Mexican Pineapple BeerI recently made my first batch of Pineapple Beer. Known in Mexico as Tepache (pronounced Tay-paw-Chee) this drink is made by fermenting pineapples for a total of three days, or.. 72 hours. The drink does contain a small amount of alcohol from the fermentation process, I'm estimating between 1.5 to 3.0% in the batch I brewed up. Some folks will add a light beer to the ingredients which will up the alcohol content a bit, and get the fermentation rolling faster.
How it works
This drink is made by the process of fermentation. Yeast in the pineapple rind and air help to create the alcohol content. The simplest way I can explain it (and pardon my crudeness) is that the yeast eats sugar, and in turn craps out alcohol. You could ferment it longer than 3 days, but if you do, you then run the risk of making pineapple vinegar.
Health benefits
Tepache contains beneficial bacteria, probiotics, vitamin C, and yeasts that are incredible for gut health. It's actually made in a similar way to Kombucha, but takes a lot less time. This drink is also very delicious, affordable to make, and anyone can do it.
Ingredients you'll need:
2 large ripe pineapples
4 liters of water
5&1/2 cups of Brown Cane Sugar
3 sticks of cinnamon
3 whole cloves
(yields about 2 gallons) and you can easily alter this recipe to make half the amount.
(yields about 2 gallons) and you can easily alter this recipe to make half the amount.
Directions:
Remove tops of pineapples and discard them. Then, chop up the pineapples and add the rinds along with the fruit, to the container where they will be fermenting. I like to squeeze the rinds to get more juice out of them, and will even puree some of the fruit as well. Finally add the rest of the ingredients, stir and cover for 48 hours.
Use a glass container or a plastic vessel that is food safe to ferment the Tepache in. Cover it with a loose lid, or cheesecloth so the mixture can breathe.
I'm a homebrewer and utilize some of my brewing equipment to ferment this drink with. I use a Bucket fermenter I own for the following reasons..
- It has a spigot for easy transferring between containers and for bottling
- It's easy to clean and move
- It's airtight but breathable to keep the fermenting environment clean
HomeBrewOhio.com is my go-to for homebrewing supplies, and their fermenter bucket setup with everything you need, is the most affordable one I've found on Amazon. The setup comes with an airlock that you place atop the fermenter and fill with water. This allows the gas created by the fermentation process to escape, but won't allow any new air or contaminates to get inside. It's not absolutely necessary to use this equipment when making Tepache, but it makes the whole process incredibly more efficient.
After 48 hours, remove the fruit and rinds from the fermenter and discard. Then, filter through cheesecloth into another clean container.
After 24 hours, remove the foam from the top of the beer with a wooden spoon or strainer.
After the foam is removed, strain the Tepache once more through a cheesecloth and you're then ready to bottle it or pour it into pitchers.
Important.. Refrigerate the Tepache once you're done pouring it into bottles or containers. Refrigeration slows down the fermentation process, but.. the yeast will continue to slowly eat the sugar, which will make the Tepache less sweet in time.
After 48 hours, remove the fruit and rinds from the fermenter and discard. Then, filter through cheesecloth into another clean container.
Straining the Tepache
Give the original fermenting container a quick rinse, and then return the strained tepache to it. Add 2.5 more liters of water and give it a quick stir. Cover and leave for another 24 hours.
After 24 hours, remove the foam from the top of the beer with a wooden spoon or strainer.
After the foam is removed, strain the Tepache once more through a cheesecloth and you're then ready to bottle it or pour it into pitchers.
Important.. Refrigerate the Tepache once you're done pouring it into bottles or containers. Refrigeration slows down the fermentation process, but.. the yeast will continue to slowly eat the sugar, which will make the Tepache less sweet in time.
In short.. Tepache is a drink to be enjoyed fresh. Storing it for long periods of time just doesn't work well.
I've been home brewing beer for over 20 years, and have learned that while yeast devours sugar and in turn produces alcohol, it will also eat up any wild bacteria strains, and can make your beer taste funky. That being said, it's very important to keep your equipment clean.
Basically, whatever the Tepache comes in contact with, needs to be sanitized. You can buy 8 ounce bags or containers of sanitizer at Home Brew Ohio or on Amazon for under ten dollars. You basically mix one teaspoon to a gallon of water and it's a no rinse solution. You can also make an effective sanitizer using one tablespoon of bleach to 4 gallons of water.
That's it! Your Pineapple Beer is now ready to drink. The Tepache will clarify a bit and build some carbonation as it sits in the refrigerator. Your Tepache will be light, sweet, and kind of like a pineapple spritzer. The recipe I shared here should make about two gallons of Tepache.
Final tip:
I've been home brewing beer for over 20 years, and have learned that while yeast devours sugar and in turn produces alcohol, it will also eat up any wild bacteria strains, and can make your beer taste funky. That being said, it's very important to keep your equipment clean. Basically, whatever the Tepache comes in contact with, needs to be sanitized. You can buy 8 ounce bags or containers of sanitizer at Home Brew Ohio or on Amazon for under ten dollars. You basically mix one teaspoon to a gallon of water and it's a no rinse solution. You can also make an effective sanitizer using one tablespoon of bleach to 4 gallons of water.
I hope you enjoyed this recipe and tutorial. I plan on making Tepache on a regular basis, so maybe I'll shoot a video on the process soon. Thanks for stopping by, and happy brewing!