Make BAIJIU with MOLDY RICE! Chinese White Whiskey😉

[@StillIt]

Almost cried . . . . Hahah Dude. I think this is your best vid yet. . . I feel like I have been saying that a lot to you lately!

[@BeardedBored]

Wow, thanks brother! That means a lot!

[@denisdendrinos4538]

Aaaaah damn, and how many times I've chucked mouldy cooked rice from the back of the fridge! ;-) Nice video!

[@bruker3051]

Great video yet again! I just put in an order for red yeast rice a month ago and it will hopefully arrive soon. I'll add some information on fermentation in East Asia in case people are interested. Firstly, China, Japan and Korea all use some form of Koji (麹) in their traditional fermentation. In China it is called qu (麯, 曲) and in Korea it is called nuruk (누룩), but it all refers to starters for making alcohol. Koreans will also use the word guk (국, 麯) when referring to specific types of nuruk. The reason koji is the most commonly known name I believe is because Japanese alcohol is the most popular here. The way qu/koji/nuruk is used in the different countries varies. In China and Korea they often make a cake (餠) of slightly under- or non-cooked grain or rice that is allowed to sit for some time in order to make the mold to propagate. The cakes are formed by pressing the grain into a mold by gently, almost dance-like, walking on it. The hard rice or grain makes it difficult for the mold to convert the starch into sugar that it can consume. It therefore starts to ramp up production of amylase to be able to convert the starch. This is later used to break down starch when added to a mash. In Japan, the process is similar, but instead of making these starter cakes, they use just the koji mold (麹黴, kōji kabi) spore, add it too undercooked rice and let it stay for a few days before it is mixed into a bigger mash. Same process, just different ways of getting there. In Japan I believe they call it first and second fermentation. The reason why they write "red yeast rice" is because the word yeast is fairly new in East Asia. Up until the late 1800s there was no word for yeast. They relied on the starter to convert the starches into sugar and with a fairly non-existent bread culture there was no need for the word yeast when the starter also included it. Because of the ability of the starter to produce amylase, it seems like the malting process (making the grain, potato etc. sprout) was not discovered until it was introduced by Westerners. Nowadays in Japan and Korea, people seem to distinguish between koji/nuruk and yeast but many people don't know what koji/nuruk really is (just like most people don’t know that yeast is a fungus). In China on the other hand, things seem to be a bit more mixed as far as I have experienced. Now, there are many names for liquor in East Asia. Baijiu (白酒) specifically refers to any Chinese liquor but can also just mean liqur in general. Shaojiu, soju and shochu (燒酒, 烧酒) are all the same word in Chinese, Korean and Japanese meaning burned or cooked wine. Gaoliangjiu and goryangju (高粱酒, 고량주) is Chinese and Korean and means sorghum alcohol. In Korea this refers specifically to Chinese Baijiu. Tibetan liquor is called qingkejiu (青課酒, 青课酒) in Chinese and means barley wine. As you can see, it all basically just means liquor. In The West, we seem to differentiate between the different types by pronunciation, while in East Asia, a common way to differentiate is to put the country or areas name in front of the word. They also make a beer in Tibet using a sake like process (because of no malting) but the commercial result is much too sweet for me. The Tibetan starter is called pup but I don’t know how to write it in Tibetan. Bonus fact, in Mongolia they make a weak milk vodka. In order to ferment the milk they sour it to allow the lactose to turn into fermentable sugars (they basically distil fermented kefir). After distilling they make cheese out of the leftovers. Milk has a very low sugar content (5%) so you need a lot of milk to make little alcohol. It seems like only half of the lactose is fermentable too. If so I think you need around 40 liters of milk to make a liter of 40%. But it is usually not that strong (unless you’re in China). What I had there was sweet and tasty. Hopefully what I wrote was somewhat understandable

[@BeardedBored]

This is fantastic detailed info! Thanks so much for taking the time to type all this out. Very helpful indeed:-)

[@julianl.109]

Thank you so much for this! What a fantastic resource!

[@aurimascurlsuskas8295]

Hi. Just wondering how big difference would be on product, if to skip all this hard process. And just use koji yellow label yeast?

[@ark6959]

I made moonshine with rice. I called it “Rice and Shine”. It was pretty good. Corn and wheat are tastier! In Taiwan, you can buy rice moonshine at 7-11. It’s pretty good for the money. Does the job, lol!

[@BeardedBored]

Rice and Shine! Dude that's clever:-)

[@disciplebill]

I never skip thru your vijeos, buddy. I love what ya do! Been here since apple jack!

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks William!!!

[@danielray1484]

Same here. Way before distilling. I gave up on freeze distilling, its h311.

