Making Traditional rice Wine. Cheap, Fun, and Different

[kitchenboy]

I don't know how you get away without pressing. I make cheese and have some large format ricotta cheese molds. Pull my paint strainer bag out of the fermentation bucket and drop into mold sitting in a colander over another bucket. Put a follower on top (a plate will work) and add 10 lbs of weight (a milk jug of water). Press overnight. Make sure that everything is sanitized and cover with a piece of 99 cent plastic paint drop cloth. Next morning pour into your secondary. After a week or so I rack it and run it through my cider filtration system, but that's another story.

 

[kitchenboy]

Just finished my latest batch of rice wine. 3.5 kg (dry weight) Thai sweet glutinous rice, Angel Rice Leaven, Premier Blanc yeast. Fermented 11 days at 16 degrees C (60 F). Produced 10 litres of wine before clarification. I cheated on the above pressing method and used my cheese press. It is still just above freezing here so I will put it outside to cold crash. I Boil Tested and came up with 16% ABV, which surprised me since it is a little sweeter then I prefer. I am having a glass while I write this (product testing) and it definitely has a kick.

Next batch I am going to try something different. I have 5 kg (11 lbs) of Thai Hom Mali broken rice. Has anybody used broken jasmine rice for rice wine? Any suggestions?

 

[eigua]

Just finished my latest batch of rice wine. 3.5 kg (dry weight) Thai sweet glutinous rice, Angel Rice Leaven, Premier Blanc yeast. Fermented 11 days at 16 degrees C (60 F). Produced 10 litres of wine before clarification. I cheated on the above pressing method and used my cheese press. It is still just above freezing here so I will put it outside to cold crash. I Boil Tested and came up with 16% ABV, which surprised me since it is a little sweeter then I prefer. I am having a glass while I write this (product testing) and it definitely has a kick.

Next batch I am going to try something different. I have 5 kg (11 lbs) of Thai Hom Mali broken rice. Has anybody used broken jasmine rice for rice wine? Any suggestions?

I rather like it when it comes out sweet and strong. Only one batch I've made has been the perfect balance. That was a mix of mostly broken jasmine rice and glutenous rice.

Interesting about the boil test. I need to look into that. Here's a link I found with some info for anyone interested: http://homebrewsake.com/home/2011/01/02/measuring-your-sake-–-part-two-percent-alcohol-by-volume/

I've used broken jasmine successfully as have others in this thread. The only thing I can think of is that it may require less water than regular jasmine rice if you're cooking it in a rice cooker.

 

[brewit75]

Went for sushi over the weekend and asked if I could come back and buy a few containers of their already cooked rice. The guy was fine with it. I'm thinking about using it to make rice wine. Anyone think this is a bad idea? It's only about a 20 min drive home so, the rice should be the perfect temperature for pitching the yeast balls.

 

[madwilliamflint]

It's been a long time and I'm starting a batch tonight for the first time in years.

For some reason my rice wine notes are awful.

1 yeast ball per dry cup of rice?

 

[madwilliamflint]

Went for sushi over the weekend and asked if I could come back and buy a few containers of their already cooked rice. The guy was fine with it. I'm thinking about using it to make rice wine. Anyone think this is a bad idea? It's only about a 20 min drive home so, the rice should be the perfect temperature for pitching the yeast balls.

I can't think of a single reason it'd be bad.

 

[madwilliamflint]

I put down 10 cups (5 pounds) of jasmine rice in a 2g fermentation bucket last night.

Got me to thinking...any reason not to try milling/blending the rice before cooking? I don't have anything I could reasonably use to do it or I'd try it immediately.

 

[IrishBrewer420]

It is so refreshing to see that sake is still popular in the homebrewing community. I'll be starting a batch within the year and really like the traditional recipe presented here. However, I'm interested in doing 5 gallons rather than yielding a single bottle. However, I would do so at the expense of utilizing the traditional and AUTHENTIC recipe. I would like some opinions on the recipe I will be using; I need to know if this will produce a traditional, distinct sake flavor.

