Monascus purpureus or: How I learnt to stop malting and love the infection

[Xier]

Well, it isn't technically a yeast, but Monascus purpureus is sometimes used in Asian brewing for certain rice wines.

I was curious as to whether anyone else here has any experience with it. It is most commonly available fermented unto rice. In that form it is usually referred to as red yeast rice.

Currently, there is a bit of an experimental brew taking place within my household and I intend to use Monascus spp. as part of it .
www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/my-first-brew-aka-brewing-nothing-pics-299885

As you can see on page five, I am currently isolating some colonies off of rice that I bought at the local bazaar.

If you have brewed with this before, I would like to hear your opinions on its taste and aroma.

If you have never brewed with it but have anything else to say, feel free to post as well.

 

[Fizzycist]

I was under the impression that red rice yeast or whatever it's called was the latest health food alternative medicine quackery craze. Didn't think it had anything to do with alcohol.

 

[Xier]

Actually, Monascus purpureus produces a statin known as monacolin K which is lovastatin, called by a different name for legal reasons I imagine. Lovastatin isn't alternative medicine at all, but rather a drug that is commonly prescribed to those with hypercholesterolemia, high levels of cholesterol, routinely by non-alternative doctors. I am not hip to what happens within the alternative medicine scene. Perhaps, it is being used alternatively because they do not realize that it is identical to what they would get prescribed if they went to a real doctor's office.

Now, on to the fun stuff:

Akaisake, angkak and hongju are all traditional drinks from Japan, Thailand and Korea, respectively. The thing they all have in common is that they are produced using Monascus purpureus AKA red yeast.

Edit: This photo is a precursor to agar inoculation. Please, do not shoot illicit fungi into your blood stream.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

Your photo progression is initially disturbing. Are you suggesting people should mix something up in their kitchen and inject it, or are you being humorous?

 

[Xier]

I was completely oblivious to the "it is in-fact a real medicine" and then throwing a picture of drawing it into a syringe greatness of my post.

The pictures are from my gallery and were used a couple of days ago in my brew's main thread. The syringe is for agar streaking.

You know, that might be why I have been locked out of my own gallery. Mods, if you are reading this; I do not condone the injection of fungi, bought from local markets nor elsewhere, into the blood-stream! Please, do restore my gallery privileges! :cross:

 

[Xier]

Here is a little update for anyone reading this.

Well, I popped my radiator open today and gave the cultures a looking over. It seems that yeasts have taken the initial foot-hold and are spread through-out the Petri dishes. But, there are also little orange splotches popping up all over the place. I think if I give it a few more days the colonies will grow larger and start taking control of the agar.

My next plan is to choose some of the healthiest looking and transfer it to a new plate. I will just out it in the center and let it grow out. I might do one more transfer after that to insure I have a nice strong strain without any other contaminants hanging on.

:rockin:

 

[discooby]

Quickly reading your other post and this one, I’m interested in what you are doing… though I’m far from technical as your process. But I do like the title of this thread.

I’m curious as to what you’re expecting from it; what will it bring to the party?

 

[Xier]

Discooby,
What I want from it is three-fold.

First, it produces bright red pigments that should add a lot of saturation to my brew.

Second, it produces tastes described as sweet and somewhat fruit-like which should add complexity to the palate.

Lastly, it will allow me to use more adjuncts and unmalted grains. Basically, it produces the chemical needed to break starches into sugars, like maltose.

I could, say, use it on my oatmeal, roasted barley and wheat to break them down how much I choose before mashing. The enzymes remaining on them after that will help break down other starches in the wort as well.

Theoretically, a person could even make a beer where all of the amylase comes from an initial fermentation with Monascus purpureus. That is, someone could make a malt-less beer. I might give that a try later on!

 

[pdxal]

Sake and Awamori making uses a variation on this process, using Koji (a mold) to break down the starches in the rice before unleashing the yeast on the simple sugars.
We'll be interested to see how this turns out.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

No one locked your gallery.

 

[Xier]

Sake and Awamori making uses a variation on this process, using Koji (a mold) to break down the starches in the rice before unleashing the yeast on the simple sugars.
We'll be interested to see how this turns out.

That is exactly what got me interested in the idea! I even considered using Aspergillus niger variation awamori but as it is a subspecies of Aspergillus niger and all, I decided it would be too risky. With Monascus purpureus, it is fairly easy to identify that you are in-fact fermenting what you intended to and not poison!

No one locked your gallery.

Well, then tell that to my gallery! When I try to open it, it says that I lack permission! On top of that, I can not even create a new gallery!

 

[spearko520]

this sounds awesome- but i'm laughing so hard from the needle pics and ensuing dialogue, i think i may have just pooped a little. you are the man, xier!

 

[Yuri_Rage]

That is exactly what got me interested in the idea! I even considered using Aspergillus niger variation awamori but as it is a subspecies of Aspergillus niger and all, I decided it would be too risky. With Monascus purpureus, it is fairly easy to identify that you are in-fact fermenting what you intended to and not poison!


Well, then tell that to my gallery! When I try to open it, it says that I lack permission! On top of that, I can not even create a new gallery!

No need for all the yelling. Send TxBrew a private message. He can help you.

 

[Xier]

Spearko520,
Thank you, it is always appreciated when people encourage me to keep messing up my kitchen. My wife, on the other hand, has now added you to a kill-list.

Yuri_Rage;
Sorry you seem to have gotten me wrong, it was the sarcastic semi-laughing kind of yelling, not the angry type

I sent TxBrew a message, then another, and then one more. I would give him another but I might get banned on the basis of being obnoxious. The last one, he replied that he was still looking into it. I think my gallery may just be gone. :cross: