"Makgeolli"

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SteveHoward

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This is a Korean thick rice "wine." Ways you may see it spelled:

Makgeolli
makkolli
makkeolli
makgeolri
etc.

Pronounced mahk-guhl-lee

Also known as:

농주 (nong-ju (Long o, and long u)) Farmer Liquor
닥주 (tak-ju ('a' has an 'ah' sound))
Similar to 동동주 (dongdongju - dongdong means "floating")

If you want to understand more what it is:
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makgeolli
http://www.ktownstar.com/pridekorea/?tag=makgeolli
http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20090930000080
http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_hotissue_detail.htm?No=28291

It can be anywhere from sweet to sour, but as I understand, the modern sweet variations are made sweet by adding aspartame. When I lived in Korea in the '80's, Makgeolli was a blue collar drink. Now, it seems to be seen almost as a health food, so it has entered classier society in Korea. When I was served it in Korea, it usually had some degree of tanginess to it - not overpowering, though. I understand that modern makgeolli does not always have this.

I have seen some experiments on here that apparently didn't turn out well. The lady of our house had it made in her house (in Pusan, Korea) often when she was growing up. She offered to teach me to make it. The first batch, she made it and I took notes (except for one place where I interfered ... I'll note that). She nailed the flavor of what I remember makgeolli as being.

Now, I'll make more experiments and update this post with the results.

Recipe 1: Basic makgeolli but with a wine yeast. Makes about 1 gallon:

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of rice (we used mixed brown rice that Koreans call 현미 (hyun mi)). Any rice will do. Many recipes call for glutinous rice, AKA sweet rice or sticky rice.

1 lb nuruk (see note below)

Wine yeast (see yeast note below)

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR THESE RECIPES: Getting the Nuruk hot will create a VERY sour makgeolli. Every place the nuruk touches the rice, make sure the rice is cooled to below 80 degrees. The nuruk package warns that getting it above 93 degrees F will make everything very sour. Of course, that warning was written only in Korean, so most English readers may not be able to understand it :).

Nuruk note: Nuruk is translated many different ways, and even appears differently in Wikipedia from what it says on the package. The package says it is "Amylase enzyme," but from other reading, it seems to be that enzyme in a wheat malt base, and it seems to have yeast already in it. You can buy it from a Korean market. If you have any confusion, print out 누룩 and show that to the Koreans working there. They will know what it is. You can also just tell them you are making makgeolli and they will know what you need :).

Yeast Note: I used Red Star Pasteur Red yeast on this first batch because I was confused when reading. Some recipes called for wine yeast, some called for bread yeast, and some did not call for yeast at all. The recipe on the Nuruk package did not call for yeast. The lady and I had an intense discussion on fermentation, and I added the yeast. Afterwards, I read in Wikipedia that the Nuruk has yeast in it. In the next batch, I will try without adding yeast.

Procedure:

1. Rinse and cook the 2 1/2 cups of rice. If you are not familiar with how to rinse and cook rice, see this link: http://chinesefood.about.com/od/chinesecookingbasics/ss/cook_rice_photo.htm (But a rice cooker is best).

2. Let the rice cool to room temperature. DO NOT get in a hurry and add the Nuruk early. Doing so will make the makgeolli very sour.

3. When cooled, mix the rice with the nuruk. The nuruk is very grainy, so it may seem difficult, but you can get it mixed throughout the rice fairly consistently.

4. Add 11 cups of filtered or spring water to the mix.

5. If adding yeast (like I did) add the yeast.

6. Stir the mixture well for consistency.

7. Cover the mixture and set it so that no sunlight will hit it, and the temperature will stay in the 70's (cooler is okay, but fermentation may take longer. Warmer may make it very sour).

8. Stir the mixture once or twice/day for 3 or 4 days.

9. After 3 or 4 days, filter the mixture through muslin into another sanitized container.

10. Dilute the filtered mixture in a ratio of 3 parts makgeoli to 2 parts water. You can adjust the dilution if you want it a little stronger. We did this by using a cup and dipping 3 cups of makkolli into another container, then adding 2 cups of water and repeating until all of the makkolli mixture was moved into the new container.