[@douglascolman4501]

G'day B&B, I liked the video before I watched it all because I like ALL Bearded and Bored videos. I'm living in the Philippines so I have no excuse not to give it a go.

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks brother!

[@nellynelson965]

My next door neighbours are from China. The old boy was making this stuff (now I know what it was) September time in the garden. Think I am going to get his atention and swap him some Rum for Rice wine

[@BeardedBored]

Sounds like you need to take notes on how he makes it and send me an email with his secrets;-)

[@darrenaldridge7815]

​@@BeardedBored cool then you can tell me with a great video on what you have learnt

[@FreedsFirstTime_Whisky_Reviews]

Hey there! An American living in China here. Been here for 13 years and at the beginning, baijiu and I were not friends.... but over time I acquired a taste for it and now really enjoy it. There are so many kinds&brands, even walking through the supermarket will make your head spin, so finding your palate preferences will definitely take some experimentation and time. Great video! TRY BAIJIU!!

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks man! I'm going to do a sorghum baijiu at some point this year. We'll see what kind of flavors we can pull out of it:-)

[@BrightRaven777]

Don't know how many people caught the Uncle Roger reference. A very funny series of videos about fried rice.

[@BeardedBored]

Yeah, that dude is hilarious!

[@CCGBreaks]

I screamed uncow woger

[@BEAVERDIY]

Brother, Wow this is the best video on distilling I have seen on the Tube. Awesome brother, I have some Keichow Montei, I got in China. Love the flavor

[@BeardedBored]

Wow, thanks Beaver!

[@StillIt]

Yeah agreed beaver! This is a banger. Hope this one blows up for ya bearded!

[@rickmilkovic]

Agreed on all counts

[@philiptruitt]

Thanks B&B!

[@BeardedBored]

👍

[@johnaustin8089]

I don't skip half of your videos. You and Jessi rock brother!

[@BeardedBored]

You're awesome!

[@mndlessdrwer]

I feel like if I ever started "hypothetically" distilling, I would end up buying so many identical bottles to line up on shelves while I tinker my way through bags and bags of grain. Also, I finally figured out why I like your voice and speech cadence. You're the This Old Tony of "hypothetical" distilling. If you're curious, this is definitely a compliment.

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks brother!

[@jong2359]

I love Baijiu, it is funky and interesting. Rice origin is easier than sorghum on the palette, but I will enjoy either. I have been waiting for this episode for a while now since you teased it in some comments like 6 months ago, glad it finally came together for you.

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks so much:-)

[@CC-wq8yz]

Fascinating video. This is something I’m going to try. Having worked and lived in China since 1999 I can say that I’ve consumed my fair share of Baijiu. I make my own beer and corn whisky over here but I can’t say that I’ve ever really enjoyed drinking baijiu. It’s more of a face saving challenge in social settings. My son in law found a brand that comes from Tianjin that I like. Thanks for all the valuable information. Bye the way, the locals pronounce it “bai joe” the pinyin spelling as you probably know is baijiu. Liked and subscribed 😁

[@BeardedBored]

I figured I was pronouncing it wrong, haha:-) Yeah, I can't say I enjoyed it when I had a commercial version. This stuff is way more subtle and enjoyable. I'm hoping to make one in the traditional way with solid state fermentation using sorghum to see if I can get those harsh flavors, then eliminate them with good cuts.

[@brentj8593]

Dude, as always, love the channel. I'm not a home distiller, just a home brewer, but y'all helped get me back into the hobby and love inventive and interesting stuff like this. Keep it up, brother!

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks brother!

[@jameshaulenbeek5931]

Oooo... love the idea of a rice-based absinthe. That sounds amazing!

[@BeardedBored]

Yeah, I think it might be really good:-)

[@ericbowers71]

I’m catching up on all of your videos. I certainly understand priorities, however, I hope you are able to continue your videos because you do such an incredible job. You’re informative and very humorous and overall entertaining. Great job, man!

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks so much!

[@other_dave]

I was so glad to find this! I poked a comment or two at Jesse (in regards to koji) when he's had trouble liberating sugars from things in ferments. I myself do a bit of work with koji for amino sauces, pastes, and occasionally a sake. I would be REALLY interested to see a side-by-side of koji/ yeast : angel yellow! Thank you for such a cool video and all the insight!

