OP
OP
How bad? Mine came out pretty sour (should have stopped it earlier).
Tepache!
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How bad? Mine came out pretty sour (should have stopped it earlier).
OP
OP
I have 3 friends that brewed it. 1 was excellent and I must say was as good as any mead I've ever had.
The other 2 were as sour as mine. I think mine might become part of a marguerita mix or something. It needs sugar added for sure. Other than the strong sour pineapple taste, though, there aren't any defects.
I think the key is stopping it early (through refrigeration, and possibly other more permanent measures). I think mine passed through the tastey stage before I paid attention.
Revisited, this past weekend I had cracked my Tepache. I bottled it with 1/4 cup of honey, and my yield was approx 13 12 ounce bottles. Beware using so much honey for priming sugar, as it is potential for a bottle bomb. It bubbles like CRAZY and is super high in carbonation. Reminds me of champagne. I had some friends over and one of them is getting married (we were all drunk) . Well they all tried it and the bachelor keeps saying that he wants me to make it for his wedding (for over 100 people). No thanks!!! It tastes good, somewhat sweet, totally pineapple, but has an odd finish.... I will be making this again when my produce co op produces more pineapple for free!!
I will post a picture of it soon....
I will post a picture of it soon....
Here is a video of my Tepache, one is a bottle bomb, and the other is of the pour. Don't prime with 1/4 cup of honey . . . and also wait until fermentation is finished.
<---- bottle bomb
<----- after its in the glass
<---- bottle bomb
<----- after its in the glass
Last edited by a moderator:
OP
OP
Not a bottle bomb (that's when you hear a "bang" and find shards of sticky glass). What you have there is a helluva gusher.
One of them, I barley put any pressure on the cap and it made a loud pop sound and I lost half of the bottle opening it. I have not had an explosion, but I think the potential for one is there. That Tepache is good stuff. I am going to Mexico on Monday, I wonder if I can find it there.
duffman2
Well-Known Member
Made my tepache for St Patty's day (way back in mid april) and when it came to bottling or serving it smelled terrible and way too strong. So I stuck it in the freezer to sit for the most part at 50 F. Even after racking and straining it developed a white layer on top.
And I still have the stuff in the freezer, and it still has the white stuff on top.
And I'm still scared to drink the stuff
And I still have the stuff in the freezer, and it still has the white stuff on top.
And I'm still scared to drink the stuff
Cool thread: I've never made tepache with coconut, or with spices beyond cinnamon; I'll have to try it! I'm glad so many people have taken an interest in a drink that even now is slowly losing its cultural relevance in Mexico. Apparently, my grandmother used to get the stuff when she was a kid in Mexico City, but two generations in, tepache has been replaced by things like Jarritos or other big name-brand fruit sodas. My cousins and their kids don't even know what it is!
But let's put the longing reminisces of another generation aside and get down to what we're really here for: the old family recipe. From what I understand, tepache was more a small beer/soda than it was a proper alcoholic drink, so my preparation of it has always gone accordingly.
Abuelita's Tepache (Mexico City variant)
The unwashed skins and core from 1 pineapple
~1 gal.* water
2 cups piloncillo (raw brown sugar)
1 stick of cinnamon
Leave the tepache somewhere warm for 3-5 days. I know it sounds like heresy, but I've always been encouraged to leave it in a sunny place, - even (gasp) with nothing but a clean dishtowel over the top! Cold crash it at the desired sweetness, or drink it fresh. Just make sure to serve it while it's carbonated!
I know, it seems like a minimalist recipe. But really it's more than just a recipe. Most old timers from Mexico would give you a weird look if you tried to use a whole pineapple for tepache: you can eat most of the darn thing, why throw it in the booze bucket?! The pineapple for them wasn't so much the means for tepache as it was an end solution for a hungry family. In that light, the family recipe says to only use the skins and cores of the pineapple.
*the volume was never specific, but for such little pineapple I decided to standardize at a low volume
But let's put the longing reminisces of another generation aside and get down to what we're really here for: the old family recipe. From what I understand, tepache was more a small beer/soda than it was a proper alcoholic drink, so my preparation of it has always gone accordingly.
