Rice Wine FAQ, part 1
Ok, ladles and germ-lovers… I’ve read through this entire doggone thread. A herculean feat. I’m not proud of my OCD tendencies, but there’s a silver lining. I’ve seen the same questions come up over and over. Sometimes there’s someone around who knows the answer; sometimes not. So I’m gonna try to compile an FAQ here.
I’m still fairly new to this so I’m sure some of you will have better answers. And I’ll be learning more as I go. I’m totally open to editing this post if you’ve got better info. Fingers crossed we can save people a lot of searching around for answers.
Yeah, I know, this one’s prolly bound for the TL;DR heap. But I hope with the Q&A format, people can find what they need without reading the entire thing.
edit: I will have to do this in two posts. It really is too long!
Revision history:
June 11, 2020 - first draft
I keep seeing a few abbreviations. What do they mean?
ARL = Angel Rice Leaven, a brand of the all-important fungus combination that turns rice into wine.
RYR = Red Yeast Rice, rice inoculated with a specific fungus that may help lower cholesterol. It seems to “assist” the fermentation. See the question about it below.
What’s with this “dried yeast” anyway?
This stuff has been around for literally thousands of years, yet the technology is pretty darned amazing. I kinda imagine it going down like that episode of Star Trek, Mudd’s Women. Some guy’s wife said, “Why you wanna go to all that trouble making the rice sweet and then stirring in yeast a week later? Just chuck the stuff in and get back to working in the mines.” Because it’s really, truly capable of doing a two-stage process in a single step.
The most important contents are the fungi (typically a Rhizopus, but sometimes an Aspergillus, and yeast). The Rhiz. or Asper. produce an enzyme that eats starch and pees sugar. The yeast eats the sugar and pees alcohol. I do love me some yeast piss!
There might also be lactobacillus in some brands because yeast prefers a slightly acid environment. Even if there’s no lacto in the mix, the fungus will produce some lactic acid as it works. **
Beware: this is the source of many soured batches.** But.. it can be controlled. Read on, my friends.
P.S. 1: I know that these ingredients aren’t always listed on the package. For several months people were adding wine yeast to Angel Rice Leaven (ARL), because the packet doesn’t actually list yeast as an ingredient. “Leaven” is another word for “yeast,” so maybe they figure we’ll just know. Remember, this stuff isn’t manufactured for us culture-appropriating North Americans. But you are now a member of a secret society and you’ve got the real 411. Enjoy your new cult-leader status.
P.S.2: There’s also Nuruk, the Korean version of the enzyme-producing fungus.
P.S. 3: There is a snack food that looks like giant yeast balls and contains spices and seasonings. It seems to be made from semi-fermented rice. A couple of people have used it instead of the dried yeast balls, and it’s sorta worked. IMO, you’re better off getting the dried, unseasoned stuff. You can find it on eBay and on Amazon easily enough.
Seriously, what kind of rice should I use?
According to folks in this thread who are way more scientific than I am, there are two kinds of starch in rice: amylose and amylopectin. The fungus prefers amylopectin. Shorter-grain rices have more of the “yummy!” starch, while longer grain rices have more of the “meh” starch. That’s why short-grain rice gets so sticky when you cook it, and it’s why short-grain varieties give the best yield. These varieties are also very neutral in flavor.
Some people prefer more of that rice-vanilla taste, so they prefer Thai “sticky Jasmine” (AKA Hom Mali). It’s more of a medium grain than a short grain but yields are good enough to make it worth considering.
Many other types of rice will work. The key is shorter grains give better yield, and the flavor of the rice influences the flavor of the wine. Long-grain rice from your local supermarket just isn’t worth the time.
Do I need to rinse the rice before cooking?