[@BeardedBored]

Glad you enjoyed it:-)

[@scottclay4253]

WoW!!! I don’t know how I missed this one, Bearded! I had never heard of Baijiu until I watched an hour long documentary this morning. This afternoon I rewatched The BnB & BB conversation and heard you mention your Baijiu video. Excellent mind expanding content, Brother, or should I refer to you as Professor Bearded? You are a superb teacher, you make me think of Sheriff Bart, “I like to keep my audience riveted!” “It’s twue, it’s twue!!!”, a little Lili Von Schupp lingo there. Outstanding content, I have been feverishly gathering knowledge since my magpie moment around 2009. This is a whole new world. I have experimented with koji, but… Thank you, Professor Bearded!

[@BeardedBored]

Have fun with it:-)

[@mikesterv]

Great video mate, I always enjoy your content! I tried the yellow label Angel yeast to make saké (or rice wine in fact). A similar process to your except I only used the angel yeast. It fermented out in 3 days, a really nice saké/rice wine with a clean finish. Really impressed with the yellow label Angel yeast, it converted the starches and chewed through it real fast. 1.5kg steamed rice, mixed in 50grams yellow label and topped with about 1.5litre of water, ended with 2.5 litre of wine around 15%abv. I think I'll try distilling it with the next batch. Cheers!

[@BeardedBored]

Yeah, that stuff is really cool. Ive read about it, but hadn't seen anyone try it until Jesse's vid. Glad to hear it worked so well for you too. Might have to get some to play with;-)

[@adamzamora983]

I watched that same Drunkard Li video! Kudos to you for pulling this together.

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks brother:-)

[@zell9058]

I hypothetically love this channel

[@BeardedBored]

I hypothetically appreciate that:-)

[@walkered]

Great video! I love your stuff! Huge thanks to still it for sending me your way. Also I love your Orville shirt!

[@BeardedBored]

I fell in nerd love with The Orville when Gordon pulled his "huggin' the donkey" maneuver:-)

[@nickhope9763]

As a licensed spirits producer , we make rice whiskey in two formats Sushi rice using sweet mead yeast, alfa and beta amylase+ nutrients and our combo of sushi rice and pilsner malt with M1 distillers yeast flavour profiles and yield per batch is awesome. you should give it a try

[@BeardedBored]

Sounds great! Thanks for sharing:-)

[@ironmck9826]

Cool video. I'd never heard of this before. The background nerd material is great by the way. Including the LOTR poster in your bathroom. Love it!

[@BeardedBored]

Haha, you caught that! My wife picked that out;-)

[@ironmck9826]

@@BeardedBored Love it! I'm a huge LOTRs nerd, named my first born level! But seriously good video and I appreciate the research. I had tried to make rice wine before but missed the red rice mold step so it didn't work well. Wish I'd seen this first. I think I will have to try again!

[@BeardedBored]

@@ironmck9826 Good luck on round 2:-)

[@the_whiskeyshaman]

Love the disclaimer in the description

[@BeardedBored]

😉These are not the droids you're looking for.

[@rockyrdc]

Never skip any part of video love the chanel

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks!

[@quatre1559]

Absolutely informative and amazing video brother

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks!

[@FrontYardGardener]

The Campfire song was in American Beer the movie.

[@BeardedBored]

It's my go-to royalty free tune:-)

[@criptonessy3522]

Subbed a couple videos ago. And on a binge now haha. This video made me hit the bell icon, really looking forward to the next batch of this and the aged tasting! Your channel is awesome. I've tried baijiu a couple years ago, and have become a fan of the stuff. First it was nail polish remover, but it's really an acquired taste. Used to be nail polish remover, but now it's much mellower to me. Thanks again for sharing, I'll keep on my bingeing haha. Cheers.

[@criptonessy3522]

Also got to say, the editing and little clips give me a good chuckle, love your style, your love of the hobby makes it so much more enjoyable!

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks for the sub. Glad you're enjoying the vids:-)

[@balkamp8888]

The crazy stuff can be pretty fun, I'm working with some beans for a buddy... It's been an interesting project Might have to give this a shot when I have some space available

[@BeardedBored]

What kind of beans? I'm intrigued:-)

[@balkamp8888]

@@BeardedBored my buddy is in the bean industry, and he likes vodka. One night we got to talking and on paper it should be possible. I read up on some college studies on bean based ethanol production and it is possible. Historically beans have never really been used in alcohol production and the answer as to why, was always if it worked someone would be doing it.... Well, crap. 😂 So I got to planning and gave it a shot. So far it has been a huge pain in the butt, but I have a fermenter bubbling away on 10lbs of black beans. (Pintos technically have a higher starch content and better conversion but he gave me black beans lol). If it all works well, and isn't the most awful drink ever made, I'll do two more batches to get a decent amount to play with. 10lbs will get to approx 4.5% in a 5 gallon ferment

[@BeardedBored]

@@balkamp8888 My jaw is on the floor.... Holy crap dude. Keep me posted cuz this sounds like the kind of weird I like! Feel free to send me an email.

