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

• Koji-Kin

• Strainer

• Rice Steamer

• Thermometer

• Lemon

• Uncooked Rice

• Cheesecloth

• Two Large Pots

• 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.

What Is the Acidity Level of Orange Juice? Image Credit: fcafotodigital/E+/GettyImages

The acidity of foods and beverages is rated on a pH scale ranging from zero for highest acidity to 14 for highest alkalinity, which is the opposite of acidity. A food or drink with a pH of 7 is considered neutral, neither acidic nor alkaline. The pH of orange juice is between 3.30 and 4.15 depending on the variety of the fruit, where and how it's grown and how it is processed. Whether acidic foods and drinks are helpful or harmful to your body has been a hot topic of discussion in recent years.

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Comparing pH of Orange Juice

To compare orange juice with other fruits and fruit juices, remember that lower pH values equal higher acidity:

• Lemon juice: 2.00 to 2.60 pH
• Lime juice: 2.00 to 2.35 pH
• Grape juice: 3.30 to 3.50 pH
• Orange juice: 3.30 to 4.15 pH
• Peaches: 3.30 to 4.05 pH

• Apple juice: 3.35 to 5.60 pH
• Pomegranate juice: 3.50 pH
• Prune juice: 3.70 to 4.00 pH
• Apricot nectar: 3.78 pH
• Blackberries: 3.85 to 4.50 pH
• Tomato juice: 4.10 to 4.60 pH
• Mango juice: 4.60 pH

According to this list, lemon juice has the highest acidity of the fruit juices listed, while mango juice has the lowest acidity level. Whether or not the acidity of a food will affect you depends partly on how much of it you consume. For example, a squeeze of lemon in your iced tea or water won't have the same effect as a glass of lemonade.

Individual tolerance for acidity varies among people. Many people aren't bothered by orange juice at all but can't tolerate tomato-based foods and vice versa. Fruits can be deceiving too, considering that grape juice is more acidic than orange juice, so don't rule out any fruit or juice as being too acidic until you look into it.

Choosing Alternative Beverages

If you're looking for alternatives to orange juice, you might be surprised to learn that many non-juice drinks are acidic too. For instance, the pH of Coca-Cola at 2.525 pH makes it the third-most acidic soft drink after RC Cola (2.387 pH) and Cherry Coke (2.522 pH).

Compare the acidity of orange juice with other common beverages:

• Orange juice: 3.30 to 4.15 pH
• Mineral water: 4.00 to 11.60 pH
• Coffee: 6.20 pH
• Carrot juice: 6.40 pH
• Tap water: 6.50 to 8.50 pH
• Distilled water: 7.00 pH
• Tea: 7.20 pH

Understanding the Effects of Acidic Beverages

Acidic drinks like orange juice can affect the upper gastrointestinal tract of some people, resulting in acid reflux, heartburn, sour stomach or other unpleasant conditions. However, fruit juices are still beneficial for their nutrients. Different parts of the body have different pH levels depending on their purpose. Blood pH is slightly alkaline — around 7.35 to 7.45 pH — while the stomach, with a 3.50 pH, needs to be acidic to break down food.

Some researchers were concerned that consuming too much acidic food and drink could make the blood too acidic, and the body would compensate by pulling alkaline material from other parts of the body. For example, they theorized that calcium might be leached from the bones to counter the acid, putting the body at risk for osteoporosis or other diseases.

However, studies have not shown that the food and drink you consume changes your blood pH. In fact, fruit and fruit juices have an alkalizing effect on the body once they are metabolized, even if they start out acidic. If orange juice bothers your stomach, experiment with other juices that are less acidic, or choose neutral water spritzed with orange or lemon for flavor if you like.

Deriving Other Benefits From Oranges

• Treating colds quickly. The vitamin C in oranges and orange juice can help a cold or its side effects go away more quickly than just letting the virus run its course.
• Flushing out phlegm. The citric acid in oranges and orange juice also helps get rid of the phlegm that forms with the cold virus and other upper-respiratory conditions.
• Keeping phlegm from forming. Consuming oranges and orange juice also keeps too much phlegm from forming.

Vanilla flavoring is used in vanilla liqueur.

Vanilla liqueur is a combination of a spirit and vanilla flavoring. Different types of alcohol are used in different brands of vanilla liqueur. These various alcohols combine with the vanilla flavoring in a variety of ways. Choose the brand that tastes best to you.

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Navan Natural Vanilla Liqueur

Brandy is made from wine, and it is typically served with ice or water. A number of dessert recipes call for the use of brandy due to its rich flavor. A type of vanilla liqueur cognac (a member of the brandy family) is Navan Natural Vanilla Liqueur. It is manufactured by Grand Marnier, a high-end manufacturer of cognac. Grand Marnier uses natural vanilla beans, not extract, giving Navan a smooth and spicy vanilla flavor.

Vanille Royale

Vanille Royale is a combination of French vanilla creme and cognac. The cognac provides richness, the French vanilla creme brings smoothness. The combination creates a rich, creamy, almost buttery taste, with a semblance of thickness. This liqueur feels more heavy and dense as opposed to liqueur similar to Navan. The density of the liqueur subdues the vanilla taste, making it subtle when mixed.

Kajmir Vanilla Liqueur

Kajmir Vanilla Liqueur is a combination of vanilla flavoring, brandy and vodka. This liqueur combines the sweet vanilla flavor, the rich brandy taste and the bitterness of vodka. Kajmir is a lighter, more airy liqueur, with the vanilla flavor up front and a mildly bitter aftertaste.

Kahlua French Vanilla

Kahlua is widely noted for its liqueurs. Kahlua French Vanilla liqueur provides a thick French vanilla taste with notes of coffee flavoring. Kahlua is made with vodka, so there is some bitterness, but it is easily masked when mixing this thick liqueur with a non-alcoholic beverage. It works well with coffee and coffee-related drink recipes.

Milk can be hazardous to your health if left unrefrigerated.

Milk is generally known for it's nutritional qualities. It contains calcium and vitamin D, which are important for bone health. However, if milk is not refrigerated for more than 10 minutes it can become hazardous to your health. Before drinking milk, you need to be aware of dangerous foodborne illnesses that can develop in milk that is not refrigerated properly.

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Salmonella

Salmonella is a deadly foodborne illness that can develop in unrefrigerated milk. It occurs withing 48 hours and causes vomiting, abdominal cramping, headaches, nausea, diarrhea and fever. If unrefrigerated milk develops salmonella and comes in contact with other foods it will contaminate that food as well.

Shigella Bacteria

Shigella bacteria starts to develop in milk once it has reached room temperature. Like salmonella, it causes vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea and fever, plus blood, puss or mucous in the stool. Symptoms subside within 6 days from onset. Shigella bacteria is also spread when proper sanitary habits, such as hand-washing, are not practiced.

Staphylococcus Aureus

Staphylococcus aureus can occur when milk reaches room temperature. Symptoms of consuming milk with stayphylococcus bacteria can occur within 6 hours. These symptoms include nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps. Symptoms usually subside within three days, but may last longer if dehydration has occurred.

Listeria Monocytogenes

Listeria monocytogenes can cause symptoms such as fever, muscle aches and diarrhea. In severe cases it can cause an infection that spreads to the nervous system. If this occurs the individual that consumed the contaminated milk may experience convulsions, loss of balance and confusion. People with weakened immune systems such as pregnant women or the elderly may die from listeria.