2.5 lb Rice
7 pts water (hot)
2.25 lb sugar (or honey)
3 tsp acid blend
3/4 tsp yeast energizer
1 campden, crush
1 pks sherry yeast

The recipe does not say to cook the rice. It says to put into a straining bag in the primary, pour hot water over and stir. It also calls for additional doses of dissolved sugar throughout the primary, secondary and even the clearing stages in order to build up alcohol content.

I plan on using a 7 gallon primary and 5 gallon secondary complete with airlocks and all the other "fixins". I will be following the above recipe to the letter (with the exception of multiplying up). I realize this is NOT traditional, and I apologize, but it is the most practical method that works with my brew setup and I need to know if it is worth it and will produce a traditional-tasting product. Thanks for any info and keep rice brewing alive.

 

[crane]

It is so refreshing to see that sake is still popular in the homebrewing community. I'll be starting a batch within the year and really like the traditional recipe presented here. However, I'm interested in doing 5 gallons rather than yielding a single bottle. However, I would do so at the expense of utilizing the traditional and AUTHENTIC recipe. I would like some opinions on the recipe I will be using; I need to know if this will produce a traditional, distinct sake flavor.


The recipe does not say to cook the rice. It says to put into a straining bag in the primary, pour hot water over and stir. It also calls for additional doses of dissolved sugar throughout the primary, secondary and even the clearing stages in order to build up alcohol content.

I plan on using a 7 gallon primary and 5 gallon secondary complete with airlocks and all the other "fixins". I will be following the above recipe to the letter (with the exception of multiplying up). I realize this is NOT traditional, and I apologize, but it is the most practical method that works with my brew setup and I need to know if it is worth it and will produce a traditional-tasting product. Thanks for any info and keep rice brewing alive.

What will you use to convert the starch to sugar? I don't see that listed in your ingredients

 

[brewit75]

What will you use to convert the starch to sugar? I don't see that listed in your ingredients

I've seen recipes like this before. To me, it doesn't produce rice wine at all. I've tried it once and it was terrible when compared to the recipe in the OP.

The rice doesn't really play a role. In the end, it's just regular yeast that ferments the sugar/honey in the water and the rice just sits in the same bucket.

I'm not saying it's a bad idea but, the end product is the same with or without the rice.

If you're going to experiment, try a small batch and see if you like it before going to a large 5 gallon batch.

 

[pdxal]

It is so refreshing to see that sake is still popular in the homebrewing community. I'll be starting a batch within the year and really like the traditional recipe presented here. However, I'm interested in doing 5 gallons rather than yielding a single bottle. However, I would do so at the expense of utilizing the traditional and AUTHENTIC recipe. I would like some opinions on the recipe I will be using; I need to know if this will produce a traditional, distinct sake flavor.


The recipe does not say to cook the rice. It says to put into a straining bag in the primary, pour hot water over and stir. It also calls for additional doses of dissolved sugar throughout the primary, secondary and even the clearing stages in order to build up alcohol content.

I plan on using a 7 gallon primary and 5 gallon secondary complete with airlocks and all the other "fixins". I will be following the above recipe to the letter (with the exception of multiplying up). I realize this is NOT traditional, and I apologize, but it is the most practical method that works with my brew setup and I need to know if it is worth it and will produce a traditional-tasting product. Thanks for any info and keep rice brewing alive.

I would say that this recipe is anything but authentic, as you mention.
It would be much better to just use the OP's recipe or a close version of it and it would be way easier too.
You could fill a 5 gallon bucket with about 40-50 cups (dry) of cooked rice, add Chinese yeast balls, wait about 6 weeks and have a very good rice wine (not truly sake since not done traditionally) with low cost, good product, and with little work. You would produce a 15-20% ABV rice wine that tastes good. Not sure what would come out of the recipe you posted.

 

[IrishBrewer420]

Ok, thanks for the input, I want to be as close to store-bought sake as possible so I guess I should use the recipe in the thread rather than mine. Just to be absolutely clear, I need ABSOLUTELY NOTHING but cooked rice and yeast balls? No water? No sugar? No koji? If there is no sugar and no koji, where do the sugar enzymes come from? Where does the alcohol come from? I notice the thread starter mentioned that the rice breaks down and that's where the finished sake liquid comes from, but how much liquid can I expect to yield from a good 5 to 5.5 gallons of cooked rice? I'm looking to get no less than 14 750ml bottles. The recipe presented here is something I've never been exposed to before and would appreciate any input. Also, to address the person who asked me how the starches get converted to sugar in my recipe, the answer is that step is not needed. The recipe calls for sugar.

