Making Traditional rice Wine. Cheap, Fun, and Different

[brooklynkayak]

^^^^

I prefer lacto fermented pickles, but Vietnamese rice wine pickles are awesome, and pretty quick.

Rice wine vinegar works great for pickling all kinds of vegetables.
Peppers, onions, cabbage, ...

Works great in salad dressing, BBQ sauce, marinades, ...
I haven't tried it to pickle eggs yet, but hope to try soon.

 

[YellowRiver]

I said this 21 days ago

Whew, first batch in the gallon sized glass container, 100 pages of this thread under my belt. Not perfect. Used HET sweet rice soaked 6 cups added 12 cups water(would have used only 9 cups water but I wasn't that far through the thread at that time). Tried to boil but scorched the pan, took forever to cool down, maybe a bit too wet, used five crushed balls(started with four but ran out before I ran out of rice layers). Guessin we'll find out.

Today this is my opinion
Over 2.5 qts of milky liquid. Definitely strong, a bit sour, a bit sweet? Not vinegar. Wife thinks tastes like her memories of cheap sake. Im more like using it for cooking wine once I decant. We'll let it sit in the fridge, pasteurize when I get the chance, if wife don't drink it all first.
I did peel off a very light grayish moldy layer a week ago, a bit like a mother, a bit like jelly.
Im trying again but this stuff better grow on me. Next time, less water in boil, going for four weeks.

Oh yeah, on page 415 of the thread too.

 

[Nogud247]

I said this 21 days ago



Whew, first batch in the gallon sized glass container, 100 pages of this thread under my belt. Not perfect. Used HET sweet rice soaked 6 cups added 12 cups water(would have used only 9 cups water but I wasn't that far through the thread at that time). Tried to boil but scorched the pan, took forever to cool down, maybe a bit too wet, used five crushed balls(started with four but ran out before I ran out of rice layers). Guessin we'll find out.



Today this is my opinion

Over 2.5 qts of milky liquid. Definitely strong, a bit sour, a bit sweet? Not vinegar. Wife thinks tastes like her memories of cheap sake. Im more like using it for cooking wine once I decant. We'll let it sit in the fridge, pasteurize when I get the chance, if wife don't drink it all first.

I did peel off a very light grayish moldy layer a week ago, a bit like a mother, a bit like jelly.

Im trying again but this stuff better grow on me. Next time, less water in boil, going for four weeks.



Oh yeah, on page 415 of the thread too.

If it doesn't grow on you 1) try mixing it with fruit juices 2) at least the SWMBO likes it so it's cheap and easy to make for her.

 

[cujocon]

I said this 21 days ago

Whew, first batch in the gallon sized glass container, 100 pages of this thread under my belt. Not perfect. Used HET sweet rice soaked 6 cups added 12 cups water(would have used only 9 cups water but I wasn't that far through the thread at that time). Tried to boil but scorched the pan, took forever to cool down, maybe a bit too wet, used five crushed balls(started with four but ran out before I ran out of rice layers). Guessin we'll find out.

Today this is my opinion
Over 2.5 qts of milky liquid. Definitely strong, a bit sour, a bit sweet? Not vinegar. Wife thinks tastes like her memories of cheap sake. Im more like using it for cooking wine once I decant. We'll let it sit in the fridge, pasteurize when I get the chance, if wife don't drink it all first.
I did peel off a very light grayish moldy layer a week ago, a bit like a mother, a bit like jelly.
Im trying again but this stuff better grow on me. Next time, less water in boil, going for four weeks.

Oh yeah, on page 415 of the thread too.

The grey jelly was what looked different for me in my dumper batch from the liquid love of previous batches...
I don't think that is "right" - my guess is acetobacter.

 

[emwinna]

Just bottled a 2.5 kg (dry) rice batch. It is fabulous. I set it all up and sealed it in a 5-gallon beer fermenter for exactly 21 days. There was a cap of floating rice at the top, but it didn't seem to affect the final product. In fact, the cap made straining easier! I poured the liquid through two sterilized paint straining bags (one inside the other) then dumped the cap and squeezed the hell out of it. Bulk pasteurized, bottled, and now I'm trying to decide if I should age any of it or just drink it all.

I honestly didn't bother with trying to mix everything together perfectly. At the time, I only could cook 3 cups dry at once, so I just did layers and threw them loosely into a sterilized fermenter as they cooled, then sprinkled some of the starter over each layer. Then I sealed the whole thing up tight and didn't touch it until it was time to bottle. (I think this is key. The batches I futz with turn out weird. *The ones I leave alone turn out great.*)

My yield from 2.5 kg dry rice at a 1:1 rice:water ratio was 156 ounces. I'd put the ABV somewhere around 16-18% by taste. I could probably drive that a bit higher, but we prefer it on the sweeter side, so I bottle at three weeks instead of four.

