Making Kaoliang-Style Liquor with Powdered Milk

Wash 1kg of green barley, then soak it in plenty of water for 24 hours.

Drain the soaked barley, place it in a steamer lined with a cloth, and steam for about 40 minutes.

Spread the steamed barley on a clean cloth over a cooling rack and let it cool down completely.

In a sanitized fermentation container, add the cooled barley, 400g of Ipguk (rice koji), and 100g of Nuruk.

Add 1.5L of water, 2g of yeast, and mix everything thoroughly.

Seal the container with an airlock and let it ferment for about 2 days to create the mitsul (starter mash).

For the main fermentation (Deotsul), wash, soak (24h), steam, and cool another 4kg of green barley.

In a large pot, combine the 4kg of cooled barley with the previously made mitsul. Add more water to cover and mix well.

Transfer the mixture to a large, sanitized pot (hangari), cover with a cloth, and let it ferment for about 2 weeks until fermentation subsides.

After fermentation is complete, strain the mash through a fine cloth to collect the liquid for distillation.

Wash 1kg of green barley, soak for 24 hours, then drain, steam, and cool completely.

In a bowl, combine 400g of Ipguk (rice koji), 150g of Nuruk, and 400g of powdered milk.

Crush 10 digestive enzyme tablets and 2 lactase capsules and add them to the powder mixture to help break down proteins, fats, and lactose.

In a sanitized fermentation bucket, combine the cooled barley, the powder mixture, water, and 2g of wine yeast. Mix thoroughly.

Seal the bucket with an airlock and let it ferment for about 2 days to create the mitsul (starter mash).

For the main fermentation, prepare another 4kg of green barley (wash, soak, steam, cool).

Combine the cooled barley with the powdered milk mitsul, add water, mix well, and ferment for about 2 weeks.

After fermentation, strain the mash through a cloth. Let the collected liquid sit in the refrigerator for 3 days to allow the sediment to settle.

Using a pump, carefully transfer the clear liquid from the top into the distiller, leaving the sediment behind.

Perform the first distillation on low heat to preserve the aromas. The initial output (foreshots) should be discarded.

Dilute the collected spirit with water and perform a second distillation for a cleaner and more refined final product.

To make a simple cocktail, fill a glass with ice, add a shot of the distilled liquor, and top with ginger beer. Stir and enjoy.