My maternal grandmother is very good at producing homemade glutinous rice wine a.k.a Huang Jiu. Whenever someone in the family is going to deliver a baby, she would make Huang Jiu ahead of time so that it can be used during the confinement period. She would also make Huang Jiu regularly for her daughters who like to use it in their home-cooked dishes. Living halfway across the globe, I have to depend on myself to produce this Huang Jiu base on the method handed down by my maternal grandmother who unfortunately passed away in Jan 2006. So, with no whatsoever experience, I tried to make Huang Jiu so that I could have them after CK was born. And it actually turn out very sweet,which was a great accomplishment for a first timer. I realized more wine is being produced and also taste a lot sweeter when made during summer/warmer months. Well, it is science theory – when it is warm, it increases the fermentation process.
Ingredients :
- 1kg Glutinous Rice (8 cups : the small cup that comes with your rice cooker)
- 20g wine biscuit (酒饼)
- a small bowl of water to wet your hands
- 1/2-1 cup of rice cooking wine (百米酒)
Method :
- Cook the glutinous rice in a rice cooker. Mix the rice when halfway to ensure the rice is fully cooked.
- Place the cooked rice in a single layer on a tray/cookie sheet and let cool completely. (Hot/warm rice will cause the wine to turn sour)
- Grind the wine biscuit into powder form. (I used a mortar & pestle)
- NOTE : It is recommended to use a ceramic pot for wine making. I used my slow cooker pot. For 1kg of rice, a 3.5Qt pot is big enough. Since I have a 5Qt pot as well, I will cook 10 cups of rice instead.
- Start by sprinkling a layer of powdered wine biscuit on the ceramic pot.
- 2nd layer – place a layer of cooked glutinous rice on top. (Do not press the rice. To prevent the rice from sticking on your fingers, dip your hand in the bowl of warm water every now and then)
- 3rd layer – Sprinkle another layer of powdered wine biscuit.
- Repeat the 1st & 2nd layer until all rice are used.
- Pour the water from the bowl on top of the rice.
- Wrap the top of the pot with cheesecloth or muslin cloth to prevent insects from falling into it. Then place the pot’s cover on top. Leave the pot in a corner to allow fermentation.
- On the 3rd day, you will notice wine has been produced. Pour 1/2-1 cup of cooking wine to it. Cover as in No. 10 and let the fermentation process to continue.
- Wine will be ready in 21 day counting from the 1st day you started with the layering process.
Final Stage (day 21):
- Gently scoop the wine to a cooking pot. Use a cloth to sieve it. (I use the same cloth that was used to cover the pot during the fermentation process.)
- Do not press the wine out of the rice to prevent thick residue later on when the wine is ready.
- When all wine has been scooped, wrap the remainder rice with the cloth and place on a coriander and let the wine drip for sometime.
- Finally, bring the wine to a boil at medium heat. Once wine starts to boil, remove from heat to prevent it from overflowing.
- Bottled the wine when it is cool.
Voila…now you have your own homemade Huang Jiu.
14 comments
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July 25, 2009 at 2:59 pm
自酿黄酒 (Glutinous Rice Wine DIY) « Felicityville.
[…] If you’re interested in making this wine but does not understand Chinese do hop over to my sifu(master in Cantonese)’s site as she had recently just blogged about this topic in English. […]
October 26, 2010 at 12:57 pm
James
Interesting, I think more foreigners should try Huangjiu, it’s a very pleasant chinese spirit.
June 26, 2012 at 10:59 pm
karen
Good morning, can I know if I use the Steel work or plastic container to make huang jiu fermentation process. Thank you
June 27, 2012 at 9:36 am
peachoo
Hi Karen, I am not sure will steel or plastic container work well for fermentation process. Ever since my grandmother made them, she uses ceramic pot. I am thinking glass container will work since Korean uses them for Kimchi fermentation.
June 28, 2012 at 1:47 pm
Craig
Hi. You say to boil wine at the end please may I ask why. From Craig.
June 29, 2012 at 8:25 am
peachoo
Hi Craig, I remember my mom told me the reason to boil the wine is for storage purposes. I was able to keep them for a year and they are still in good condition.
August 2, 2012 at 5:07 am
Sharon
Hi, I’ve been told that some rice wine yeast makes sour wine,is it true? how to choose good yeast?
August 3, 2012 at 6:21 pm
peachoo
Hi Sharon, I am not sure about this. In the grocery store here only 1 type of rice wine yeast is sold. If you are unsure, you can always ask the store owner for the correct type of rice wine yeast.
May 15, 2013 at 12:56 am
Priscilla
Hi, I’ve made the “huang jiu” like u show. I boil it this morning before go to work. I use steel pot to boil and cover it after that and let it cool.I want to know whether a vapour from hot water may damage the ‘huang jiu’.
May 15, 2013 at 1:01 am
peachoo
Hi Priscilla
I think it might. Normally I allow it to cool uncovered. In fact I covered it with a mesh food cover.
June 13, 2013 at 1:28 am
Priscilla
Hi, is me again. My ‘Huang Jiu’ success. i use it to cook chicken and it taste too sweet when i drink the soup even i put lot water in my cooking. I want to know how to reduce the ‘Huang Jiu’ not to too sweet. Can i reduce of use of the sweet wine biscuit. ( 1 kg rice = 1 sweet wine biscuit, 2 spicy wine biscuit. this is what the medicine hall uncle suggest me when i went to buy the wine biscuit). So, 2 kgs rice I put 1 sweet wine bis. and 5 spicy wine bis. Is it o.k. Tq.
September 1, 2015 at 7:36 pm
chew yoong choong
l am trying to follow your procedure because i have had tried it once before and it all went wrong. Following almost a partial instruction which cooking wine is needed. Either i have put too much or too soon cooking wine into it apparently the whole fermenting ‘must’ consequently brought to a halt. Stop bubbling dead as doodle.i have learnt now from the fact alcohol over 17.5 abv is sufficiently to destroy the fermenting yeasts a method they call fortification employed in producing certain vins douux naturel from grapes.
am I right to assume that from your successful experiences dealing on this, on day3 the fermentation is completed or enough so it is ok to pour in the wine ? as you have said wine is already wine is showing up.
Back to my failure i am sure i did introduce the wine/spirit a week later but it was 10 kilos rice
i going to have a go as i m beginning to get the feel of it. will keep you posted.
September 7, 2015 at 1:15 am
Sam
What cooking wine u using to put in after 3rd day? White rice wine or Kaoliang? Thanks.
September 7, 2015 at 11:20 pm
peachoo
Hi Sam, I used white rice wine. 白米酒.