 

[pdxal]

Ok, thanks for the input, I want to be as close to store-bought sake as possible so I guess I should use the recipe in the thread rather than mine. Just to be absolutely clear, I need ABSOLUTELY NOTHING but cooked rice and yeast balls? No water? No sugar? No koji? If there is no sugar and no koji, where do the sugar enzymes come from? Where does the alcohol come from? I notice the thread starter mentioned that the rice breaks down and that's where the finished sake liquid comes from, but how much liquid can I expect to yield from a good 5 to 5.5 gallons of cooked rice? I'm looking to get no less than 14 750ml bottles. The recipe presented here is something I've never been exposed to before and would appreciate any input. Also, to address the person who asked me how the starches get converted to sugar in my recipe, the answer is that step is not needed. The recipe calls for sugar.

The yeast balls contain mold that breaks down the starch in the rice into sugars and yeast to ferment it.
Cooked rice+yeast balls=rice wine.
5 gallons of cooked rice with yeast balls should easily yield 14x750ml rice wine. You will have to clarify after fermentation. I typically get approximately one cup of rice wine per dry cup of uncooked rice.

 

[IrishBrewer420]

The yeast balls contain mold that breaks down the starch in the rice into sugars and yeast to ferment it.
Cooked rice+yeast balls=rice wine.
5 gallons of cooked rice with yeast balls should easily yield 14x750ml rice wine. You will have to clarify after fermentation. I typically get approximately one cup of rice wine per dry cup of uncooked rice.

That sounds good, thank you for sharing. I'm certainly going with this recipe now, it does seem much more like the real product. How many of the Asian yeast balls do you recommend for 5 gallons? Also, it is possible to start the rice inside a straining bag in order to ease the pressing process? I hope my local homebrew supply store is able to order the correct yeast.

 

[crane]

That sounds good, thank you for sharing. I'm certainly going with this recipe now, it does seem much more like the real product. How many of the Asian yeast balls do you recommend for 5 gallons? Also, it is possible to start the rice inside a straining bag in order to ease the pressing process? I hope my local homebrew supply store is able to order the correct yeast.

The yeast balls are found at Asian grocery stores or you can order them online. I did see the other day that white Labs has WLP780 in their vault. It is supposed to work in place of the yeast balls although they don't directly reference koji or fungi. Has anyone used this?

https://www.whitelabs.com/yeast-vault

 

[Maylar]

Chinese yeast balls come from the Asian isle in your grocery store, not from your LHBS.

 

[BeeDeeEff]

That sounds good, thank you for sharing. I'm certainly going with this recipe now, it does seem much more like the real product. How many of the Asian yeast balls do you recommend for 5 gallons? Also, it is possible to start the rice inside a straining bag in order to ease the pressing process? I hope my local homebrew supply store is able to order the correct yeast.

I couldn't find them locally, but I had luck getting them here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Over-1-000-...LS-Rice-Wine-Chinese-YEAST-BALLS/141866638440

 

[sumatra]

For those that ferment in a cold environment rather than room temp, how do you tell when the wine is done, since it isn't a set 21 days anymore?

 

[eigua]

Went for sushi over the weekend and asked if I could come back and buy a few containers of their already cooked rice. The guy was fine with it. I'm thinking about using it to make rice wine. Anyone think this is a bad idea? It's only about a 20 min drive home so, the rice should be the perfect temperature for pitching the yeast balls.

Sushi rice usually has sweet vinegar added to it. You probably don't want that in your rice wine.

 

[eigua]

That sounds good, thank you for sharing. I'm certainly going with this recipe now, it does seem much more like the real product. How many of the Asian yeast balls do you recommend for 5 gallons? Also, it is possible to start the rice inside a straining bag in order to ease the pressing process? I hope my local homebrew supply store is able to order the correct yeast.

