Making Tepache - The Secondary Fermentation
How to Bottle Tepache for Natural Fizz, Flavor & Continuous Batches
If you’ve already made tepache, this is where everything comes together.
This step takes your base ferment and turns it into a naturally fizzy, refreshing drink — a simple way to create a homemade natural soda right in your own kitchen.
But more importantly, this is where tepache stops being a one-time recipe and becomes a repeatable kitchen system.
🌿 Watch the Full Video
🌿 What You’re Doing in This Step
This stage is called the second ferment (F2).
You’re taking your finished tepache (F1) and:
bottling it
building natural carbonation
optionally adding flavor
preparing to continue the next batch
🌿 Before You Begin
Your tepache should be:
✔ lightly sweet✔ gently tangy✔ actively fermented (you’ve seen bubbles)
If it’s still very sweet → let it sit longer if it’s very sour → shorten your next batch
👉 Trust taste, not just time
🌿 Step 1 — Bottle for Natural Fizz
Strain your tepache to remove solids
Pour into clean bottles
Leave 1–2 inches of headspace
Seal bottles
Place at room temperature.
⏳ How Long to Ferment
24–48 hours for carbonation
Check daily
👉 This stage moves faster than the first ferment
⚠️ Safety Note
Fermentation creates pressure.
Open bottles once daily if unsure
Refrigerate once you reach your desired fizz
👉 Cold slows fermentation and stabilizes the drink
🌿 Step 2 — Turn It Into a Natural Soda
This is where things get fun.
Before sealing your bottles, you can add:
frozen fruit (strawberries, raspberries)
citrus slices or peel
fresh herbs
syrups or preserves
👉 Use what you already have on hand
This is not about perfect recipes — it’s about building flavor from your larder.
🌿 Step 3 — Reserve for the Next Batch
Before bottling everything, set aside:
👉 ½ to 1 cup of finished tepache
You’ll use this to kickstart your next batch.
🌿 How to Start the Next Batch
In a fresh jar:
add new pineapple
add sugar
add water
add your reserved tepache
This jumpstarts fermentation and helps create more consistent results.
👉 This is not a permanent starter👉 It’s a simple way to keep the process moving forward
🌿 Optional: Second Run from the Same Fruit
You can reuse the same pineapple once:
add fresh water + sugar
ferment again
👉 This produces a lighter, less complex batch👉 Do not reuse beyond this
🌿 What This Builds Over Time
When you use this method, your kitchen shifts from:
👉 making a recipe
to:
👉 running a system
You begin to:
build a base
flavor from what you have
carry fermentation forward
reduce waste
improve consistency
🌿 Troubleshooting
Too sweet:Let ferment longer
Too sour:Shorten fermentation next time
No fizz:Room too cold or not enough time
Overly fizzy:Refrigerate sooner next time
FOR THE PRINTABLE - CLICK HERE
🌿 The Rhythm of Tepache
Make itBottle itEnjoy itStart again
🌿 Final Kitchen Note
Tepache is meant to be simple.
It doesn’t need to be overmanaged or overthought.
👉 Watch it👉 Taste it👉 Trust it
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