Fermentation
Fermentation is the natural process of turning the sugars of cooked agave into alcohol. For mezcal, the agave is first milled and then transferred to fermentation vats. These vats are typically made of wood. Wild yeast present in the environment, along with residual yeast from previous fermentations (if using a traditional method), initiates fermentation. This fermentation process converts the sugars in the agave juice into alcohol.
Learn more:
- Fermentation on the Mezcal Vago blog Mas Mezcal
Photo by Mezcal Reviews of a typical wooden fermentation vat