Making Traditional rice Wine. Cheap, Fun, and Different

Free offer: PM me and I will send you a packet of "Angel Rice Leaven" via first class mail. First come first serve. According to the directions each packet should be enough for 2 - 2.5 kg of dry rice (approx. 9 - 12 US cups dry rice). Limit 20 packets total; one per account.

I will reply via PM and include a paypal address for those who want to cover my cost ($1). Payment is totally optional.


http://en.angelyeast.com/product/17179.html

Here is the start of what I hope will be some purely delicious rice wine!!!

I'd just like to know where you got that rice leaven, since one packet won't do for me, though I appreciate your offer.

Olive Supermarket
8041 Olive Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63130

nhamilto40 said:

Olive Supermarket
8041 Olive Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63130

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Oh.... I was hoping you'd have a place online for it. The only place I can find it is sites that offer them in bulk directly from China.

I go through St. Louis on bike trips once or twice a year though... May have to keep this in mind. lol. Or... just stick with the yeast balls and beating up my coffee grinder.

trbig....look them up and call them, they may be nice and ship some to you. Or simply take him up on his offer.

You know, I bet we could list on eBay for reasonable price and share the love. Would not make a fortune, but for those with easy access it would be something to offer.

For those who want to contact my source: http://stlouissupermarket.com/contact_us

This place is owned by first generation Chinese immigrants so be prepared for broken English.

18 packets left on the Angel Rice Leaven giveaway.

edit: now 16 left

edit 2: 14 left

My 15 completed bottles

I got yeast balls and rice today. What I bought was labeled "Sweet Rice" that's the right kind of rice, correct?

lustreking said:

I got yeast balls and rice today. What I bought was labeled "Sweet Rice" that's the right kind of rice, correct?

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From reading the whole thread, I am pretty sure this is the most popular type to use. I tried Thai Jasmine and also the sweet rice. I am pretty sure you could use either. Someone even used CalRose rice with good results. Should be fine with the sweet rice.

kosciel4 said:

My 15 completed bottles

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You've been busy haha

For those who want to steam their rice.

Bamboo steamer dry rice capacity per two tray set. Walmart sometimes has 10 inch sets; for larger sizes head over to amazon or wokshop.

10 inch diameter = 1 kg = 5 cups
12 inch diameter = 1.5 kg = 7.5 cups
14 inch diameter = 2 kg = 10 cups

Technique: Soak rice until its volume expands by 1/3, drain and rinse, line steamer tray with cloth, fill with rice, fold cloth edges over rice and steam for 25 min.

kosciel4 said:

My 15 completed bottles

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Have to admit. Even I am a bit jealous!

kosciel4 said:

My 15 completed bottles

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Thing of beauty! Nicely done.

Thanks guys, haha. My brother and I dread bottling the next 4 gallons in a few days (roughly 18-20 more bottles), straining and boiling them to kill the yeast was a process.
If anyone has any interest in some of those bottles I used "grolsch tops" I have a friend at a brewery here in Milwaukee that sells them $10 for 18 bottles

One week pic. Liquid is up to the floating rice cap; about an inch from the surface. The rice cap has some koji "frosting" on it. Link to starting post

I have been reading through this thread and am very interested in making some rice wine. I have had no luck finding yeast balls at the only 3 asian markets that i know of, so i have resorted to buying online. I figured if I am already making an order i might as well check out the rice selection.

Has anyone ever heard of BLACK glutinous rice?
http://www.asiansupermarket365.com/Cock-Brand-Black-Glutinous-Rice-p/cockbgrbew.htm

thinking about buying some and trying it out. Any words of wisdom?

pistachio said:

I have been reading through this thread and am very interested in making some rice wine. I have had no luck finding yeast balls at the only 3 asian markets that i know of, so i have resorted to buying online. I figured if I am already making an order i might as well check out the rice selection.

Has anyone ever heard of BLACK glutinous rice?
http://www.asiansupermarket365.com/Cock-Brand-Black-Glutinous-Rice-p/cockbgrbew.htm

thinking about buying some and trying it out. Any words of wisdom?

