Thoroughly rinse the pineapple under running water to remove dirt, but do not use soap or scrub too hard. You want to keep the natural wild yeast on the skin.

Cut off the crown and base of the pineapple. Slice off the rind, leaving a little flesh attached. Cut out the core. Place the rinds and core into your sanitized 1-gallon glass jar. (Reserve the sweet inner flesh for eating).

In a small saucepan, heat 2 cups of the filtered water with the piloncillo (or brown sugar), cinnamon stick, and cloves. Stir over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and add the remaining 6 cups of cold filtered water to bring the temperature down to lukewarm.

Pour the sweetened, spiced water over the pineapple rinds in the jar. The water should cover the pineapple. If pieces float to the top, that is normal, but try to weigh them down if possible, or stir daily.

Cover the mouth of the jar with a cheesecloth or a breathable dish towel and secure it tightly with a rubber band. Place the jar in a dark area at room temperature (70-80°F or 21-26°C).

Let it ferment for 2 to 3 days. Check it daily. You should see a white foam forming on the surface and tiny bubbles rising. Use a wooden spoon to vigorously stir the mixture once a day to prevent mold from forming on any floating rinds.

After 2-3 days, taste the Tepache. It should be pleasantly sweet, slightly tangy, and lightly fizzy. If you prefer it more fermented (less sweet, more tart), leave it for one more day.

Strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl or pitcher. Discard or compost the solids. You can drink it immediately over ice, or bottle it for extra carbonation.

For extra carbonation: Pour the strained Tepache into swing-top glass bottles, leaving about 1 inch of headspace. Seal the bottles and leave them at room temperature for 1 to 2 days.

Once desired carbonation is reached, transfer the sealed bottles to the refrigerator. The cold temperature will halt the fermentation process. Serve chilled over ice.