Making Traditional rice Wine. Cheap, Fun, and Different

[sonofgrok]

Exposure to oxygen leads to oxidized wine which forms acetic acid and ethyl acetate yet there must be an acetic acid bacteria, like acetobacter or gluconobacter, present in the oxidizing wine in order to make the change to vinegar.

Even the FDA does not recognize acetic acid as vinegar. Vinegar is so much more than acetic acid. Acetic acid is described as vinegar-like.

I ferment vinegar and there is a big difference in a turned bottle of wine versus vinegar production, at least to me.

Interesting. I actually did not know this. I always just kind of lumped them together.

I guess in the future when someone asks about their brew turning to vinegar we will need to ask for clarification

 

[lakedawgs]

Got the rice and yeast balls yesterday and today I am home with my son due to schools being closed after an ice storm last night. Hmmmm, looks like a good opportunity to cook up about 12 cups for rice and start a batch.

Going to put the rice in a paint strainer back and ferment in a 2 gallon bucket with an airlock. Would like to ferment in glass but I don't have a container with a lid. I'm figureing 21-24 days and I should be good.
Lakedawgs

 

[GTG]

If you are in the Phoenix area, the Ranch Market 99 at the COFCO (Chinese Cultural Center) has the yeast balls that I know work. A packet of 2 is $.70 and a large bag of doubles is $7.60.

GTG

 

[lakedawgs]

I have read through most of the thread and may have missed this. Couple of questions.

1) sonofgrok - you mention steaming the rice but you said you use a 'rice cooker'. Are traditional rice cookers steamers? I have borrowed a steamer but will buy one if we like this brew. I have included a link for a 'rice cooker'. Not trying to be picky, just wondering, obviously you are having good results.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000KEJQEC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

2) has anyone experimented with slightly undercooked or overcooked rice to get better results?
THANKS
Lakedawgs

 

[Spinrathen]

You can steam your rice on stove-top very easily if you decide you don't want to buy one. Most people are having success with using less than a 1:1.5 ratio of rice to water. As far as under cooking or overcooking I can't speak to it.

 

[Arpolis]

By accident I have used undercooked rice in the past. When the starch does not properly gelatinize from the cooking process the saccharification enzymes will not convert that part to sugar. You end up with the cooked part of the rice falling apart and you have a lot of hard lumps of un-cooked rice. I don’t think this hurts or helps the flavor but it may impact the potential ABV because you will have less starch > sugar conversion.

 

[lakedawgs]

Seems like using less water would make a dryer, less moist rice. Sounds good.

 

[sonofgrok]

I have read through most of the thread and may have missed this. Couple of questions.

1) sonofgrok - you mention steaming the rice but you said you use a 'rice cooker'. Are traditional rice cookers steamers? I have borrowed a steamer but will buy one if we like this brew. I have included a link for a 'rice cooker'. Not trying to be picky, just wondering, obviously you are having good results.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000KEJQEC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

2) has anyone experimented with slightly undercooked or overcooked rice to get better results?
THANKS
Lakedawgs

Ours is similar to that link although a little more oldschool. A rice cooker is really kind of like a unichamber steamer/boiler. The most important bit is that it always makes excellent rice and its consistent. I can probably post a pic of one of my cookers when I get home.

 

[Jeebas]

I couldn't find the yeast balls locally here in Pittsburgh (tried two stores in the East side), so I ordered from here - http://importfood.com/nrhf0401.html

Gonna get a 4 cup batch going when they get in!

Thanks for the great thread!

 

[lakedawgs]

No need, I'm with you. The wife wants a steamer cooker as they are a bit more versatile. I like the dedicated rice cooker as they usually have a larger capacity, when in the same price range. We'll see who wins..........OK, I'll just have to do more batches.

 

[sonofgrok]

Well having a dedicated rice cooker around here is kind of a must. Wife is thai and has rice with just about everything. I try to refrain as much as possible in the interest of maintaining some semblance of a firm tummy but warm, sticky, sweet thai jasmine rice is hard to turn down... especially when she makes awesome fried rice.

 

[fredtheseal]

I couldn't find the yeast balls locally here in Pittsburgh (tried two stores in the East side), so I ordered from here - http://importfood.com/nrhf0401.html

I got mine from here. They're out on McKnight. It's a pretty nice store. They have a whole isle of rice, but the yeast balls are with the baking stuff. The red yeast rice is right by the yeast balls if you're interested.

When I checked out with a bag of yeast balls and sweet rice the cashier said "Oh, you going to make rice alcohol?" She knew what was up.

 

[Jeebas]

I got mine from here. They're out on McKnight. It's a pretty nice store. They have a whole isle of rice, but the yeast balls are with the baking stuff. The red yeast rice is right by the yeast balls if you're interested.

When I checked out with a bag of yeast balls and sweet rice the cashier said "Oh, you going to make rice alcohol?" She knew what was up.

Sweet! Thanks. That's actually right around my neck o' the woods.

Do you recall what the price on those was? One can never have too many balls.

