It's not a complicated process but does require a few steps
. I've been making Asian rice wine for awhile and after discovering this wonderful site, Home Distiller and with all the helpful advice I learned how to distill the rice wine I had been making into alcohol
I guess the reason why I'm sharing this in the Recipe Development section and not My First is that I'm trying different variations (different kinds of rice, left over rice with sugar or with out) and so far the simplest way tastes best
It's pretty straightforward.
For each kilo of rice, for simplicity I just do 4 separate 1kilo batches in 4 small 8 litre containers but you can easily do larger batches if you want.
For each kilo of sweet sticky gluttonous rice
Wash clean, and soak in warm water min of 1hr
Steam the rice for about 45 min or until it's soft and sticky. It must be soft and sticky but not mushy
Why steam? Well all the IBU old ladies tell me it's about flavor, and it is, if you use a rice cooker or boil the rice the wine is not as flavorful, and I have tried both rice cooker Vs steamer and can tell you they were right, the steamed rice wins
Remove from steamer and spread out rice on a tray or whatever to cool .
For each kilo crush 2-3 yeast balls depending on size,
and mix into the rice with your hands. If you don't have Asian yeast balls I guess you could try something else but I don't know .i just use yeast balls
Put this rice mixture into a container and put a lid on it but not to tight so it can vent the pressure out. After about 4 days the rice should start to have a build up of sweet rice wine. 1 kilo of rice should yield a litre or more of sweet rice wine. After 4 days To a week depending the rice wine will be very sweet and ready to drink.
At this point there are two things you can do(one variation)
You can draw out that wine to drink and add water and sugar or the original best tasting IMHO
Just add water
For each kilo of rice ,I add 3 litre of water
If you take out the wine add 4 litre water and 1/2 kilo or so of sugar
But..
it's better alcohol if you leave the rice wine in there and just add water
After you have added water stir the mixture and leave it be for about another week or so depending. The liquid in the mixture will separate and color turn yellow like pee
You willbsee the fermenting action stopping too and
it will / should taste sour ..if it's sweet it ain't neat keep waiting..
The whole process takes anywhere from 10-15 days, depending,
But basically it's like this
Steam rice, ferment rice, wait a few days, add water, wait a week or so longer.
Then
Drain, strain, press and squeeze as much liquid from that rice until that fermented rice is as dry as possible
Put all that wine in to a container to let settle until it's clear yellow again, that takes about a day.
And set a little extra aside to mix with your low wine for spirit run
Next day you can distill it or keep it in the fridge until you are ready
Remember to
Throw out double the amount of fores from your strip runs
Keep all your low wine together
And run it again with equal ratio of wine to run at 30% diluted for your stronger spirit .
Each kilo of rice should yield around 500-750ml low wine
So a 4kilo batch should give you ,give or take, 3litres@50-60% low wine
Second run comes off @80% heads with 60% hearts
4kilo rice will produce about a little more than litre + of good sweet rice spirit alcohol
This is the standard simple Asian process
It's just rice yeast and water
Easy way to get all the wine from the rice is to use a pot of water to press the rice to strain the liquid