11. Put the diluted mixture into a pitcher, crock, or plastic bottles. Traditionally, makgeolli was slightly carbed just from the fermentation. In some modern variations, it is bottled to make it more carbed. You can do it either way. Bottling it for more carbonation may make it better if it becomes a little too tangy.

12. Leave it in the 70ish degree temps for about another 3 - 4 days. At that point, you can refrigerate if you would like. At the end of this time, it is ready to drink. Makgeolli is very perishable - it will not last more than 2 - 3 weeks at the most if you leave it out, but it may last a little longer if you refrigerate it.

13. Drink it. Stir the sediments up or shake the container to make the whole drink milky and consistent before drinking. It is traditionally served in a cold bowl rather than a glass. It goes very well with the Korean Pancakes, (http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...9927&first=0&qpvt=Korean+Pancakes&FORM=IDFRIR) or (IMO) with spicy food of any kind. It's not a flavor I normally would just sit and drink by myself while watching a ball game, but it is very good with dinner, and sometimes when socializing with some of my friends who like it.


<end of recipe 1. Next batch making adds some apple into the mix - an idea I picked up from someone calling it "Busan Apple Makgeolli." I also plan to not add extra yeast in the next experiment. In other variations I may try, starchy stock like sweet potatoes are substituted for part of the rice.>

See below for the color and consistency at the time of bottling/putting into pitchers.

WP_000157.jpg
 
Awesome, I have been waiting for your results, I just need to find some nuruk which will be the hard part since i live in the middle of no where.

any idea on the final %
 
Awesome, I have been waiting for your results, I just need to find some nuruk which will be the hard part since i live in the middle of no where.

any idea on the final %

Just judging from the :drunk: effect it had on me, I'm guessing 6 - 7%. Obviously, the hydrometer doesn't help much with that procedure :).
 
I tried not adding yeast on the second batch. Despite what the wikipedia article says about the process, after 3 days, the mixture was sweet, but had no hint at all of alcohol. That says something both about my sanitation, and about whether or not there is any yeast in the nuruk to start the fermentation. I pitched yeast at that time, and less than 12 hours later, it already has an aroma and appearance to let me know that fermentation is underway.

No doubt that it was often made with wild yeast in bygone years, but as for Wikipedia's assertion that yeast from the nuruk ferments it, I'm going to say: Not with the nuruk you can buy from markets now.
 
I just returned from Korea. My entry to dongdongjiu was at a restaurant with a Korean colleague. He said it was his college swill due it being cheaper than beer and souju.

What we drank definitely had a very noticeable banana flavor of a hefeweissen yeast. I later had it 2 more times, each a different variety. All were decent, but that first version with the banana flavor was worthy of replicating. If I take a stab at this in the future, I'll be choosing a hefeweissen yeast.

The store bought bottles were all 6% that I saw. Your senses are apparently pretty well calibrated.
 
sounds like a good %, i will make a batch for a Korean based dinner party with friends that we are planning.
 
Awesome! Thanks for posting this. I recently found out that my great grandfather (and a few generations before him) made their living by making &#47561;&#44152;&#47532; back in the day. I've only brewed beer so far but am dying to give this a shot.

I've never had any experience with wine yeasts and don't really know what to expect from one strain to the next, but do you think that it would make sense to try using the Wyeast sake yeast, or would that just be spending an extra $5 or so for no reason?
 
I don't know what that would do to it. Probably the only way to know would be to give it a try. The wine yeast did well, though, and it's just over $1.00/packet.
 
count me interested, what does this taste like?

That may be one of the hardest questions I've ever been asked :).

The way it turned out in my batch above, it is a little bit tangy with a hint of sweetness to it. But it's not really like anything else I know to compare it with. Because you stir the sediment up, it is thicker than most drinks you probably drink, but it's not too thick. It's an acquired taste, but I think it is quite flavorful and goes well with spicy food.

I wish I could describe it better.
 