 

[wc1376c]

Just bottled a 2.5 kg (dry) rice batch. It is fabulous. I set it all up and sealed it in a 5-gallon beer fermenter for exactly 21 days. There was a cap of floating rice at the top, but it didn't seem to affect the final product. In fact, the cap made straining easier! I poured the liquid through two sterilized paint straining bags (one inside the other) then dumped the cap and squeezed the hell out of it. Bulk pasteurized, bottled, and now I'm trying to decide if I should age any of it or just drink it all.

I honestly didn't bother with trying to mix everything together perfectly. At the time, I only could cook 3 cups dry at once, so I just did layers and threw them loosely into a sterilized fermenter as they cooled, then sprinkled some of the starter over each layer. Then I sealed the whole thing up tight and didn't touch it until it was time to bottle. (I think this is key. The batches I futz with turn out weird. *The ones I leave alone turn out great.*)

My yield from 2.5 kg dry rice at a 1:1 rice:water ratio was 156 ounces. I'd put the ABV somewhere around 16-18% by taste. I could probably drive that a bit higher, but we prefer it on the sweeter side, so I bottle at three weeks instead of four.

lol your still awesome...drink much?

 

[MasterCrook]

lol your still awesome...drink much?

Good job! Always leave it alone, except a shake once in a while to release gas trapped in the bottom

 

[emwinna]

lol your still awesome...drink much?

Thanks!

We have consumed every batch (with the exception of the RYR batch that required aging to be palatable) within a week of making it. I'm hoping this batch will last a bit longer than that. It feels stronger (I'm assuming because of the added sugar) so we probably should drink it more slowly. *sage nod*

I set aside four bottles and hid them well. Hopefully I'll be able to hold on to one of them for a year to see what this stuff is like aged. I may have to pick up a few more five gallon buckets and have a couple going at once.

I may also have to figure out some kind of press. My forearms are getting scary. (Great for grip strength, though!) ;p

 

[emwinna]

-.- HBT for iOS keeps double posting me.

 

[wc1376c]

Thanks!

We have consumed every batch (with the exception of the RYR batch that required aging to be palatable) within a week of making it. I'm hoping this batch will last a bit longer than that. It feels stronger (I'm assuming because of the added sugar) so we probably should drink it more slowly. *sage nod*

I set aside four bottles and hid them well. Hopefully I'll be able to hold on to one of them for a year to see what this stuff is like aged. I may have to pick up a few more five gallon buckets and have a couple going

Good luck with that...I have had no success. The only batch I have managed to save a couple of liters from was my Thai pepper wine. Even my meads cannot make it past four months.

 

[nickwoo]

started a 5 lb dry jasmine rice batch, can't wait to try what the jasmine produces.

 

[emwinna]

started a 5 lb dry jasmine rice batch, can't wait to try what the jasmine produces.

Same!

I have yet to splurge on an all-Jasmine batch. I have read that it's the superior rice for flavor, but maybe a little less yield than sweet rice. Let us know how it goes!

 

[z-bob]

Aldi's has 5 pound bags of jasmine rice for $5.

I bought a bag a few days ago; gonna start a half-sweet and half-jasmine batch this week so it can be doing its thing while Wife and I are out of town for 2 weeks.

 

[danmerk23]

I just pressed my 1/5/2015 ferment of simple sweet rice last night. Not quite a gallon but enough. Tasted sour and slightly bitter but pleasant. I read people here flavor theirs so I'm not sure I did this correctly but I tossed in about 1lb frozen raspberries and blueberries into a gallon carboy and tossed an airlock on it. It's sitting in room temps.

Thoughts? Will there be enough yeast to eat this new fruit?

 

[hornetd12]

Just ordered 2 lbs of yeast balls from these guys http://www dot ontoyeast dot ca to try making my first batch of rice wine. Can't wait very excited for this.

 

[MasterCrook]

Just ordered 2 lbs of yeast balls from these guys http://www dot ontoyeast dot ca to try making my first batch of rice wine. Can't wait very excited for this.

Ontoyeast is local for me. I live I Toronto. I haven't tried them yet, but their stuff looks good

 

[hornetd12]

I should recieve it sometime next week. I have everthing ready to start my first batch.

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

Quick question for veterans of this recipe:

Would it be possible to add more rice to my current batch that's still working? My current batch has just started to separate (noticeable liquid layer in the middle) in the last day or so).

Pros/Cons?

 

[brooklynkayak]

Quick question for veterans of this recipe:

Would it be possible to add more rice to my current batch that's still working?
Pros/Cons?

I did this because I didn't have enough rice to fill my fermentation bucket.
I started the batch and then added more steamed rice with yeast ball powder two days later after getting more rice.

I didn't notice any difference.

