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Next week is Lunar New Year, and since I have a big family gathering coming up, I decided to prepare something special. I prepared two bottles of Cheongju (rice wine), two bottles of Soju, and two bottles of sparkling Cheongju. In the photo, the first two bottles are Cheongju, the middle two are Soju, and the last two are sparkling Cheongju. The foundation of all these drinks is Nuruk, a traditional Korean fermentation starter. Itโs made by capturing wild yeast directly from the air. For the Cheongju, I used Wheat Nuruk (๋ฐ๋๋ฃฉ), which is made from coarsely ground whole wheat. For the Soju, I used White Nuruk (๋ฐฑ๊ณก), which consists of finely milled, low protein flour mixed with a bit of mung bean powder. I used a multi stage brewing process called Iyangju (2-stage) and Samyangju (3-stage). By adding ingredients in stages, you help the yeast population grow stronger, which significantly lowers the risk of the brew failing and results in a much deeper flavor profile. Here is what weโll be drinking: โข Cheongju (Clear Rice Wine): This is a 2-stage brew (Iyangju). It has a good balance of sweetness, acidity, and umami, with very prominent notes of crisp apple and pear. โข Soju (Distilled Spirit): This started as a 3-stage brew (Samyangju) that I distilled twice. You get a rich aroma of the nuttiness of toasted grains followed by caramel and vanilla with a very subtle fruity finish at the end. โข Sparkling Cheongju: I took the base Cheongju, lowered the ABV slightly, and did a secondary fermentation in the bottle with added sugar and yeast just like Champagne. After secondary fermentation i performed disgorging to remove sediment. It tastes like dry high acidity green grapes, but you also get that toasty smell of freshly baked bread. Iโm really proud of how these turned out. Itโs a lot of work to start from the Nuruk itself, but thereโs nothing like sharing your own brew with family. submitted by /u/yunnielee |
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