Dongdongju (Korean Unfiltered Fermented Rice Wine)

Thoroughly wash 900 grams of short grain rice and 300 grams of sweet rice, then soak in cold water for four hours and drain completely using a large sieve. Leave the rice in the sieve for about 30 minutes to drain.

Steam the soaked rice in a preheated steamer for 40 minutes to create firm cooked grains, then spread them onto a wide tray to cool down completely to temperature.

Transfer the cooled rice into a sanitized fermentation vessel, add 130 grams of nuruk, 3 grams of dry yeast, and 2200 milliliters of water, then mix gently by hand. Take care not to crush the rice grains.

Cover the container with a clean cloth and ferment at room temperature for three days, making sure to stir the mixture twice daily with a sanitized spoon to encourage activity.

Continue the fermentation process for four more days while monitoring the bubbles and checking the flavor periodically to ensure the acidity and alcohol content are developing according to your preference.

Once fermentation is complete, strain the mixture once through a coarse sieve, allowing some rice grains to remain in the liquid to provide the characteristic appearance of traditional Dongdongju.

Stir in 0.5 teaspoons of salt to balance the flavors, then transfer to airtight bottles and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled to enhance the complex profile of the fermented wine.