I am about to try this for the first time and have a question.
Other sites Ive seen recommend 1 part Nuruk to 4 parts rice to 10 parts water.
In your recipe, do you use a whole pound of nuruk to 2.5 cups of rice?
 
Awesome, I have been waiting for your results, I just need to find some nuruk which will be the hard part since i live in the middle of no where.

any idea on the final %

Evart, yep that's the definition of the middle of nowhere. Been a long time since I was there.
 
Thanks for posting this, I find it very interesting. I have an unhealthy obsession with anything Asian, I love rice and sake, and this looks like something that could probably be made gluten free.

I hope I can find time to give it a try sometime soon.

Does anyone know if this is something available commercially, so I could have something to compare my results to?
 
Thanks for posting this, I find it very interesting. I have an unhealthy obsession with anything Asian, I love rice and sake, and this looks like something that could probably be made gluten free.

I hope I can find time to give it a try sometime soon.

Does anyone know if this is something available commercially, so I could have something to compare my results to?

At Korean markets, you can almost always find Makgeolli, but it doesn't taste quite the same as what I used to get in Korea. In fact, the ones I've tried don't have the tang and are sweetened. I've only tried a couple of the commercially available ones, though.

One other thing about finding it ... I'm trying to remember if I've ever seen the name written in English on one of the bottles. I don't seem to remember seeing it written in English, but these days, I don't always notice things like that when in the Korean markets.

I saw a very interesting variation this last week when the Lady and I went shopping. It was a black raspberry makgeolli. I don't know if it just had juice added in after fermentation, or if it had fermented the raspberry juice with it.
 
well i have been looking for nuruk without much success, i switched to online and had a little better luck, but if your having issues like i did finding that missing ingredient i finally stumbled across a place that sells and ships it.

Hmart.com: Haioreum Powdered Enzyme Amylase 1lb/16oz

so now that my friend will be here in about 3 weeks from korea i will have a batch going as soon as the last part arrives in the mail.

i have been slacking or i could have already had 1 test batch done...
 
dr_al said:
well i have been looking for nuruk without much success, i switched to online and had a little better luck, but if your having issues like i did finding that missing ingredient i finally stumbled across a place that sells and ships it.

Hmart.com: Haioreum Powdered Enzyme Amylase 1lb/16oz

so now that my friend will be here in about 3 weeks from korea i will have a batch going as soon as the last part arrives in the mail.

i have been slacking or i could have already had 1 test batch done...

Got mine from local H-mart. Package was a little different but it worked well
 
question on the quantity of nuruk, you use the whole pound for a 1 gallon batch?

i just found a few other recipes they use a few teaspoons per gallon, to a few table spoons, i guess i will start small and work my way up.
 
dr_al said:
question on the quantity of nuruk, you use the whole pound for a 1 gallon batch?

i just found a few other recipes they use a few teaspoons per gallon, to a few table spoons, i guess i will start small and work my way up.

I used 1 part nuruk to 4 parts rice. Got full conversion. End result wasn't overly sour. Haven't made it yet with the proportions set out in this thread yet, but it's on the to-brew list.
 
the recipe i think i will try first is
4lbs rice
4 tsp nuruk
1 gallon spring water
champagne yeast or something fairly neutral.

we all have to start somewhere.
 
dr_al said:
the recipe i think i will try first is
4lbs rice
4 tsp nuruk
1 gallon spring water
champagne yeast or something fairly neutral.

we all have to start somewhere.

FWIW, That might not be enough nuruk to efficiently convert the rice starch to sugar, but looking forward to your results
 
I just had some at my work holiday party, and I got one of the un opened bottles to take home. On the bottle it says it contains live yeast and lactobacillus. I'd imagen I can make a starter from the bottle? or just use a bottle as a yeast pitch.

I have a few Korean markets near by, I might ask around when I pick up the Nuruk and rice.
 
Bsquared said:
I just had some at my work holiday party, and I got one of the un opened bottles to take home. On the bottle it says it contains live yeast and lactobacillus. I'd imagen I can make a starter from the bottle? or just use a bottle as a yeast pitch.

I have a few Korean markets near by, I might ask around when I pick up the Nuruk and rice.

