hopped rice beer(experiment)

[Darthbrewder]

So i just recently started a batch of rice beer.

3 cups steamed calrose rice
1 cup rolled oats (cooked)
1 small box of raisins boiled down into a tea
1 cup hopped tea( made from about 1/4 gram of hop pellets)
2 jiuqu

The idea here was to use a similar method for making makgeolli, but introduce something that would leave some extra proteins for added mouthfeel and hops to counteract sweetness, and help head retention.

After the rice was steamed and had cooled to a little above room temp i added the crushed yeast balls and mixed well with my hands. Added 1 gallon of water to my fermenter, then rice and the still slightly warm oatmeal, and then the raisins and hopped tea. After that i was just under the 6 quart mark on the side of my fermenter( old mr. beer keg).

So the fermentation started out slow because i didn't have a warm place that i felt comfortable putting the fermenter for the first 4 days or so. But it has been about 75 degrees steady in my house so i figured that would be a good middle range temp. The fermentation finally started after 2 days and is still bubbling nicely. I stirred it everyday for the first 4 days. After that i have been stirring every other day.

Last night i checked on my concoction and noticed that, while it still seemed to be fermenting, it had a strong almost vinegery smell. So strong that it kinda stung my nostrils a little when i took a whiff.Today will make 7 days since i mixed this up.

So a few questions :
1. Did i add too much water?
2. Am i making rice vineger?

3. I've noticed also that the rice doesn't seem to be floating on top of the liquid. From what i have read about most rice beer, during fermentation, the rice tends to float on the surface. My rice is chilling on the bottom of the fermenter. Do i have anything to worry about with the rice not floating?

Thanks in advance. Any feedback or criticism will be very much appreciated.

 

[Arpolis]

For that little amount of rice I would have only used a cup of your raisin tea, a cup of your hops tea and probably only an additional 2.5 cups of water. So just over a quart of total liquid and the rest your solids.

So you may have gotten an infection before the yeast from the Jiuqu could take over. Best you can do is probably let it ride and see how it goes. If you do have a vinegar infection then you may have a nice rice vinegar in another 3 months. great for cooking.

 

[jak1010]

I'd suggest letting it ride for another 14-21 days. The smell could be from the concentrated raisins. Maybe the result of rotting fruit? Either way, I'm betting that it turns into something useful. It will become something nice to drink or, like Arpolis said, some darn good cooking rice wine vinegar.

Either way, please update us so we know.

 

[Darthbrewder]

Thanks for the replies! I'll update you guys as soon as I check on it again. Trying to just leave it alone is very hard. This Thursday will make 2 weeks since I started this, so I will be checking it at that time. I was thinking About letting it go another week before I pull a sample but I'm curious to see if it will be something I'm going to want to use.
Last I checked the co2 burned my nose. So it is safe to say it is fermenting vigorously. The smell from outside the fermenter, now, reminds me of how traditional rice beer smells while fermenting. I'll post again in a couple more days either way.

 

[Darthbrewder]

So it has been 3 weeks since I started this thing. Still no change in the aroma in this. Strong nostril burning sensation when you take a whiff. I stole a sample just now and it tastes extremely sour. Sour like a lemon. I have no idea what is going on with this but I'm thinking there is no alcohol in this. If there is it is a very small amount. Gonna let it go one more week and then toss it and start over.

 

[Arpolis]

It sounds like you may have a lactobacillus infection going on there and the bacteria out competed your yeast. Jiuqu is normally added to steamed rice and no liquid. In sake where liquid is added it is added at a specific ratio and in steps to control the process.

So feel free to let it go as long as you like but so far sounds like you have some hopped lactic acid mix. If you wanted to do this again without changing much it may be good to pitch a strong yeast like lalvin K1v-1116 along with your Jiuqu to make sure the yeast take hold.

 

[Darthbrewder]

It sounds like you may have a lactobacillus infection going on there and the bacteria out competed your yeast. Jiuqu is normally added to steamed rice and no liquid. In sake where liquid is added it is added at a specific ratio and in steps to control the process.

So feel free to let it go as long as you like but so far sounds like you have some hopped lactic acid mix. If you wanted to do this again without changing much it may be good to pitch a strong yeast like lalvin K1v-1116 along with your Jiuqu to make sure the yeast take hold.

Indeed, thanks Arpolis.

I will definitely revisit this. I'm betting the bacteria was already in my fermenter. No loss really, nice that I got to learn a little from this. I will be making an unfiltered sake like beer!