The Taste of Time

From grain to liquor, a bowl of rich and savory yellow rice wine witnesses the change of time.

Text by Wang Yuanchang Photos by Wang Yuanchang & Huitu Translation by Sonia

一碗黃酒的光陰故事

The making of traditional Shaoxing yellow rice wine is complete with over 20 steps. The whole process lasts for a season and only ends in March or April when it comes to sealing and storing the vats.

Soaking: Wine was classifled into three grades based on ingredients back in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC – 8 AD) and glutinous rice wine was considered the best. Shaoxing yellow rice wine has been made from glutinous rice since ancient times. The key is to select fresh and high-quality white glutinous rice. The criteria of high-quality glutinous rice includes a white color, full grain, nice smell, no foreign substance, and the new harvest of the year. Preparation work is completed after the rice is sieved, washed, and soaked in water for around 40 hours.

Steaming: Drained rice is steamed to 90% done. Ideally the rice is steamed till it is hard on the outside and soft inside, no raw core, loose but not sticky, and evenly done. After turning off the heat, the lid should not be removed until the rice is almost cool. The rice is scooped out of the steamer and spread on bamboo mat to cool gradually before being placed in the vats.

Vatting: Brewing yeast is added to the vats containing glutinous rice in proportion and even stirring is required.

Initial Fermentation (“raking”): Timely raking is essential to control the formation of all elements in the fermentation process. Raking indicates adding malt and the water from Jian Lake, stirring to cool off, adjusting the temperature and supplying oxygen. This is a pivotal technique in the whole brewing craftsmanship and has to be performed by seasoned brewers as it is the most crucial stage to the flnal results of brewing.

Post-fermentation: After the initial fermentation, the wort in the vat is poured into sterilized pottery jars. The jars are sealed with lotus leaves and kept at room temperature until fermentation completes by next spring. The whole fermentation process is as long as 90 days, the longest among all sorts of yellow rice wine.

Pressing and clariflcation: Fermented wort is poured into clean cloth bags and placed on a wooden winepress. Wine liquid flows out after pressing. The liquid will be kept at a low temperature for two to three days to make the wine clear.

Boiling (sterilization by heating): Wine liquid from pressing is steamed until the temperature is increased to 85 degrees Celsius. Heating stops then.

Sealing and storing: The flltered wine liquid is poured into clean jars, covered by lotus leaves and sealed with clay. The jars are kept in cool and airy places for natural ageing.

從谷米到佳釀，一碗濃郁香醇的黃酒記錄了一個(gè)又一個(gè)的冬去春來。

傳統(tǒng)的紹興黃酒，釀酒方式相當(dāng)復(fù)雜，先后有篩米、泡米、蒸飯、攤冷、落缸、密封、發(fā)酵等20余道傳統(tǒng)工序。整個(gè)釀造期持續(xù)一個(gè)季度左右，直到三四月份入缸密封倉儲(chǔ)才算告一段落。

泡米：早在西漢時(shí)期，人們根據(jù)釀酒原料的不同，將酒分成三級(jí)，以糯米釀制的酒為上等。紹興黃酒自古以來就以糯米為原料，選擇新鮮優(yōu)質(zhì)的精白糯米，即米粒潔白、顆粒飽滿、氣味良好、不含雜質(zhì)的上等優(yōu)質(zhì)糯米，同時(shí)又要是當(dāng)年的新米。過篩、淘洗后，用水浸泡40個(gè)小時(shí)左右，瀝干后備用。

蒸飯：將瀝干的米上鍋蒸至九成熟離火。要求米飯蒸到外硬內(nèi)軟，無夾心、疏松不煳、熟透均勻。熟后不要馬上掀鍋蓋，在鍋內(nèi)把飯放至快涼時(shí)再出鍋。出鍋后打散，再攤放在竹席上自然冷卻，然后裝入大缸。

落缸：在裝有糯米飯的大缸內(nèi)，按比例加入酒藥等，均勻攪拌。

前發(fā)酵（俗稱開耙）： 為了掌握和控制發(fā)酵過程中各種成分適時(shí)適量的形成，必須適時(shí)開耙，即加麥曲、鑒湖水等，進(jìn)行攪拌冷卻、調(diào)節(jié)溫度、補(bǔ)充氧氣，這是整個(gè)釀酒工藝中較難掌握的一項(xiàng)關(guān)鍵性技術(shù)，對(duì)酒的最終質(zhì)量至關(guān)重要，必須由釀酒經(jīng)驗(yàn)豐富的老師傅把關(guān)。

后發(fā)酵：前發(fā)酵結(jié)束后，將缸內(nèi)酒醪灌入經(jīng)過殺菌的陶制酒壇中，用荷葉封口，空氣中自然放置，直至次年立春發(fā)酵結(jié)束。此工藝前后發(fā)酵時(shí)間達(dá)90天左右，是各類黃酒中酵期最長(zhǎng)的。

壓榨澄清：將發(fā)酵好的醪液裝入干凈的布袋中，放到木榨上，利用空氣壓縮原理，榨出酒液。此時(shí)將酒液低溫放置兩至三天，使酒澄清。

煎酒（加熱殺菌）：把壓榨出的酒液放入鍋內(nèi)蒸，當(dāng)溫度升到85度左右，即停止加熱。

封存：把濾液裝進(jìn)干凈的壇子里，并用荷葉包好，外面再封上泥口，放到陰涼通風(fēng)處，自然陳化后熟。