FYI, sake making is different from this thread's recipe, uses different ingredients, and is much more effort to make. I believe this recipe in this thread is for mijiu. If you're looking for authentic sake, I would look for a true sake recipe.

 

[IrishBrewer420]

FYI, sake making is different from this thread's recipe, uses different ingredients, and is much more effort to make. I believe this recipe in this thread is for mijiu. If you're looking for authentic sake, I would look for a true sake recipe.

Oh yes, I know. Thank you. I've been a sake enthusiast for some time now. I do know of a website dedicated to the homebrewing of authentic sake. http://homebrewsake.com/home/ It offers an ingredient kit, instructions, and about two years worth of astute articles on all things sake. It's just the kit is rather pricey and I was hoping to find a more practical way of producing a similar product. While this method is very different from traditional sake I assume it will produce a product more closely resembling real sake than the recipe I posted from my book.

 

[PartagasD4]

For those that ferment in a cold environment rather than room temp, how do you tell when the wine is done, since it isn't a set 21 days anymore?

I just finished a fermentation of rice wine at ~50°. It was in a wide mouth gallon jar so I would just lift the lid and listen for the rice crispy crackling sound. Once it stopped I bottled. It was about 3 weeks. I believe that someone posted quite a few pages back about the warmer ferment being more sour tasting and that is what I have experienced also. This rice wine is a lot less tart and pretty strong.

 

[PartagasD4]

If anyone wants to try the true Japanese Sake method from either homebrewsake.com or taylor-madeak.org.
Look at this website http://mnrice.com , its expensive but they will sell you high end polished rice. I still have another week of fermentation left on my 2-3 gal batch but thought it might be worth mentioning if anybody wanted high end stuff. I just used Calrose since I'm a rookie at it

 

[eigua]

Oh yes, I know. Thank you. I've been a sake enthusiast for some time now. I do know of a website dedicated to the homebrewing of authentic sake. http://homebrewsake.com/home/ It offers an ingredient kit, instructions, and about two years worth of astute articles on all things sake. It's just the kit is rather pricey and I was hoping to find a more practical way of producing a similar product. While this method is very different from traditional sake I assume it will produce a product more closely resembling real sake than the recipe I posted from my book.

Ahh, I see. Thanks for clearing that up and the information.

Have you made rice wine using this recipe before? I wasn't able to tell from your posts. You said you like this traditional recipe, but I'm not sure that means you've tried making it or not.

I personally don't think the results of this taste much like stereotypical sake or nigori, at least the cheap ones that I have generally drank, if that's what you're going for. My results with this recipe, when successful, have tasted much better than sake to me. It smells a lot like sake, but taste wise, I would say it's sweeter with more body and a slight tartness that I really like. Very drinkable on its own like a wine, which I never found to be the case with sake for some reason. Of course a lot depends on the exact process you use, the particular type of yeast ball / other starter you use, the rice you use, etc. @Chonas has posted a lot of great info in the last 10-15 pages or so in this thread detailing how you can get various types of results such as reducing tartness, etc. (He uses Angel Rice Leaven and high-gravity ale yeast instead of the yeast balls.)

 

[IrishBrewer420]

Ahh, I see. Thanks for clearing that up and the information.

Have you made rice wine using this recipe before? I wasn't able to tell from your posts. You said you like this traditional recipe, but I'm not sure that means you've tried making it or not.

I personally don't think the results of this taste much like stereotypical sake or nigori, at least the cheap ones that I have generally drank, if that's what you're going for. My results with this recipe, when successful, have tasted much better than sake to me. It smells a lot like sake, but taste wise, I would say it's sweeter with more body and a slight tartness that I really like. Very drinkable on its own like a wine, which I never found to be the case with sake for some reason. Of course a lot depends on the exact process you use, the particular type of yeast ball / other starter you use, the rice you use, etc. @Chonas has posted a lot of great info in the last 10-15 pages or so in this thread detailing how you can get various types of results such as reducing tartness, etc. (He uses Angel Rice Leaven and high-gravity ale yeast instead of the yeast balls.)

