{"id":20709,"date":"2020-12-20T01:05:37","date_gmt":"2020-12-20T09:05:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kimchimari.com\/?p=20709"},"modified":"2023-10-03T09:28:43","modified_gmt":"2023-10-03T16:28:43","slug":"how-to-make-makgeolli","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kimchimari.com\/how-to-make-makgeolli\/","title":{"rendered":"How to make Makgeolli (Korean Rice Wine)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Makgeolli is a traditional Korean rice wine (or brew) that has been made by Koreans for generations. Rice is fermented to produce a lovely creamy drink that’s just so delicious – a hint of sweet, tang and a zing that’s just fantastic with any Korean foods.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Makgeolli (Korean Rice Wine)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

About Makgeolli<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Makgeolli is a traditional Korean alcoholic drink that is made by fermenting rice and a fermentation starter called Nuruk \ub204\ub8e9. Many years ago, almost every family made it at home because it was quite easy to make and also was such a wonderful drink to have with Korean food. I have an Ultimate Guide to Makgeolli<\/a> post that talks about this drink, its history, how it tastes and how to buy the best commercial one. Also, includes a fun story about my memories of it, so please check it out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brief history of how it was consumed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The way Makgeolli came about clearly shows the history of the Korean class culture during the Joseon Dynasty era where there was Yangban \uc591\ubc18<\/a> (the ruling class) and Sangmin \uc0c1\ubbfc<\/a> (the lower class of servants and commoners). When rice was brewed to make Sul \uc220 (alcoholic drinks) very much like the recipe below, different parts of the sul was consumed by different classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bottled Korean Rice Sul (alcohol drink)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In this picture (held up by my very helpful husband \ud83e\udd13), you can see how the rice sediments have settled at the bottom. The top clearer alcohol is called Cheongju \uccad\uc8fc and this was usually enjoyed by Yangban. The sediments that were filtered (called Jjigaemi \uc9c0\uac8c\ubbf8) out to make Cheongju were left to be thrown away but the servants or farmers took them, added water, and strained it – which was called Makgeolli. The word comes from the phrase “\ub9c9 \uac78\ub7ec Mak-geolleo” which means it was “just freshly strained”. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recent History of Makgeolli<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

** To learn about the old history of this Korean drink<\/strong> and how to buy the best quality wines you can read more in my Ultimate Guide to Makgeolli<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Makgeolli was made with 100% rice but everything changed in 1965 (after the Korean war) when Korea had a food shortage throughout the country. The government ordered the breweries to stop using rice but use wheat flour instead. Wheat-based versions were less sweet and more sour than the traditional one made with all rice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to this change, the drink somewhat lost its popularity through the 60’s to 80’s. And I remember it was a drink mostly enjoyed by construction workers and farmers back then. In the 90’s, with the abundance of rice in Korea, people started to make 100% rice makgeollli again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also with the newly found interest in fermented foods, it has become more popular than ever. Breweries also started making flavored Makgeolli such as with peach and chestnuts. One of my favorite brewer (\ubcf5\uc21c\ub3c4\uac00 Boksundoga) makes a very fizzy one which is one of my favorite. Here’s a closeup of my latest rice brew that’s still quite fizzy. \ud83d\udc95\ud83e\udd42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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fizzy makgeolli closeup of bubbles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

2 years in the making..<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Believe it or not, this project has taken me more than 2 years (on and off, of course). Since I started, I have taken 2 Makgeolli making classes (if you are ever in Seoul, I recommend the Sool Company’<\/a>s class – very knowledgeable and passionate people) and made several brews. But I was never completely happy with the result until now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there are many different recipes and methods out there and unfortunately, most recipes lack the details that help you navigate successfully under different brew conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So please read all of my tips and directions carefully<\/strong> because with fermentation, there are so many factors that may seem unimportant but can affect the outcome greatly. THE MOST IMPORTANT is to learn to recognize when you should bottle it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also wrote another post about my Makgeolli making project with my good friend & winemaker at Vino Vargas. READ MY Makgeolli Project post<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DIFFERENCE between Homemade vs Commerical<\/h3>\n\n\n\n