Seems like a random thing to see at a work party

Sent from my Galaxy S 4G using Home Brew Talk for Android
 
Na, not where I work. we have a lot of post-doc's and scientists from Japan, Korea and China. The lady who brought it was from Korea. She said they used to drink a lot of it in Collage, and it gave them super hangovers, she also brought a plate of the fish pancakes and spicy dipping sauce they would eat while drinking it at cafes late at night.
 
Lactobacillus is what ferments kimchi and gives it the sour flavor. I would think you would not want to add any of that into the makgeolli - it will probably accumulate some on its own.

I would pick up a packet of wine yeast (now that I'm reasonably certain the Nuruk doesn't contain any yeast). You'd want to go as long as possible before the lactobacillus overpowers the makgeolli with sourness.

I'm all for experimentation if you want to try just adding the sediment from the makgeolli you picked up. If you do that, please let us know how it turns out. I would expect just adding yeast to be better, though.
 
In an earlier post, I was unable to remember if I ever saw it written in English. In your picture, there's no doubt it's romanized (although in small print below the Hangul). I don't think I've ever seen that variety before. I was going to ask you where you found it, but I see you got it to take home from the party :).

I'm interested to see how it goes for you. Please let us know.
 
Since that is romanized, it gives me a chance to explain something. You will see it romanized differently, and spelled slightly differently. I first started learning to read and write Korean in 1984, and when I was taught, there was a very rigid system that was used for transliteration. Some people still use this, but sometimes, it really doesn't make sense phonetically. Sometimes, none of the systems that are used really make sense phonetically. (An example is the Korean surname: Choi. Whenever an English speaker sees that, they want to pronounce it like "Choy," but the Korean dipthong that is transliterated "oi" actually makes a sound similar to a short "e." So that baseball player Hee Sop Choi ... that last name should sound more like "cheh.")

Hangul is the Korean alphabet, and it is an alphabet - different from the Japanese syllabary or the Chinese character based system (which is also used in other countries in one form or another). So in Hangul, it is written:

&#47561;&#44152;&#47532;
Each character grouping is one syllable. You can see the Hangul on the bottle, but it is a calligraphy style, so if you're not accustomed to seeing it, it may be difficult. The spellings come about from this if you follow the groupings:

&#12609; is equivalent to the English 'M'

&#12623; sounds like "ah" in English (There are more vowels in Korean than in English, and unlike English, a vowel in Korean has only one sound.)

&#12593; you see this at the end of the first syllable (on the bottom), and again at the beginning of the second syllable (upper left character in that syllable). It makes a sound somewhere between the English G and K. Often, it is romanized as a G at the beginning of a syllable, and as a K at the end of a syllable. In the spelling on your bottle, they just used a double 'K' which would not be incorrect. I don't normally do it that way though, just because the old style of G and K makes a clearer distinction between this letter and another Korean letter that used to be romanized as K' (with an apostrophe) which was used for another Korean letter with a harder 'K' sound.

&#12627; is about halfway between the English sounds ooh and uh. In words like "Seoul" it is romanized as "eo," but other times, it is romanized just as o. Even though it doesn't sound like "eo" I usually romanize it this way because it avoids confusion with another Korean letter which makes a long 'o' sound. At the time I learned it, it was almost always romanized as "eo."

&#12601; is very hard to describe. It is neither an r, nor an l sound, but actually is between those two sounds. It is pretty close to the Spanish 'r' sound. You see this letter as the end of the second syllable (scrunched down at the bottom), and the beginning of the third syllable (stretched up on the left). Doubling consenants in Korean really means you hold that sound longer, so when I romanize, I will always keep the double consonant like in this case, but in some more modern methods of romanizing, it's not always done - thus the spelling on the bottle.

&#12643;is maybe between a short i and long e, but I think it is closest to a long 'e' sound in English, but it is almost always romanized as 'i'. I think this was probably done because this vowel often appears at the end of a syllable, and if it was romanized as 'e', English speakers might assume it to be a silent 'e' and try to apply English pronunciation rules.

Some Korean words are well established in their English spelling and always appear the same. The capital city of &#49436;&#50872;, (pronounced as suh-ool) is one such word and is always romanized as "Seoul." Other words such as &#47561;&#44152;&#47532; (the drink we're talking about) are not so well established, so there are many ways they are romanized, and it probably depends on the age of the person romanizing it how likely it is to be spelled one way vs. another. So far as this goes, my wife's hometown of "Pusan" is often romanized as "Busan" these days.

To tell you the truth, it's probably easier to learn to read the Korean alphabet than it is to try to explain why things are romanized a certain way :).
 
Still have not started my batch, ran out of cash for rice after the wife went Christmas shopping. Trying to find the proper rice in bulk in case my reduced amount of nuruk screws things up.
 
My first experience with the stuff was in Korea in the late 70's. Mamasan brewed it outdoors in a huge crock. The stuff I was drinking was about a year old and man. What a hangover!
 
Hope some one is still active from this post! Thinking about brewing some Makgeoli for my daughter's upcoming baek-il. Sorry if this is a silly question, I've only brewed one batch of beer so far. Instead of bottling could this be kegged?
 
Hope some one is still active from this post! Thinking about brewing some Makgeoli for my daughter's upcoming baek-il. Sorry if this is a silly question, I've only brewed one batch of beer so far. Instead of bottling could this be kegged?


Yes. But keep it in the keezer when it done. It'll continue to ferment. Vent it every one in a while.
 
Hope some one is still active from this post! Thinking about brewing some Makgeoli for my daughter's upcoming baek-il. Sorry if this is a silly question, I've only brewed one batch of beer so far. Instead of bottling could this be kegged?


Yes. But keep it in the keezer when it done. It'll continue to ferment. Vent it every one in a while.
 
Oh awesome! Thank you for responding! Actually I have a kegerator. Last questions, won't I have to shake it up prior to dispensing from the tap then since it separates? Also did you happen to try it with any of the fruits or other ideas mentioned?
 
Don't see any reason why it can't be kegged, just make sure to drink it a lot fresher than you would beer because there's no hops to preserve it and keep the carbonation low.

Or at least that's what I THINK you should do based on drinking a lot of makkeoli and brewing zero of it :)
 
Interesting that long after I've stopped actively participating in this forum that the two makgeolli threads (this one, and one where someone else referenced this) have come active and sent me emails :).

First of all, Kadiya, congratulations on the baby, and congratulations on making it to 100 days. Now, if your celebrating Baek-il, I'm sure there is a Korean connection there somewhere. Is it you? (You don't have to answer that if you consider it private.)

In answer to your question: I'm not sure I would try to keg it just because of 1) the sediment you want to mix prior to drinking and 2) You usually want to drink it quickly while it is still alive and active (or at least I do - I don't think it keeps very well). I'm not sure how you'd handle the sediment in a keg, nor what you would do if there is still some carbonation building up.

What I did when I made it to be consumed quickly was put it in 2 liter plastic soda bottles, and maybe not tighten the lids completely. My friends here who make makgeolli or dong-dong-ju usually do this when they send some home with me. I usually drink it within a week as it degrades quickly after a couple of weeks. The plastic bottles are how it is given away, but if you have the equipment, storing it in a pot or crock is the way it was done traditionally, I think.

The reason I'm not active on this forum anymore is that I moved back to Korea, and am a very happy expat in Busan these days. I don't make wine or anything like that here. In Korea, you can buy the bottled makgeolli in the stores like you can get in the Korean markets in the US, and it is really no better here than there. But ... we have makgeolli houses that make their own, and we have friends who still make makgeolli and dong-dong-ju, and THAT is some GOOD stuff!

Anyway, congratulations! I hope you have a great celebration. This is my opinion on how I would store it, and that is really based on how I see it done here in Korea by people who still make their own - I have never tried to keg makgeolli. If you have a question, feel free to write it here. Even though I'm not active here anymore, I still get emails on this thread. I'm not truly expert, but I have friends who are, and if I am not on a business trip at the time, I'll try to ask the friends who are expert. :)
 
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