How To Make Tequila: A Distiller's Guide

Materials

• Pot Still
• Still Burner
• Cleaning Products
• Easy Siphon
• Hydrometer
• Fermented and Strained Tequila/Agave Spirit Wash

If you’ve made it this far, great job!  So far you’ve done all of the work necessary to actually produce your fermented agave spirit or tequila wash.  Your tequila wash will currently contain some undesirable contents and sediment that you’ll need to separate out and dispose of before distilling.  You can utilize either cheesecloth or an easy siphon to remove this sediment.  After you’ve removed the undesirable contents from your tequila wash, comes the distillation step of making your own homemade tequila. The process of distilling the fermented agave/cane sugar wash will produce a purer and more concentrated spirit (tequila).  This step separates out all of the undesirable types alcohols such as acetaldehyde, acetone and methanol (which can cause blindness if consumed).

Prepping and Cleaning Your Pot Still

Don’t skip this step!  We place an emphasis on this step in all of our distilling guides because unfortunately, many people skip prepping/cleaning and it causes a subpar product in the end.  If you aim to maximize the quality of your distilled agave spirit, then it’s all about your attention to detail. You’ll want to start on prep work by thoroughly cleaning your still.  If this is your first run ever, below is a great walkthrough of how to setup your pot or reflux still.

Even if you cleaned the still after your last run and let it sit for a while, you still will want to clean it again.  If you’re just now learning how to make tequila, or any other spirit for that matter, now is the time to really emphasize this so you can build good habits to your distilling routine.  Remember practice makes perfect.

Now that your still and equipment have been properly cleaned and prepped, you can pour your agave/tequila wash into the still. We recommend using a siphon for this process. This is the best way to reduce the amount of sediment from your fermented tequila wash getting into the still.  Particles and sediments can cause the distillation to burn and ruin your product so take your time and be diligent during this step.

Running Your Pot Still

It’s now time to fire up that pot still! Ensure that your still is properly set for this step.  Secure all clamps and domes and make sure condensers are properly attached, as well as any hoses.  Next, you’ll turn on the heat source and start raising the temperature of your tequila wash.  You’ll want to run the tequila wash through two separate distillations.  During the first, you’ll collect the entire distillate without separating the heads, hearts and tails.  That will be done during the second round of distillation.

If using a condenser, turn on the water when the boiler reaches 130 °F.

At about 168 °F the still will start producing. Increase the temperature to keep producing distillate.

Stop collecting distillate after it measures less than 20% ABV which you can measure using the hydrometer.  Be sure to hold on to the remaining contents of the still as you’ll be adding it back in with your second distillation.  This will add to the final flavor of the product.  Dilute the first round distillate by 20% with water.  Stir the mix thoroughly and add back into the still.  Begin your second round of distillation.