Making Traditional rice Wine. Cheap, Fun, and Different

[imasickboy]

Not water to rice, but cooked rice per gallon of space. As in, will 25 pounds of cooked rice fit in a 7 gallon fermentor?

 

[MikeOhio]

Fermenting @ 51 Farenheit...

2 1/2 cups uncooked generally equals 1 pound. That generally expands due to water absorption to 3 cups per 1 cup uncooked in volume. Thats 8 pounds of uncooked in my 2.5 gallon jar, expanded to 24 cups cooked. Its occupying roughly 2/3rds the space. 25 pounds of cooked is going to expand to 187 cups of cooked by volume. Thats 7.7 x my volume? It does compact but you dont want it to compact to much....my head is hurting from the math so you take it from there imasickboy.
Mike

edit...by the way, its recomended to use 1 yeast ball for no more than 4 cups of uncooked i believe. That means you'll theoretically need 15 yeast balls?

 

[imasickboy]

Fermenting @ 51 Farenheit...

2 1/2 cups uncooked generally equals 1 pound. That generally expands due to water absorption to 3 cups per 1 cup uncooked in volume. Thats 8 pounds of uncooked in my 2.5 gallon jar, expanded to 24 cups cooked. Its occupying roughly 2/3rds the space. 25 pounds of cooked is going to expand to 187 cups of cooked by volume. Thats 7.7 x my volume? It does compact but you dont want it to compact to much....my head is hurting from the math so you take it from there imasickboy.
Mike

edit...by the way, its recomended to use 1 yeast ball for no more than 4 cups of uncooked i believe. That means you'll theoretically need 15 yeast balls?

Perfect. Thanks!

 

[MikeOhio]

To clear up 1 math mistake above...thats 8 pounds, equal to 20 cups uncooked which expanded to roughly 60 cups cooked.So your volume will be a little over 3x my volume. That should equate to a little over 6 gallons of cooked rice for 25 pounds uncooked. Thats if cooked at the standard ratio of slightly more than 1 cup water to 1 cup uncooked rice, which will produce in an ideal world...62 cups of rice wine, or 20-22, 750 ml wine bottles of rice wine?
Mike

 

[OpenSights]

Anyone have an idea, roughly what the ABV is? I haven’t figured out way to measure it....

 

[Davedrinksbeer]

Anyone have an idea, roughly what the ABV is? I haven’t figured out way to measure it....

I’ve read 18-20% alcohol which in my personal experience sounds probably right. To give me a nice buzz I have to drink:
1 - 12 ounce bottle of Sake OR
1- 750 ml of wine OR
3- 12 ounce craft beers

 

[OpenSights]

I’ve read 18-20% alcohol which in my personal experience sounds probably right. To give me a nice buzz I have to drink:
1 - 12 ounce bottle of Sake OR
1- 750 ml of wine OR
3- 12 ounce craft beers

For mine I was guessing about 18%... +/-2%.

 

[OpenSights]

Going to throw a wrench in the gears.

I think tomorrow I’m going to make 6 cups rice, 4 yeast balls, 1 stick cinnamon graded, and 4-6oz honey.

 

[OpenSights]

On that note, any speculation on the alcohol tolerance of these yeast balls?

 

[MikeOhio]

2 months later to the day and it came out wonderful, sweet with a very small amount of tart! This shows 4, 1 qt. mason jars after bulk pasteurizing, adding some bentonite dissolved in hot water and allowed to cool some, then chilled, 24 hrs later. Bentonite helps this stuff clear very fast. This batch will be split between left clear, infused with black cherries, and 1 with just mango. I've infused this stuff with a mix of pineapple & mango and the pineapple overwhelmed the mango as the dominate flavor. Raspberries seemed to offer a very subtle hint at flavor. Im hoping cherries are a little stronger. Carry on.

 

[gump]

2 months later to the day and it came out wonderful, sweet with a very small amount of tart! This shows 4, 1 qt. mason jars after bulk pasteurizing, adding some bentonite dissolved in hot water and allowed to cool some, then chilled, 24 hrs later. Bentonite helps this stuff clear very fast. This batch will be split between left clear, infused with black cherries, and 1 with just mango. I've infused this stuff with a mix of pineapple & mango and the pineapple overwhelmed the mango as the dominate flavor. Raspberries seemed to offer a very subtle hint at flavor. Im hoping cherries are a little stronger. Carry on.

