Does anyone have a Makkoli recipe, or a link to one?

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Laripu
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Does anyone have a Makkoli recipe, or a link to one?

Post by Laripu » Sat Sep 27, 2008 11:14 pm

Does anyone have a Makkoli recipe, or a link to one?

I just stopped in at my local Korean grocery and saw a package of "Enzyme Amylase". I thought this must be the "nuruk" that I've read about as a necessity for making makkoli. I asked the woman at the counter to read the Korean words for me, but before she did, I said "nuruk?".

She said "OH! You know? For make..." and I interrupted and said "makkoli?" She said "OH! You know makkoli? How you know makkoli?" I told her that I had been in South Korea for two months in the late 90's, but learned about it only after getting back to America. She wanted to know whether I could make it, and I assured her that I make beer and wine, and my parents made plum wine and my grandmother made beer... so it was in the family, and I would get a recipe from the internet.

So here I am. Anyone have any leads for me?
Secondary FV: As yet unnamed Weizenbock ~7%
Bulk aging: Soodo: Grocery store grape juice wine experiment.
Drinking: Mostly Canadian whisky until I start brewing again.

PMH0810

Post by PMH0810 » Mon Sep 29, 2008 1:38 pm

I know amylase is generally found in human saliva but not anything about makkoli...

Am going to watch the thread with morbid interest though - I love finding new booze I've not tried.

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Post by Laripu » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:37 pm

PMH0810 wrote:I know amylase is generally found in human saliva but not anything about makkoli...

Am going to watch the thread with morbid interest though - I love finding new booze I've not tried.
And of course amylase is the enzyme in malted barley that is responsible for turning starches into fermentable sugars in a mash. The fact that amylase is in saliva means that if you chew a piece of bread for long enough it will eventually become sweet. I used to do that every now and then when I was a little boy. (Of course, I didn't know the word "amylase", or even "enzyme".)

Makkoli is an alcoholic rice beverage (about 6.5% v/v) that is not hopped and not carbonated. Since rice has no natural enzymes to convert starch into sugar, it needs separate amylase to do that before fermentation. Before I actually try to make makkoli, I want a traditional recipe.

By the way, it is also commonly spelled makgeolli. See the Wikipedia article.
Secondary FV: As yet unnamed Weizenbock ~7%
Bulk aging: Soodo: Grocery store grape juice wine experiment.
Drinking: Mostly Canadian whisky until I start brewing again.

PMH0810

Post by PMH0810 » Mon Sep 29, 2008 5:55 pm

Knew I failed chemistry for a reason :oops:

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Laripu
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Some web pages I've found

Post by Laripu » Mon Sep 29, 2008 8:09 pm

These are not exactly what I wanted, but I may be able to derive a recipe from reading them:
1. Homemade Chinese Rice Wine
2. CEREAL FERMENTATIONS IN COUNTRIES OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION
3. Andong Soju. (This talks about making makgeolli as a precursor to distilling soju from it.)
Secondary FV: As yet unnamed Weizenbock ~7%
Bulk aging: Soodo: Grocery store grape juice wine experiment.
Drinking: Mostly Canadian whisky until I start brewing again.

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Post by Laripu » Fri Oct 03, 2008 4:32 am

I will get four or five pounds of rice and a pound of unmalted wheat, and make a small batch (about 12 liters). Apparently you can drink it right after primary fermentation. The Korean makkoli that comes into this area is packaged in plastic bottles, so I might do the same using old soft drink bottles. Not elegant, but easy.

When it's done and I've had some, I'll report back with the exact recipe. I will have no idea whether it will be authentic, only whether it matches the one brand I've ever had (from a plastic bottle). It will probably be a few weeks before I get around to it.
Secondary FV: As yet unnamed Weizenbock ~7%
Bulk aging: Soodo: Grocery store grape juice wine experiment.
Drinking: Mostly Canadian whisky until I start brewing again.

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Re: Does anyone have a Makkoli recipe, or a link to one?

Post by Laripu » Sat Oct 18, 2008 4:09 am

I haven't make it yet, but I got a recipe from someone on a blog. He writes:
Actually few people make makgeolli by themselves in here.
I searched many Korean web pages for the recipe. I try to translate one of those in here.
I'm not sure it is an perfectly exact information, because I've never made it.

Rice (1 or 2 kg as you want), Yeast (20% of the rice), Water, Jar, Cloth

1. Wash the rice clearly.
2. Submerge the washed rice in clear water for about 2~3 hour.
3. Put the rice on sieve for remove water and leave it for about 1~2 hour.
4. Steam it for 1 hour and steam with weak fire for 20 minute.
5. Cool it on air until you feel it is not hot but warm.
6. Powder yeast and mix with the rice.
7. Pour water (160% of the rice) in jar and put the mixed one in the jar.
8. Cover the top of jar with cloth.
9. Stir twice a day for the first 3 days.
10. Ferment for 5~7 days and sieve it.
By "yeast" he means the commercial "yeast cake" they call "nuruk" in Korea. I bought 1 pound of it in a Korean grocery.

