The Perfect Tepache Recipe: (Sweet & Fizzy Pineapple Beer!) (2024)

FAQs

How many days should tepache ferment? ›

Fermentation should activate into two to three days, and the tepache is usually optimal by day five. By then, small bubbles should cover the surface of the ferment. Store tepache in the refrigerator in a covered glass jar for up to a week. You may need to burp the jar, occasionally, to release gas.

To make the tepache alcoholic, add wild yeast to the water and sugar before adding the fruit. The wild yeast will convert that sugar into alcohol. You can also use agave nectar or honey instead of cane sugar. Beware not to over-ferment, or the beverage will turn into pineapple vinegar.

Tepache can range from cider-like and sweet to yeasty like beer. But just as complex as the flavor is the carbonation, which gives this drink a fizzy, effervescent feel. The result is a delicious drink falling somewhere between soda, kombucha, and beer.

Tepache in a sealed containers and bottles will build up carbonation quickly. So be sure to burp the bottles (open the cap quickly to let out excess built up carbonation, and tighten immediately). This will prevent it from possible explosions. Keep in fridge for up to 4 weeks.

Ferment for 2 to 5 days at room temperature. Shake the jar daily or stir with a wooden spoon. When bubbles appear and you like the taste, filter the tepache to remove the pineapple and spices. Don't let it ferment too long, as this can alter the taste.

Allow the jar to sit for 2 to 3 days and ferment. In that time, wild yeast and bacteria will be naturally attracted to the sugar in the water and begin to ferment for you. Check the drink for taste after the second day. The longer you ferment, the less sweet the beverage will be and the more alcohol you will have.

The short answer to the question of whether or not tepache is alcoholic is: yes. But, there is a very small amount of alcohol in tepache due to the fermentation process.

If you see mold growing, discard the tepache and start again. Make sure it is mold though. Mold is dry, fuzzy, and always sits on the surface. It is normal for a layer of white film or bubbles to appear.

If the ambient temperature in your kitchen is warmer, the tepache will ferment faster than it will at a cooler room temperature. To determine when the tepache is ready, just taste it! It should have a pleasant, sweet, lightly fermented flavor but you can ferment it longer if you like a more pronounced, boozy flavor.

As with most fermentations, tepache does contain a very small amount of alcohol (similar to kombucha). If you want more alcohol (of course you do), add in yeast (baker's yeast will do in a pinch but preferably brewer's or champagne yeast).

Does pineapple have to be ripe for tepache? ›

Pineapple Beer Recipe: How To Make Tepache At Home

Ensure it's really clean before you make the tepache to prevent mold from growing in the jar. I always wash it twice and it air dry in a clean spot on the counter. First, make sure the pineapple you are using is ripe.

At Penca, in Tucson, Arizona, the house tepache is made with whole overripe pineapples, cloves, allspice and a finisher of Mexican beer and brown sugar. The result is a pungent, tangy version perfect for mixing with beer or into a stronger co*cktail like Brian Eichhorst's Bourbon and Tepache.

As a fermented beverage, tepache contains some probiotics, which help keep the good bacteria in your gut healthy, help with digestion and support your immune system. The fermentation process also boosts the vitamin content of tepache, so it offers more nutritional benefits than just eating a ripe pineapple.

Add ginger, brown sugar, habanero peppers, cinnamon, and water to the container. Stir to combine, cover, and let stand for 2 days in a warm place until mixture slightly fizzy and warm to the touch. Strain mixture through a fine-meshed sieve into fermentation-grade bottles. Cover and store in your refrigerator.

A formation of white scum or film on top is normal. Mold will look like fuzzy greenish-white growths at the surface level. Tepache, depending on how far the fermentation goes, can be slightly alcoholic.

If the ambient temperature in your kitchen is warmer, the tepache will ferment faster than it will at a cooler room temperature. To determine when the tepache is ready, just taste it! It should have a pleasant, sweet, lightly fermented flavor but you can ferment it longer if you like a more pronounced, boozy flavor.

But the ultimate answer is, yes, your beer can be done fermenting in 4 days.

As with other fermented foods, your kombucha is ready when you like the taste. Generally, I taste mine on day five (although in the summer heat, it can ferment in as few as three days! I need a rest!). If you like the taste, you can either drink it all up or bottle it.

For most beer the major part of the fermentation is done within 3 days of the first signs of vigorous fermentation. The rest is just conditioning. For a big beer it'll take longer.