Can I use rice wine to replace vodka/gin in OHN making?
Top answer
From the KNF library
Rice wine does one job in OHN. Vodka does another. Rice wine or beer rehydrates the dry herbs before the sugar goes in. (Office Hours Ep. 60, 29:24)
The strong alcohol comes later, for tincturing. Drake's answer on makgeolli, a Korean rice wine, is direct: it rehydrates the herbs, and tincturing still needs high-proof alcohol like vodka or soju. So rice wine will not stand in for vodka at that step. (Office Hours Ep. 9, 57:44)
The sources differ on the number. One gives 30-35% alcohol for the final step. (Office Hours Ep. 60, 29:24) Another says 35 percent or higher. (Office Hours Ep. 9, 57:44) The manual says to fill the jars with vodka or other alcohol, so vodka is not the only choice. (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 25) The library names soju as another option. (Office Hours Ep. 9, 57:44)
The library does not cover the strength of homemade rice wine or home distilling.
Sources
- 29:24 Office Hours Ep. 60 (Dec 2022) — Master Cho's OHN Recipe, Herb Ratios, and Pig Deep Litter · “Herbs fill the jar halfway, rice wine or beer rehydrates them, brown sugar brings it to two-thirds, then ferment five to seven days before topping with 30-35% alcohol for ten to fourteen days.”
- 57:44 Office Hours Ep. 9 (Nov 2021) — OHN Extraction, Salted Land Remediation, Foliar vs Drench Rates · “Makgeolli rehydrates the herbs; the tincturing step still needs 35 percent or higher alcohol like vodka or soju.”
- p. 25 Student's Manual, Basic Course · “Fill all 6 jars with vodka (or other alcohol), nearly to the top”