 

[gump]

ohio mike how much Bentonite do we need to add )

 

[MikeOhio]

2 heaping teaspoon mixed we’ll in 1 cup of boiled water, allowed to cool to room temp and 1/4 cup poured in each mason jar.

 

[sgreene820]

To answer my own question. I've restarted fermentation after combining two batch with lees and adding about 25% water. It took time and temperature (probably mostly temperature) for it to restart fermentation. It's slowly bubbling into an airlock now. I'll wait until the airlock is still again to harvest.

UPDATE: I forgot this gallon of wine with airlock sitting over my fridge with an airlock. It has indeed fermented out nearly dry over several months. Still has a boozy mouthfeel, like a sherry, but the orangish color is gone. It might be good oaked for another six weeks, but I'm going to offer my stock to friends.

 

[Agrax]

I started to make rice wine. 2 balls for 2kg (4,4lbs) of cooked rice. It’s fermenting nicely, but my question is (maybe more general): can i cook and cool additional rice to add to already actively fermenting rice to make more wine or adding additional 4lbs would kill the yeast cuz they won’t be able to ferment this amount of wine? Yep, im a bit cheap, so i just want to know if adding more mass to a ferment is something people do (no experience in fermenting at all)

My question is not entirely „yeast-related”, but more abt enzymes. Is there enough saccharificating enzymes in the ferment after a week or will the added rice get totally unfermented, as there’s no more enzymes to feed the yeast

 

[T.Rev1000]

Anyone try using the rice yeast balls to ferment anything else they’re brewing? I’m interested in what this might do in a mead or cyser.

 

[bracconiere]

Anyone have an idea, roughly what the ABV is? I haven’t figured out way to measure it....

i know it's an old post, but also know you're still active...what you need is a vintometer...little glass tube, fill it up then turn it upside down and see the ABV...only works with dry alcohol though

just saw this and thought i'd throw it in....

edit: and now that i'm thinking about it, something i learned here...a hydrometer and refractometer can do it with the maths...

 

[OpenSights]

i know it's an old post, but also know you're still active...what you need is a vintometer...little glass tube, fill it up then turn it upside down and see the ABV...only works with dry alcohol though

just saw this and thought i'd throw it in....

edit: and now that i'm thinking about it, something i learned here...a hydrometer and refractometer can do it with the maths...

Actually picked one up when my LHBS closed. Haven’t used it or learned how.

I should make some rice wine again and try it out!

Thanks!

 

[OpenSights]

Anyone try using the rice yeast balls to ferment anything else they’re brewing? I’m interested in what this might do in a mead or cyser.

That might be interesting! The yeast balls makes the rice wine on the tart/sour side. I think you’re on to something!

 

[bracconiere]

Actually picked one up when my LHBS closed. Haven’t used it or learned how.

I should make some rice wine again and try it out!

Thanks!

View attachment 668766

yep, that's what i was talking about...just only works with dry washes....

 

[T.Rev1000]

That might be interesting! The yeast balls makes the rice wine on the tart/sour side. I think you’re on to something!

I have a 1 gallon cyser going where I added a yeast ball - will update on how it turns out.

 

[Krasdale]

I started to make rice wine. 2 balls for 2kg (4,4lbs) of cooked rice. It’s fermenting nicely, but my question is (maybe more general): can i cook and cool additional rice to add to already actively fermenting rice to make more wine or adding additional 4lbs would kill the yeast cuz they won’t be able to ferment this amount of wine? Yep, im a bit cheap, so i just want to know if adding more mass to a ferment is something people do (no experience in fermenting at all)

My question is not entirely „yeast-related”, but more abt enzymes. Is there enough saccharificating enzymes in the ferment after a week or will the added rice get totally unfermented, as there’s no more enzymes to feed the yeast

Add rice and enzyme in proportion. Have done it. SOP in some processes.

 

[freshie]

Hi everyone. Awesome thread thanks sonofgrok and saramc.