Abuelita's Tepache (Mexico City variant)
The unwashed skins and core from 1 pineapple
~1 gal.* water
2 cups piloncillo (raw brown sugar)
1 stick of cinnamon
Leave the tepache somewhere warm for 3-5 days. I know it sounds like heresy, but I've always been encouraged to leave it in a sunny place, - even (gasp) with nothing but a clean dishtowel over the top! Cold crash it at the desired sweetness, or drink it fresh. Just make sure to serve it while it's carbonated!
I know, it seems like a minimalist recipe. But really it's more than just a recipe. Most old timers from Mexico would give you a weird look if you tried to use a whole pineapple for tepache: you can eat most of the darn thing, why throw it in the booze bucket?! The pineapple for them wasn't so much the means for tepache as it was an end solution for a hungry family. In that light, the family recipe says to only use the skins and cores of the pineapple.
*the volume was never specific, but for such little pineapple I decided to standardize at a low volume
So I am attempting to brew this too, but a little differently.
Making a 2 gallon batch
Ingredients:
-2 pineapples
-2 gallons of water
-3 whole cinnamon sticks
-13 allspice berries
-12 whole cloves
-24 oz of piloncillo (equivalent to 3 whole bars)
-32 oz of barley
I used a 5 gallon carboy with airlock for this. I cut the pineapple and had to cut the rinds into small slices to make them fit through the neck of the carboy. I added a bit of water into a blender from the 2 gallons of water used, and added the pineapple fruit (not the rinds) to liquify it. Then I added the thin pineapple puree from the blender onto the carboy. Added the 3 cinnamon sticks (broke all of them in half), and added the allspice and cloves.
Note: I did clean the pineapples since I was told not washing it can cause bacteria to grow during fermentation. Cleaning the pineapples with soap will not affect the wild yeast.
Going to let it ferment for 2-3 days, then add the piloncillo and barley.
In regards to the barley, I was told to boil the barley in a pot, then add it to the tepache 3 days after initial fermentation. Then let it ferment for an additional 3 days and it should be ready.
Making a 2 gallon batch
Ingredients:
-2 pineapples
-2 gallons of water
-3 whole cinnamon sticks
-13 allspice berries
-12 whole cloves
-24 oz of piloncillo (equivalent to 3 whole bars)
-32 oz of barley
I used a 5 gallon carboy with airlock for this. I cut the pineapple and had to cut the rinds into small slices to make them fit through the neck of the carboy. I added a bit of water into a blender from the 2 gallons of water used, and added the pineapple fruit (not the rinds) to liquify it. Then I added the thin pineapple puree from the blender onto the carboy. Added the 3 cinnamon sticks (broke all of them in half), and added the allspice and cloves.
Note: I did clean the pineapples since I was told not washing it can cause bacteria to grow during fermentation. Cleaning the pineapples with soap will not affect the wild yeast.
Going to let it ferment for 2-3 days, then add the piloncillo and barley.
In regards to the barley, I was told to boil the barley in a pot, then add it to the tepache 3 days after initial fermentation. Then let it ferment for an additional 3 days and it should be ready.
OP
OP
Refrigerate it before it gets too sour. That's the key.
During fermentation or after?
OP
OP
After. Just taste it every day or two and when it tastes good, strain and refrigerate. I didn't do that and it got really sour. If you want to bottle before fermentation is done, you'll have to pasteurize.
Good tips. Thanks! I have never tasted tepache, so unsure what good tepache is suppose to taste like.
OP
OP
Done right, it's like pineapple mead. Very very tasty. Wrong, it's a sour pineapple bomb. Even at its sourest, it had great flavor, but the intensity of the sourness was overwhelming.
brewgazer
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Just made my first batch of tepache this weekend using pretty much the same recipe as Abuelita's. Fermented it on the kitchen counter covered with a cheesecloth for 48 hours, and it came out with an unpleasant acetone-y, solvent aroma. I ended up throwing out the whole batch unfortunately. Any ideas what that could be?