[@Mezox13]

Man I want to try this

[@BeardedBored]

Worth it!

[@manatoa1]

Cool! I've got two test batches of ricewine fermenting right now.

[@BeardedBored]

Nice!

[@brucekrisko4364]

Great job Bearded! Sounds worth trying a batch. Waiting to see how the aged on wood is like.

[@BeardedBored]

You and me both!

[@lazyplumber1616]

Uncle Rodger is hilarious!

[@travisrogers5614]

Bought this in Shanghai.... no joke... high octane and very rough taste. More of a conversation piece now on the bar. Great video

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks brother:-)

[@desertriderukverun1002]

Another great video. IMHO your “theoretical” distilling videos are the most interesting as you delve into the weeds and recipes not familiar to many of us. I’ve made rice wine using yeast balls that have koji in them. Interesting process (all in one starch conversion and fermentation) and family and friends lived the end product. Since you are trying distillations from around the world, might I suggest Araqi or ouzo for a future B&B project. Keep up the distilling, “theoretically”

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks so much. I've got ouzo on my list of things to try, theoretically;-)

[@paulsapper]

What an awesome video, I had a look at Xiao Li’s videos and now I know why I get such a terrible hangover after drinking rice wine when I have been to china with the wife’s family. They don’t take any cuts which explains a lot. I’ve been wanting to make a rice spirit for ages and after seeing Jesse, Xiao Li’s and now your videos there are so many possibilities and I am expecting with taking good cuts and some blending its going to be a nicer product. Stay safe

[@BeardedBored]

Yeah, I did an off camera test with a blend heavy on heads and tails, and it was harsh and funky. I could feel the potential hangover in the tiny sample I made. The right blend makes all the difference.

[@InDisskyS131]

Wild, I’ve never had a hangover from baijiu, I’m pretty sure that’s a big reason it’s so popular.

[@paulsapper]

@@InDisskyS131 I guess there are variables when it comes to any alcohol, Ive had Baijiu and had no hangover and then there are times iv’e had smashing hangovers. There are many fake knockoff Mao Tai out there it’s hard to know if you are getting a good one or not. I am yet to try making this myself so will have to see how that turns out

[@SatoruGojosensei]

My grandmother taught me, one of the most essential stuff when making rise wine is keep your mouth shut until the whole process is done, like don't talk or else it's gonna spoil...

[@BeardedBored]

Interesting:-)

[@BillMcGirr]

Very interesting video. Enjoyed this video immensely.😊👍🥃

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks!

[@buickapollo455]

Vietnam is called Lao Lao , white rice is used. 10-14 day. Issue is clean out, and heavy yeast and muck on bottom.

[@Alex-nx5wi]

You should try RedStar Erguotou. It is rather 'light' for a baijiu and it really gew on me, when I was over there!

[@jusdesireable3224]

I luv how you always looking to modify techniques. Great vid, was wondering if you have a sake video ?

[@BeardedBored]

No sake video, but one of these days I'll do one to compare the techniques and flavors.

[@sbroz1424]

Use a piece of 1 1/2 PVC slightly shorter than your auto siphon. Put a cap on the bottom and use a saw and cut several curfs in it. You can push that through the grain bed to siphon. How clear did your hard seltzer get? Great videos. Keep em coming.

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks for the idea. On the seltzer one bottle went super clear, the other two stayed the way they were in the video, slightly off clear.

[@danielsos9824]

Looking forward to your sorghum version! Easy sub!

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks man:-)

[@joecuddington3205]

I was putting my rice wine in 1/2 gallon jugs last night to age a bit and everyone says they get fruity notes off theirs but mine is more of a straight sake that has a bit of a white wine start but an everclear kick and finish. I used Nishiki rice which is what they use in Japan to make some of their award winning sake. I have some thai sweet rice that I'm going to try next and hope I get the fruity sweet wine not the high octane stuff. And I almost cried with ya.

[@BeardedBored]

Let me know how that thai sweet rice comes out:-)

[@MadJix]

This is so much like growing mushrooms! I dunno how much you know about mycology but look into it. Really similar and there might be some really interesting alternative native north american fungi or mold that'll do similar..

[@BeardedBored]

I looked into growing some oyster mushrooms after I saw Cody'sLab do it on his channel. No idea if we have any native starch converting fungus, but I'll definitely look into it. Thanks for the idea brother:-)

[@MadJix]

I just did a quick google search on it and it has me super excited! I actually have a fairly large collection of spores and have been growing edible mushrooms for years. I can't believe i never thought about how they convert starches! Their main mode of cellular growth is via carbohydrates aka sugar! Now I gotta grow some shrooms lol. I'll tag you in a vid I'll do on it..

