Went looking for the yeast today - struck out but I found a "Red Rice Ale". Posted pics here in the beer forum: What the Heck is This?
...Also.. the red yeast rice. The oriental store didn't have any, but the local Health Food store says they carry it. I plan on getting some just pulverizing it and the yeast balls in a coffee grinder...
I believe the red yeast rice that is available as a dietary supplement has been deliberately sterilized, so it probably wouldn't work....I went to the health food store and the red yeast rice is a no-go. What they had was pills of it in capsules. The lady said, "You could just break the caplets open and use them?" But the bottle of caplets was $34.. so I decided to pass on that. I guess I'll just try to use what I have and if it doesn't work, I'm out a whole $6 between the yeast balls and the rice...
So ... I realize one of the compelling things about sonofgrok's OP was the ease with which this is created. As a Homebrewer I am very likely to make that more difficult. To that end I have been thinking:
Assumption:
[*]The molds are responsible for breaking up the solids to allow the enzymes to work on the starches.
[*]Once liberated from the solid matrix, the sugars will be fermented in a "normal" manner by the yeast
[*]Yeast will flow from the solid pile with the liquid and be held in suspension
[*]Separation from solids seems to be the part which most folks in this thread have some divergent beliefs
[*]Too much moisture seems anecdotally to be a bad thing, supporting "bad" mold growth
[*]If one eliminates the need to separate the liquor from solids, this whole thing would be "easier"
Hypothesis:
If the initial rice ball is held suspended over a false bottom, or even in the strainer bag from the beginning, it will facilitate later extraction and provide a more beneficial habitat for the critters: just damp for the good mold and suspended in liquid for the yeast. The liquid will continuously drop out of the solid mass, to be fermented in teh bottom area.
Of course I've not tried this yet but this sort of thread gets a guy (or gal) thinking.
Sounds to me like way more of a PITA than it should be
So ... I realize one of the compelling things about sonofgrok's OP was the ease with which this is created. As a Homebrewer I am very likely to make that more difficult. To that end I have been thinking:
Assumption:
- The molds are responsible for breaking up the solids to allow the enzymes to work on the starches.
- Once liberated from the solid matrix, the sugars will be fermented in a "normal" manner by the yeast
- Yeast will flow from the solid pile with the liquid and be held in suspension
- Separation from solids seems to be the part which most folks in this thread have some divergent beliefs
- Too much moisture seems anecdotally to be a bad thing, supporting "bad" mold growth
- If one eliminates the need to separate the liquor from solids, this whole thing would be "easier"
Hypothesis:
If the initial rice ball is held suspended over a false bottom, or even in the strainer bag from the beginning, it will facilitate later extraction and provide a more beneficial habitat for the critters: just damp for the good mold and suspended in liquid for the yeast. The liquid will continuously drop out of the solid mass, to be fermented in teh bottom area.
Of course I've not tried this yet but this sort of thread gets a guy (or gal) thinking.
Right, because making beer and wine is easier than buying it.
So in your theory, if yeast flow from the solid down to the liquid, just sprinkle all the yeast on top and it would flow to the bottom, right? Yeast incorporated to the whole mix is what works best. Even if yeast do get washed down some into suspension, there's still plenty left attached to the rice doing their magic. Plus, the suspended yeast in the liquid have a whole surface area of the floating rice cake to attack from the bottom.
This reminds me of my last trip to my home brew store. I was talking to the lady about making some rice wine, and she said she had some Kobi yeast for making Saki. The yeast was $10, and came with a pamphlet of pages and pages of directions.
We can do it the really easy way... or make it way harder and more complicated. Whichever you're most comfortable with, I suggest that's how you should work this out. I've had beer that someone threw into a bucket with some yeast, no stirring, no boiling, no one-step or Star-San, draped a rag on top and secured with some rubber bands that came out EXCELLENT. I've had beers made by someone that would have made a rocket scientist proud.. testing and correcting for PH levels, de-ionized water, exacting temps, etc... and tasted like Pepe' Le'Pew roadkill.
I'm lazy and vote for the easy way if it works.
