It is often asked that the rice wine I sell here is only 2 yuan per kilogram. Is it real wine? How many degrees should rice wine be? There are also direct mash, rice wine and rice wine confused, not clear which is which.

This article wants to share the complete concept of rice wine, so that we can know what kind of rice wine is not true and where the false is. The purpose of this article is to buy rice wine less.

What is rice wine

In grain wine, rice wine is the oldest original wine, liquid fermentation, not high degree, wine strength is not small, known as "see the wind down", "go out crooked". Wine is still popular in the countryside.

Rice wine is made from glutinous rice, but it is not the same fermented glutinous rice wine, nor yellow rice wine, nor is it white wine made by rice. The technology, fermented glutinous rice wine and glutinous rice wine are handed down in one continuous stream. There is a principle and a slightly different method of making.

In China's ancient rice based alcoholic beverages, only rice wine is the most authentic. Mash is the primary product of rice wine, mainly to obtain sugar and amino acid nutrition; rice wine to obtain more beverage flavor; liquor to obtain more alcohol. Therefore, the old saying "wine is grain essence" refers to rice wine: pure glutinous rice, simple fermentation, simple extraction. Without any addition, it is generated in a completely natural state and remains unchanged forever. In religious language, rice wine is God's gift of nectar.

Brewing principle of rice wine

The basic technology is: firstly, the glutinous rice is soaked and steamed, the temperature is reduced to 40 ℃, and then mixed with koji for fermentation, and then the starch is converted into sugar. This step is completed, that is, mash, which can be used as drink and food. Then add water and continue to ferment, and then yeast and fungi convert sugar into alcohol to form rice wine. This rice wine is rice wine. Different from the liquor made by rice, the essence lies in the alcohol content of this brewing method, which can not reach the height of distilled liquor.

Rice wine fermentation is the result of yeast and starch → sugar → alcohol respectively. As mentioned above, the main component of glutinous rice is starch, which is converted into glucose by yeast, as well as a variety of amino acids. Therefore, the mash is very sweet and nutritious. It is a nourishing food for women. Then it continues to ferment, converting the sugar into alcohol.

When the alcohol concentration reaches a certain level, it will inhibit the yeast and gradually lose its activity. That is to say, in the secondary fermentation, after the alcohol reaches a certain concentration, the yeast will be inhibited by alcohol, and will not reproduce and become inactive. The alcohol in it will be oxidized. At the same time, acetic acid bacteria in the air will take advantage of this to decompose alcohol. This transformation process, as the saying goes, "good wine makes vinegar". It is said that wine brewing is good wine, over brewing into vinegar, at least the taste becomes sour.

Brewing cost of rice wine

Traditional rice wine is brewed only with glutinous rice, water and koji. From the principle of rice wine brewing, we know that alcohol is produced from sugar and sugar is produced from starch in glutinous rice.

Then, glutinous rice input and rice wine output is a relatively stable proportion. That is to say, how much rice produces more wine is a constant. If there is a change, more or less wine, it means that there is something wrong with brewing.

This constant, the general one Jin glutinous rice, wine 2-3 Jin. The standard is 2.5 kg, which is 2 kg, and 3 kg if it is done.

According to 2.5 Jin of wine per jin of rice, the market price of glutinous rice is 5 yuan / Jin. The cost is calculated according to the workshop process flow:

Each 4 Jin rice 1 yuan liquor starter, 10 jin wine;

For every 100 Jin of wine, there is a labor force, which is 300 yuan / worker;

Water and electricity consumption for one man hour, including the site, is 50 yuan in total;

Tax and other miscellaneous expenses are 50 yuan.

In this way, the basic cost of 100 Jin wine is: 200 yuan for 40 Jin rice + 300 yuan for labor + 100 yuan for cost = 600 yuan. It doesn't include distiller's yeast, packaging, transportation, inventory, etc.

Alcohol content of rice wine

The sugar content of starch and the amount of sugar converted into alcohol mentioned above are all fixed proportions. As many rice as there are starch, sugar and alcohol. Alcohol concentration is the signature result of brewing.

Then the normal fermentation, after the first step is completed, the quantitative starch is converted into both quantitative sugar, and then enters the secondary fermentation to produce both quantitative alcohol, and then after certain conditions of storage, it is the quantitative rice wine.

Because it is produced under pure natural conditions, it depends on the hard work of yeast. According to the characteristics of yeast, when the alcohol concentration reaches 24 degrees, yeast will no longer reproduce and stop working. In other words, the normal fermentation of rice wine results in alcohol content of only about 24 degrees. This is an important standard to judge the authenticity of rice wine. Of course, it is also the standard to master for making fake wine.

The method of making rice wine

The vitality of rice wine is so strong, from the earliest legend of Dukang wine making to all historical documents, such as "wine is the best medicine" and "wine is the essence of grain". Almost all the classic stories of wine are rice wine, not mash or rice wine.

Since 1950's, we have made continuous technical research on liquor brewing, successfully changed the traditional brewing mode and developed a new blending technology. No longer grain, no longer long production cycle, but also save a lot of physical and chemical costs, plant, fermentation tank, etc. As a result, beer has become beer. Fruit wine and rice wine can greatly increase the production under the condition of reducing materials.

Originally, rice wine is not polluted, because the natural law is not easy to change, mixed with water is not that flavor. But science and technology can change it, though not universally. It's not that technology can't do it. It's true