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♥ Saturday, June 2, 2012 @ 7:55 PM
`Coconut Wine in the Making : A comprehensive guide in making Coconut Wine in the Philippines 
What is
Coconut Wine?
Some coconut farmers in the Philippines make use of coconut sap
for Coconut Wine making, which is called "Tuba or Bahalina".
The selection of names for Coconut Wine in the Philippines
varies from the region it was produced. In Luzon, it is mostly called Lambanog
where as in Visayas it is called as Tuba. The primary difference is the color
and the mixture of the Coconut Wine. Tuba is the product of mixing Barok (A
reddish color bark of mangrove tree) with the coconut sap, which in turn make
Tuba red in color and sometimes called the Coconut Red Wine. On the other hand,
Lambanog, sometimes known as Coconut Vodka - is the pure coconut sap (without
Barok mix) almost colorless or milky white in color.
The Steps
to Coconut Wine Making:
1. The Preparation and the Collection of Coconut Sap
The first thing that is needed is the two bamboo containers.
This is to be able to collect the "juice or sap" that will be needed
in order to make the wine. Mostly in the Philippines, it is the Mananguete's
profession (coconut sap/tuba gatherer) to gather all the needed materials out
in nature and provide the coconut sap with Barok to the Wine maker at a certain
cost.
It was noted that the quality of Tuba depends on the Tuba
gatherer or Mananguete. He who knows how to mix the right amount of Barok to
the coconut sap will produce a very good Coconut Wine. Each coconut tree have
different amount of liquid (coconut sap) produced; if the Tuba gatherer can
master the right mixture then he will be known as an excellent Tuba gatherer.
2. The Fermentation & Distillation Process
The morning after all the coconut sap that has been collected
then the fermentation process begins. The sap will be placed into a glass
container and that way any sediment can be seen through the glass, then it will
start to bubble, it must be left in the container until the bubbling starts to
subside. This will usually last three to four days.
Note: you can drink Tuba in this stage or fresh from the tree.
It has a kind of rough sweetness taste in it or mapakla .
After this you will want to carefully transfer it from one
container to the other to separate the sediment settled at the bottom of the
previous container. These sediments are already considered as a refuse/waste.
Then the next step of distillation will take place, which will take four to
five days. This should get rid of all the sediment. Now you should transfer
from one container to another, then you will cover the container, then after a
few weeks if you see more sediment then you will want to separate it again.
Note: After every decantation/filtration process, the amount of
liquid will become less and less, so it is necessary to have a Tuba reserve in
another glass bottle to be used in refilling the main container after the
sediment is removed. Make sure the new container is full to the neck so the
Tuba will not turn sour. Then cover it tightly.
The longer that you let this wine ferment the stronger that it
will become.
The Tuba that undergoes a long sedimentation process becomes
more potent and higher alcohol content. This is called Bahalina. Leave the
container for months before you repeat the process if you see a little
sediment.
Many people like to let their coconut wine age about a year and
then drink it while some people prefer to let it age for three to five years
because if you can wait that long it will usually have excellent taste to it.
Coconut wine is something that most people don’t try to make at home, as it’s
hard and much of the process is long and difficult to make.
Note: The longer the sedimentation process, the darker red it
will become and when you tap the glass container it will make a high pitch
echoing sound which means it is now Bahalina. One year old coconut wine is
already good, but those that are aged 3 to 5 years or more have much smoother
taste. When you tap the glass at this stage, it will produce a much clearer,
high pitch echoing sound.
Coconut Wine Making for me is a captivating experience, watching
Tuba turned into Bahalina in a few years and being able to taste a real Bahalina
aged over 3 years. How about Bahalina
that is aged 5 years or more what would it taste?
Definitions:
Sap - The nectar that comes
out when you cut an unopened coconut flower or inflorescence.
Barok - Barok is the bark of a tree that is reddish-tan in
color. According to Wikipedia it comes from a red lauan tan bark tree, a kind
of red mangrove tree. Barok is used for colorant and preservative as it offset
fermentation.
Mananguete
or Manananggot- A person who prepares
the collection of coconut sap and climbs the coconut tree to collect the sap
also known as Tuba gatherer.
Bahalina- the end result of Tuba
after it is fermented and distilled for a year or more. It is an organic
alcoholic drink that has no chemicals added but only mixed with Barok which is
known for its medicinal properties and coconut sap that also has high medicinal
properties.
Labels: Bahalina, Coconut, Coconut Wine, Distillation, Fermentation, Lambanog, Mananguete, Tuba, Wine  |
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