OP
OP
You only fermented for 2 days? That sure doesn't seem long enough (although I'll admit I want way too long - several weeks if I remember correctly).
brewgazer
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Yeah - this is the recipe I used:
http://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/2013/07/tepache-easy-homemade-pineapple-brew.html
They caution against letting it ferment for too long lest it turn into pineapple vinegar.
If you could get past the acetone aroma, it was actually pretty tasty! I'm just wondering if anyone else had encountered that and what might be the cause.
http://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/2013/07/tepache-easy-homemade-pineapple-brew.html
They caution against letting it ferment for too long lest it turn into pineapple vinegar.
If you could get past the acetone aroma, it was actually pretty tasty! I'm just wondering if anyone else had encountered that and what might be the cause.
mattmmille
Well-Known Member
I just started a batch of tepache last night. A Mexican store owner where I bought the raw sugar (piloncillo) told me to definitely only use the skins and core. From the reading I've done, the initial ferment should be about 48 hours, then strain and add some more water or some water and a beer. Then ferment it another 12 hours and chill. Serve over ice. Very short start to drink time. In the fridge, over time, it supposedly continues to slowly ferment and eventually you have a funky spiced pineapple vinegar. I had not seen anyone try to bottle it until I read through this thread.
At the Mexican store, there was a commercially bottled, non-alcoholic version for sale. I poured a glass and it was VERY sweet. I topped it of with a citrusy citra American wheat beer and it was MUCH better...still a little sweet, but tasty! So, I invented Mateo's Tepache Shandy!
My batch is 20 hours old and I haven't gotten any fermentation signs yet. I'm doing it in a 2 gallon fermentation bucket with an airlock. I've taken the lid off and stirred a few times. I wonder...if the fermentation doesn't take off, maybe I should add a gram of yeast?
At the Mexican store, there was a commercially bottled, non-alcoholic version for sale. I poured a glass and it was VERY sweet. I topped it of with a citrusy citra American wheat beer and it was MUCH better...still a little sweet, but tasty! So, I invented Mateo's Tepache Shandy!
My batch is 20 hours old and I haven't gotten any fermentation signs yet. I'm doing it in a 2 gallon fermentation bucket with an airlock. I've taken the lid off and stirred a few times. I wonder...if the fermentation doesn't take off, maybe I should add a gram of yeast?
OP
OP
It'll ferment. Mine did not develop much of a krausen at all, but you should see bubbles start to form in there (maybe you can't see that with the bucket).
Renoun
Well-Known Member
If you happen to be around Portland Or., or somewhere that Rev. Nat's distributes, then you might be able to sample a commercially produced example. I'm hoping that a bottle makes it to me in Seattle and am keeping an eye for pineapples going on sale.
mattmmille
Well-Known Member
Last night, I hit the 72 hour mark on my tepache and I'm getting bubbles, but it's not doing the vigorous bubbling that I expect. The OG was 1.090, so I should be able to get a moderate amount of alcohol without fermenting it dry. It's still very sweet at this point and just barely picking up a little sweet/sour tang, so I'm going to let it go another couple of days before I strain it.
OP
OP
Cool. I never got vigorous fermentation (like beer will do).
If I make it again, I'll ferment till it tastes good (like you guys are doing), bottle, then pasteurize in my ekeggle (with the lid on!).
mattmmille
Well-Known Member
I'm fermenting mine in my 2 gallon primary bucket that I use for ciders. I have an airlock installed, but it's really just to fill the hole. I don't have the lid snapped down, so it's not airtight. I'm using this container, just because it's convenient...some recipes call for using a bowl or a pitcher with some cheesecloth for cover. That just sounds like a mess waiting to happen!
I haven't decided yet if I want to try to bottle any. I would definitely pasteurize it if I did...so much sugar! I think it's going to be interesting, though.
