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Gotta say, there's a hard alcohol burn up front, a bit of tart followed by a very sake taste that lasts for a while. Not too much in the way of sweet...but still damn good. Gives me a craving for hibachi.

On the left is a batch from the original recipe and on the right is with thhe RYR added.

WOW!!! This is some hot stuff!

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edds5p0 said:
2.5 cups jasmine rice, soaked for 2 hours then cooked with 2.5 cups water. I then mixed in 1/4 of RYR, put it in the jar, and sprinkled some rice leaven on top. I will share after the harvest. I haven't found anything conclusive regarding whether the red yeast will do the job on its own, hence the rice leaven. The leaven has already started getting fuzzy and the red yeast seems to be spreading out.
Click to expand...

I was referring to your spiced batch, but thanks for the update on the newest batch. I was not completely clear on what the rice leaven was? I am sure some yeast of some sort, but how does this differ from the other yeast in this thread?
 
bottlebomber said:
I can think of at least one person who did that and wished they wouldn't have. The balls are cheap, just use fresh balls.
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Talking about yourself in the third person again? :fro:

The batch I did that way did work, but it got some other mold in it. The wine was still fine though.
TBBrewer said:
I have officially read this whole thread. Great read.

I few pages back, there was mention of somebody using a few spices. I was thinking of cinnamon and vanilla, similar to rice pudding. Did anybody have any success with the cinnamon?
Click to expand...
I haven't run the cinnamon batch yet, I'm waiting for the oolong batch to finish. That will hopefully give me some idea on the effectiveness of cooking the spice/tea in with the rice in imparting flavor to the final wine. The other two methods I was considering are; mix cooked rice with shredded cinnamon stick, or add the cinnamon to the wine after harvesting. I think adding the cinnamon to the wine after harvesting, and then letting it sit a few weeks, is likely to produce more flavor then including the cinnamon during fermentation.
 
trbig said:
A couple questions...

The only store I could find that had the yeast balls were these...

As you can see, there's some added ingredients. Garlic? *Shudder*. lol. Anyone else ran into this? I may have to order some online if this rice wine thing is to my liking. These were @ $1.50 for 4. I see they should be cheaper, but this should get me started to see if I like it.
Click to expand...

Are you still using this type of yeast ball? How did the batches you used them in turn out? I found the same ones for $0.40/ four pack and picked up a handful of them. Wondering if I should try them or keep looking for other brands/types.
 
edds5p0 said:
I'm about 24 hours in with red yeast rice (1/4 cup) and some Angel rice Leaven. The leaven was just sprinkled on top in hopes that the red yeast will get a chance to spread before the leaven takes over. I'm hoping for the best here.
Click to expand...

The RYR will contribute significantly to the alpha and/or beta amylase need which in turn converts that cooked rice into a fermentable & as the cooked rice liquifies so will the RYR.
I think you may be the first to post on using the Angel Rice Leaven for this wine, I may be mistaken. Keep us posted!!
 
Leadgolem said:
Talking about yourself in the third person again? :fro:

The batch I did that way did work, but it got some other mold in it. The wine was still fine though.

I haven't run the cinnamon batch yet, I'm waiting for the oolong batch to finish. That will hopefully give me some idea on the effectiveness of cooking the spice/tea in with the rice in imparting flavor to the final wine. The other two methods I was considering are; mix cooked rice with shredded cinnamon stick, or add the cinnamon to the wine after harvesting. I think adding the cinnamon to the wine after harvesting, and then letting it sit a few weeks, is likely to produce more flavor then including the cinnamon during fermentation.
Click to expand...

Cinnamon is one of those spices I would think you need to tread lightly with. If you over do it, it may be undrinkable. I will prob try to spice some wine after the ferment with vanilla bean and cinnamon. Please let us know how your cinnamon batch turns out after you get to sample it.
 
Getting ready to harvest a 12-cup batch this afternoon. I didn't bother pasteurizing my first batch, but I'd like to do so with this one just because it'll take a lot longer to drink. :cross: Are y'all mostly bottle pasteurizing, or batch pasteurizing?
 
I can't speak for rice wine and cinnamon but I can say that I've used the sticks in a apple cider with no negative impact to the yeast that I could detect (or anyone else noticed for that matter). That said, I also suspect other's assertions are right and that you'll get more "cinnamon" flavor if you add it after fermentation but adding it during fermentation may give you some small amount of insurance from overdoing it. We really liked it with apples though for fall consumption.
 
As for my spiced wine, I used roughly an eighth of a teaspoon each, the spices went along for the ride and did not seem to inhibit fermentation. The wine has a pale yellow color to it, but I won't be drinking a full glass until tomorrow. A sip gave me a sense of balance between the spices and alcohol with a touch of perceived sweetness.