Unfortunately, no. I have not had the pleasure of brewing the recipe on HBS, but I plan to purchase the kit sometime within the next 1-2 years. Until then I'll settle for buying grocery store rice and grinding it myself in a food processor. Apparently the only other thing I need are the yeast balls, correct? My carboys are tied up in other wine and beer right now, and I don't anticipate starting the rice wine until later this year. But honestly, I don't think one can go wrong with any rice-based alcoholic beverage.

 

[eigua]

Unfortunately, no. I have not had the pleasure of brewing the recipe on HBS, but I plan to purchase the kit sometime within the next 1-2 years.

I actually meant to ask if you had tried the recipe in this thread before. I would suggest doing a small 2-3 cup (dry) batch before doing the 5 gallon if you haven't.

Until then I'll settle for buying grocery store rice and grinding it myself in a food processor.

Definitely use jasmine rice, glutinous/sweet rice, or sushi rice (or a combination). Don't use just any old rice. It won't work. I and others have tried it. There are just not enough convertible starches to make a decent wine. I threw out several batches I made using Blue Ribbon long-grain rice using various methods such as grinding to get more surface area, adding more water, etc. None of them turned out. The only long-grain experiment batch that turned out at all well was one using both the yeast ball and red yeast rice. The RYR seemed to be able to convert more of the starches than the yeast ball alone and I did get an alcoholic drink, but it was very dry and somewhat bitter. Just okay, not great.

There's also no need to grind it up. I've done that to several batches using a stick blender. It just makes filtering harder.

Apparently the only other thing I need are the yeast balls, correct?

Yes, for the standard recipe, all you need are jasmine rice and chinese yeast balls.

But honestly, I don't think one can go wrong with any rice-based alcoholic beverage.

True, true.

 

[madwilliamflint]

I couldn't find them locally, but I had luck getting them here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Over-1-000-...LS-Rice-Wine-Chinese-YEAST-BALLS/141866638440

Can recommend.

 

[IrishBrewer420]

I actually meant to ask if you had tried the recipe in this thread before. I would suggest doing a small 2-3 cup (dry) batch before doing the 5 gallon if you haven't.



Definitely use jasmine rice, glutinous/sweet rice, or sushi rice (or a combination). Don't use just any old rice. It won't work. I and others have tried it. There are just not enough convertible starches to make a decent wine. I threw out several batches I made using Blue Ribbon long-grain rice using various methods such as grinding to get more surface area, adding more water, etc. None of them turned out. The only long-grain experiment batch that turned out at all well was one using both the yeast ball and red yeast rice. The RYR seemed to be able to convert more of the starches than the yeast ball alone and I did get an alcoholic drink, but it was very dry and somewhat bitter. Just okay, not great.

There's also no need to grind it up. I've done that to several batches using a stick blender. It just makes filtering harder.



Yes, for the standard recipe, all you need are jasmine rice and chinese yeast balls.



True, true.

Thank you for the info. It will be very nice to cut out the milling step out of my brew process. I've never tried the recipe in this thread, either. You see, my brew equipment is fairly new and nobody else in my circle wants to tolerate sake (I of course love it). Anyway, I agreed to push the sake back a few months to make more universal drinks like fruit wine and craft beer. So while I've done extensive reading on the topic of sake brewing, I have never actually made a batch of my own. Thanks for clearing up the type of rice I'll need. Could I expect to find it at my grocery store?

 

[eigua]

Could I expect to find it at my grocery store?

Depends. Standard grocery stores might have jasmine or sushi rice, but it would be very small bags and probably overpriced. Costco is the cheapest source of jasmine rice I know of (50 lbs / $23 where I live). East Asian grocery stores would carry the most variety.

 

[madwilliamflint]

Could I expect to find it at my grocery store?

$0.02: I rarely have trouble finding Jasmine rice in 5 pound bags at Publix or Kroger, which amounts to something like 12-13 cups.

 

[sublxed]

So I finally made this, it was or is awesome. 6 cups of sweet rice and chinese yeast/mold balls made enough for 3 16 oz bottles. They are now fining and clearing in the fridge. Also they are very good.

 

[brewit75]

I personally don't think the results of this taste much like stereotypical sake or nigori, at least the cheap ones that I have generally drank, if that's what you're going for. My results with this recipe, when successful, have tasted much better than sake to me. It smells a lot like sake, but taste wise, I would say it's sweeter with more body and a slight tartness that I really like. Very drinkable on its own like a wine, which I never found to be the case with sake for some reason.