LBussy said:I get that ... just wondering, ya know? You can't tell me you don't end up thinking, daydreaming, how everything could be? That you would wave your hand over raw ingredients and that nude wood nymphs would just whir around and make perfect, sparkling, refreshing, hangover-less alcoholic beverages? ... or was that an over-share?
Day 15 and the rice is beginning to drop back down to the bottom (no pics cause its a ferment bucket) The consensus has been that rice dropping is a indicator of it finishing up (being a impatient brewer I want someone to say harvest it!) But I should go another 12 or so days huh? And took a whiff under the lid and woooooooo, lets say it smells like some fun stuff!
I am one of the people who has done a 5 gallon batch. It didn't go well. I believe you are correct as to one of the problems with larger batches. What felt to me as "warm" rice was probably hotter then the mold needed to saccharify the rice liked.One guy in here did a 5 gallon and it did not come out very good. I suspect the problem that occurs is that it takes so long for that amount of rice to cool to pitching temp that some unfriendlys got in his batch. Pure speculation however.
Hey guys,
Thanks for your replies, I didn't expect such great offers and help so fast. I can't remember who said it but I think your right I am asking for something which isn't translated into english very often maybe I just have to ask for rice wine ingredients. I live in Vancouver BC.
Wooda, thanks for the offer of shipping. I'm sure I'll be able to find some as the nick name for my city is Hongcouver based on how many folks from Hong kong live here. I'll try again today and maybe get some phonetics on what it is called in Chinese, that may help others in their search too.
So my journey begins, off on my quest for the balls of yeast!
Unferth said:Hi BlackPriest,
have you tried the Richmond Chinese Grocery store?
Suite 20-8251
Westminster Hwy
Richmond, BC
I found mine there; but I had a bilingual friend with me to ask for them. No freakin clue what he said, though.
SFGiantsFan925 said:So do these look like the right ones?? They were in a big bag called "rice cake". Ingredients are rice, water. That's it. No listing of yeast. Want to confirm before I start making the rice.
Hi unferth
Yes I found some just today actually. Funny after going into 4 different places and having the answers ranging from never heard of that, or looking at me like I was crazy, the one that I went to today the lady pointed to a jar right in front of me at the cash register said "right here" lol. Even funnier to the poster above me SF, those are exactly the ones I got. Same packaging same characters. So either we are both in luck or both not.
I did my first batch today 4 cups dry, 8 cups of water.... Reading above maybe I shouldn't have used as much water, wish I had read that post first but what the heck, 4 cups of rice and .45 cents of yeast balls not to big of a deal if it doesn't work.
I think those are right. The main outer bag looks different than the ones I bought, but the inner individual bags are identical.
So do these look like the right ones?? They were in a big bag called "rice cake". Ingredients are rice, water. That's it. No listing of yeast. Want to confirm before I start making the rice.
Interested in trying this, haven't read the whole thread yet. I'd like to try to make a large batch to have my efforts yield more. Are people having success doing large batches? Like five gallons? I have two rice cookers at home so I could make it in there, or else a five gallon pot or even eleven gallon pot and turkey fryer.
Those are the ones I used. Worked like a charm.
kosciel4 said:I made around 28 pounds (dry sweet rice) and filled one five gallon container to 3.2 gallons and the other to 4. I am at 27 and they are both very alcoholic, I didn't have any mold and I even added 1.5 pounds of extra sugar to the 4 gallon and it is still bubbling about 6 times a minute still.
SFGiantsFan925 said:Awesome!!!
Soaked the rice for about 1.5 hours
Cooked it 1:1, once water was absorbed, left it covered and let it sit for about 20 minutes to "steam" it.
Spread out my rice to cool on some sheet pans
3 cups Sweet Rice
4 cups Thai Jasmine Rice
Planning on using 3 very large mason jars.
1st jar: All Jasmine Rice + yeast
2nd Jar: All Sweet rice + yeast
3rd jar: Combo Sweet and Jasmine + yeast
I want to see if there is any difference in flavor profile, and then go from there. The wife has been helping, and I think she is more excited than I am haha. Now if we could only fast forward a few weeks. Cant wait to try it!!
How far is everyone going in sanitizing?? I started StarSan'ing everything after cooking the rice. Should I have sanned everything??
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