A mixed dough fermentation culture (Hamei) is used to inoculate the traditional rice beer Atingba in Manipur, India. Lactic acid bacteria and yeast were isolated from Hamei and, using rDNA sequencing, shown to be Pediococcus pentosaceus and Pichia anomala. Two black rice beers were produced, one (BS‐1) with Aspergillus oryzae, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus plantarum and the other (BS‐2) with P. pentosaceus, P. anomala (from Hamei) and A. oryzae. After fermentation for 9 days the beers were compared after storage at 32°C for up to 3 months. Microbiological loading was comparable for the two beers, although no Staphylococcus spp. were found in BS2. The beers were different with BS‐1 having higher acidity, greater colour and peroxide value but less anthocyanin and alcohol. It is suggested that BS‐2 with microflora from Hamei had a better shelf life than BS‐1 produced with established cultures. Copyright © 2017 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling