Making Traditional rice Wine. Cheap, Fun, and Different

[sonofgrok]

Do you think the warm ambient temp is necessary for character, or will cooler (ambient ~68) be ok but just take longer?

I am sure it will still be ok. It will probably take longer though.

 

[HanzerBiscuit]

Does anyone know if they sell the yeast at HMart?

 

[sonofgrok]

Does anyone know if they sell the yeast at HMart?

Shop smart. Shop smart.

Don't know what hmart is but had to say it!

 

[HanzerBiscuit]

Shop smart. Shop smart.

Don't know what hmart is but had to say it!

Its a trick, get an axe.


H Mart is a chain of large Korean Grocery stores. I cant find the yeast in their online store but they have a sprouted sweet brown rice that sounds like it would work well.

 

[weirdboy]

There actually is an S-Mart close to where I live. It's a Korean grocery. I chuckle every single time I drive by it.

 

[Arpolis]

Shop smart. Shop smart.

Don't know what hmart is but had to say it!

I am sorry but I laughed a lot when I read that. Sonofgrok you just won 10 cool points for esoteric cult classic quote win.

 

[pabloj13]

First batch put together. My rice was really, really sticky. It was almost one congealed mass. Is it worth continuing?

 

[sonofgrok]

Is it worth continuing?

Isn't it always? :rockin:

 

[pabloj13]

Isn't it always? :rockin:

I knew you'd say that.

 

[saramc]

Do you think the warm ambient temp is necessary for character, or will cooler (ambient ~68) be ok but just take longer?

If you read about sake making you will find that it is traditionally made during the cooler winter climate.

 

[brussum]

Finally found yeast balls in a nearby oriental grocery and started my first batch yesterday. Thanks for the instructions and advice. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

 

[Bigbeavk]

Subscribed! I got some from a guy a few months back and it was awesome. I gave him some bottles that I got from Craigslist and he brought be a 12pk sampler of his beers and he included a couple bottles of his rice wine. I use to make sticky rice so I still have the steamer. Now off to the store to find the biggest jar I can find then to the asian market!

 

[sonofgrok]

I brought a 1 liter bottle of this to a wine tasting party last night and the whole thing went very early on. It was very very popular.

 

[negativereaction]

For those who have harvested a batch, how do you describe the taste? I just gleaned the liquid from my first batch (jasmine rice), and mine has a sweet, very slightly vinegar taste, but far from unpleasant. What are other folks tasting?
Appears very cloudy (haven't settled it out in a fridge, but it might be fun to stir some food coloring in here for seasonal/holiday purposes

 

[kevinstan]

Just started my batch this evening. I used about 5 or 6 cups of cleaned and steamed jasmine rice, and two yeast balls. I have it in a 1500ml ball jar with airlock on top. I noticed a little bit of condensation on the inside about an hour after starting is this ok ? I don't want any nasties. Anyone else get condensation ? Also, is everyone stirring every day or just leaving it alone for the full 28-30 days then harvesting ?

 

[pabloj13]

Isn't it always? :rockin:

Of course it's bubbling and floating like it should.

 

[sonofgrok]

Just started my batch this evening. I used about 5 or 6 cups of cleaned and steamed jasmine rice, and two yeast balls. I have it in a 1500ml ball jar with airlock on top. I noticed a little bit of condensation on the inside about an hour after starting is this ok ? I don't want any nasties. Anyone else get condensation ? Also, is everyone stirring every day or just leaving it alone for the full 28-30 days then harvesting ?

Not a problem. I always have nice condensation inside. And I don't stir.

 

[saramc]

Just started my batch this evening. I used about 5 or 6 cups of cleaned and steamed jasmine rice, and two yeast balls. I have it in a 1500ml ball jar with airlock on top. I noticed a little bit of condensation on the inside about an hour after starting is this ok ? I don't want any nasties. Anyone else get condensation ? Also, is everyone stirring every day or just leaving it alone for the full 28-30 days then harvesting ?

I stirred daily for one week. Condensation was no issue. I have both batches strained and in refrigerator, just need to strain one last time then pasteurize so it will be shelf stable. Very happy with the clarity, as I used a double layer of fine mesh and allowed it to drip drain overnight--no squeezing even though I still have a cloudy layer of wine and that portion will be bottled on its own and be used first.
The taste of the red yeast rice batch is very nice and the aromatics are still intensely fruity while I find the all white rice batch is smooth, a bit sweet but with vanilla tones. Will post photos of final product when I can.

