A web journal about craft methods of distillation
Editors: Will Hodges & Ansley Coale
Tech Note: Tasting the First Distillation Run of Mezcal
Tech Note: Tasting the First Distillation Run of Mezcal
Tasting a first distillation run coming off a still at the Los Danzantes distillery in Santiago Matatlan, outside Oaxaca City. The first run is always very sweet, and ever so soft.
Tech Notes: Distilling with Agave Solids
Tech Notes: Distilling with Agave Solids
After a first distillation run at Los Danzantes. Ernesto is pitchforking the solids out, cleaning the still for the next rum. Distilling the solids makes the mezcal richer, more complex, and gives it the characteristic vegetal overtones of artisan mezcal.
Tech Notes: Including Solids in Mezcal Distillation
Tech Notes: Including Solids in Mezcal Distillation
Moving the milled agave solids to the still at Los Danzantes. Distilling with solids is more difficult (they want to cook to the inside of the still), but adding them makes the mezcal richer, more complex, and gives it the typical vegetal overtones of artisan mezcal. It’s a lot of work.
Tech Note: Interview with Hector Vasquez about Mezcal Distillation Cuts
Tech Note: Interview with Hector Vasquez about Mezcal Distillation Cuts
Artisan mezcal: Hector Vasquez on how the Alipús distillers make their cuts differently to satisfy the NORMA export regulations, plus encouraging the distillers to use their noses instead of tasting, which is how we work at Germain-Robin.
Tech Note: Putting the Top on a Potstill
Tech Note: Putting the Top on a Potstill
Putting the top on a potstill at Los Danzantes after filling the still. This is exactly how any artisan mezcal distiller does it. What got cut off in the video is wrapping the connections with a strip of cloth, which goes back for centuries.
Tech Note: Organizing Fermentation at Los Danzantes
Tech Note: Organizing Fermentation at Los Danzantes
Distilería Los Daznates has set up a sophisticated system of rolling tanks so they can have several batches in sequential fermentation. It’s about how to be Mexico’s #1 artisan mezcal without sacrificing rigorous artisan methods.
Tech Note: Interview with Héctor Vasquez on Yeast Inoculation
Tech Note: Interview with Héctor Vasquez on Yeast Inoculation
Fermentation with native yeasts is tricky. This is Hector Vasquez on inoculating the must with yeast collected from previous
fermentations, this to get complete and consistent fermentation. This is a great example of Los Danzantes’ work on improving ancestral methods. There’s a lot of info on agave fermentation at http://www.ianchadwick.com/tequila/fermentation.htm
Tech Note: Remixing Fermenting Agave
Tech Note: Remixing Fermenting Agave
Remixing the solids down into the tina, the agave fermentation tank, at Los Danzantes. The solids tend to float to the top. Remixing enriches the fermentation, so you get more flavor & complexity. It’s like punching down the skins when you’re fermenting crushed grapes.
Tech Note: Modern Stone Mill
Tech Note: Modern Stone Mill
Los Danzantes puts huge effort into preserving authentic craft methods. This is about their new millstone.
Tech Note: Héctor Vasquez on Field Tests of Stone Mills vs. Shredders
Tech Note: Héctor Vasquez on Field Tests of Stone Mills vs. Shredders
Héctor Vasquez of Los Danzantes talking about field tests at small family mezcal distilleries comparing stone-mill mezcals to ones using shredders, with an interesting sidelight about the social impact of shredders.
Tech Note: Why Stone Milling Yields Better Mezcal
Tech Note: Why Stone Milling Yields Better Mezcal
Agronomist Luis Mendez, who works out of Sola de Vega, explains that when a stone mill is used to crush roast agaves, the crushing is uneven, leaves larger pieces of the solids, and preserves all the liquids.
Yeasts like nooks and crannies to inhabit, and they like the sugars in the liquids, so the fermentation is longer and more complete, yielding richer and more complex distillations. He says that pulping by hand with mallets in a canoa is even better.
This in comparison to mechanical shredders, what most industrial tequila producers use.
Shredding loses a lot of liquid, so the shredder is adding water, diluting what ends up in the still. Tequila producers also remove the agave solids before distilling. These are two of the reasons that good artisan mezcal is richer and more complex than 99% of present-day tequilas.
Tech Note: Stone crushing means more complete fermentation
Tech Note: Stone crushing means more complete fermentation
Stone mill at Santa Ana del Rio. Yeasts like the non-uniformity of stone crushing : the fermentation is more complete and the mezcal is richer.
Tech Note: Crushing Agave with a Stone Mill (Tahona)
Tech Note: Crushing Agave with a Stone Mill (Tahona)
The stone mill at Alipús Santa Ana del Río. Yeasts like the non-uniformity of stone crushing: the fermentation is more complete and the mezcal is richer.
Tech Note: Perfectly Roasted Agaves
Tech Note: Perfectly Roasted Agaves
Perfectly Roasted Agaves at Distilería Los Danzantes
Tech Notes: The End of an Agave Roast
Tech Notes: The End of an Agave Roast
Ansley discussing the end of an agave roasting at Destilería Los Danzantes.
A Brief Explanation of Making Mezcal
A Brief Explanation of Making Mezcal
Here is Ansley describing an general overview of mezcal production. This particular clip was filmed at Alipús’s Santa Ana del Rio location.
Shipping a Hoga Still from Ukiah to Oaxaca
Shipping a Hoga Still from Ukiah to Oaxaca
A great story about the Hoga still at Danzantes distillery ended up in Oaxaca. For the next few weeks we will be posting a series of new videos from a recent trip down to Oaxaca. Very Informational. Stay tuned.
Making clean whiskey
Making clean whiskey
Devin Cain cleans the antique cognac still after every Low Gap whiskey run.
Mezcalero Special Bottling no. 1
Mezcalero Special Bottling no. 1
From Alberto Ortiz (“Don Beto”). Our immodest claim: the finest mezcal in bottle.
Mezcalero no. 11
Mezcalero no. 11
From Alberto Ortiz of Bramaderos, near Miahuatlan. Madrecuishe, bicuishe, dobadán (Americano), espadín. “Don Beto” has the most tidy distillery I have ever seen. His mezcal is very clean too. Intense, fruity, a hint of madrecuishe acerbity.