I've just started a (first time making rice wine) batch 2 days ago. This morning I perked inside and saw white mold. I assume that is ok? The rice looked dry to me. I layered the rice with red rice yeast and the top layer with 2 round rice yeast.

Am I doing anything wrong? Thanks in anticipation.

 

[freshie]

Further information.
1.2 kgs glutinous rice
180gm red rice yeast
2 flat disc rice wine yeast
No water added.
Average room temperature is 60F

Cheers

 

[Davedrinksbeer]

Hi everyone. Awesome thread thanks sonofgrok and saramc.

I've just started a (first time making rice wine) batch 2 days ago. This morning I perked inside and saw white mold. I assume that is ok? The rice looked dry to me. I layered the rice with red rice yeast and the top layer with 2 round rice yeast.

Am I doing anything wrong? Thanks in anticipation.

Your fine, that’s what it does. White Mold grows on the rice, it eats up the rice and makes Sake/Rice Wine.

 

[Krasdale]

Hi everyone. Awesome thread thanks sonofgrok and saramc.

I've just started a (first time making rice wine) batch 2 days ago. This morning I perked inside and saw white mold. I assume that is ok? The rice looked dry to me. I layered the rice with red rice yeast and the top layer with 2 round rice yeast.

Am I doing anything wrong? Thanks in anticipation.

In general, everything should be submerged, or at least very damp. Stirring and/or sanitized water is in order. A lot like pickle-making.

 

[freshie]

Hi, sorry for not being able to respond earlier., was having issues with the app. Thanks for all the response.

I didn't stir - wasn't sure if I was meant to. Should I stir it today?

Picture showing day 6 with some liquid at the bottom.

 

[monkeymath]

Wow, this thread has been going strong for a while now!

I actually bought Koji spores (for making miso and shoyu) and thought about using them for a wine-rice hybrid beverage, replacing the rice by a regionally produced grain. Pearl barley or spelt seem to resemble polished rice in that they had their husks removed (in "The Noma guide to fermentation", pearl barley is also the base grain used for Koji and derived products). I currently have a beer fermenting using the Westmalle strain, which is quite alcohol-tolerant (up to 12%).

I'm thinking of steaming some pearl barley, mixing in some Koji spores and a bit of my harvested yeast Belgian yeast. Has anyone attempted something like this? I'm kind of at a loss as to the right quantities and proportions...
Moreover, my yeast certainly cannot take the full strength of the rice brew, so I'd have to dilute with some water. I guess that the initial "dry" phase of the ferment is important to provide oxygen for the Koji spores? So I'd have to start dry and then add water maybe two days in, so that the Koji had a chance to get hold and my yeast has not yet died of alcohol...?

I'd appreciate any pointers (and apologize if I could not find any hidden in the hundreds of previous posts....)!

Cheers,
Daniel

 

[Designergrrl]

Have been slowly making my way through this entire thread. Don't miss the first 20 pages if you haven't read them -- sonofgrok, sarahmc, leadgolem, and aropolis have answered many of the questions I see in more recent posts.

That said, I've only gotten through about 50 pages, so if this question WAS answered later, apologies. But since I haven't seen it so far, I think I found out why some people had "acetone" like odors.

Apparently, as so many guessed, there is a lot of variation in the yeast balls. And certain strains of yeast will produce solvent-like odors. See this quote from Yeast Experiment:

One such yeast, Pichia anomala, produces off flavors such as ethyl acetate, which gives a solvent like smell and taste to the final product (Ji Ho et al., 2013). It is the purpose of this experiment to curb any Pichia growth by adding additional Saccharomyces cerevisiae to the brew in order to prevent the accumulation of off flavors.

This writer decided to add the desired yeast strain in hopes that it would overcome any of the other yeasts present.

They added Lalvin wine yeast ICV D47 to one batch, Safale US-09 Dry Ale yeast (Fermentis) to a second batch, and Safbrew S-33 Dry Brewing yeast (Fermentis) to a third batch. All three came out without solvent odors, and the Lalvin wine yeast apparently produced the best flavor.

 

[equator_brew]

This is mine after 2 weeks of fermentation.
About 1 cup of glutinous rice, 3.5g of yeast and about 1.5 cup of water.