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2021 Batch 2 - Rice Wine 2.0

The last batch of rice wine turned out OK.  It was very thin-bodied and fairly low in alcohol (an estimated 7% ABV). The flavor was fairly non-descript with a slight tartness.  I decided to do another, stronger batch to put the yellow-label Angel Yeast through a bigger challenge.

Ingredients

13.4 pounds (uncooked) medium grain rice
3 gallons of water at 155F
36 grams yellow-label Angel Yeast
1 tsp. Gypsum
Additional cold tap water, about 1 gallon

The entire "Mashing and Brewing" process:

  • Heat water to 155F.  While the water is heating, sanitize a fermenter and dump the rice into it.
  • When the rice hits 155F, pour it over the rice in the fermenter and stir to ensure the rice gets wet.
  • Cover the fermenter and leave to sit for an hour or more.
  • Add cold water to the 5.5 gallon mark and stir well.
  • Add the Angel Yeast to about 5-6 ounces of 90F water and stir well to rehydrate.
  • Add the rehydrated yeast to the fermenter and stir well again.
  • Seal the fermenter
Fermentation plan:
  • Days 1, 2, and 3:  Hold the fermenter at 90F. Every 12 hours (approximately), stir the contents of the fermenter to ensure all is mixed well and to off-gas the CO2.  You'll know you've stirred enough when you see the carbonation bubbles stop appearing after a stir.
  • Days 4 through 14: Hold the fermenter at 90F until all activity appears to have stopped.  If you're seeing nothing from the hydrometer for a really long time, it's probably done.  Depending on the temperature, amount of yeast and rice, and other factors, it might take longer than 14 days or might finish a little sooner.
You can complete the mash and brew process in an hour or so, depending on how quickly you can heat the water to 155F.  That makes it a fairly quick and easy thing to make.

Post-Brew Notes and Observations

02/16/2021:  Although not at all necessary, I added about a tsp. of Alpha Amylase to the water while heating it.  I dropped a Tilt Hydrometer in with the rice and water while waiting for the mix to "mash" and noted that the gravity increased quite a bit as the amylase went to work, going from a gravity around 0.994 SG on the Tilt to around 1.017 SG.  After adding the additional code water to drop the temp to 90F, adding the Angel Yeast, and stirring, the Tilt readings pretty much became meaningless as the Angel Yeast simultaneously converts starches to sugars and consumes them simultaneously, so you really don't have an accurate estimate of gravity or ABV with this brewing method.



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