I haven't decided yet if I want to try to bottle any. I would definitely pasteurize it if I did...so much sugar! I think it's going to be interesting, though.
mattmmille
Well-Known Member
So, on Saturday afternoon, following the Big Brew, I strained the pineapple and spices out and transferred the tepache to a 1 gallon carboy to which I had added a cup of water and a bottle of strawberry blonde HB that had never been in the fridge. Being a brew-guy, I couldn't resist treating it like a beer/cider at this point and airlocking it. It started a nice, gentle airlock action and a noticeable fermentation...foam formed with a little brown dusting on top that has now progressed to a yeasty looking drape with a ring around the inside of the bottle, just above the foam.
I drew off a sample and it is still very sweet, but the tangy flavor is increasing. My plan is to rack it tomorrow to a 1/2 gallon carboy. If there's enough additional, I will refrigerate it for drinking and, if there's enough, I'll to an SG reading. I plan to bottle the racked tepache
same day and allow about a day or two for carbing, then pasteurizing. I don't love pastuerizing, but I think it's my best option. I anticipate maybe 5 bottles...one for the Mexican store owner that gave me some tips. I'm sure I'm going beyond the traditional process here, but I would love to get his opinion, since he has made it before, himself. I'll probably give another one away and the rest will be consumed by the maker! I don't think it's meant to age and probably wouldn't improve after pasteurization.
I drew off a sample and it is still very sweet, but the tangy flavor is increasing. My plan is to rack it tomorrow to a 1/2 gallon carboy. If there's enough additional, I will refrigerate it for drinking and, if there's enough, I'll to an SG reading. I plan to bottle the racked tepache
same day and allow about a day or two for carbing, then pasteurizing. I don't love pastuerizing, but I think it's my best option. I anticipate maybe 5 bottles...one for the Mexican store owner that gave me some tips. I'm sure I'm going beyond the traditional process here, but I would love to get his opinion, since he has made it before, himself. I'll probably give another one away and the rest will be consumed by the maker! I don't think it's meant to age and probably wouldn't improve after pasteurization.
mattmmille
Well-Known Member
Racked and bottled! Tasted and checked FG. Came down to 1.041 from 1.090, so ABV is 6.43%, a little higher than I expected, but good! With all that leftover sugar though, I'm thinking I may need to pasteurize tomorrow. I'll open one to check it and replace it with a new crown. I've had cider with less sugar carb up in two days.
OP
OP
Thanks for the pics. Can't wait to see and hear about the final product.
mattmmille
Well-Known Member
I'm sure the result will be sweeter than I normally prefer, but I think a "Mateo's Shandy" would be awesome on a hot day. My tepache mixed 1/2 and 1/2 with a hefe or a pale ale.
mattmmille
Well-Known Member
Using my pressure canner to pasteurize my small batch of Tepache. I heated the water to 190F and moved it off the heat. I added the bottles and the temp only dropped about 1 degree. I put the lid on and set a timer for ten minutes. I put the lid on, just to be safe, in case one pops. No problems. I'm going to let them rest on a kitchen towel until the reach room temperature. Then I can store or refrigerate. These aren't meant for long-term storage though. It's meant to be enjoyed fresh. I checked the water temperature when I removed the bottles and it was 170F.
quincy07
Well-Known Member
This really intrigues me. I'm not a huge pineapple fruit fan but I like pineapple juice, weird huh? I like the idea of maybe adding some mangoes too, tho it would probably take a lot of mangoes to have a noticeable flavor as pineapple can be pretty strong. I can see having a pitcher of this in my fridge to make a shandy or to drink straight up if it's not too sour. SWMBO might like it too, so that's a plus.
mattmmille
Well-Known Member
I have a pineapple-mango mead in the works, too! It's a long range project though...conditioning in a 1 gallon carboy for a couple of months. Then it's in the bottles until around November, 2016. I used one pineapple, 3 mangoes and 3 lbs of honey, plus water. I think the mango is definitely going to be way in the background.
Anyway, I pasteurized the tepache today...may have pulled the trigger a little too soon, for fear of bottle bombs. But there's a nice little carb. It's very sweet and tangy with a little bitter on the back end. I definitely prefer it "Mateo's Tepache Shandy" style, mixed 1/2 and 1/2 with my HB strawberry blonde. Tasty!
