Makgeolli (pronounced like MAK-g-li) is a Korean rice wine ~15% ABV (before diluting) commonly brewed at home with sweet rice, nuruk, and water which according to takjoo.wordpress.com literally means "a roughly filtered thing", with a Japanese version of the same called makkori. "Makgeolli has historically also been a drink to divide social classes, with diluted takju, commonly recognized as ‘makgeolli’ - being made by and served to farmers, and the clearer, stronger cheongju, which keeps longer and matures in a way that takju typically does not, being served to the Yangban, or aristocracy. [... This] brewing process [...] is more accurately called Wonju, which consists of two distinct layers that can be seen when the strained alcohol settles: a top, transparent and often yellow layer called cheongju, which can be served separately or distilled to make Soju, and a lower sedimentary layer called takju, which is typically diluted to a weaker strength according to the taste of the brewer. While ‘makgeolli’ is sometimes used as a casual catch all phrase for any sediment-containing Korean alcohol, again, it more specifically refers to diluted takju"
The website www.hanamakgeolli.com has a glossary of brewing terms that I hope to explore further in the future.
"RESEARCH"
According to an initial Wikipedia search,"Makgeolli is the oldest alcoholic beverage in Korea. Rice wine has been brewed since the Three Kingdoms era, which ran from the 1st century BCE to the 7th century CE. The consumption of rice wine during the reign of King Dongmyeong (37–19 BCE) is mentioned in the founding story of the kingdom of Goguryeo in Jewang ungi (Songs of Emperors and Kings), a 13th-century Goryeo Korean book." "Another 12th-century Chinese book, Illustrated Account of Goryeo, reports that Korean rice wine that is made with nuruk is deeper in color [than cheongju] and has a higher alcohol content; it says that when drinking this wine one gets drunk quickly and sobers up quickly. This book says that clear, refined rice wine was made in the royal court, while milky, unrefined rice wine was more popular among commoners."
Nuruk is a grain base (commonly wheat) fermentation starter that is inoculated with:
- Rhizopus oryzae mold spores that produce protease and lipase enzymes to break down proteins and fat in the outer layers of rice
- Aspergillus mold spores that produce amylase enzymes that break down the starches in the inner portions of the rice into sugar
- wild yeast (like Picia anomala and Saccharomyces cervisiae) that turn the sugar into alcohol, and
- lactobacilli bacteria, which create lactic acid to sour the wine and add complexity to the flavor.
Also from Wikipedia, "Nuruk has been used in Korea since the period of the Three Kingdoms in the 3rd century CE, while similar fermentation starter, jiuqu, was first made in China during the Warring States period beginning in the 5th century BCE. Chinese history records the first use of nuruk in Korea in 1123 CE."
FIRST BREWING OF MAKGEOLLI
My first attempt followed this video on YouTube by Johnny Kyunghwo:
1) wash rice until water flows relatively clear
2) soak rice over night (or at least two hours), drain for a good while
3) steam rice until al dente and let cool to "under body temperature", break apart clumps.
4) in a large pot, mix equal parts dry rice and water, plus 10% nuruk, by hand until well incorporated into a homogenized sludge.
5) put in fermentation jars with an open lid covered with cheese cloth (I used a loose lid instead)
6) once or twice a day, mix up the contents for three or four days. Contents will begin to bubble and separate with a middle layer of liquid.
7) after a week, remove the solids and squeeze as much liquid out as possible. You can use a cheese cloth, though I used a strainer and brute force.
8) the milky liquid is now ready to drink, but will continue to change in flavor profile as it ages. Place in bottles in the fridge and burp regularly. Particulates will settle out, which can be mixed back in or decanted out.
The first quart bottle we drank was at the two week mark. It was very sweet and with a relatively green nutty flavor. The large gallon was left on the counter with a bubbler for a third week to ferment before being split into two bottles and the flavor got significantly more pithy/citrus like. I personally prefer something in between the two and three week marks.
A&S FAIRE
I was encouraged at the last minute to enter the A&S Faire and Queen's Prize, which was a lovely experience. Having only done basic Wikipedia, YouTube, and Reddit "research" in order to kick off a brew and figure out if it was worth pursuing in earnest, the advisers that visited my table asked wonderful questions that I was also already chewing on. I now have a 15kg bag of sweet mochi rice, new nuruk, and old mash that I am curious if I can use like a sourdough "starter" by just adding plain amylase. And I want to get a "round" of makgeollis started a week apart so I can compare at the 1/2/3/4 week points at the same time, and figure out how long before it goes to vinegar.
