is complete.  Stir the wash vigorously to remove all of the remaining CO2.  Once degassed, add the contents of Part A of Still Spirits – Turbo Clear 130g stir well, then leave for 1 hour to stand.
7. After 1 hour, slowly pour Part B of Still Spirits – Turbo Clear 130g evenly over the top of the wash while stirring gently to help spread it evenly.  Do not stir vigorously as this will disrupt the clearing process.  Leave to clear for 24 hours.  During this time Part B will drop down from the top, taking all unwanted yeast and sediment with it to the bottom.  If you have temperature control of your fermenter or an old fridge feel free to crash chill to assist with clarification of your wash before distillation.
8. To add flavour and character to your wash and spirit here is a couple of additional options steps that can be taken prior to steps 1-3.
9. Flavour Booster Option #1: Make a Bochet syrup with a small portion (250mL) of the agave syrup by simmering it on medium low for 20-30 minutes until the colour darkens significantly. Dissolve this dark syrup in water before adding to the wash.
10. Flavour Booster Option #2: Add a sourdough bread starter and/or Active Culture Yogurt to the wash 24-48 hours before pitching yeast. Allow a lactobacillus fermentation to take place to create acid and help with ester production.
11. Move the Agave wine to your Still and prepare to Distil Happy!  Distilling notes from a professional craft distiller.  They found that since agave syrup has a lot less inherent flavour than the fresh roasted agave pulp it is better to de-tune their still to run at a lower ABV, around 60-70%, and run slow. This seemed to preserve more flavour.  Run a stripping run then a second run where you make your cuts.  Taste and blend your cuts to your preferred flavour profile.
12. Oak Aging – Like many spirits you can experiment with Oak Aging.  Check out our many Oak Products for options to infuse oak flavour to mimic a Reposado or Anejo Tequila.  We recommend Oak Chips or Spirals and tasting every 2-4 weeks until your desired Oak Levels are reached anywhere from 1-3-5 months depending on the level of Oak to Spirit.

Teresa | Agave Spirit Distillers Recipe Kit Contents:

• 5.6 Kg Organic Raw Blue Agave Syrup
• 1 x 5g packet EC-1118 LALVIN Yeast
• 75g (70mL) of Still Spirits | Distillers | Light Spirits Nutrient – (Included in Kit)
• 1 x 130g packet Still Spirits – Turbo Clear

Optional Extras – Not included in Teresa | Agave Spirit Distillers Recipe Kit:

Equipment Required:

• 30 Litre AMPI HDPE Plastic Food Grade fermenter or larger with tight fitting lid
• Senior Airlock or S-Type Airlock and Grommet for Airlock
• Long Handle Plastic Spoon
• Hydrometer
• 250mL Glass Measuring Cylinder
• HI98103 Checker pH Tester

Distilling Aids:

• Potassium Bicarbonate (sold separately, NOT included in Kit)
• Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda) (sold separately, NOT included in Kit)
• Calcium Carbonate (sold separately, NOT included in Kit)
• Citric Acid (sold separately, NOT included in Kit)

Further Reading and Watching and Knowledge Sources on How to Brew and Distil an Agave Spirit Happy!

• How to Ferment Agave Syrup and Distil Agave Spirit | BeerCo.au | Blog | Learn
• How to Make Agave Wash “Mosto Vivo!” the Easy Way with HB Agave Pure | BeerCo.au | Blog | Learn
• How Is Tequila Made? The 6 Steps of Making Tequila
• The Coolest Quarantine Project Ever? Making Tequila at Home
• Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Blanco, Reposado, and Anejo Tequila | Vinepair