Chapter 379: Good wine reappears
In the blink of an eye, March has arrived at the end of March.
In the past two days, Zhang An checked the fermented wine grains he had made with his family.
Zhang An moved them into the space and kept them for two days. After they were taken out, they were kept for the same length of time.
Although it is not as good as the batch of fermented wine that Zhang An made in the space, which fermented for a full sixty days.
But it can be considered that the fermentation process has been completed and it has reached the point where wine can be distilled.
So Zhang An planned to tell his father during dinner in the evening to steam them all tomorrow.
Otherwise, he would have to wait until tomorrow morning and drive the sheep out early in the morning. If he gets too excited with the sheep, he still doesn’t know when he will come back.
However, Zhang An discovered that because his father likes to herd sheep during the day, the sheep at home have gained a lot of weight now.
It is spring now, and the green grass is covered with green buds, which is loved by the sheep at home.
Especially the two little wild goats and the several lambs born later, they grew faster on spring grass than on goat milk, and they looked the same every day.
It’s just that those green grasses have suffered a little. I thought that after a long cold winter, when spring comes, they will finally be full of youth and vitality again.
Unexpectedly, just as he emerged, he suffered a disaster and was eaten away by a group of sheep.
Sheep are different from cows. Cows only eat tender green grass leaves on the ground.
The places that have been gnawed by them are just like those cut by a sickle. They are very neat and easy to find.
And cows only like to eat their favorite grass, and they won’t even look at anything they don’t like.
But sheep are different. They like to eat all kinds of grass, and they accept all comers. It can be said that they have grown up eating all kinds of grass.
And the way they eat grass is different from that of cattle. Cows eat grass like cutting grass, while sheep eat grass like pulling weeds. The roots of the places they pass by will be gnawed clean by you.
But for this reason, goat milk is far more nutritious than cow milk.
After all, sheep eat all kinds of grass, even the roots. Goat milk contains more nutrients than cow's milk.
However, this will hurt the weeds, because after being eaten by the sheep, there are not many grass roots left under the ground.
I don’t know how long it will take to grow again and turn into lush green grass.
"Dad, let's steam the wine tomorrow. I think the fermented glutinous rice is almost fermented."
The fermented glutinous rice is actually the fermented grains used to make sweet wine, but in rural areas, most people They all call the fermented grains fermented grains.
Because people don’t bake wine much, but they make more sweet wine.
“It’s not so fast. Our family has only made this for a few days. It’s not a sweet wine, so the time is definitely not enough.”
Although Zhang Jianguo has not baked wine himself, he also knows that It is impossible for fermented glutinous rice to only need to be fermented for such a short time.
"Don't worry, Dad, the fermented glutinous rice must have fermented. I'm watching it every day. The smell of the wine is getting stronger. If you leave it any longer, it may turn into sweet and sour wine."
Whether the fermentation of fermented glutinous rice grains is completed, in addition to observing their fermentation status with eyes, you can also smell it with your nose.
Generally, the fermented glutinous rice wine can already smell the aroma of wine,
"But it took Mr. Huang more than a month to ferment the fermented glutinous rice. Why did ours ferment in less than half the time?"
Zhang Jianguo follows Mr. Huang every day. Going out to herd sheep together, this kind of thing has been inquired about clearly.
It’s just that he doesn’t understand why his own recipe fermented in such a short time with the same recipe.
“Maybe it’s because the koji is different. Mr. Huang used the ones he bought on the street, but I used the ones I made myself. And we have a cellar at home, so it’s normal for the fermentation to be faster.”
< br>As for the ability to tell lies with his eyes open, Zhang An has long been proficient in it, and he found a few excuses to deal with his father.
However, Zhang Jianguo was not able to deal with it so easily, so he went to the cellar to have a look himself.
Although he was not sure whether the mash had fermented at this time, he did smell the smell of wine.
"Then let's steam it tomorrow. I'll call Mr. Huang later."
The recipe was given by Mr. Huang. This is the first time to bake wine. Call him the old man, this is what rural people pay attention to.
But it’s actually nothing. Calling over is just like having a meal and joining in the fun.
"Hmm, uncle Wang Qiyan, please call me too."
Zhang An still remembers Wang Xinhua's father, Mr. Wang Qiyan. He mentioned this to Zhang An the last time he was on the road.
Although he said that at the time, it was probably just a joke to test Zhang An's tone.