As for the rice leaven, I've been under pitching to save it, but it has worked wonderfully. Just mix it in or sprinkle on top. It makes for a fairly dry wine with high alcohol content. This would be a good one for adding fruit.
 
I could use some. Let me describe my process.
I soaked 2 cups of Jasmine rice for ~12 hours, rinsed well and steamed it with 2.5 cups of H2O. I allowed it to cool to ~80 F on a cookie sheet. I sprinkled 2 crushed yeast balls on top and transferred to a 1 gallon jar. I placed a piece of sanitized cheese cloth over the mouth of the jar and sealed it.

I put it in a warm room (73-75 F), covered it with a towel and left it there for 21 days. There was no black mold, nor anything unusual about the appearance.

I harvested the "wine" tonight. It was the worst thing I have ever put in my mouth. I don't know what acetone tastes like, but I think That's what I made.

Next time I plan to rinse, not soak the rice. I also plan to make a larger batch so there is less head space in the jar.

Any other suggestions?
 
scurry64 said:
I could use some. Let me describe my process.
I soaked 2 cups of Jasmine rice for ~12 hours, rinsed well and steamed it with 2.5 cups of H2O. I allowed it to cool to ~80 F on a cookie sheet. I sprinkled 2 crushed yeast balls on top and transferred to a 1 gallon jar. I placed a piece of sanitized cheese cloth over the mouth of the jar and sealed it.

I put it in a warm room (73-75 F), covered it with a towel and left it there for 21 days. There was no black mold, nor anything unusual about the appearance.

I harvested the "wine" tonight. It was the worst thing I have ever put in my mouth. I don't know what acetone tastes like, but I think That's what I made.

Next time I plan to rinse, not soak the rice. I also plan to make a larger batch so there is less head space in the jar.

Any other suggestions?
Click to expand...

The cookie sheet thing may have presented an opportunity for contamination. I leave mine in the stock pot to cool, then I use my washed hands to stuff the rice into the jar. I rinse after the soak, but from what I could glean from watching the process of sake making on Modern Marvels, the rinse is just to get unfermentable bran residue off of the grains. The manufacturers use a stone polishing technique and actually end up with rice grains that look like small, oblong stones as to make sure there is no bran residue at all left behind.
 
edds5p0 said:
The cookie sheet thing may have presented an opportunity for contamination. I leave mine in the stock pot to cool, then I use my washed hands to stuff the rice into the jar. I rinse after the soak, but from what I could glean from watching the process of sake making on Modern Marvels, the rinse is just to get unfermentable bran residue off of the grains. The manufacturers use a stone polishing technique and actually end up with rice grains that look like small, oblong stones as to make sure there is no bran residue at all left behind.
Click to expand...

When do you add the crushed yeast ball?
 
12 hours soak and 2.5 cups water to 2 cups rice is way too wet. Try a 1/2 hour soak then drain and add 1 cup water for each cup of dry rice you originally started with. Or skip the soak and use 1.25 cups water per cup dry rice. Drier seems to produce better results than wetter.
 
scurry64 said:
When do you add the crushed yeast ball?
Click to expand...

I have mixed it in while filling the jar and I have sprinkled on top once in the jar, my results have not differed between the two techniques.
 
edds5p0 said:
The cookie sheet thing may have presented an opportunity for contamination. I leave mine in the stock pot to cool, then I use my washed hands to stuff the rice into the jar. I rinse after the soak, but from what I could glean from watching the process of sake making on Modern Marvels, the rinse is just to get unfermentable bran residue off of the grains. The manufacturers use a stone polishing technique and actually end up with rice grains that look like small, oblong stones as to make sure there is no bran residue at all left behind.
Click to expand...

I folded up aluminum foil and star sanned it, then put it on the cookie sheet. Put the rice on top of the foil. This way you can roll up the aluminum foil to transfer into the jar. It seemed to work pretty well. Of course this is coming for someone who couldn't steam rice correctly. :)
 
Jhickman55 said:
I folded up aluminum foil and star sanned it, then put it on the cookie sheet. Put the rice on top of the foil. This way you can roll up the aluminum foil to transfer into the jar. It seemed to work pretty well. Of course this is coming for someone who couldn't steam rice correctly. :)
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That's a good idea, I have been cooking mine in a pot as I don't have a steamer.
 