 

[kevinstan]

Sara: I would love to see some pictures of the final product after it was strained to clear. This is something I will be trying also. I would like to see how clear you go it. Also interested in more detail of how you did it and what type of mesh you used.

 

[lakeslad]

can i use anything other than the yeast balls? ive looked here in the uk and they cost a fortune nearly £20 a bag around $40

 

[saramc]

Sara: I would love to see some pictures of the final product after it was strained to clear. This is something I will be trying also. I would like to see how clear you go it. Also interested in more detail of how you did it and what type of mesh you used.

I used these fine mesh jelly straining bags that have elastic built into the top, perhaps gallon capacity. I think I got a pack of three from eBay last year. Of course I have them in larger volume without the elastic.

 

[kevinstan]

Sara: do you by chance have any pictures that show how it cleared after straining ?

 

[bottlebomber]

can i use anything other than the yeast balls? ive looked here in the uk and they cost a fortune nearly £20 a bag around $40

You should try finding koji-kin spores. That sucks that you don't have the balls available. In your case you may try researching how to cultivate your own koji rice. That is a ridiculous price for these.

 

[bottlebomber]

I used these fine mesh jelly straining bags that have elastic built into the top, perhaps gallon capacity. I think I got a pack of three from eBay last year. Of course I have them in larger volume without the elastic.

I've gotten those before, probably from the same vendor. They are very similar to paint strainer bags, only with elastic tops. Based on the price difference I would go with the paint strainer bags.

 

[saramc]

I've gotten those before, probably from the same vendor. They are very similar to paint strainer bags, only with elastic tops. Based on the price difference I would go with the paint strainer bags.

The paint straining bags tend to break down, at least the ones I have seen.

 

[MichaelBrock]

I have been using the same paint straining bag for dry-hopping and straining wort for over a year without any sign of wear at all. Not even stained and all I do is give it a good rinsing in hot water between uses. And the paint straining bags I use have the elastic band around the opening. I bought them at Lowes. It may very well be that some break down, but mine haven't and they were cheap.

Edited to add: I have been tracking this thread since it started but have not yet been able to find the yeast balls locally. So far I have tried three Asian stores (one predominately Korean, one Chinese, and one "fusion") and no one working at any of them has had any idea what I was talking about. I may give up and pay the premium of ordering them online.

 

[brussum]

Well, I've got fuzzy rice. I there a bad mold color? Mine is definitely white and fuzzy, which I assume is koji. There are also grayish mold spots concentrated where the yeast is visible. Normal? Smells good, so it probably is good.

 

[kevinstan]

The mold scares me a bit. Waiting to see how this turns out. How is every one else harvesting from the mold ? Or straining from it ?

 

[cincydave]

Started my first batch a week ago and everything seems to be working. Liquid is forming, smells fine, etc. Here is a link to making fermented rice, which i believe is the same process, but you eat the rice in earlier stage of process instead of letting it go to wine. This article indicates if mold forms to toss it out.

I'm no expert here, just learning, but thought I'd pass the info along.

http://carolynjphillips.blogspot.co...e.html#!/2011/05/homemade-fermented-rice.html

 

[sonofgrok]

Well, I've got fuzzy rice. I there a bad mold color? Mine is definitely white and fuzzy, which I assume is koji. There are also grayish mold spots concentrated where the yeast is visible. Normal? Smells good, so it probably is good.

Looks good to me.

The mold scares me a bit. Waiting to see how this turns out. How is every one else harvesting from the mold ? Or straining from it ?

Just strain out the liquid. You will be fine.

Started my first batch a week ago and everything seems to be working. Liquid is forming, smells fine, etc. Here is a link to making fermented rice, which i believe is the same process, but you eat the rice in earlier stage of process instead of letting it go to wine. This article indicates if mold forms to toss it out.

I'm no expert here, just learning, but thought I'd pass the info along.

http://carolynjphillips.blogspot.co...e.html#!/2011/05/homemade-fermented-rice.html

The fungi is going to happen. If you DON'T have any spores then you are probably in more trouble. The Koji spores are what break down the rice so the yeast can eat it up. I am just guessing that sometimes they are easier to see than others.


Everyone need to RDWHAHBRW...
Relax dude while having a home brew rice wine?