But no one can guarantee whether someone will remember it in their heart. If they don’t scream, others will feel bad.
And Zhang An also wants to dig another layer under his cellar to use it for wine cellar in the future.
At that time, I will have to ask Mr. Wang Qiyan for help. I just want to ask him to come over for a meal, so there is no need to go to their house to invite him again.
"Yeah, you're right. He is a master at baking wine, so we can let him help watch it."
Zhang Jianguo only thought that Zhang An was making wine for the first time. That's why Wang Qiyan was invited.
Because there is actually no such close contact between the two families, that is, they are normal neighbors.
After dinner in the evening, Zhang An took out the wine pot and cleaned it, while Zhang Jianguo went out to invite people.
Early the next morning, when Zhang An got up, Zhang Jianguo had already started chopping firewood in the yard.
Today we will be steaming hundreds of kilograms of fermented grains of wine. The gunpowder is burning very vigorously, so a lot of firewood will definitely be needed.
At nine o'clock, two old men, Huang Erye and Wang Qiyan, had eaten noodles at home and came to Zhang An's house one after another.
"Uncle is here, please help me to see if my fermented glutinous rice has been cooked."
Zhang Jianguo was still a little unsure, so he asked Wang Qiyan to help and check again. , after all, he has rich experience.
If it is not fermented yet, seal it back and let it ferment for a while, otherwise steaming it directly would be a waste.
“It’s not hot anymore. It’s ready to be steamed. This fermented glutinous rice is good for fermentation.”
Wang Qiyan is a master chef after all. He didn’t use Zhang An’s method, but directly stretched his hand to the wood. The barrel hangs inside.
The fermentation process is actually a heating process. When the fermentation is at its strongest, the fermentation barrel will be hot to the touch.
When the fermentation temperature of the wine grains drops, the main fermentation period is basically over
Now in the fermentation barrel of Zhang An's house, although you can feel a vague heat, there is not much temperature.
That's why Wang Qiyan concluded that the fermentation of Zhang An's fermented grains has been completed. This is the experience summed up by the old master himself.
There are also some veterans who are even better. Just by looking at the hops, they can tell how much alcohol the wine has and how it tastes.
“But Zhang An, I remember that your fermented wine has only been fermented not long ago, so why is it already fermented?”
As a master of wine roasting for more than ten years, , Wang Qiyan obviously felt that there was a secret in it.
The secret is how to complete the fermentation of the liquor and reduce the fermentation cycle.
Generally speaking, if you want to ferment quickly, you can just raise the temperature, but this is not considered natural fermentation, and steamed liquor will not work.
This is why the output of good liquor is always so small, because the fermentation cycle is relatively long, which is a waste of time. Wang Qiyan relied on his many years of experience to judge that Zhang An's fermented wine must not have been fermented at high temperatures.
So he felt that there were other ways inside. If he could find it from Zhang An, then their winery would be able to do a lot.
"I'm not sure, maybe it's because of the distiller's yeast. I made the distiller's yeast I used this time."
How could Zhang An not know Wang Qiyan's wishful thinking, but this thing is really There are no shortcuts.
But the facts are right in front of him, and he can only continue to tell lies with his eyes open.
"Oh, it turns out to be distiller's yeast."
Wang Qiyan has lived for more than sixty years, how could he not know that Zhang An didn't want to tell him, so he didn't ask further questions.
After all, this thing is someone's secret, and it is the kind that can make money. It would be impolite for him to break the casserole and ask the truth.
And even if what Zhang An said was true, it was the koji that fermented the fermented grains so quickly. He couldn't directly ask people for the recipe of the koji.
After all, koji is the bone of wine, and the formula of koji is already the secret recipe of other people’s wine recipes.
Just like their Jiuqu, if someone asked him about it, he would not be intimidated, so he consciously did not look for embarrassment.
Huang Erye next to him knew that what Zhang An said was just a reason, because he had never used the distiller's yeast in the recipe before when making wine.
But later I also made some, and the fermentation speed was not much different from that of normal koji, or even a little longer, which is why the wine was so fragrant.
However, he did not tell the truth. After all, Zhang An had a close relationship with him, and he would not speak to Wang Qi.
Later, Zhang An's two grandfathers also came over. They must be indispensable for such things at home.
After Wang Qiyan arrived, he consciously started to light the stove.
Although when others invite me, they say they are here to drink tea and brag, but if you really want to throw your hands away and do nothing, no one will definitely invite you in the future.