[@BeardedBored]

@@MadJix Thanks man. Can't wait to see it!

[@IrikanjiToys]

Did you ever find a heavenly pot at all?

[@BeardedBored]

Unfortunately no. I'm going to have to keep looking or make one.

[@IrikanjiToys]

@@BeardedBored bummer mate. This was a great video, have been making baiju without a Thumper and really want to do it traditionally - wonder how difficult it'd be to make one I wonder

[@BeardedBored]

@@IrikanjiToys Not too tough actually. I just saw a cool vid of a lady making H'mong corn whiskey with one. Hang on, let me find the link.

[@BeardedBored]

@@IrikanjiToys Here it is - kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipnOdZdqaJaag7s Not too difficult at all.

[@jeremylastname873]

Is there a recommendation available for fermentation temperature range?

[@BeardedBored]

Normal yeast temps, so between 60-80F should be fine.

[@chok2345]

Awesome video. Would love to see you make homemade sake

[@BeardedBored]

This wine was really good, so I might have to get some koji to play with:-)

[@HodgyE5]

Thank you for the informative video! Cheers

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks!

[@onerimeuse]

I lived in Taiwan for six years. I used bring this home with me as a gag present for my friends. I can say I've never tasted gasoline, but I believe this stuff is what it would taste like.

[@BeardedBored]

Yeah, the sorghum based baijiu can have a kerosene note to it sometimes. It's like rocket fuel. Luckily mine came out much smoother than that;-)

[@onerimeuse]

@bearded and bored: I will definitely be trying this. Heading back to south Africa which currently has an alcohol sale ban, so I've been on the hunt for new methods of circumventing that. You mentioned the fermentation time relied primarily on the red yeast rice. I suspect this will be difficult to source in Africa. Do you think just adding more yeast would do the trick to accelerate the fermentation? Also, thanks for reminding me to go buy some airlocks before I leave this time!

[@onerimeuse]

@@BeardedBored oops, right, hit reply to get the proper "@".. Duh.. Lol

[@BeardedBored]

@@onerimeuse FYI, the BeaverDIY channel is a SA distilling channel. He told me that home distilling is legal there if you get a permit and pay the very small tax. Might be worth looking into. As for adding more yeast, nah that won't do much. The slow down is the mold converting the rice to sugar. See if you can get some of the Angel Yellow Label yeast that Jesse used. It can ferment your stuff in under a week.

[@maliciousdolphin3668]

I actually have some of that angel yellow label that ive been meaning to throw at jessies recipe, what would be the application here mate? Use it i stead of the koji and the ec-1118?

[@michaellindauer6274]

Bearded, you got me curious about making red yeast rice wine and just drinking that. As a homebrewer on pause, I often thought about sake, but it seemed too hard. The flavors you describe make it sound with the work…and spousal angst.

[@Backdaft94]

Is that the City Steading mead I spy in the background by the coffee maker?

[@BeardedBored]

Yep!

[@superdupermax]

THE taste, haha. got a bottle of it as a gift... only had 2 drink of it XD.

[@BeardedBored]

Yeah, the commercial stuff can be a bit crazy:-)

[@vtcrafter6626]

I’m curious if this mold fermentation would work with barely and corn?

[@BeardedBored]

Of course. Starch is starch, so the mold will eat it. Going to do some experiments in the future:-)

[@toddellner5283]

How closely is this related to Batavia Arrack? I know they're both rice spirits with a "high" (not just high but stinking) taste. Is there much difference in how they're made? In the kind of rice and cultures you ferment to produce the alcohol?

[@ikwordtmoe]

Batavia Arrack indeed makes use of the red yest rice, but in stead of adding it to plain rice they use it with molasses, to convert the unifermentable sugars.

[@BeardedBored]

I'll have to look into it.

[@BeardedBored]

Erik, thanks for the info:-)

[@ikwordtmoe]

@@BeardedBored I made it sound I was 100% sure. I am not. some how they stil seem to keep it a bit of a mistery if they use the red yeast rice or a rice cake made with de tape ragi(yeast balls) witch do also contain de Monascus purpureus amongst many more differend yeasts bacteri and fungi.

[@TheMullisJ]

I wonder if you could rinse it. Maybe do BIAB style and rinse\squeeze out the remaining wine. Great video!

[@BeardedBored]

Oh sure:-)

[@vossierebel]

Yep, almost cried... alligator tears? 😢😂 Say to me... does "process prohibitive" = a pain in the posterior? 😁😁 I love watching you concocting your concoctions... especially when you do the quality control!😁🥃👍

[@BeardedBored]

Haha, thanks Vossie!

