Miss SAKE News/Blog

Sake Brewing Process 2【Brewing】: Fermentation (Number 6 in the series)

Hello, everyone.
I am Miyu Matsuzaki, 2021 Miss SAKE.

I have been working on a blog series: A Guide to Japanese Sake: Miss SAKE. You can see other learning materials on sake from the link follows: https://www.misssake.org/a-guide-to-japanese-sake-miss-sake/

Sake Brewing Process 2

In this article and the next two articles, I will explain how sake is brewed, dividing the process into pre-brewing, brewing, and post-brewing. This blog is dedicated to Brewing: Fermentation.

【Brewing】: Fermentation 

  1. Fermentation Starter

For sake brewing, creating the fermentation starter is key. Water, steamed brewing rice, and Koji-rice are mixed in a small tank. Then brewers add yeast to it to create alcohol. Increasing the amount of yeast inside the small tank makes the main fermentation smoother with a lower risk of contamination. If it were not for this step, the mash would get contaminated easily by other microbes. This small amount of fermentation starter increases the acidity level in the mash to kill unfavorable microbes.

It takes about 2 weeks to create a yeast starter, and its quality greatly influences the flavor and taste of sake.
To facilitate this process, the Sokujo method is the most common which is to increase the levels of acidity in the tank by adding lactic acid. 

While the traditional version is called the Kimoto or Yamahai method, it applies the natural microbes in this process. Traditional sake types often have a thick and rich rice flavor with high acidity and a fuller body. 

 

2. Main Fermentation

Next is the production of the main mash, moromi in Japanese. Water, rice, Koji malted rice, and the yeast starter are added to the main brewing tank. In a process known as san-dan-jikomi, the ingredients are added three times over four days. This allows the yeast and Koji to adjust nicely between each addition without giving any room for unwanted microorganisms to grow.

 After the third addition of water, rice, and Koji rice, the mash is left to ferment for an additional 20-25 days.

In the next article, I will take a look at finishing: post brewing.

2021 Miss SAKE
Miyu Matsuzaki

  • このエントリーをはてなブックマークに追加

関連記事

  1. 英語で学ぶ『日本酒とワインの違い(The Differences between…

    2019.12.17
  2. Fermentation Styles of Alcohol 2【Differe…

    2022.07.03
  3. 日本酒チーズケーキに挑戦!〜日本酒を使ったスイーツレシピ〜

    2020.06.11
  4. 「ワイングラスでおいしい日本酒アワード表彰式」に、2021 Miss SAKEが…

    2022.06.17
  5. Miss SAKEが、マンツーマン英会話 GABA様の体験レッスンを受講して参り…

    2019.06.14
  6. 「酒瓶の保管は縦横どっち?」Miss SAKEと学ぶ日本酒クイズ〜基礎編〜

    2020.07.06

2022 Miss SAKE 最終選考会 ダイジェスト

Miss SAKEとは?

2023 Miss SAKE Japan ファイナリスト

2022 Miss SAKE 最終選考会 Full Movie

Miss SAKE 応募詳細はこちら

Miss SAKE出演・講演・取材依頼

Mr SAKE

Mr SAKE

最近の記事

  1. 2023 Miss SAKE ファイナリスト 紹介動画
PAGE TOP
Translate »