I am drinking the spiced wine now. It is at fridge temp and has a very spicy, slightly solvent aroma. The taste is very refreshing with a strong ginger forward flavor that really tempers the alcohol flavor of plain rice wine. I am not getting as much cinnamon as expected, but it is there accentuating the ginger. I also feel like the turmeric is adding the depth and heartiness that I was looking for. Overall, I like it.
 
sonofgrok said:
Cinnamon is also highly antimicrobial. I always wondered if it would negatively impact a ferment.
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Wow, I feel like a moron now. That's why the oolong batch isn't doing much.

EDIT:Here's the latest update on the red rice yeast batches. I'm not really sure if it's the temperature, or the presence of the oolong tea in one batch, or even the missing rice yeast balls that's the problem. The available data has me leaning more toward the temperature, but I can't really be certain.

Accidic said:
I can't speak for rice wine and cinnamon but I can say that I've used the sticks in a apple cider with no negative impact to the yeast that I could detect (or anyone else noticed for that matter). That said, I also suspect other's assertions are right and that you'll get more "cinnamon" flavor if you add it after fermentation but adding it during fermentation may give you some small amount of insurance from overdoing it. We really liked it with apples though for fall consumption.
Click to expand...
I've used it in cider a few times too. I would say the flavor profile you get from having it in primary and adding it to secondary or at bottling is not the same. I prefer the flavor that you get from adding after fermentation for cider. What I'm more worried about is actually low perceived flavor, owing to the suspended rice solids in the liquid. That's why I've been considering adding it during primary. Though the point on it being anti-microbial is well taken.
 
Just started my first batch. Tried to figure out the directions in the Vietnamese yeast ball package just out of curiosity. I think google translate still has a long way to go. ;)

Materials:
- 1 lbs sticky
- 2 members [rice yeast]
- 1/2 teaspoon salt mixed in 1/2 cup cold water
How Do:
- sticky soaked 6 hrs before rinsing
- sticky rice is cooked, do not be too dry
- flung forward and left to cool
- [rice yeast] crushed up and then away
- salt water infiltration hands to squeeze away
- each class member squeezed away 1 inch
- going to die away in the bowl and leave space in between
- milking is finished, sprinkle the remaining salt water over the rice wine
- cover in a bowl with a few thick
- bowl of rice wine to warm to room
Time:
- brewed rice wine over the last 2 nights
- brewed rice wine 3 nights over the bittersweet
Note:
- material in much, but just in proportion as
Click to expand...
 
JuanMoore said:
Just started my first batch. Tried to figure out the directions in the Vietnamese yeast ball package just out of curiosity. I think google translate still has a long way to go. ;)

Materials:
- 1 lbs sticky
- 2 members [rice yeast]
- 1/2 teaspoon salt mixed in 1/2 cup cold water
How Do:
- sticky soaked 6 hrs before rinsing
- sticky rice is cooked, do not be too dry
- flung forward and left to cool
- [rice yeast] crushed up and then away
- salt water infiltration hands to squeeze away
- each class member squeezed away 1 inch
- going to die away in the bowl and leave space in between
- milking is finished, sprinkle the remaining salt water over the rice wine
- cover in a bowl with a few thick
- bowl of rice wine to warm to room
Time:
- brewed rice wine over the last 2 nights
- brewed rice wine 3 nights over the bittersweet
Note:
- material in much, but just in proportion as
Click to expand...

This makes me laugh. :D
 
So I harvested 2 22oz swingtops from my first batch (6C of rice) . That was about two weeks ago. I noticed that they were both carbonating in the bottles even while being refrigerated. One bottle I took out of the fridge and left the swingcap loosely covering the top so that the CO2 can escape, the other bottle I degassed with one of those wine bottle vacuum pumps and put back into the fridge. Finally went to taste the bottle that I took out of the fridge and it's become really good - maybe I harvested too early initially because now it's relatively dry and the mouthfeel is considerably thinner than the other bottle.
 
Today was harvesting day for me. I collected 2.25 liters of amazingness!!

I'd akin the taste to those Yakult probiotic yogurt shots if you've ever had them - except for the mild alcohol burn. There's currently a SLIGHT effervescence to the rice wine. Perfect in my opinion. I'm stove top pasteurizing as we speak and will follow up with pictures shortly.

Thanks everyone for the contributions to this forum, especially sonofgrok for turning us on to the process and saramc as well! Yet another great homebrewed product!
 
Leadgolem said:
Wow, I feel like a moron now. That's why the oolong batch isn't doing much.

EDIT:Here's the latest update on the red rice yeast batches. I'm not really sure if it's the temperature, or the presence of the oolong tea in one batch, or even the missing rice yeast balls that's the problem. The available data has me leaning more toward the temperature, but I can't really be certain.