 

[natedoggaz]

If you are in the Phoenix area, the Ranch Market 99 at the COFCO (Chinese Cultural Center) has the yeast balls that I know work. A packet of 2 is $.70 and a large bag of doubles is $7.60.

GTG

What's up in the PHX GTG?!

I go to Lee Lee's market in Chandler. I can get a dozen yeast balls for $2.99. They also have like 50 different kinds of rice...

ND

 

[natedoggaz]

No need, I'm with you. The wife wants a steamer cooker as they are a bit more versatile. I like the dedicated rice cooker as they usually have a larger capacity, when in the same price range. We'll see who wins..........OK, I'll just have to do more batches.

I bought a 14 cup cooker/steamer at target last month for $19.99. It was Oster brand and red. Works perfect...

 

[fredtheseal]

Sweet! Thanks. That's actually right around my neck o' the woods.

Do you recall what the price on those was? One can never have too many balls.

It was $5.19 for 12.3oz of yeast balls.

The bag contains multiple smaller packages, each with 2 yeast balls (this seems to be the norm). The whole bag has a net weight of 12.3 oz.

 

[lakedawgs]

Roughly 40 cooked cups of rice later, I have a 2.5 gallon bucket 3"-4" from full with rice and crushed yeast balls. Looking forward to opening it up in 3wks or so!!
Lakedawgs

 

[Tinhorn]

21 days and despite a wee bit of off color mold tastes good and has a nice alcohol warmth to it
Starting another batch thanks all!

 

[Ostomo517]

Im proud to say I harvested today! Nearly half a gallon yield from 5 dry cups of Thai Jasmine rice.



Having a plain sidecar next to my MO/Falconers Flight SMaSH before I flavor it. Its got a little sweet still left but I gotta believe it is over 40 proof. Looks like watching Daytona tomorrow just got a lot more interesting! Thanks Sonofgrok for starting the thread I raise the first drink to you my friend, this is something that will be a constant bottle on my bar!





Almost forgot, pic before harvest. Healthy white fuzz carpet on top of rice.

 

[Xantus954]

Do you think using this type of jug would work. I was going to drill the lid and put an airlock on it. I don't have any glass jars large enough and since my girl is a chef I have plenty of these laying around.

 

[Ostomo517]

I wouldnt, just spend the couple bucks at the grocery store for a glass jar. Id be to concerned about plastickey flavors and at the end of the day those are chemical reactions going on inside (not that its gonna melt or nothin)
Id be pretty ticked after harvest a month later to find my wine tasted like plastic

 

[Leadgolem]

The batch I made in an old cookie dough container was fine, but that has red pepper flakes in it. If any of that flavor is retained by the plastic, you could end up with some spicy rice wine.

 

[Xantus954]

I looked up the type of plastic from the recycling symbol on the bottom. It's type 3 which is for non food use, worries me a little now that there's spices in there but I definitely won't be using it for the rice wine.

Thanks.

 

[Ostomo517]

Ugh too much.... Must put away till tomorrow

 

[saramc]

Do you think using this type of jug would work. I was going to drill the lid and put an airlock on it. I don't have any glass jars large enough and since my girl is a chef I have plenty of these laying around.

Can you scrounge some quart glass canning jars from somewhere? Or a glass cookie jar? A stainless steel stock pot? I do not use an airlock when I make mine, just container lid.

 

[HopHeaven]

So I just went to my local Asian grocery store and picked up rice but couldn't find the yeast balls anywhere. I tried asking a couple people but unfortunately no one I asked spoke English. What isle did you guys find them in?

 

[Ostomo517]

So I just went to my local Asian grocery store and picked up rice but couldn't find the yeast balls anywhere. I tried asking a couple people but unfortunately no one I asked spoke English. What isle did you guys find them in?

The store here keeps them up at the register in a big jar. I believe theres a few that said the same on here as well

 

[bottlebomber]

So I just went to my local Asian grocery store and picked up rice but couldn't find the yeast balls anywhere. I tried asking a couple people but unfortunately no one I asked spoke English. What isle did you guys find them in?

I had trouble explaining what I wanted and having them understand until I showed the picture from the link at the beginning of this thread, and they took me right to them.

 

[sonofgrok]

Our local asian market store has them in an isle with some rice noodles and rice crackers and stuff. I have been messaged by other people from here who have gone to the exact same store and had no luck and have asked the staff there and not gotten anywhere but have been able to find them after I explained the relative location of the aisle to them. I would definitely say not to let a store staff member discourage you from your search... they are probably actually there.

 

[Jeebas]

It was $5.19 for 12.3oz of yeast balls.

The bag contains multiple smaller packages, each with 2 yeast balls (this seems to be the norm). The whole bag has a net weight of 12.3 oz.

I am happy to report that after 20 minutes of wandering through the store with a 5 year old and an infant (when it also happened to be super crowded - Sat morning) I found the yeast balls and talked myself into buying a 25lb bag of Jasmine rice - since they had a $10 minimum on cards

Picked up some jars at Target as well. Gonna get this going tomorrow night hopefully!