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I dont know about making wine with it but if its the Black Forbidden rice I usually get for eating its amazingly delicious and I was wondering about the rice potential. Will be very intersted in your results

Free offer is now down to 12 packets. PM me if you want some "Angel Rice Leaven".

kosciel4 said:

My 15 completed bottles

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That looks great man!

pulled the trigger on the glutinous black rice. Ordered 10 lbs of white rice 5 lbs of black rice and yeast balls. Plan on doing one batch all white rice, one batch all black, and one batch mixed.

Has anyone tried using any potassium sorbate to stop fermenting into vinegar instead of just refrigerating?

nhamilto40 said:

Free offer is now down to 12 packets. PM me if you want some "Angel Rice Leaven".

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Sorry... but have you actually made some rice wine with this?

I was worried about the rice balls I had gotten since they had all the extra stuff in the ingredients. (See photo here... https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f25/ma...fun-different-361095/index75.html#post4910604 )As stated, I put 12 cups rice in a plastic fermenting bucket with 12 yeast balls mixed in on the 16th.. and it just sat there doing nothing. I'm used to beer taking off in an hour or two, and since there was so much yeast ball powder incorporated into the rice, I thought it would take off sooner. Plus, as I sat here reading about all the people that had problems when too much water was used.. and I used a nearly 2/1 water to rice ratio. But, here I sit on the evening of day three, and the little air lock is bubbling very nicely with a nice yeast smell. I may end up with something consumable yet!

pistachio said:

pulled the trigger on the glutinous black rice. Ordered 10 lbs of white rice 5 lbs of black rice and yeast balls. Plan on doing one batch all white rice, one batch all black, and one batch mixed.

Has anyone tried using any potassium sorbate to stop fermenting into vinegar instead of just refrigerating?

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Seems to be stove top pasturizing is the preferred method

sonofgrok said:

Place in a dark warm corner to ferment. We will check on this every week for a month and update accordingly.

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How warm is "warm?" My $%*^*%*$*#@ rental home has between little and none for insulation so I just stopped heating all together. I have a tiny space heater in the second bedroom on a Johnson set to keep the room between 60 and 64 for the beer. Is that warm enough?

Not trying to be facetious as the rest of the house is literally too cold to even make bread. I have to keep the dough in my bedroom directly in front of my space heater to make it rise.

Doing some reading on this, the kobi mold has to grow first. The mold breaks down the starches into something the yeast can eat, so it's not just a case of throwing yeast on sugar and instant alcohol/CO2. So.. the mold has to grow first, which then give the yeast something to be happy about, which then gives ME something to be happy about. :cross:

trbig said:

Doing some reading on this, the kobi mold has to grow first. The mold breaks down the starches into something the yeast can eat, so it's not just a case of throwing yeast on sugar and instant alcohol/CO2. So.. the mold has to grow first, which then give the yeast something to be happy about, which then gives ME something to be happy about. :cross:

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Correct, rice unlike our beer malt has no diastatic power, so the koji takes care of that. Its a wonderful team!

Started my first batch on Sunday 2-17, was a little worried I didn't use enough water, but after reading thread it seems I may have inadvertently did it correctly. Ended up doing around 1:1.25 or so, already have some liquid in the bottom of jar. Excited to try.

For those wanting to know how the "Angel Rice Leaven" product works here is their information on their Chinese site. Link

Google translate yields a workable set of instructions. ie. the Angel Liqueur Song is an improvement containing powdered concentrated music genres of the Earth Folk Song and turns rice into rum at 30° C What could be more clear???

12 Packets left ... offer is still on.

kosciel4 said:

My 15 completed bottles

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You mentioned you boiled to stabilize, would you share your process with others please, as others may want someone to describe what/how you did yours. They look great!!!

