For that reason most producers avoid it. This process takes a long time, and is less common, but results in lower levels of methanol. The principal complex carbohydrate present in agave is inulin, which is a polymeric fructose with a terminal glucose residue. Herradura uses a 100% natural fermentation process. help control blood sugar levels and prevent type 2 diabetes. Stainless steel provides an elegant, clean finish. must fermentation and usually rely on spontaneous or pure Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain inoculation. Your email address will not be published. In those cases, their process is simply marked as diffuser.. . If you want a true blanco, look for brands that are labeled blue agave. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Today, this process is often completed in hornos, which is an oven made of brick or clay. Agave thrives in Mexico because it needs rich, sandy soil filled with nutrients. Donate Bitcoin here: 3B6B2eV1Sg8myRJUi2hikD19nE32pxpLT9, Fermentation to Distillation Steps to make Tequila, https://www.facebook.com/Long-Island-Lou-Tequila-641682619241422/. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Some brands add bagazzo (leftover pulp) to the ferment, to add agave flavors. The key factor that separates tequila is the fact that it is only made from the Weber blue agave plant. Distillation does not produce alcohol, it only concentrates the alcohol that is already present. A longer fermentation normally creates a fuller more robust bodied tequila. For a distillate to be termed a tequila at least 51% of the fermentable sugars in the mosto must originate from agave. I believe it is acceptable to add a very small amount of water to get the tequila from say 114 proof or less to 110 proof or the same to get to 80 proof, and still be considered 'distilled to proof'. I want to teach others what I know about ALL Agave spirits, keeping it simple and fun! When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Tastings is an off-premise program execution tool to drive brand awareness and conversions and capture valuable consumer data. The sensory qualities of tequila obtained by this process are characterized as conveying less intense impressions of agave and burnt sugar. First, the agave needs to be harvested. Fermentation is simply converting sugars and/or carbohydrates to alcohol, by using yeast in anerobic (non-oxygen) conditions. It is in the still room where tequila becomes tequila. Official Mexican Standard for Tequila NOM-006-SCFI-2005. Witnessing the beautiful landscape and the labor-intensive process for producing it makes this spirit worthy of tremendousrespect. The global tequila market was $9.89 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $15.57 billion by 2029. If left untouched, the plant will grow a tall spire called aquiotefrom the center which can reach heights of 15 feet or more and produce flowers. In the tequila industry, fermentation is traditionally achieved at sugar concentrations ranging from 50 to 100 g x L(-1). Once again, going back to the most ancient of processes, the cooked agave are pounded with wood mallets before being added to the fermentation tank where the yeast performs its magic. . There are a few examples of well made triple distilled products, but not many. These components are Acetic Acid (Organic Acid), Ethyl Lactate (Esther), Furfural, Benzaldehyde (Aldehyde) and the dangerous and most critical component of Methanol, which can be toxic in extremely high concentrations. 'Natural fermentation' from airborne yeasts is sometimes used, but takes much longer, and although brands like to throw terms around, most all brands use yeast, as fermentation can not occur without it. Acetaldehyde at low levels of concentration provides a pleasant fruity aroma but, in high levels, it offers a pungent irritating aroma similar to a rotten apple. In cooler months, the process takes a little longer. Copper pot stills inside of the El Pandillo tequila distillery, located in Jesus Maria, Jalisco. Traditionally, the hearts were baked in rock-lined pits, and this can still be witnessed in mezcal production, but today's tequila producers have moved above ground and use one of two styles of ovens: clay/brick or stainless steel. Horno is the traditional, old world 'time tested' cooking method. You may also know this type of tequila as silver. The first distillation is called 'Ordinario', and after the second distillation the liquid is called 'Tequila'. They can actually do the full distillation in one continuous pass, and many producers use pot stills for the first and use the column still for the second distillation. Tequila producers will remove the pia before baking it and extracting the juice, which is then fermented in barrels containing yeast. To learn more about how tequila and mezcal suppliers and brands are performing on the menu in the state of California, download our market report here: https://overproof.com/agave/. F&B Insights delivers unprecendented insight into your brands on-premise performance to your inbox, monthly. Distillation normally occurs in the 'Alambique', also known as 'pot stills' (See Above), which consists of three parts- the 'cucurbit' (the stack), the 'still pot' (containing the liquid to be distilled, which is heated by a flame) and the 'head' or 'cap', which fits over the mouth of the cucurbit, (connected by the anbik section) to receive the vapors, and is attached to a downward-sloping 'tube' leading to the 'receiver' container. After the first distillation, the alcohol level rises from the 4-7% range to 25%. Stainless w/copper (81.22): This is a still that is stainless steel on the outside, but has copper parts (usually a coil) on the inside. Here is more information about each one of these steps: 1. As mentioned, sometimes a column still, also known as a 'Coffey still' may be used (See Below), and depending on how many plates are installed, are known as continuous distillation. Modern tequila production begins with the traditional method of harvesting the blue agave plant. Required fields are marked *. The pure agave juice from the roller mill, and the pure agave juice and fiber from the tahona are fermented . Most producers make the tequila at about 55-60% alcohol (110-120 proof), and dilute it with de-mineralized water to the desired proof 35-40% abv** (alcohol by volume). Column (68.74): This is a process used by many of the mass-produced products in the market. Some fibers are broken in the process, but not as much as the roller. Keep in mind that this is NOT normally the case, and a vast majority of brands cut the heads, which are generally trimmed away and removed. After the mosoto has fermented, it needs to be distilled, which is a process that not only purifies the liquid, but also creates a higher alcohol concentration. The must (mosto) is left to ferment but unfortunately some modern distilleries use synthetic yeast, sometimes