Home Distiller

This is my first post. can anyone provide a recipe or some experiance with producing that horrible tasting Rice spirit so prevalant in Asia. i lost many brain cells with my 80 year old alcoholic father in law in Thailand recently, and with friends in China 6 months before. Pops would cycle a couple of blocks for a litre in a plastic baggy. Bad headache/much methanol?? Are their any Asian afficioanados out there that can guide my hand. I have the basics of ethanol down but there seems to be some discusion of the fermenting medium,method,mould,yeast..? Anything would be informative
Mick