To pistachio, you have to pasteurize this ferment to kill the yeast, because this version and traditional sake being super prone to lactobacillus infection, not to mention it is typically still fermenting even when you harvest at Day 30., but you can dose with k-meta to incorporate its antioxidant power since you may want to age some of this. Plus, sorbate will not prevent the formation of vinegar, that is not how sorbate works or what it does. Vinegar comes only from acetobacter aceti, and I purposely make vinegar 365/24/7 far, far away from my winemaking with leftover wine which has been pasteurized, dosed with k-meta and/or sorbate..the acetobacter chomps right through it.
I have eaten the black glutinous rice and would love to make a batch of black rice wine, it is supposed to be an awesome wine. I was jumping with joy when I saw the rice at asian365, but I held off on buying. Next order though....some to eat, some to forment, some to eat fermented!! Definitely take photos, keep us posted.

mpride1911 said:

How warm is "warm?" My $%*^*%*$*#@ rental home has between little and none for insulation so I just stopped heating all together. I have a tiny space heater in the second bedroom on a Johnson set to keep the room between 60 and 64 for the beer. Is that warm enough?

Not trying to be facetious as the rest of the house is literally too cold to even make bread. I have to keep the dough in my bedroom directly in front of my space heater to make it rise.

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In the 70s is ideal. I have had success at the high 60s though it has taken longer. Low 60s where you are talking about may be too cold but I cannot confirm nor deny. It may take a bit longer. I would recommend wrapping it in a thick blankey too. That may help.

For what it's worth, I've got a batch fermenting next to a batch of ale sitting at about 63, and it seems to be doing well, going on two weeks.

saramc said:

Next order though....some to eat, some to forment

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Don't forment it, that's cruel!

What size jars should I use? Does anyone rack to secondary, or do you just pasteurize from the jars? I have some jars, think they might be pints or quarts. Is that to small?

What size jars should I use? Does anyone use a secondary, or do you just pasteurize from the jars? I have some jars, think they might be pints or quarts. Is that to small?

Im really interested in making this, have been on an experimentation streak of late (Started a milk mead the other day). Is there a way to make this without cooking the rice with a rice steamer? I dont have access to one and usually make rice in pots. Thanks!

weeple2000 said:

What size jars should I use? Does anyone use a secondary, or do you just pasteurize from the jars? I have some jars, think they might be pints or quarts. Is that to small?

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Whatever size you want. The only problem with small jars is that if you are successful, you are definitely going to wish you had made more!

HopHeaven said:

Im really interested in making this, have been on an experimentation streak of late (Started a milk mead the other day). Is there a way to make this without cooking the rice with a rice steamer? I dont have access to one and usually make rice in pots. Thanks!

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You can cook the rice however! Warning though, this experiment turns into and addiction. My wife (who is allergic to alcohol and can't have more of a sip here and there) always immediately says "we need to make you more rice" right after we harvest.

Unfortunately, I did something wrong with the last of the sweet mochi rice in the house. The rice came out of the steamer pretty dry and there was no liquifying, just a black mold that grew on the rice. I finally gave up hoping that it was really okay and it was pretty foul.

Just started a second batch today with some Thai jasmine rice. Fingers crossed.

HopHeaven said:

Im really interested in making this, have been on an experimentation streak of late (Started a milk mead the other day). Is there a way to make this without cooking the rice with a rice steamer? I dont have access to one and usually make rice in pots. Thanks!

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I honestly did a gallon batch by filling a few pots with 1-1 cups of rice and water.
When the water was almost gone I put it all in a mesh straining bag and ran it under cold water until the water ran clear and the rice was between 70-80 degree.
Then introduced the yeast, stirred a little bit and airlocked my container.
Then I left it in a warm closet around 80 degrees and it was ready in less than 4 weeks.

kosciel4 said:

I honestly did a gallon batch by filling a few pots with 1-1 cups of rice and water.
When the water was almost gone I put it all in a mesh straining bag and ran it under cold water until the water ran clear and the rice was between 70-80 degree.
Then introduced the yeast, stirred a little bit and airlocked my container.
Then I left it in a warm closet around 80 degrees and it was ready in less than 4 weeks.

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If you are going to rinse the rice, aren't you supposed to soak it & rinse it before cooking? If you rinsed it after cooking and it still came out fine, it seems this rice wine is pretty forgiving. Doesn't seem to matter if you steam it or boil it and probably doesn't matter if you soak it or rinse it.

The only thing I've noticed from following this thread is too much or too little water can result in mold growth. I sanitized everything & followed the directions on the bags. Haven't seen any fuzzy or black mold and I'm @ 23 days right now.