[@oliverv9002]

With 25 pounds of rice came the wine lees, how much good taste wine you distilled out?

[@BeardedBored]

6L of 56%

[@oliverv9002]

Thats quite alot! Are the wine lees fully extracted from initial wine before put into distilled? Did u add extra water before distillation?

[@BeardedBored]

@@oliverv9002 It was a 10 gallon batch of wine with a very high abv, around 15%, so the yield was fairly high. I strained the lees, then added it to the thumper for full alcohol and flavor extraction.

[@oliverv9002]

@@BeardedBored That's really alot! For me, I extracted max. of 4.5 - 5 gallon (10kg rice) wine using thumper. The wine lees are almost dries up.

[@VCOOGAN]

Freeze distill to keep the fruit notes??

[@TodmordenFred]

Great twist on the rice spirit. Tempted. And really looking forward to if you do it the traditional way of not adding water etc. How much product did you end up with?

[@BeardedBored]

Definitely going to do some solid state fermentation experiments:-) About a gallon if it's proofed down to 40%.

[@One.natation]

Could you run this like a vodka distiller maybe that would work as well potato starch sugar I think that would be a good focus

[@grinninggoat5369]

Can you just put some water in the bottom of a mash tun, the metal separator and then the fermented rice on top of the separator plate to boil the steam through the separator and fermented rice if you had the kind of tun that can attach directly to your distilling column to push the rice vapor through it? The rice in the top of the tun probably would act as its own mesh/beads in a reflux column. May help concentrate more aroma and flavor than running it through a small thumper quickly.

[@BeardedBored]

Yes. That's the same concept as the heavenly pot distillation technique they use in China.

[@antonmarek6377]

I’m glad I found this! Quick question, when you say 3.5-4lbs of rice to one gallon of water, is that dry rice weight or steamed rice weight?

[@BeardedBored]

Dry weight.

[@8888tallguy]

Great video. Need try this. My wife is Chinese and I've tried lots different baijius. Yet to have one I would call good. Even the $200/liter stuff is barely drinkable. Btw baijiu is pronounced more like by-joe. Look up jiu niang if you want something sweet and ricey.

[@BeardedBored]

Dang it, I knew I was pronouncing it wrong!

[@8888tallguy]

@@BeardedBored I'd like to just try the sweet wine without distilling it. That sounded good from your description. Bet you could freeze distill it to make it higher abv.

[@BeardedBored]

@davagain Noooooooo! I re-shot this thing 8 times over the last two years. I'm glad I did it, but it was like birthing an information baby, hahaha!

[@richardboisvert9998]

Would a gin basket be as good as a thumper?

[@Willingtea]

How do we freeze the Koji and molded rice? Can we detail the process to me? Because it seem thar I can kill the Koji, and not just the not wanted bacterias

[@rimrock53]

What would it be like if you cut/mixed it with the undistilled “wine”.

[@southcack8245]

Excellent video. You might also try it as a gin base if it seems clean enough.

[@BeardedBored]

Great tip! That could work for sure:-)

[@feelingcreative9525]

ALWAYS WATCH THE FULL VIDEO!

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks!

[@Rubberduck-tx2bh]

Hey Bearded, it's been 2 years since this vid came out. How about another run at it? I recently tasted some oaked rice whiskey I made with YLAY that was 2 years old (how did it last that long???). It almost had a hint of cream soda on the palate!

[@BeardedBored]

Really!?! OK, I'm game:-)

[@SA12String]

I never skip your videos. Any time I think I'm being clever and skip ANYTHING, I miss some incredibly important detail and I end up confused and have to go back anyway. Also, if any alcoholic spirit tastes like nail polish remover AKA acetone, I tend to worry about foreshots.

[@Edgunsuk]

Sorry have to ask why wash the starch off the rice , isnt the entire point of fermenting starch in to sugar to have some starch to convert ?

[@BeardedBored]

I couldn't find a good reason for it when you're doing spirits, but even sake brewers do it, so I figured I'd play it safe.

[@Baphomet-J.-Moon-Fetus]

Heck, I used to drink cheap 'Ozeki One-Cup' spirit out of vending machines when I lived in the Far East. I used to get bored, go for a walk through the tea fields, by the river, or along the mountain ridge... and come home slightly drunk and nicely mellowed out, coz - even in small towns - you can buy booze from a machine on every street corner in Japan. SOOO, BRING ON THE BAIJIU - I'm sure I'd be fine with it.

