Rice beer is made with simple ingredients that can be found in any supermarket or ethnic grocery store. The term "sake" refers to a particular form of rice beer that originated in Japan. This drink has been brewed for many years and is popularly used during Buddist and Shinto celebrations. During the rice beer brewing process, a fungus called kome-kin ferments the rice starch into sugar.
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Things You\’ll Need
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Koji-Kin
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Strainer
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Rice Steamer
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Thermometer
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Lemon
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Uncooked Rice
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Cheesecloth
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Two Large Pots
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Yeast
Step 1
Rinse 6 cups of uncooked rice in a strainer, then set the strainer and rice into a container of water. Let the rice soak for 30 minutes.
Step 2
Place the rice into a rice steamer with 1/2 gallon of water. After the rice has swelled, let it cool until it reaches 86 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 3
Pour the juice of one lemon into a large cooking pot with 1/2 gallon of water. Add 1 lb. koji-kin, and stir the mixture gently with a long spoon. Let the pot sit, without heat, for 30 minutes.
Step 4
Add your cooked rice after the 30 minutes have passed. Add 1 package of yeast, stir the contents, then cover the pot tightly with a lid.
Step 5
Keep the pot in a cool, dry place below 77 degrees Fahrenheit for two weeks. Stir the contents once daily with a clean spoon.
Step 6
Remove the lid, and place a cheesecloth over another large pot inside your kitchen sink. Pour the contents through the cheesecloth to filter out residue left from the rice. The liquid left over is sake–rice beer–ready to drink.
Tip
Serve rice beer warm or chilled.
Recipes suggest that the longer the rice soaks, the better the beer will taste.
