Skip to main content
Support

Browse by category

All categories
Fermentation Atlas

Alcoholic drinks

Xiangxue jiu ("fragrant snow")香雪酒

Made in 9 steps over 3.1 months – 3.5 months. The longest step, slow ferment in clay jars (houjiao), takes at least 2.6 months (Zhejiang Liquor Industry Association 2025) and runs at up to 20 °C (Zhejiang Liquor Industry Association 2025).

Key numbers
Main stepat least 2.6 monthsSet[sx-spec][cn-mission]Slow ferment in clay jars (houjiao)
Temperatureup to 20 °CSet[sx-spec]Slow ferment in clay jars (houjiao)

What makes this one different

Made by the linfan route: steamed rice is showered cool, pitched at 28–32 °C and formed into a well. When the well fills with liquid, wheat qu goes in; after about 24 h of saccharification, lees spirit (zaoshao) is added, which stops fermentation early. Very sweet and fortified; brewing is not limited to winter.

Pitching temperature
Pitched at 28–32 °C
Spirit added
After about 24 h of saccharification

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedWhat goes in. No source gives amounts for this ferment.

Total time across the recorded steps: 3.1 months – 3.5 months

Start
Drag the bar or press Play
Close-up: water moving into a grainshapes, not to countLactic acid bacteria

What changes: The rice soaks under water for weeks while lactic bacteria sour the water

Step 1 of 9 · steps of Shaoxing huangjiu, Yuanhong (dry); base flow for Shaoxing wines
Soak the glutinous rice
Time
9–18 days
Set
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactic acid bacteria
Yeasts

A 2022 review gives 16–20 days for traditional soaking. Output: soaked rice and sour soak water.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
grains swell and soften
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

lactic bacteria sour the soak water

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source