with chemicals, to 'accelerate' the yeast growth, and fermentation only takes two to three days. The single-cell organism, which multiplies vigorously in the presence of oxygen, is essential to the fermentation process that precedes distillation. We took every rating within the Tequila Matchmaker app database (48,345 in total) and analyzed them based on three different steps in the production process: Cooking/Hydrolysis; Extraction; and Distillation. Tequila is just one of many agave-based spirits. Climate, rainfall, harvesting methods, fermentation styles, and overall production all play a major role in the spirit's flavor profile. Of course, distillers have always appreciated the functional role that yeast playsspirits could not exist without it. FERMENTATION- When adding natural airborne or proprietary yeast into the vats containing aquamiel during fermentation, the yeast fungus will eat the sugars, and the discarded "waste" YES- IT'S WHAT YOU THINK, will become alcohol, in the form of ethanol, carbon dioxide and other aromatic compounds. Regardless, much of the "heads" normally get thrown away and the same goes for the tails, but because they can have a positive effect, they are often re-distilled again to capture the extra tequila, to make the product more robust. Tequila is doubled distilled at minimum, by regulations. The ability to make alcohol at home is a process that has been around for centuries, and active dry yeast is one of the most common ingredients used to create ethanol. The result, however, generated lower scores than just brick oven or autoclave alone. Every tequila distillery relies on a specific set of stills. Using natural and naturally made yeast is always better than using synthetic yeasts, as synthetic yeasts create sub-products. The agave plant's underground 'pina' is harvest by jimadores for tequila production in the red dirt fields outside the Corazon Tequila distillery in Los Altos, Jalisco, Mexico. Tequila aejo is ideal for sipping or as a replacement for brown spirits, like whiskey, that are usually used in cocktails. Copper Pot (81.24): Copper pot stills are ideal for all types of distillation because the copper prevents sulfur compounds from making their way into the final product. Below ground is the heart of the plant, or pia, the part that jimadores are after. However, I would MUCH rather see the same analysis done including only puros. Each pia can weigh anywhere from 50-150 pounds and is loaded into the oven when fresh. Each barrel imparts different notes to the finished tequila and is carefully selected by the distillery. Siempre Releases Exclusivo-Vivo Tequila Made With Wild Fermentation: Limited to 9,000 bottles. Going through the second round will create a clear silver liquid. Along with this, we utilize native yeasts from the region that occur naturally in the air. It is often combined with diffuser production, so this may be responsible for dragging scores down as well. Read our. Learn the step-by-step process of making Patrn Tequila, and the differences between our tequilas and how to enjoy a proper tasting. Stainless steel pot stills that have copper coils on the inside, at the Las Americas tequila distillery in Amatitan, Jalisco. Since alcohol boils at a lower temperature than water, it will turn to steam before the water does, and rise up in the still. An example of a tequila made this way is Siembra Valles Ancestral. Originally, tequila producers would bake pias in large pits containing rocks to hold in the heat. Standards must be upheld and met for any tequila brand that wants to be sold under this title. Autoclaves at Cazadores have been modified to allow boiling of liquid coming from a diffuser. Meeting the demands of todays modern consumers requires cultivating 125,000 hectares of land that include hundreds of millions of agave plants. We set out early in the morning on May 16, 2020. After the fermentation, dead mosto contains more than 100 compounds. Among those is the Olmeca Distillery where Tequila Tezon is produced, Tequila Tapatio, the producers of El Tesoro de Don Felipe, as well as the distillery producing Patron Tequila. Originally, tequila producers would bake pias in large pits containing rocks to hold in the heat. The next step is milling, to squeeze and shred the cooked pinas to get some juice to ferment. Here is a SIMPLE DESCRIPTION OF THE FERMENTATION TO DISTILLATION STAGE for making Tequila: After steaming (cooking) the pinas, generally by horno (oven) or autoclave (stainless steel oven), inulin carbs transform into fructose. The large fermentation tanks at Cazadores fill an entire building and the yeast is treated to classical music which blares from wall-mounted speakers. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Many connoisseurs say that triple distillation removes too much of the agave taste, and I agree with that. Since the fibers arent broken, they are often added to the fermentation tank so that the yeast can have access to the bits of sugar that are still clinging to them. The production of tequila is divided into seven steps: harvesting, cooking, fermentation, distillation, aging and bottling. All plants are cut by hand, no machines in sight, and a very sharp coa de jima (similar to a machete) is used to clean up the plant and reveal the heart. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Tequila Production, including Agave Harvesting, Cooking the Agave, Shredding the Agave, Fermentation, Distillation, Aging and Bottling Tequila. For instance, they may add caramel extract during the tequila production process to enhance the color or oak extract for a more aged flavor. Tequila and mezcal are both traditional Mexican liquors that are produced from cooked Agave spp. In this case, the column still is used in a different way than normal, making use of its continuous process, and not the ability to create high-proof tequila in a single pass. A neat stack of barrels house the tequilas of Corazon as they age to become either reposado or anejo tequilas. Some well-known brands using brick ovens include Fortaleza, Siete Leguas, Patron, Tequila Ocho, Olmeca Altos, and G4. In this work, the behaviour of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast (isolated from the juices of the Agave tequilana Weber blue variety) during the agave juice fermentation is compared at different sugar concentrations to determine if it is feasible for the industry to run . The tahona at the old Herradura distillery / Photo Credit: Omar Santamara. These stills were made by a local artisan on the premises of the distillery. Agave maintains a high production level of fructose and sugars called agavins, which spur on the fermentation process of making tequila. Donate Bitcoin here: 3B6B2eV1Sg8myRJUi2hikD19nE32pxpLT9, fermentation is simply converting sugars and/or carbohydrates to alcohol, it only concentrates alcohol. 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