Rinsing is optional but I always do it. If I knew for sure that my yeast cakes contained Aspergillus, I might not bother. From what I’ve read, Aspergillus is more efficient at breaking down the excess proteins and lipids that might be in the rice dust. Most of the Shanghai yeast cakes, however, use Rhizopus (confirmed years ago by the OP, who sequenced it in a lab). So to be safe, I rinse. Plus I’ve also read that rice is often treated with pesticides for long-term storage … ick, I don’t want that in my wine. Oh, and the starches you’re worried about rinsing away? The fungus isn’t interested in that type of starch, or so I’ve read, so you won’t be losing any of your sugars. It’s also possible that rinsing makes it a little easier to get a clear final product. I haven’t tested that theory.
What’s the best way to cook the rice? Do I need to presoak? If I do presoak, why do I need to cook it?
The purpose of cooking the rice is to gelatinize the starches so that the fungus can consume them. You need both heat and water to make it "yummy for your fungi."
The goal is to get the rice grains digestible, but not mushy. You can accomplish this goal with just about any cooking method, as long as you control your rice-to-water ratio.
I’ve steamed my rice and I’ve boiled/simmered it in a pot. Both ways work, but steaming takes far longer. That's when presoaking comes in handy. Kinda like cooking beans: if you soak them overnight before boiling, the water that’s already absorbed helps them to cook faster. Same here.
If you boil/simmer your rice or use a dedicated rice cooker, presoaking will probably make your rice too wet.
Aim for rice that is translucent but still has separate grains. If it’s still opaque white, the fungus won’t eat it. If it’s mush, you’ll get sour wine.
How much water should I use for each cup of rice?
This is probably one of the most confusing issues. Grab some coffee because this is gonna be a longer answer.
First: too much water,
too soon, is definitely a bad thing. The first few days, the fungus is working hard, cooking some sweet breakfast, while the yeast is still lying in bed reading the newspaper. If you give that fungus too much water, it goes into lactic-acid-producing overdrive. Sour wine results. You can add more water later, though… yep, keep reading.
Second: A lot depends on your cooking method. If you’re steaming, your rice will absorb what it’s gonna absorb. Not much danger of overcooking, if you do it right. OTOH, there is a danger of undercooking — so read the previous question, and do at least a 2-hour presoak. Then steam away until it’s properly cooked.
If the rice is going to sit in the water while it cooks, limit water to no more than 1.5X the amount of rice. Most people on this forum find success at 1 part rice against 1-1.3 parts water.
Third: Remember that rice cookers come with a 6-ounce cup, not an 8-ounce cup. If you’re using a rice cooker, use the same cup to measure both rice and water!
Finally: You can add more water, if you do it at the right time. One very thorough contributor to this thread does this regularly. It helps get the yeast started again if it stalls out, and results in a drier wine. If you’re going to do this, wait until carbonation dies down a bit — so maybe at the end of week 3. (I haven’t done this myself, so I don’t have precise instructions.)
Water isn’t the only factor when it comes to sour wine. Keep reading.
How much yeast/fungus mix should I use?
The yeast-fungus mixture comes in several forms. There are balls, tablets, and small foil packets.
The one that comes in packets, Angel Rice Leaven, is made in a lab. It’s relatively potent and also more consistent than the balls. Some people prefer the more neutral taste it gives. You don’t need much of it. The manufacturer says one 8-gram packet will serve 2 kilos of rice. I haven’t tried it yet. Got some on order and will update when I test it. I usually make 1 kilo at a time, so I’ll use a half-pack.
The balls and tablets come from many different sources. They’re inconsistent in size, and contain more inert material than the Angel brand. I weigh them, and I use about 30 grams per kilo of rice. It’s less “pure” than the Angel, but some people like the flavors better. I say try both if you can get your hands on them. Decide what you like best.
What’s the best temperature range for fermentation?
For more detail, see the question about "set it and forget it." Brief answer is: in the low-to-mid 80s the first few days, then as close as you can to around 60° for the remainder of the ferment. The yeast used for this process likes cool temperatures. In fact, there’s one infamous photo of a refrigerator after a bottle bomb. This stuff will continue to ferment for several months past the initial fermentation.
