Tongba, best drink ever?

[Jerseybean]

Hello

I've recently been to Nepal and had the best most bizarre Alcoholic Drink I've ever tried there in the mountains. I believe its called Tongba.

Basically you get a container perhaps 1.5 litres filled with distilled dried millet and a bombilla straw in it. Your then brought perhaps a litre of boiling hot water of which a few hundred millilitres is put in to the millet container, leave to soak for a few minutes then drink. Id guess its about 4-5% alcohol. You then pour another few hundred mls of hot water and it tastes bit less strong and repeat till very little alcohol in it.

I've looked online (theres little info) and have made an attempt at making it. I tried it today and it didn't seem to be alcoholic. I used this method. Boiled about 2kgs of millet, left to cool on a large tray and mixed in about 10 teaspoons of active dried yeast, I left this in open air for a few days with a tea towel over it.
Then I filled 1 litre Kilner Jars with the millet and left for about 3 weeks.

Wondering if anyone has any ideas how to make it work? am I using wrong yeast? should I add sugar?

Cheers

Ben

 

[Stand]

No idea, but I would start here. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongba

 

[RPh_Guy]

To expand on the Wikipedia article...
Your process is missing the mold.

This basic process should work:

• Cook your millet and then cool it.
• Add yeast AND a suitable mold culture (like this).
• Allow it to ferment under airlock at room temp.
• Keep covered and allow to age for a couple months at least.
• It's then ready to serve.

Cheers and welcome to HBT!

 

[Jerseybean]

To expand on the Wikipedia article...
Your process is missing the mold.

This basic process should work:

• Cook your millet and then cool it.
• Add yeast AND a suitable mold culture (like this).
• Allow it to ferment under airlock at room temp.
• Keep covered and allow to age for a couple months at least.
• It's then ready to serve.

Cheers and welcome to HBT!

thanks for the advice, I'll try this stuff then

 

[bracconiere]

so it's millet sake?