And the old men here are all close to Zhang An's family, and he is the only outsider.
Having been roasting wine for many years, he has already become proficient in the art of making fire, and he does this job very smoothly.
After all, when he was an apprentice, he was responsible for burning the stove for several years.
“Oh, this wine steamer is so big. It seems that it was Old Lin who moved it, and it is made of toon wood. It’s amazing.”
Seeing Zhang An put the big wine steamer When the steamer lifted the iron pot, Wang Qiyan next to him started to marvel.
He is not an ignorant person. Such a big steamer is all made of toon wood. What a big toon tree.
The wine pots he used to use were all made of fir wood, not because he didn’t want to use toon wood, but because the bigger the thing, the more expensive it was.
Even though they now have a stone steamer at home, he would not be willing to spend money to make a large wine steamer made of toon wood.
"It is indeed the craftsmanship of the carpenter uncle. No one else can do such work here."
There was no time to steam this time, so Zhang An directly filled the wine fermented grains, and then Put on the big sky pot and fill it with a pot of cold water.
"Xiao An, why don't you call your carpenter uncle here? He is very fascinated by this."
Carpenter Lin is half of Zhang An's master, and most people in the village are Know.
Seeing that Carpenter Lin was not here, Mr. Zhang thought it was because his grandson had not been invited, so he gave him a reminder.
After all, there is nothing to eat, nothing to drink, and if you invite people there, at least they won’t feel uncomfortable.
“Grandpa, I’ve been there, but the carpenter uncle has been very busy these two days and can’t come over.”
The carpentry work of so many doors and windows in the village has been given to Carpenter Lin, who is currently working on it with his son Lin Dahai.
When Zhang An called him yesterday, he struggled for a long time.
In the end, in order to make a living earlier, I rejected Zhang An with difficulty.
But when Zhang An was leaving, he didn't forget to ask Zhang An to keep it cool for him when he brought out the wine.
“Hey, it’s out, it’s out, the head of the wine is coming out.”
The fire was very strong, and after a while, the head of the wine started to drip out of the wine outlet.
“Just smelling the fragrance, the dripping liquor head is at least 80 degrees, this wine is indeed pure.”
Although the liquor head cannot be drunk, it does not affect them. Smell more.
When the wine is almost dripping, it is still the old custom to use it to worship the stove.
Then Zhang An brought over the prepared wine jar, but was not in a hurry to use it.
Instead, put a small wine jug that can hold about a pound first, and then change it to a wine jar when it is full.
"The one just now is not counted, this is our top drink, we must try it today."
A small square table has been set up in the yard at this time, and Zhang An brought it from home. The gentlemen took out a set of small wine cups.
After all, the alcohol content was too high, so Zhang An didn’t dare to get a big cup. A cup of this wine can hold up to three coins, which is much smaller than one or two cups.
Then Wang Fang also brought out several plates of food and drinks, both hot and cold.
The old men just started drinking, with their eyes closed while drinking, looking like they were having endless aftertaste.
"This tastes right, but Huang Er, I feel that this wine tastes much purer than the wine you made at that time."
People who can talk like this also There is only Zhang An's second grandfather, who is the oldest here. Everyone else calls him "Old Man Huang", and only he can call him by his name.
Although Zhang An has brewed this recipe in space a long time ago, for them, it is a reappearance of the good wine from decades ago.
“It does have to be purer, but that’s normal, because the blood rice his family grew last year was much better than what we grew before.”
It is true that wine is the essence of food, but conversely, the better the food, the better the wine will be.
Moreover, the distiller's yeast used by Zhang An is specially made, and the rice soaking and steaming wine are also made from space spring water, which is naturally better.
Finally, Zhang An took a sip. Although the wine was not bad, it was still inferior to what was brewed in space.
And this difference still exists even after Zhang An blended the batch of original wine in the space.
Because this is a difference in food materials and taste, unless Zhang An blends it too much.
"Xiao An, it's time to change the water. The water in the sky pot is hot."
After Mr. Wang Qiyan shouted, Zhang An discovered that the water in the sky pot was already steaming.
He was in space before and could change with just a thought, so he had developed a habit.
Now that he is outside, this method will not work. Although he is a little uncomfortable, he still has to change the water honestly.
And the water change can only be done by him, because the wine steamer, stove, and sky pot are too high for others to reach even with a stool.
(End of this chapter)