[@BeardedBored]

That's so crazy. Sounds like a fun place for a stroll:-)

[@spikelove9533]

I make a rice mash but I add a little sugar and reflux it. My rice whiskey is pretty bomb I even save a quart or two of the wash to share around. Every one is suprised its Saki-ish its really good. I do two versions one is flaked rice converted with powdered enzimes and the other is whole rice with a light grind gelentinized and mashed with barley malt. Both are very good. Thanks for the way cool info! This is just my opinion but i dont see a point in stripping runs unless I have a bunch of wash to knock down. I feel like a low and slow single run with plenty of cuts is less work when im pot stilling but thats just me. I noticed my rice whiskey thats made with flaked rice and powder enzimes has way less heads and tales vs the one thats mashed with malted barley

[@BeardedBored]

If you ever try a mold based conversion let me know how it compares to powdered enzymes. Yeah, there's nothing wrong with single runs:-)

[@spikelove9533]

@@BeardedBored ill definitely give it a try probably a small batch 5 gallons adding some black liquorice flavor herbs to a second thumper with some rice in the first one like you did seems like it might be yummy also a little orange zest. 🤔 it seems like there is alot of directions a person could go with this

[@BeardedBored]

@@spikelove9533 The fiddling and tweaking never ends:-)

[@danielwade6987]

Just found appox 5 LB of Red Wine Yeast in my brewing supplies. Looks like I need 20 more LBs of Short Grain Rice though. Time to brew!

[@BeardedBored]

That will last you for years if you keep it in the fridge:-)

[@danielwade6987]

@@BeardedBored Thanks. I bought it at my local Asian Market in 4lb and the 14oz bags like you had.

[@HisVirusness]

"I know you guys like to skip half of my videos." ...Guilty. But, only on repeat watches.

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks brother:-)

[@BeardedBored]

@@theworldisastage1984 Doesn't mess anything up. I'm still blown away that people watch my videos at all, haha:-)

[@TheMullisJ]

@@BeardedBored I usually hit like as soon as you have me laughing. First few minutes usually. Love your content.

[@BeardedBored]

@@TheMullisJ Thanks!

[@edyhermawan269]

So aspergillus oryzae is actually koji? Thank you for the information. I have been wondering about how to make koji but I have already the ball aspergillus from the wet market. I can start making now.

[@Rev-D1963]

Another fun one! Thanks for another thought-provoker! BTW, have you ever tried to "jack" Mirin before??? Would give you a sweet spirit that way, wonder what it would work/taste like? Might have to try that out of morbid curiosity, if nothing else. Cheers brother! Rev. D.

[@BeardedBored]

I haven't but it sounds like a fun experiment;-)

[@StillBehindTheBench]

Great video! I've made Shochu (specifically Awamori) in the past, but not Baijiu. Essentially the exact same process, just using Aspergillus awamori mold instead. I did see something I need to speak out about though. The yeast nutrient from LD Carlson. They put urea in it, and urea isn't legally allowed to be used in fermentations for distilling because ethanol + urea + heat = ethyl carbamate, which is a carcinogen. Urea for any fermentation for distilling is illegal in the US, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia for this reason. In the US urea can still be used for wine and beer, because it isn't heated to a high enough temp for long enough for it to be an issue. But the other countries have just straight up said no. So I don't recommend people buy yeast nutrient from LD Carlson if it says Urea on the package, if they are going to distill.

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks for the info. I'll look into that and find some alternatives. Much appreciated:-)

[@danielwade6987]

You can use Wyeast Beer Nutrient Blend. It's Approved for Distilling on their website. Yet like many blends they don't tell you exactly what's in it. You should probably use less though, it's 1/2 teaspoon per 6 gallons of beer.

[@jadieramacdougal]

Wait...doesn't washing the rice beforehand remove some of the starches that gets converted to sugars by the mold? Might you be losing some fermentable sugars by washing? Just a thought.

[@BeardedBored]

I had the same question. For cold water stuff like Jesse did on his channel it doesn't make a difference, but supposedly it effects how the rice cooks. I don't know if that's true, but even Sake brewers do it, so I figured I might as well keep it in there.

[@keithwaterhouse2845]

Ah mate, this video is a couple of weeks too late for me, I have been adding raw sugar to my rice brew to bring up the ABV but I can certainly get that red rice where I live. currently I am waiting on brew bags so I can press my mush to get the residual out and I will be distilling in a few days. Looks like February will be Baijiu month for me.

[@BeardedBored]

Good luck on the squeezing!

[@nicho4381]

Brilliant!

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks!

[@beautyfox6683]

Have u tried the red yeast power I use organic with great results. Just a thought. They don't remove the mould, it's a cheaper option.