My house isn’t hot enough to start it out in the mid 80s. What can I do?
If your fermenting vessel fits in the oven, you can put it in there with the light on. If your container is clear, though, cover it with a towel or blanket to keep out light. I’ve read that unwanted molds can bloom with too much light.
Some people say “set it and forget it,” while others stir, or add water, or change the temperature of the fermenting environment part way through. What’s the “right” way?
This will take a bit to explain. Remember, even though you can chuck everything in the fermenter at once, this is essentially a two-stage process — starches get converted to sugars, and then sugars get converted to alcohol. The first few days the fungus is the star of the show. Alcohol conversion is initially quite low. Then the yeast wakes up and gets to work. Their needs are a bit different.
The fungus likes oxygen, moisture, and warmer temperatures to begin, but it can produce too much lactic acid if allowed to stay too wet or too warm for too long. (Lactic acid production is needed to create correct pH for the yeast; some yeast balls may even contain lactobacillus for this purpose.) Yeast needs oxygen early on, but adapts to an anaerobic environment as the rice submerges. (That sounded pretty science-y!)
The absolute best advice I’ve seen indicates that you should place your fermenter in a warmer environment (about 80-86°) for the first 2-3 days. During that time, you should also agitate the mix. The fungus needs both air and water. It will go into “emergency replication mode” if it lacks one or the other. If you see black spores on your rice, it's because you’ve starved the fungus.
So why did the OP suggest “set and forget”? I think 3 reasons:
- Based on his photos, he always left plenty of headroom above his rice, so there was lots of air for the fungus to use.
- He stated that he put the rice in his container while it was still warm, allowing condensation to form. I'm guessing this was enough to moisten the rice on top.
- He never made huge batches, so never got excessive heat buildup (see below), so he just never needed to stir.
- Larger batches can build up quite a lot of heat, just sitting there (kinda like a compost heap). So to make sure you don’t boil your yeast to death, keep that mass moving until it’s liquefied enough to submerge all the rice.
If you don’t want to risk contamination by introducing a spoon into your mix, just make sure your container is large enough to allow ample headroom, and swirl it a couple times a day for the first few days. You don’t absolutely have to open the container.
How do I know when to move the fermenter to a cooler environment?
It seems like the best time is when the liquid level is up to about 80% of the rice level. At this point you might start to notice CO2 forming. Average seems to be 3-5 days.
BTW, if you're using a plastic bucket like I do, you can do the flashlight test to gauge where your liquid level is. Just light it, hold it right up against the side of the bucket, and slowly slide it up and down.
How long should I let this stuff ferment?
Depending on ambient temperatures, it takes 3-4 weeks for this stuff to generate serious levels of alcohol. If you keep your temperatures low and don’t over-water, you can go longer without fear of souring. Some of the most knowledgeable contributors to this forum suggest 90 days. If you can wait that long, LOL.
Batch size has an influence on fermentation time due to internal temperatures (see below question on batch size).
And definitely try eating some of the rice after only 2 or 3 days. I always make a little extra and put it in a separate jar just for that purpose, just like another contributor suggested. You’ll be blown away by how sugary it is. DH and I love this stuff for dessert. I add a sprinkle of cinnamon, and sometimes a spoonful of coconut milk if I want a creamier texture. Yum-yum, happy food.
P.S. I opened a jar of the dessert stuff last night. It had been fermenting only 3 days. There was enough liquid that I poured it into another jar to see if it would ferment further. Today there’s visible carbonation. Yep. Three days was enough to release that much sugar and grow that much yeast. How cool is that?
How big a batch can I make? What kind of yield can I expect? How big a vessel do I need to ferment in?
There was one guy on this thread who always made batches with 10 pounds of rice. There was another guy who, with a bunch of crazy brewing friends, did a 500-pound (or maybe 500-kilo?) batch. I’m the only lush in my household, so I make 1-kilo batches.
Batch size will influence your fermentation time!
