Fenjiu Liquor is a unique and famous traditional Chinese alcohol produced in Xinghuacun Town, Fenyang, Shanxi Province. It is honored as the representative of Chinese light aroma liquors with a history since about 4,000 years ago. Fenjiu is clear, mellow, refreshing and a little sweet, which results from the high-quality materials including water and sorghums and elaborate production. The volume is 38%-60% in general.
How is Fenjiu Made?
1. Crush sorghums and liquor yeast
To produce Fenjiu Liquor, sorghums and liquor yeast should be crushed separately firstly.
2. Add hot water into crushed sorghums
Then add hot water into broken sorghums and blend them evenly. The amount of hot water should be of 60% to 70% of sorghums’ weight, and the temperature of hot water depends on weather and seasons.
3. Steam crushed sorghums to be gelatinized
After the mixed materials are put aside for a certain time, steam them to make them completely gelatinized even partially liquefied.
4. Add yeast
Stir the gelatinized broken sorghums while adding 30% of clear water. Pile them up for ten minutes, and cold them down to a certain temperature with special machine. Add broken liquor yeast after cooling.
5. Ferment in underground vats
The next step is to be fermented in underground vats, which is an ancient tradition to brew Fenjiu. These big fermentation vats are buried underground with the mouths uncovered on ground. Pour these treated materials into the fermentation vats and seal them for about 28 days. The vats should be sterilized in advance.
6. Distill to produce brut wine
Finally, add grain chaffs 28 days later, mix them well and distill them. When the steam is cooled, the clear liquid is flowing out from the wine pipe. This liquor liquid is the base wine, or is called first batch of Fenjiu Liquor. It will be stored in grades and blended with other batches before putting into the market.