[@JohnFerrerAkaEric]

Do you think it would be worthwhile using the red yeast rice with un-malted rye or barley to see if they produce different flavors? Or even use malted ones for flavor but leaving the grain in the mash the whole time?

[@BeardedBored]

I definitely think it's worth testing;-)

[@carloayars2175]

I've never tried this (on the list now) but I'd bet you could get something more interesting (different product) if you held back enough "wine" to use for dilution. So instead of bringing down the ABV to 40% using distilled/spring water you could use the wine itself which would add flavor back. Sort of a fortified BAIJIU. :) You could even freeze distill the wine once or twice to concentrate the flavor as well but to avoid the "apple palsy" you get from freeze distillation throw the wine in the still and run off the foreshots and early heads, then shut down the still. That will remove some of the nasties before the freeze distillation. You could also use a crock pot or most pressure cookers (no lid on) to bring up to proper temp to remove foreshots/early heads as well. That's my "secret" to really good drinkable Apple Jack as well. :) A combination of the true distilled spirit and once/twice freeze distilled spirit would be interesting to say the least.

[@BeardedBored]

Cool ideas:-)

[@swirlingabyss]

I'm also allergic to Retinax 5.

[@BeardedBored]

Glad it's not just me and Kirk;-)

[@olinseats4003]

That is a very neat technique that I'll have to remember since I live across the street from an asian supermarket. I also wonder what would happen if you replaced some of the water used to create the wine with fruit juices (or added them into the fermenter once it got going) aside from potentially upping the abv, It might help to enhance and carry over the fruit notes through distillation. EDIT: Though it might be a safer bet to ferment a separate batch of fruit wine or cider and then add them together into the pot for distillation.

[@BeardedBored]

Yeah, that would definitely bump up the fruity character. Hope you find the red yeast rice.

[@MadJix]

As far as wood, I'd suggest cherry. Its mild and would probably bring out the subtle nuances od the spirit.

[@BeardedBored]

I think you're right.

[@Mezox13]

I think so to

[@danielwade6987]

Bearded about how large is the fermenter you are using?

[@BeardedBored]

80 liters or roughly 20 gallon capacity.

[@sanpascual2012]

Where to buy this red yeast?

[@BeardedBored]

Link in video description 👍

[@raywalsh7884]

I'm making some apple Brandy. Can I do anything with the apples when I'm done.?

[@BeardedBored]

Apple cake, apple bread, stuff like that?

[@tonyoliver4920]

To estimate gravity when dealing with rice I take the weight of rice and look at the side of the pack. 100g uncooked Starch 78g Of w/ sugar 0g You loose some starch washing and if you toss the boiled water So 50% of the dry rice weight is sugar (after losses) Then calculate using the volume of water (yes this is meant to be volume with sugar but that’s included in the 50%)

[@Mrjrich37055]

Interesting, you should try to age some on fruit wood

[@BeardedBored]

My patrons voted heavily in favor of apple and cherry wood:-)

[@Unpainted_Huffhines]

Does the rice necessarily need to be cooked with steam? I mean, is there a difference between rice that's been steamed and rice that was cooked in a rice cooker?

[@BeardedBored]

Sake makers and rice aficionados would say there is a difference. But I don't think the yeast and mold will care that much. If you try it, let me know if it seems to work the same.

[@Unpainted_Huffhines]

@@BeardedBored will do. My RYR just arrived last week. I stopped at 3 Asian markets, none of them even knew what I was asking for, so I had to get it on Amazon.

[@BeardedBored]

@@Unpainted_Huffhines Yeah, it's tougher to find than I thought.

[@brandongreene9615]

Nice!

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks!

[@rickmilkovic]

Hey B&B, so glad you referred to yourself as a nerd lol. I didn't want to hurt your feelings but dang brother, thats some serious time spent on the research and development. Witch did you prefer the wine or distillate? Side note, its taken over a year to figure out why every time I watch one of your videos I think of Dodge. Insert subliminal pentagon in the intro lol✌✌

[@BeardedBored]

Honestly I think they were both pretty damn good. I'd do the wine again, just to make for wine and I'd do the spirit. I was truly surprised by how much I enjoyed both:-)

[@rickmilkovic]

@@BeardedBored cool seeing how you did all the leg work ill put this in the bag of tricks for a rainy day. Thanks again and catch you on the next go round..✌✌

[@BeardedBored]

@@rickmilkovic Happy to add to the trick bag;-)

[@donmilleriii7399]

I would love to make baijiu that's actually worth drinking. I felt like dying the last time I tangled with the stuff.

[@BeardedBored]

Yeah, store-bought baijiu hangovers are no joke.