Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cohke666]

I want to know if anyone has any knowledge or can steer me in the direction on making soju. I try to look it up on the internet but all I ever get is some stuff about the traditions of soju etc. I mean do I have to go to work for Doosan just to figure it out, oh, and does anyone know how to get a tour of the soju factory?

[whatthefunk]

Well, the fastest and easiest way to make soju is to wring out your average Korean guy.
Or you could go to the trouble of making a distillery...I believe its made with rice. Watch MASH and youll see one.
Or you could just go to Family Mart and spend 700 won to buy some.

[simulated stereo]

Just buy some window cleaner and strain it through a loaf of white bread.

[Hyalucent]

[canuckistan]

1-2-3 Homemade Soju Recipe

1 part photocopier fluid
2 parts nail polish remover (lemony scented is nice)
3 parts rubbing alcohol

keep away from open flame

[Derrek]

Just drink Everclear and an old can of Demi apple soda. Then pee in a cup. What is in the cup is soju.

[jaebea]

Yeah I thought it was made from sweet potato too.

It's confused with rice, because the Japanese also have a clear spirit, but that's more along the lines of wine.

The Korean equivalent is mak-gol-li. Brewed in exactly the same way, but in sake, the fermented rice is allowed to settle completely, leaving the clear spirit on the top. This is then decanted and bottled, leaving sake.

In makgolli, the rice particles are bottled with the wine. It adds a little more rice type "gosu" on the mouth, but the rice means that it'll spoil if you keep it for too long.

jae.

[weatherman]

It isn't rice, that is for sure. Potato and other grains, all imported too I bet. ( I like the irony there) You make a near to 100% distilled alcohol as the base. Then it is 3 parts spring water to one part distilled alcohol. After that it is all the chemical flavors they add which could be almost anything. Some even add MSG. Soju is some really wicked stuff not for the faint..

[Tiberious aka Sparkles]

This has gotta be a troll post. Like whatthefunk said, you can just go to the local convenience store and pick up a bottle for 700 or 800 won. Unless you are planning to brew it in Cali, which, if true, means you're either stoned or have a very clever business idea: selling bul soo to the expat Koreans.

Sparkles*_*

[DJTwoTone]

Making soju is pretty simple you could easily do it yourself. I wouldn't suggest doing it inside, though. It's made pretty much the same as any didtilled spirit, and if you're really interested in doing it, here's how you go about it.

The first thing you need to do is make a simple beer. Get one of those big ass kimichi pots. Toss in some shredded potato and sweet potato, maybe a little rice too. Then toss in some sugar, water, and yeast. Your going to need to let it sit for a few days and ferment. Be careful if you don't let it sit long enough it won't have any alcohol in it, if you let it go for too long it'll turn into some kind of nasty, funky vinegar.

Once your simple beer is ready, you'll need to another smaller pot that will fit on top of the first one. It'll need to have a concave bottom to help catch the alcohol. They have special pots for this stuff, but i have no idea where to buy them. Anyway, you'll need to attach the 2 pots with a run off spout, to catch the alcohol.

Now for the fun part... start a big ass fire under the big pot, and fill the smaller pot with ice water... you'll need to keep that top pot cool. Your simple beer will start to heat up and the alcohol will evaporate. This will condense on the bottom of the smaller pot , run down the sides of the bottom, and if you did it right out your spout.

You should then have some close approximation of soju. I believe soju is only distilled once, but if you want you can distill a couple times. Just collect a couple batches of the stuff you made and boil it again. Be warned though, every time you distill, the higher the alcohol content gets and the more explosive it'll be. You could blow yourself up doing this, so be very careful.

This is a really simple still. I made a much more complex one back in America, and almost blew myself up several times. I also had a little table top model that would do a glass or two of alcohol at a time. I'll tell you what, Mad Dog 20/20 makes one hell of a brandy.

Best of luck, and be really careful.

[Bulsajo]

1 litre vodka + 1 litre water = 2 litres soju

[coolsage]

Take one liter of raw alcohol, add a half-liter of paint-thinner, pass a potato over the vessel and serve right away. Best served well-chilled or preferably on a stick.

[schwa]

Funny quiz question to throw at Koreans: whats soju made from? They dont know. Fact is, by legal definition, it can be made from any starch. Potato, sweet potato, or rice are commonest (indigenous I'd presume).

Andong soju is made from rice though, & maybe double-distilled? over 40% alcohol & best used with caution. The brand with the bamboo on the label is filtered through bamboo charcoal, for smoothness apparently. San, my fave, has some sort of green tea extract purported to reduce hangovers.

I dont get hangovers from soju so much as just feeling stupid the next day. Sometimes that puts me on a perfect wavelength with students! but generally I avoid it on weeknights. If you must, then shower well! The smell effuses through your pores.

[buddy bradley]

A-ha!

[camel96]

beep.