HCB Chapter 170: Dog Days
Chapter 170: Dog Days
The koji has some black spots and tastes bitter as soon as you put it in your mouth.
This is what's left over from Laolu's winemaking.
No wonder the wine tastes bitter and sour.
"I have to say something to you. If you really spoil my Sihai, I will cut you with a knife."
Xu Yiyi snorted and looked at Lao Lu with an unfriendly look.
He's just a little kid, and his values haven't been formed yet.
The old road is also having an impact, so it’s hard to say whether it will go astray.
"Hey! What you said, I'll be more careful next time, okay?"
Lao Lu said helplessly.
I didn’t realize it before, but after spending more time with my children, I unconsciously want to meet all their requests.
Lao Lu is now at this stage with Sihai.
"You better be like this."
After saying that, Xu Yiyi picked up all the blackened yeast on the dice.
"Why are you throwing away the good koji?"
Lao Lu couldn't help feeling pain when he saw the scattered pieces of distiller's yeast on the ground.
Go forward and pick it up.
"If it tastes bitter, the wine you brew will be as sour and bitter as the wine in the cellar."
Xu picked and chose, and found that none of the leftover yeast from Lao Lu was usable.
"Is there such a thing? You're not lying to me, are you?"
Lao Lu broke off a small piece of koji and put it into his mouth with some doubt, and found that it was indeed a bit bitter.
"Yeast is very important. Good yeast not only increases the yield of wine, but also makes the wine more fragrant and mellow. Poor yeast will make the taste and aroma of the wine worse."
Xu Yiyi pinched off a piece of koji that looked similar in appearance.
I put it in front of my nose and smelled it, then threw it away.
"Doesn't this piece look good? Why throw it away again?"
Lao Lu was really confused. If black things are bad and should be thrown away, why should this piece be thrown away when it doesn't seem to have any black spots?
He felt heartbroken just looking at it.
It’s not like you can buy the yeast for free.
"There are three main aspects to consider when choosing koji. The first is its color. Good quality koji will have an even color, while poor quality will be dull and have black spots, like this one."
Xu Yiyi pointed at the bad distiller's yeast in Lao Lu's hand and motioned him to look at it.
There is indeed a sharp contrast in color.
"The other block of koji has a firm texture and regular shape, with no signs of loosening or breaking, while the one I just threw away is a bit loose."
This is another difference.
"Take a sniff. Good koji will have a light aroma, a bit like the aroma of fermented grains, very pure. But the koji we have are sour and musty. If we continue to use them, the wine we brew won't be as good."
After hearing Xu Yiyi's words, Lao Lu smelled the yeast in his hand again.
It does smell musty.
"No, I see everyone does this. I didn't expect there are so many tricks to brewing wine. No wonder the wine in the wine shop is different from what we usually sell! These people must use the best yeast."
Lao Lu slapped his thigh suddenly.
His eyes lit up when he looked at Xu Yiyi.
"This time I really believe you can make wine. Hurry up and I'll help you taste the wine."
Lao Lu is not greedy for money or lustful. He just likes to eat delicious food and drink some wine.
Xu Yiyi lowered his eyebrows and smiled slightly.
She could figure it out. After the wine was brewed, with the good wine hanging in front, Lao Lu was in a tight control.
Drinking was popular in this dynasty, from high-ranking officials to common people.
Everyone likes wine.
Xu Yiyi was thinking about teaching the craft to these children once the wine was brewed.
It can be considered as having a skill.
It is the hottest, most humid and humid time of the year.
This is the best time to make koji.
Xu Yiyi threw away the bad wine yeast left behind by Lao Lu.
I plan to find some materials and try making it myself.
"What are you thinking about?"
Lao Lu waved his hand in front of Xu Yiyi.
"Wu Yuan is crying inside the room."
He cried loudly, and Lao Lu became very anxious when he heard the noise.
Unexpectedly, when I turned around, Xu Yiyi didn't move at all.
Called softly.
Xu Yiyi quickly got up, washed her hands, and carried Wu Yuan out.
"What's going on? You were sleeping well."
Lao Lu looked at Wu Yuan with concern. The child was sleeping with a red face and tears on his cheeks.
Aunt Arong wet Wuyuan's small towel, wrung it dry, and handed it to Xu Yiyi.
“It’s heated.”
There is no ventilation in the stone house, so Xu Yiyi will open the doors and windows when the children are sleeping.
But it's been a bit too hot lately.
Wu Yuan has been woken up by the heat several times.
"Hey! You woke up from the heat! Let me fan Wu Yuan."
Lao Lu said this and ran back to his room excitedly, took out the fan and waved it at Wu Yuan.
The child didn't get enough sleep, and now the cool breeze is blowing right in front of him.
I fell back asleep in a daze.
"Is Yiyi going out?"
Arong looked at Xu Yiyi and said something.
"Anyway, Wu Yuan is asleep. If you want to be busy, go out and do it first. Auntie will help you look after the child."
Xu Yiyi shook her head and hugged Wu Yuan and rocked him gently.
Pointing to Lao Lu, he moved all the wine out of the wine cellar.
"You are really abusing the elderly. I am so old and you still make me so tired. Don't you feel guilty?"
Lao Lu said this through gritted teeth.
Xu Yiyi's gaze drifted over, and Lao Lu had no choice but to go in and clean up.
"What kind of wine are you going to make?"
Lao Lu leaned over and glanced at Xu Yiyi.
If you know how to identify koji, then you definitely have the skills to make wine.
I just don’t know whether the craftsmanship is good or not.
"The most popular drink these days is grain wine. The wine shops in Ping'an Town also primarily sell grain wine, and I'm no exception."
Today's alcoholic beverages are roughly divided into three categories, the most important of which is grain alcohol, which can be divided into muddy wine and clear wine according to the brewing method. Muddy wine takes a shorter brewing time, the wine is more turbid, has a lower alcohol content and higher sweetness, and the process is relatively simple.
The price is affordable, and the most popular drink sold in most of the wine shops in Ping'an Town is turbid wine, which is a common drink for ordinary people.
This sake takes longer to brew, and the wine is relatively clear, has a higher alcohol content, and is not as sweet.
But because of the complicated process, the price will be higher.
The wine shop owned by Mrs. Wu is one of the few wine shops in the town that sells sake.
The second type is fruit wine, with grape wine being the most common. It was introduced from the Western Regions and brewed by both the court and the people, but most people found it difficult to accept.
The last one is the blended wine, which is made with rice wine as the base wine and then mixed with spices or medicinal herbs.
Some seasonal wines are blended wines, such as the mugwort wine and calamus wine during the Dragon Boat Festival and the dogwood wine during the September 9th Festival.
There is also spiced wine, which is scented wine made from various flowers.
But this kind of liquor is actually difficult to sell in Ping'an Town.
So considering the economic situation, there is also popularity.
Xu Yiyi planned to brew grain wine.