I'll be making this as soon as I've saved up enough plastic bottles. (I don't want to bottle it in glass. It leaves a lot of tenacious residue.)
Secondary FV: As yet unnamed Weizenbock ~7%
Bulk aging: Soodo: Grocery store grape juice wine experiment.
Drinking: Mostly Canadian whisky until I start brewing again.

NWC

Re: Does anyone have a Makkoli recipe, or a link to one?

Post by NWC » Mon Oct 20, 2008 12:25 pm

Oh Mate - that sounds bad!!

Are you sure its nice, and you're not just romanticising the taste as it reminds you of good times in South Korea :D

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Re: Does anyone have a Makkoli recipe, or a link to one?

Post by Laripu » Tue Oct 21, 2008 3:33 am

NWC wrote:Oh Mate - that sounds bad!!

Are you sure its nice, and you're not just romanticising the taste as it reminds you of good times in South Korea :D
Here's the odd thing: I never had any while I was in South Korea. I drank soju, which is miserable, cheap 25% distilled alcohol, and Baekseju, which is a nice herbal rice wine. Korean beer was not worth drinking. That was 1998.

Since then I have been occasionally shopping at Korean grocery stores for kimchi, fish roe, red pepper paste and a few other things. After having had makkoli at a Korean restaurant, I started to notice it in stores and I've been buying it ever since. Not frequently: about 6 bottles a year. It comes in plastic bottles.

Anyway, if I didn't like it, I wouldn't buy it! I'll probably only make it once, for the experience, then go back to buying it, unless the home-made version is much better. (Old Korean ladies, who ought to know, assure me that it is!)
Secondary FV: As yet unnamed Weizenbock ~7%
Bulk aging: Soodo: Grocery store grape juice wine experiment.
Drinking: Mostly Canadian whisky until I start brewing again.

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Laripu
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Re: Does anyone have a Makkoli recipe, or a link to one?

Post by Laripu » Sat Nov 08, 2008 10:54 pm

Well, today I started my first makkoli (or makgeoli or makhuli). I'm just waiting for the rice and liquid to cool to 80°F, so I can pitch the "nuruk" i.e. yeast and amylase enzyme powder. I've taken photos of the various steps, so when it's all in bottles, i about 10 days, I'll post a link to the whole recipe with photos.
Secondary FV: As yet unnamed Weizenbock ~7%
Bulk aging: Soodo: Grocery store grape juice wine experiment.
Drinking: Mostly Canadian whisky until I start brewing again.

mysterio

Re: Does anyone have a Makkoli recipe, or a link to one?

Post by mysterio » Sat Nov 08, 2008 10:59 pm

Sounds interesting, Larry - looking forward to the pictures.

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Re: Does anyone have a Makkoli recipe, or a link to one?

Post by Laripu » Sun Nov 09, 2008 4:05 am

mysterio wrote:Sounds interesting, Larry - looking forward to the pictures.
Hmmmmm, you've figured out my secret identity. Laripu sounds vaguely Romanian, but actually means Larry-poo. That way everyone unwittingly calls me a cutesy pet name. Now that my evil plan has been defeated, I shall have to inebriate the earth with Brew-rays, one imbiber at a time. :lol: :lol:
Secondary FV: As yet unnamed Weizenbock ~7%
Bulk aging: Soodo: Grocery store grape juice wine experiment.
Drinking: Mostly Canadian whisky until I start brewing again.

User avatar
Laripu
So far gone I'm on the way back again!
Posts: 7117
Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2008 4:24 am
Location: Tampa, Florida, USA

Re: Does anyone have a Makkoli recipe, or a link to one?

Post by Laripu » Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:04 pm

Laripu wrote:Well, today I started my first makkoli (or makgeoli or makhuli). I'm just waiting for the rice and liquid to cool to 80°F, so I can pitch the "nuruk" i.e. yeast and amylase enzyme powder. I've taken photos of the various steps, so when it's all in bottles, i about 10 days, I'll post a link to the whole recipe with photos.
It's now four days into it. The intial gruel/nuruk mixture stank: apparently nuruk is a smelly thing, somethng I didn't know. After the first three days (of saccharification), fermentation has slowly started, as evidenced by small bubbles on the surface of the gruel. More importantly, the nuruk smell is nearly gone, and has been replaced by the makgeolli/alcohol smell with which I'm familiar. I'm glad I didn't chuck it all in the toilet! I'll bottle some time next week, as time permits.

I've also started a Powerpoint presentation on the whole process, complete with photos.
Secondary FV: As yet unnamed Weizenbock ~7%
Bulk aging: Soodo: Grocery store grape juice wine experiment.
Drinking: Mostly Canadian whisky until I start brewing again.

llannige

Re: Does anyone have a Makkoli recipe, or a link to one?

Post by llannige » Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:51 pm

Got to admit this one has grabbed my attention.
Very interested in your result.
Keep up the good work L.

oblivious

Re: Does anyone have a Makkoli recipe, or a link to one?

Post by oblivious » Thu Nov 13, 2008 10:07 pm

Hi Laripu


Keep us posted on how you get


Also here are two good resource on sake, or similar rice wine

http://www.taylor-madeak.org/index.php

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?t=50409

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