Homemade Medicinal Wine: Methods and Techniques for Preparation

Homemade medicinal wine first and foremost requires cleanliness and hygiene. Not all medicinal wine recipes are suitable for homemade production. When making medicinal wine, it is important to select and handle the medicinal ingredients properly and consider the concentration of alcohol. Non-metal containers such as clay pots, jars, ceramic jars, and glass containers are commonly used for homemade medicinal wine. There are several methods for preparing medicinal wine:

1. Cold infusion method

Place the herbal medicine or granules in a sealed container (often a ceramic jar or wide-mouth glass bottle). Alternatively, put the herbs in a cloth bag before placing them in the container. Add an appropriate amount of white wine according to the recipe and let it soak for a certain period of time (usually around 14 days, but it can be shorter or longer). Shake or stir the mixture regularly to facilitate the extraction of active ingredients. Finally, filter the liquid to obtain the medicinal wine. If the medicinal wine needs to be sweetened, dissolve sugar in an equal amount of white wine and mix it with the medicinal liquid.

To facilitate storage or if the ingredients are easier to handle, the medicinal herbs can be prepared into specific forms, such as pills. When preparing the medicinal wine, simply add the pills to the wine. For example, soaking turtle shell pills in wine to make turtle shell wine falls under this method. This method has been used by ancient people. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Dongfang Shuo was fond of drinking. He called a type of jujube wine "Xianluo wine". Legend has it that there was a special kind of jujube in Zhenling Mountain that would make one heavily intoxicated after eating just one. Dongfang Shuo once presented one of these jujubes to Emperor Wu. The emperor took the jujube and combined it with various aromatic herbs to make pills. When using them, one pill was added to a stone of water, and the wine would be ready in an instant. The taste was mellow and fragrant, lasting for ten days without fading. It was called "Miqin wine" or "Zhenqin wine".

2. Hot infusion method (boiling method)

The earliest recorded use of the hot infusion method for making medicinal wine can be found in the Northern Wei Dynasty's "Qimin Yaoshu" with "pepper wine". It involves putting ginger powder, pepper powder, and pomegranate juice in the wine and heating it until warm. This method has been passed down as a way to make medicinal wine and was once the main method for preparing medicinal wine.

The hot infusion method usually involves boiling the herbs with the wine for a certain period of time, followed by cooling and storage. This method speeds up the extraction process and makes it easier to extract the active ingredients from the herbs. However, it is important to prevent alcohol evaporation and avoid alcohol combustion. Indirect heating methods, such as using a small sand pot or enamel container placed in a larger pot of water, can be used to prevent alcohol evaporation. After the appearance of foam on the surface, remove from heat, seal it while hot, let it settle for one or two weeks, and filter out the residue.

3. Decoction method

First, grind the medicinal herbs into coarse powder and put them all in a clay pot. Add water until it covers the surface of the herbs and soak for about 6 hours. Then, heat it up and boil for one to two hours. After filtering, the herbs can be decocted again, and the resulting liquid can be combined. Let it settle and concentrate until it becomes a thick greenish substance. After cooling, mix it with an equal amount of wine in a container. Seal it and let it sit for about 7 days, then filter out the clear liquid. This method is not suitable for preparing medicinal wine with aromatic herbs that contain volatile oils.

4. Brewing method

First, boil the medicinal herbs in water and filter out the residue. Concentrate the liquid to obtain the medicinal juice, or some herbs can be directly pressed to extract the juice. Then, cook glutinous rice and mix it with the medicinal juice and yeast. Put the mixture in a clean container, cover it, and keep it in a warm place for about ten days, minimizing exposure to air and maintaining a certain temperature. After fermentation, filter out the residue to obtain the wine. This method is more complex and is less commonly used in households.

5. Percolation method

This method is generally more suitable for pharmaceutical factories, but individuals with certain experimental equipment or conditions can also use this method for homemade medicinal wine. First, grind the medicinal herbs into coarse powder and soak them in white wine for 2 to 4 hours, allowing the herbs to fully expand. Then, evenly distribute the herbal powder in a percolator lined with degreased cotton. Press each layer with a wooden stick. Cover the top with gauze and apply appropriate pressure to prevent the herbal powder from floating when wine is added. Open the lower valve of the percolator and slowly add white wine from the top. When liquid starts to flow out of the lower valve, close it. Pour the liquid into the percolator until it covers the herbs by a few centimeters. Then, cover it and let it sit for 24 to 48 hours. Open the lower valve to let the percolation liquid flow out slowly. After collecting the strained liquid according to the regulations, add flavoring agents and stir until dissolved. Seal it and let it sit for a few days before filtering out the medicinal liquid. Add more white wine to reach the desired amount.

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