Prelude: The original Lotus Jiu recipe

below is my (not quite) original and unaltered recipe. things have changed (a lot) since then. for example, there is no longer any need for an igloo. this is my own original recipe, but it is based (heavily) on two recipes by Fred Eckhardt and Bob Taylor. Without further adieu:

“Chinese Fusion Style Lotus-Infused Clear Rice Wine”

 

Notes:

Lotus symbolism- Purity, enlightenment, divinity, softness, fragrance, union.

End product- Clear Huang Jiu (Yellow Rice Wine, Chinese)

 

http://homebrewsake.com/recipe/

Recipe multiplied by 1.44 to fill a plastic fermentation pail to the limit, headspace (kind of) considered.

Recipe modified to utilize a partially wild fermented starter, as per http://www.taylor-madeak.org/index.php

 

Glutinous (sticky) rice has high amylopectin and low/no amylose, making it very sticky. Because it lacks amylose, it may not hold its structure as well as other rice grains, possibly becoming a mush. It may be long grain or short grain. It can be labeled as glutinous, sweet, or mochi rice. Glutinous rice is brewed more commonly in China.

Sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves is a traditional Chinese food (zongzi). Lotus leaf contains nuciferine and is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat dizziness, fever, etc. It is slightly bitter.

 

Total Ingredients:

Yield: 2-3 gallon

Glutinous Rice: 6531.7g DRY (14.4 lbs)

Koji: 1632.9g WET (3.6 lbs)

Water: 10901.9 ml Reverse osmosis water (2.88 gal)

 

Yeast Nutrient: 5.76g

Epsom Salt (MgSO4): 1.00g

Morton Salt Substitute (KCl): 8.64g

NO LACTIC ACID ADDITION

 

Yeast: Sake #9- Wyeast 4134

 

Other:

Lotus leaves (Dry)

 

Table 1

Summary of Additions (Percents and Mass)

 

	Starter		First Addition		Second Add		Third Add		Final Adjustment
Rice	7.50%	489.87g	12.5	816.46g	30	1959.51g	50	3265.85g
Koji	10	163.29g	20	326.58g	30	489.87g	40	653.16
Water	7.8	850.35g	8.3	904.86g	27.6	3008.92g	56.3	6137.77
Nutrient	100	5.76g
MgSO4	100	1.00g
KCl	20	1.73g	80	6.91g

 

Rice Procedure:

(subject to change)

 

Rinse rice with cold tap water a lot. Until water runs “clear.”

Soak rice in refrigerator for 1 hour in water, tap is fine.

Drain rice 1 hour.

Rinse lotus leaves. Boil lotus leaves. Soak in hot water for 1 hour.

Wrap the rice in portioned cones of lotus leaf. Close with string.

Steam/pressure cook rice on/in lotus leaf for 1-1.5 hours.

Let cool on clean counter, and/or cool with water addition.

Discard lotus leaf.

Use a sterile tool to help separate grains a little/ stir things together.

 

Koji Making:

Koji is approximately 25-30% water by weight

(Below recipe makes 10% extra, water weight considered at 25%)

 

1347.1g DRY glutinous rice. Steam/process.

Inoculate with dry powdered Aspergillus oryzae.

Mix well after inoculation, at 24 hours, and at 48 hours/ before storage.

Incubate Koji 86-96*F for 48 hours. Beware of thermal death at around 104*F.

Consider that Koji will also generate its own heat.

Store in the coldest part of the refrigerator.

 

Starter (up to 14 days):

The construction of Bob Taylor's wild fermented starter seems a bit esoteric... but I will try to follow the directions, but... with some modifications. The number of days may be reduced if temperatures are high.

 

Day 0

This will be fermented in a glass container that it is easy to refrigerate and has a wide mouth. Sanitize.

Remember to protect the fermentation from light.

 

Day 1

Combine water, yeast nutrient, MgSO4 and KCl. Cover and refrigerate. (Do this first, so it's cold)

Prepare glutinous rice. Add rice to cold water to bring the mixture to about 70-75*F.

Add koji. Combine. Cover loosely with paper towel or aluminum foil.

Stir two times throughout the rest of the day with sanitized tool.

 

Day 2

Stir two times throughout the day.

Maintain room temperature.

 

Day 3

Remove yeast from refrigerator. Activate yeast packet. (3-5 hours)

Pour yeast into starter.

Refrigerate starter for 12 hours.

Return starter to room temperature. Stir with sanitized spoon.

 

Day 4-6

Stir two times throughout the day.

Maintain room temperature.

 

Day 7-9

Stir once daily.

Maintain room temperature.

 

Day 10-14

Refrigerate and let rest.

Sanitize bucket, stir stick, lid, airlock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Main Additions:

 

Day 1 (First Addition)

Prepare glutinous rice. Add rice to water to cool it down.

Add all first addition ingredients into fermenter.

Add full contents of starter.

Carefully, put the fermenter into a cold water bath.

Cover loosely with lid. Stir every four hours.

 

Day 2

Stir twice daily. Still not airtight.

 

Day 3 (Second Addition)

Prepare glutinous rice.

Remove from water bath.

Add second addition ingredients after cooling the rice with the water.

Carefully, replace into water bath.

Stir twice daily. Still not airtight.

 

Day 4 (Third Addition)

Do in batches if necessary. Beware of overflow.

 

Prepare glutinous rice.

Remove from water bath.

Add third addition ingredients after cooling the rice with the water.

Take hydrometer reading.

Stir twice daily. Then seal at night.

 

*[next steps very subject to change]*

VERY CAREFULLY, bring outside (winter). Cover with newspaper or cardboard box to protect from light and help to regulate temperature.

 

Plan and build an igloo or small quinzhee. Make sure the airlock does not freeze. Wrap it with lots of insulation. Protect from light, bugs, bears, and college students.

 

Primary Fermentation:

 

Next 18-30 days

Ferment outdoors, protected from light. Aiming for 40-55*F. Be careful that airlock doesn't dry out or freeze.

 

Final Adjustment (2 days before next step):

 

Add steamed rice to sweeten and balance sourness. Wait two days and then rack.

 

Buy bottles (screwtop) in the near future.

 

 

Secondary Fermentation (7-10 days):

 

Sanitize secondary fermenter. Cover with cheese cloth or pour through a grain steeping bag. Carefully pour the brew into the secondary, reduce splashing. Allow the rice dregs to drip for at least a half hour in cold outdoor weather, preferably in an igloo. Squeezing is okay- there will be more filtration. Use a wine press if possible. Keep cold.

 

Tertiary Fermentation and Fining (3-5 days):

 

Sanitize tertiary fermenter and auto-siphon.

 

Carefully siphon the brew into the tertiary. Scoop out the lees and allow the rice dregs to drip (through doubled cheese cloth) for at least a half hour in cold outdoor weather. Do not squeeze- let gravity do it. Keep cold.

 

Fine with a fining agent. Let rest on an elevated stoop or table so it doesn't need to be moved for racking again.

 

Pasteurization and Bottling (Finale):

 

Sanitize bottles, lids, large pot, auto-siphon.

 

Siphon the fined huang jiu into the brew pot. Bring it to 140-143*F and keep it there for at least 5 minutes. Do not go higher. Stir out all of the bubbles. Leave no survivors.

 

Cover pot and put into ice bath. When the temperature is reduced to something manageable, siphon into bottles. Cap the bottles and proceed to chill the bottles and refrigerate.

 

Label bottles, after making sure everything has been thoroughly chilled. Use a weak glue/ peelable adhesive. Casein glue? Water based?

 

Possible addition of a lotus root + lotus seed extract?