For more on this traditional drink, see Sato: Thailand’s Enigmatic Sticky-Rice Beer.
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 1.5 gallon (5.7 liters)
OG: 1.083 (20°P)
FG: 1.000 (0°P)
ABV: 11%
MALT/GRAIN BILL
5.5 lb (2.5 kg) Thai sticky rice
YEAST
1 luk paeng ball, powdered; or a pure Amylomyces rouxii mold culture plus a beer or wine yeast of choice
DIRECTIONS
Rinse the rice until the water is clear, then soak in fresh water overnight. Dump the water, rinse again, then steam the rice in a covered basket over boiling water for 20 minutes. (Do not fully cook the rice.) Spread the steamed rice out on a clean surface and allow it to cool to about 77°F (25°C), then sprinkle on the luk paeng or mold culture. With clean hands or sanitized gloves, mix the culture into the rice. Transfer the rice to a covered, sanitized vessel for 3–4 days at ambient temperatures, or as warm as 88°F (31°C). (This should yield you a sweet syrup of about 1.166 SG (37.5°P). Add 4.2 quarts (4 liters) of water (and pitch the yeast, if you added only pure mold before) and ferment 2–3 more weeks. Strain through fine mesh or two layers of cheesecloth, then crash and chill for several weeks. Bottle it still or keg and force-carbonate, as desired.
BREWER’S NOTES
The Starter: Your challenge is to source some luk paeng. On the Thai website Shopee (shopee.co.th, it might be possible to find a seller who ships overseas. Asian supermarkets in North America often sell qu, the Chinese version—not the same, but a similar hodge-podge of molds, yeast, and bacteria. Devanom’s method could be easier to reproduce if you can source a pure mold culture; then just choose a favorite brewing yeast and pitch that when you add water.
Variations: Add dry hops after crashing; pitch Lactobacillus or Philly Sour yeast and add fruit; add Brett and barrel-age—the sky’s the limit. You can adjust the final strength by adjusting how much water you add, though it may take a few batches to dial it in.
