Makgeolli

[Aggie]

I'm starting a batch of makgeolli using a kit that I bought at a Korean market.  It's a (hopefully!) dummy-proof kit that comes with a bag that just needs to be put in water and left to ferment, with a little stirring each day for about a week.

I'll let you know how it turns out.  If it's good, I might get the raw materials and try to make it the real way. 

[Opsa]

Is this like kombucha? Somebody gave me some the other day, but I can't get over how much it looks like a lung in a jar in my fridge to even get near it. (It doesn't help that I'm way too busy with my production to get into anything this labor intensive right now.) They also gave me some kefir culture.

[Aggie]

Oh cool! I've had commercial kombucha but not the home-fermented stuff.   From my sketchy knowledge of Japanese I keep thinking that should mean kelp tea, not fermented tea.

Makgeolli isn't like this - it's straight up homebrew for alcoholic enjoyment.  It's milky-looking - think rice milk with a kick.  

I strongly suspect that there's a mold involved in the culture (common in some East Asian brewing, especially from rice - think sake).  I've had good makgeolli and not-so-good makgeolli, and I'm not a fan of the mold flavour in the not-so-good commercial stuff. The best stuff I had (from a guy on a mountain near Seoul, who was handing out samples on the trailside - seriously!) reminded me of some of the murkier varieties of Belgian-style beer, which makes me think that it's possible to brew with wild yeasts.

This one smells a bit moldy, so I'll have to see how the end product turns out.

[Opsa]

This sounds fascinating. I love Belgian style beers- Chimay's an all-time favorite. I'm trying to imagine it with a hint of mold, and I'm getting a sort of dry, nutty taste sketch. Does that sound right?

[Aggie]

I'm trying to imagine it with a hint of mold, and I'm getting a sort of dry, nutty taste sketch. Does that sound right?

Not far off.  

I finished the batch - the house has been a bit colder than the recommended temperature range, so I brewed for 8 days instead of the recommended 5 - 7.  After taking out the brew-bag, I added a bit of honey at the end to sweeten it (the kit included a pack of Splenda, but I hate the taste of sucralose) and then *accidently* left it out on the counter for a few hours .  Didn't seem to make a difference in terms of sweetness, but it was bubbling when I put it in the fridge.  I wonder where the sugar from the honey went?

It's....  hmm, it's definitely makgeolli, although not perhaps the tastiest example I've had. The taste is fairly mild and generically rice-wine-ish, and somewhat sour.  There's a hint of mold on the nose but not on the tongue (I'm nauseously offended by mouldy flavours, and it passes my tastebuds). There's a hint of fruitiness in there somewhere.  Picture an extremely cloudy, rice-based lambic and you'd not be too far off.  I have no idea what the alcohol content is, but it goes straight to your head and kicks like a mule.  Probably 10%+, and the FSM knows how much of that is methanol...  

It seems better today than when I stopped it on Sunday - either it's improving or it's growing on me.  

If I was to do another batch (fairly big IF), and supposing I got the enzyme to break down the rice into sugars (which is commercially available) - I wonder how it'd taste with brown basmati?


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Anyone else know any good homebrew recipes?  I'm now intrigued with small-batch ready-to-drink brews.

[Lindorm]

At least I am thankful that you are brave enough to try out the Makgeoli -that way, I won't have to! 

More seriously, while Makgeoli doesn't sound like my cup of booze, I agree with you that it is fun to try out various stuff. I have an old recipe at home for the "official punch bowl for the 1886 Grand Dinner of The Royal School of Engineering" which, among other things, contains a cask or two of arrak, sugar syrup, a sixty-kilo block of ice, a not insignificant amount of 96% ethanol and a few bottles of non-smoky whisky for a nice little subtle touch of flavour.

Once I get really rich and can make bathtub quantities of strange booze, I am going to try out that recipe!

By the way, that makgeoli stuff sounds like something that can produce a pretty powerful headache the day after. Did you notice any of those effects, or are the legendary health benefits of makgeoli powerful enough to ward off even a hangover?

[Aggie]

I haven't had enough at once to get a hangover, but makgeolli indeed has that reputation.  University initiation rituals in Korea involve drinking massive bowls of the stuff...

If I wanted to brew some more healthful Korean liquor, I'd be aiming for bek se ju... that stuff is tasty and good for you.


I may try a batch of traditional ginger beer sometime soon.  Gingered beer is starting to show up as a specialty brew in the stores here, but the one brand I've tried tasted of dried ginger, not fresh.  It was still improved by the addition of rum, but not the mixer I was looking for.   

I'm also interested in trying to brew something beerish, but low-alcohol (2-3%) and high-flavour. I love beer (especially many high-alcohol types), but it has the unfortunate side-effect of drunkenness.