Make your own millet/rice wine

Continuing from yesterday's Aboriginal millet distillation post ...

today's photo is homemade rice wine

easily made:
Brew it Yourself

Ingredients:
600g sticky rice
1 pellet qu (麴, cost about NT$20 from grain stores)
3 litres water

Method:
Boil the water, allow to cool.
Steam the rice, allow to cool.
Place rice in bottom of glass jar (about 5 litres).
Crumble the qu, sprinkle on surface of rice.
Cover with muslin cloth, leave overnight, then add the water, do not stir.
Leave for one to two weeks, tasting occasionally. Add sugar if higher alcohol level is desired.
Strain, then heat to 70-75℃ to inhibit enzyme action but not boil the alcohol.
Bottle and refrigerate.

Tips:
Carefully wash and sterilise the container (any trace of oil is particularly damaging to alcohol production).
Stopping enzyme action at appropriate time is crucial to get a pleasant balance between sugar, alcohol, and acid tastes.



Text and photos copyright Jiyue Publications