A large mass of rice sitting undisturbed will generate a lot of heat on its own, just like a compost heap, and it could easily get hot enough to kill the yeast. So if you’re doing a large batch, I’m gonna say you really want to agitate it a few times a day until the rice mass starts to break down. OTOH, that heat will also speed up liquid production. Just don’t let it get too cray-cray up in there.
If you don’t have a super large pot to cook the rice in, consider batch additions. Your initial batch is like a “starter.” Once it gets going you can add more rice/yeast/fungus to it. I’ve seen a couple of articles that sound like two additions are pretty common. I know folks on this board have done it. Like I said, I’m keeping to smaller batches so I can’t speak to this. Maybe some day I’ll try it so I can have some to set aside and age.
Yield is gonna vary depending on a lot of things, but a rule of thumb is one cup finished wine for each cup of water.
Rice swells up to at least twice its original size when cooked. And then, in the first few days, it will swell more and float up on the liquid. Make sure you have at least 2” of headroom so it doesn’t overflow, which could lead to contamination. It will start compacting after awhile, as the solids reduce, but that takes time.
What’s Red Yeast Rice (RYR)? Do I need to use it?
Worst product name in history. It’s not yeast at all. They take rice and they grow a different kind for fungus on it, Monascus Purpurae. It gives your Rhizopus a little help in converting sugars, contributes a nice rosy color, and may help slow the growth of lactobacillus. Use it only in small quantities, like about 1 tablespoon per cup of rice.
This one seems to be a matter of personal preference. It adds a “fruity” flavor to the wine. Some like it, some prefer a more neutral taste. I want to try it for its lactobacillus-limiting properties. I’ve got some on order. Will report back.
P.S.: Red Yeast Rice contains a natural statin. If you’re taking medication to control your cholesterol, speak to your doctor before using it. Either way, don’t use much.
Oh no! There’s some kind of nasty growing in here. What do I do?
Go back up and read the question about “set and forget” versus doing other stuff to it.
Done? Okay, so… there is a fungus and it’s gonna reproduce. But it should not turn black (sporification stage) or yellow (flowering stage). Keep that top cap of rice wet, make sure it gets enough oxygen in the early stage, and you'll prevent both of those things from happening.
Do not expose your mash to much light. Always ferment in a dark place. Cover it with a blanket if you need to.
If you have black, brown, green, or any other color than white, don’t stir it back in. Skim it off the top and then let it ride. Should be okay again once it gets nice and alcoholic.
Smells like nail-polish remover. Is it still okay?
Seems like some unwanted alcohols can develop early in the fermentation, delivering an acetone smell. They usually disappear as fermentation continues. Don’t drink it if it still smells like that.
(Can anyone help fill this section out a bit? What about banana aroma - esters?)
I’m done fermenting and now I want to harvest. How do I deal with all this sludge? Help!
Yep. By the time you’re ready to harvest, you’ll only have about 20% of the volume of solids you started with. But even that amount is still hard to filter out. Here’s how two of the more experienced contributors describe their process:
- Get a paint-strainer bag from the hardware store. Sanitize it.
- Put it into a sanitized fermenting bucket with the bag overlapping the rim.
- Fill the bag with your rice mix.
- Cover with lid and allow airspace for CO2 to escape (use an airlock, or don’t close the lid completely — you can put a folded piece of cheesecloth between the lid and the vessel to provide a little bit of a gap.)
- When ready to harvest:
- Scoop out any floating solids and set them aside.
- Decant as much clear liquid as you can, straining it into a receiving vessel. Consider this your “premium” wine.
- Put the set-aside solids back in the original container, along with the lees.
- Lift up the bag and strain the mush into a separate receiving vessel, squeezing from the top down. Consider this cloudier stuff your “casual” wine.
- You can now decide how clear or cloudy you want your final wine to be. Do you want to mix some of the cloudy stuff in with the clear? Do you want to keep them separate? Taste and decide.
- Pasteurizing and cold-crashing will clear the wine further.
... on to part 2
I <3 fungi
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