Anyway, I pasteurized the tepache today...may have pulled the trigger a little too soon, for fear of bottle bombs. But there's a nice little carb. It's very sweet and tangy with a little bitter on the back end. I definitely prefer it "Mateo's Tepache Shandy" style, mixed 1/2 and 1/2 with my HB strawberry blonde. Tasty!
OP
OP
I had checked out the mead on your blog. Good luck with that, make sure to get rid of all O2 before you age it.
I think 1.041 is leaving it too sweet, but I also think you know what you're doing. Good luck with all that.
mattmmille
Well-Known Member
I think the tepache is at the 1.04-ish range, but started at 1.111. The ABV is about 6.43%. That's why I pasteurized it, though...I knew that much sugar would be an issue, if I didn't.
I went back and looked at my mead blogs and it went down to 0.995. I reduced the head space to just barely under the stopper, so I hope that works. I didn't want it to pick up the rubbery taste. You can see notes and photos at http://mmmbrews.wordpress.com/2014/04/17/day-98-sg-check-on-the-melomel/
and
http://mmmbrews.wordpress.com/2014/...ineapple-mango-melomel-for-bulk-conditioning/
Does that all sound right? It's my first real mead/melomel, so advice is definitely welcome!
I went back and looked at my mead blogs and it went down to 0.995. I reduced the head space to just barely under the stopper, so I hope that works. I didn't want it to pick up the rubbery taste. You can see notes and photos at http://mmmbrews.wordpress.com/2014/04/17/day-98-sg-check-on-the-melomel/
and
http://mmmbrews.wordpress.com/2014/...ineapple-mango-melomel-for-bulk-conditioning/
Does that all sound right? It's my first real mead/melomel, so advice is definitely welcome!
OP
OP
If I gave you advice on a mead, I'd be a liar. I've made a few, but they always ended up too dry, and ultimately not very good. I do wish you the best with all of that. Look to our meadmakers in for the forum for good info.
mattmmille
Well-Known Member
I gave the local Mexican store owner that gave me some advice on making Tepache a bottle from my batch and went back a couple of days later to get his opinion. He was very impressed and said mine is "muy authentico"! I'm quite pleased!
My pineapple-mango mead looks beautiful in the carboy...going to just let it keep conditioning.
My pineapple-mango mead looks beautiful in the carboy...going to just let it keep conditioning.
mattmmille
Well-Known Member
Just bottled a second batch of tepache. I'm going to let this one carb a couple of days longer than the first one. Maybe three days total.I got 8 bottles from this batch.
Has anyone ever tried using any of the Chinese "yeast balls" for making rice wine with this stuff? I am thinking it might be a good way to kick things off. Especially if you want to sanitize the pineapple skin.
mattmmille
Well-Known Member
I haven't heard of that being tried. The instructions I have say to "lightly wash" the pineapple...basically to make sure there isn't any dirt, but not to sanitize it. I've been told to only use the skins and core, not the fruit. That can be eaten or used for another purpose. The fermentation does take 48 hours to start in my house, in a fermentation bucket. Then, I let it go another 4 or 4 days and strain, add a cup of water and a 12 oz beer that I haven't pasteurized. Another 24 to 48 hours and you can refrigerate it and consume or bottle. I like mine shandy style 1/2 and 1/2 with beer.
I'm sure you could add enough yeast to overpower anything naturally occurring or after using a little campden, but then you would be creating something less authentic and creating something that results from the strain of yeast you specify. Could be tasty, but not quite the same. It's certainly inexpensive enough to experiment with in small quantities, though. So, why not?
mattmmille
Well-Known Member
I just happened to read your post...I know it's been here awhile. But I have a pineapple-mango mead going through the lengthy conditioning process and recently made a pineapple-mango soda. I think it's a great combination.
I would treat the mangoes like the pineapple and harvest the fruit for eating as is or in a fruit salad, etc. Then toss the pits and the skins in with the pineapple skins and cores. For a small batch, using 1 pineapple, I would try 2 or 3 mangoes and see how it turns out!