I've used it in cider a few times too. I would say the flavor profile you get from having it in primary and adding it to secondary or at bottling is not the same. I prefer the flavor that you get from adding after fermentation for cider. What I'm more worried about is actually low perceived flavor, owing to the suspended rice solids in the liquid. That's why I've been considering adding it during primary. Though the point on it being anti-microbial is well taken.
Click to expand...

You shouldn't feel like an idiot, yeast is eukaryotic a does not play by all the same rules as bacteria. Cinnamon along with many other spices do inhibit bacterial growth, but no necessarily yeast. I had a healthy dose of spices in my last run with no impact on the timing or yield. If anything, it may have prevented contamination.
 
edds5p0 said:
You shouldn't feel like an idiot, yeast is eukaryotic a does not play by all the same rules as bacteria. Cinnamon along with many other spices do inhibit bacterial growth, but no necessarily yeast. I had a healthy dose of spices in my last run with no impact on the timing or yield. If anything, it may have prevented contamination.
Click to expand...
With temperature being a factor it is a little difficult to sort out the factors. Now I see why people build fermentation chambers. At least I wouldn't have to try to account for one factor that way.

I'll have to run some head to heads later to determine what, if anything, the tea is doing to the process.
 
I like the faint lacto tinge in mine so I push out to 28 day minimum. Harvesting today actually. Lost a lot of this batch to toasted rice but following it up with 20cup batch with RRY. Question tho, my last RRY batch was still lactic free at 25 days (reduced lactic anyway). Does the RRY inhibit or slow the lactic creation?
 
Anyone reserve and use the leftover solids for a dessert? I have followed the thread since the beginning, and thought I remembered someone saying they ate the solids. I've seen recipes where people do a similar ferment just a couple days for the purpose of eating the rice, just not sure about how edible the solids are at day 21. Anyone tried it? Tomorrow is harvest day for my first batch, and I'm excited about the wine anyway. Thanks for the recipe and help.
 
Driver said:
Anyone reserve and use the leftover solids for a dessert? I have followed the thread since the beginning, and thought I remembered someone saying they ate the solids. I've seen recipes where people do a similar ferment just a couple days for the purpose of eating the rice, just not sure about how edible the solids are at day 21. Anyone tried it? Tomorrow is harvest day for my first batch, and I'm excited about the wine anyway. Thanks for the recipe and help.
Click to expand...

I tasted the solids, and they are not very good. I tried some once the rice began to liquefy and it was tasty, but at the end it's a bit gross.
 
Driver said:
Anyone reserve and use the leftover solids for a dessert? I have followed the thread since the beginning, and thought I remembered someone saying they ate the solids. I've seen recipes where people do a similar ferment just a couple days for the purpose of eating the rice, just not sure about how edible the solids are at day 21. Anyone tried it? Tomorrow is harvest day for my first batch, and I'm excited about the wine anyway. Thanks for the recipe and help.
Click to expand...

To eat the solids usually at day 3 is best.
 
So I went to look in my RYR+Angel batch today and I got a bit of a surprise. It must be in "high krausen" right now. While it is still mostly solids, the apparent volume of the rice has climbed to the shoulders of the jar because there is so much off-gassing going on. I gave it a bit of a shake (rapid turns clockwise and counter-clockwise) and a bunch of bubbles began escaping. This fermentation is much more vigorous than my last two batches. It has to be the RYR, the entire mass is a pink/red color and it doesn't look like the Angel has proliferated nearly as much. I'm thinking this may be a much shorter run than the usual 21 days.
 
So, I started a batch of this about 4 days ago and so far no liquefaction of rice can be seen. I see plenty of fuzzies though. I live in Arizona and it's very dry right now... is humidity a factor? I am keeping them in a closet in the living room that is sitting right around 75°. Used 4 cups of sweet rice and 6 balls.
 
chshute said:
So, I started a batch of this about 4 days ago and so far no liquefaction of rice can be seen. I see plenty of fuzzies though. I live in Arizona and it's very dry right now... is humidity a factor? I am keeping them in a closet in the living room that is sitting right around 75°. Used 4 cups of sweet rice and 6 balls.
Click to expand...

I would keep the lid on it for sure. I wouldn't be surprised if you may have to wait a couple more days to see some liquification.
 
I started my first batch 2 days ago, using 2 lbs of sweet rice (4 1/4 cups), and 4 yeast balls (the Vietnamese ones with ginger, cinnamon, chinese licorice and garlic in them). They're in a closet at ~76F. At 36 hrs they looked no different from when I put the rice in the jars, but now at 48 hrs there's liquid near the top of the rice. I'm shocked at how much it changed in such a short time period. No fuzzies that I can see yet. Smells a little sweet and very yeasty. Can't wait to taste the results in a few weeks.

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