Agave Production Flashcards
What are the 6 steps of tequila production
- Preparing Agave
- Energy Conversion
- Milling/Roasting Agave
- Fermentation
- Distillation
- Blending & Bottling;
What is done to Prepare the Agave
pinas are broken into evenly sized halves or quarters (makes stacking easier, is consistent cooking, allows for easier access in removing Cogollo “ko-goy-yo” - short leaves buried in head of non-flowering agave which are bitter)
How is agave energy conversion done
agave sugars are locked in fructans and must be hydrolyzed to be released. Most common way is via cooking
What are the 3 main ways to cook agave
pit oven; brick over, autoclaves
What is charecteristics of Pit oven
buried in ground along with hot stones and heat source (usually wood or hot coals)
agave stacked on hot stones and covered with earth
takes 3-7 days
very labour intensive
What is charecteristics of Brick oven
clay brick became popular early 1900s.
Pinas stacked inside brick over powered by steam
The steaming cycle alternates with periods of heat and rest
ave time 48-72hrs
What is charecteristics of Autoclave oven
most modern and efficient; large pressure-cooker; cook agave (or agave juice) quickly; adopted from sugar refining industry; roasting flavours lost in exchange for speed
What are the 4 types of milling for agave
Hand Crushing
Tahona
Roller Mill
Diffuser
What is Hand Crushing
most ancient method using wooden bats and/or machetes by hand. Rarely used in tequila still used by mezcal ancestral
What is Tahona Milling
over 400yo technique using large volcanic stone wheel to crush rosted agave. Traditionally pulled by horse or donkey now often powered by egine or tractor; phased out in the mid1900s but making a comeback
What are some tequila brands using Tahona
Patron
Suerte
Forteleza
El Tesoro
Olmeca Altos
San Matias
G4
What is Roller Milling
roasted agave is run through series of 5 follers that break down the fibers. After the fibers are rinsed with water to release sugars which are collected below machine
sugar concentraiton maintained by adjusting amount of water added during process; most common technique
What is Diffuser Method
industrial technology that inverts tequila making process
raw uncooked shredded agave fiber enters machine
sugars extracted via spraying hot water under high pressure (sometimes with assitance of Sulfuric acid)
highly efficient (up to 98%-99% of sugars)
lacks much of the complexity of traditional methods
What 3 choices are most impactful in fermentation process
Yeast Strain
Fermentation Conditions
Decision to use Bagaso
What are two variable in Fermentation Conditions
Temperature and Acidity both can be controlled for different results with same yeist and product
