Materials
1.3kg Whole wheat grain
300mL Water
Cotton cloth
Circular mold
Newspapers
Hay or mugwort
grow vessel - carboard box, hangari, ect.
Preparation
Wash the grain thoroughly then drain for about 20 minutes to ensure all the water is removed.
Grind the wheat so it is coarse in texture.
Sprinkle the ground wheat with water and gently massage the water in.
Roll the ground wheat into a ball and gently wrap it with the cotton cloth.
The Nuruk Dance
Cover a small area of the floor with newspapers and set the circular mold on top of them. Then set the cotton bundle of ground wheat in the center of the mold.
Place more newspaper on top of the cotton bundle and step on top of it to compact the wheat into the shape of the mold. Continuously tread on the wheat using your body weight to compress the wheat into a firm circular shape. When you’re done the nuruk cake should be firm and hold together on it’s own without crumbling.
Mold Propagation
Place the compacted cake of nuruk into a grow vessel and completely surround with hay or mugwort.
Allow the nuruk to propagate mold for about 3~4 days keeping it slightly moist spraying it with mist.
Allow the nuruk to grow undisturbed for about another 7-9 days till it ripens. During this time it should accumulate white mold growth all around it.
*Warning: Be on the look out for any brightly colored molds. If your nuruk develops a mold that is florescent pink or purple throw it out.
Dehydration and Grinding
Once the nuruk has turned white with mold it can be dehydrated by leaving it out in open air and sunlight.
Then coarsely grind it and it’s ready to use in making makgeolli.
*It is important to dry in the sunlight because it has been found that sunlight breaks down potentially harmful mycotoxins that are produced by some molds. (Herzallah, Alshawabkeh, & Fataftah, 2008)
Bibliography:
Translated from 누룩의 과학
Herzallah, S., Alshawabkeh, K., & Fataftah, A. A. (2008). Aflatoxin Decontamination of Artificially Contaminated Feeds by Sunlight, -Radiation, and Microwave Heating. The Journal of Applied Poultry Research, 17(4), 515–521. http://doi.org/10.3382/japr.2007-00107