 

[jak1010]

I did this because I didn't have enough rice to fill my fermentation bucket.
I started the batch and then added more steamed rice with yeast ball powder two days later after getting more rice.

I didn't notice any difference.

Same here. I've done this up to a week after starting the batch. Thing is, I've also extended the harvest time 1 week. Good results and same as always.

 

[Urkelbot]

I'm looking to get together around 4 to 5 gallons of rice wine together for a chinnese medicinal tonic. Is my best bet to shoot for about a gallon yield at a time?

 

[CorporateHippie]

Question: I had a batch 5-1/2 weeks old. Strained it into a quart jar and then pressed out liquid from the lees in a cheesecloth. Problem is that the liquid is very thick and sweet. It's opaque white and after 2 days has not settled out yet. Any thought on what went wrong? Also the flavo is very very sweet. I thought 5-1/2 weeks would have been lon enough to drive off sweetness.

 

[pdxal]

I'm looking to get together around 4 to 5 gallons of rice wine together for a chinnese medicinal tonic. Is my best bet to shoot for about a gallon yield at a time?

To give you some perspective, I made a batch of rice wine in a 5 gallon bucket with 36-38 cups (dry) of jasmine rice and it yielded about 2 gallons of cloudy rice wine. Bucket was almost full at start of fermentation. The batch came out just as good as other, smaller, batches.

 

[danmerk23]

Just made a batch with 4 c rice over 1 month. Pressed and placed in a secondary with 16oz frozen berries. Let sit for 2 weeks. Just racked it into a gallon jug. Took a sip— oh man! It's pretty awesome. I can't wait for it to clear and rest. Nice tart, not sweet. Really hot.

 

[hornetd12]

Doing up my very first batch tonight. 10lbs dry, Short Grain(Sushi) Rice in a 5 gallon bucket with airlock, planning on using 10 yeast balls. Cooking the rice in my rice cooker which only holds 1lb of rice at a time and takes approx 22min for each batch. Gonna be a long night.
I am planning on leaving it undisturbed near my heat vent for 3 weeks. We will see how it goes.

 

[brooklynkayak]

Question: I had a batch 5-1/2 weeks old. Strained it into a quart jar and then pressed out liquid from the lees in a cheesecloth. Problem is that the liquid is very thick and sweet. It's opaque white and after 2 days has not settled out yet. Any thought on what went wrong? Also the flavo is very very sweet. I thought 5-1/2 weeks would have been lon enough to drive off sweetness.

If the alcohol content is high, the yeast can be reduced causing slow fermentation.

I'm not an expert, but if it's unusually sweet and the alcohol content is low, it could mean that the starch was broken down to sugar correctly, but the yeast didn't ferment properly.

Probably many things can cause that:
1) The yeast was added while the rice was still hot.
2) The rice didn't get rinsed thoroughly leaving behind fats, proteins and organisms that hampered yeast growth.
3) The yeast balls were exposed to high heat or were very old.
4) Another organism contaminated the batch.
and probably more...

From what I have read, a cloudy batch can be caused if it stirred during fermentation or if lower quality rice is used.

It is fixable though.

 

[CorporateHippie]

It is fixable though.

How can it be fixed?
Probably too hot of rice.
Rice was rinsed very good
Yeast was fresh
Sanitation is always superb
And I used all jasmine

 

[pdxal]

Rinsing/not rinsing rice will have no effect on fermenting to dryness. Fats and proteins will only aid yeast growth, and may cause off flavors (though I doubt this), but wouldn't effect dryness. There shouldn't be organisms on the rice since it gets boiled or steamed in cooking. You should have a sanitized substrate just like wort for making beer.
Stirring or not during fermentation has had no effect on my batches' clarity.
I can buy the rice being hot, or not pitching enough yeast/mold for saccharification and fermentation. Also, though, fermentation temperature being too low could have impaired the process. If you let the drained rice wine sit for longer it will probably settle, and perhaps finish fermentation. My batches have taken up to a couple of weeks to clarify at room temperatures.

 

[brooklynkayak]

How can it be fixed?
Probably too hot of rice.
Rice was rinsed very good
Yeast was fresh
Sanitation is always superb
And I used all jasmine

If the rice was too hot and that killed the yeast, you can grind up more yeast balls and add to the batch.
Since it sound like the scarification worked OK you might even be able to add brewers yeast instead of yeast balls.

 

[MasterCrook]

Question: I had a batch 5-1/2 weeks old. Strained it into a quart jar and then pressed out liquid from the lees in a cheesecloth. Problem is that the liquid is very thick and sweet. It's opaque white and after 2 days has not settled out yet. Any thought on what went wrong? Also the flavo is very very sweet. I thought 5-1/2 weeks would have been lon enough to drive off sweetness.

Your cheesecloth may be too coarse, try folding it over to make it finer or use a food grade mesh bag. Was there any unfermented rice?