Before our fermentation process, the pinas (heart of agave) are cooked to convert the starches into fermentable sugars. The piñas are put in the cookers in a special form to ensure that they are all cooked evenly through the process. Before the piñas are cooked, the oven is filled to the top, and after they are cooked they shrink to about half the capacity of the cooker. The cooking process takes approximatley 12 hours, and then once they are done the piñas are crushed in order to release the juices/sugars that will be fermented.