Agreed. Although it smells very much like sake, the taste of the end product using jasmine rice and yeast balls is much better than the sake I've had. Although, the sake I'm used to is the kind found at sushi restaurants. To me, it kinda tastes like warm dirty dish water.

This stuff (the recipe in this thread) has a much better taste. And, best of all, it's wine that you can drink 21-28 days after you brew it. Almost unheard of when brewing any alcoholic drink that isn't beer.

 

[madwilliamflint]

I've got 10 cups (dry) of rice going in a 2g brew bucket. I haven't taken the lid off it to check progress yet, which is killing me. I need to put it in a closet or something so I'm not staring at the opaque container lustfully.

 

[brewit75]

This is a very good article for people who are new to making rice wine. In fact, it's good for people who are experienced in making rice wine. Well done job by the author.

And, there's a link for buying Yeast Balls on eBay. Very cool indeed.

www.byjovericewine.com/blog/2017/2/22/how-to-make-a-rice-wine-kit-for-under-20

 

[eigua]

This is a very good article for people who are new to making rice wine. In fact, it's good for people who are experienced in making rice wine. Well done job by the author.

And, there's a link for buying Yeast Balls on eBay. Very cool indeed.

www.byjovericewine.com/blog/2017/2/22/how-to-make-a-rice-wine-kit-for-under-20

Did you by any chance mean this article? (Linked from the one you posted.)

Right off the bat, the article gets a major point dead wrong:

What rice to choose?
If you’re reading this guide, then you probably have never brewed rice wine before. In which case, you probably don’t need to go out and buy some super fancy expensive rice made exclusively for Sake brewers. Unlike grape wine, the kind of rice you use does not impact the flavor of the wine very much. So it really doesn’t matter what kind of rice you buy (unless you’re some Sake aficionado who has a palate that can identify minute differences between wine). You can use any kind of rice; brown or white; sweet rice or regular rice; it really doesn’t matter.

As I and many others in this thread who have done experiments with types of rice can attest, the type of rice you choose absolutely does matter greatly and will determine the final taste, the yield, and the alcohol content.

For example, here is an experiment @Leadgolem did a while back:

Initial Post
Results
Tasting Notes

 

[BeeDeeEff]

I liked my first batch of this stuff so much I went ahead and started another one last night. Will be taking more pictures this time around to show the process day by day as I've not seen many examples for others to know what to expect.

Saving my sole full bottle from my first batch to age until the second is finished, would love to see how they compare:

 

[madwilliamflint]

Nice! I'm running my batches in opaque containers so there's really nothing to see. But I was pretty alarmed at how...well...gross it looks mid-process.

Still waiting for my first batch in years to be ready. Fortunately it'll only be a few more weeks.

 

[IrishBrewer420]

Nice! I'm running my batches in opaque containers so there's really nothing to see. But I was pretty alarmed at how...well...gross it looks mid-process.

Still waiting for my first batch in years to be ready. Fortunately it'll only be a few more weeks.

Don't worry about it looking gross mid-process, that's totally normal. Actually, I'd worry if it DIDN'T look gross. Same thing with regular beer, when I check on it a few days in it usually resembles a swamp.

 

[brewit75]

Did you by any chance mean this article? (Linked from the one you posted.)

Right off the bat, the article gets a major point dead wrong:



As I and many others in this thread who have done experiments with types of rice can attest, the type of rice you choose absolutely does matter greatly and will determine the final taste, the yield, and the alcohol content.

For example, here is an experiment @Leadgolem did a while back:

Initial Post
Results
Tasting Notes

Good point on the choice of rice. I was referring more to the process and equipment.

 

[brewit75]

I liked my first batch of this stuff so much I went ahead and started another one last night. Will be taking more pictures this time around to show the process day by day as I've not seen many examples for others to know what to expect.

Saving my sole full bottle from my first batch to age until the second is finished, would love to see how they compare:

Very cool. Still can't get over how clear that bottle of wine is. Any pictures of the process?