The brewing process

The brewing process

Rice polishing

Brewing excellent sake requires rice that is as pure as starch. Also, the surface of the rice has fat that is not necessary for brewing. The more polished the rice, the better quality the sake. On September, rice polishing starts. It takes three days to polish more than fifty percent of it. We need to have this special rice for brewing. The name of the rice are YAMADANISHIKI and MIYAMANISHIKI. They are bigger and have more starch than normal rice. However, they are really soft so we must be careful when polishing the rice, because it's easy to break.

Koji Rice making:

He is inspecting the rice that is being soaked in water. This process is to take away the bran from the rice and to do so, the rice has to absorb water. Because the rice is polished down to less than fifty percent, it absorbs water in a short time. Especially, we must be aware of the time with Yamadanishiki rice, because it is really soft. Though computers are helping now, the engineers must have a lot of experience.

Base fermentation:

Base fermentation is called "SHUBO" which means "Mother of Sake" in Japanese. A small tank is used to propagate yeast in order to make the main fermentation go smoothly. First KOJI rice is soaked in mineral water then steamed rice is added along with lactic acid and yeast. Lactic acid works to protect the rice from bacteria and Sake Yeast works to prevent wild yeast from being produced with the fermentation. The process continues for two weeks.

Main fermentation:

The mash of main fermentation is called "MOLOMI" which consists of the mash of SHUBO, koji rice, steamed rice and mineral water. In this stage a large tank is used for fermentation. The materials are mixed in three steps. After that, we manage the temperature for MOLOMI, because if the temperature goes up, the fermentation works actively and the rice dissolves too quickly, leaving an unbalanced taste. After a few days of material mixing, MOLOM froths up to the surface and we can sense carbon dioxide. If you put your face close to it, your nose can note a pungent smell. Molomi increases yeast and fermentation actively each day, while producing glucose at the same time. As this continues for two weeks, the froth decreases and we can see the surface of MOLOMI that is still fermenting and we can begin to smell the Sake aroma. About a month later, it is complete.

The storeroom:

Newly brewed sake is kept in storage after being pasteurized. It ages slowly for several months under strictly controlled temperature.

Rice Steaming

Steamed rice Rice is steamed in a huge pot for about fifty minutes. There are two kinds of rice, a malt-like Koji Rice that has a role to change starch to glucose, and main rice. Koji rice is steamed at low pressure and covered with a cloth. The main rice is steamed at high pressure with a lid. Rice steaming

Koji Rice making

Sprinkling Koji mold spores Steamed rice is conveyed on a belt to a warm-temperature room, where an engineer sprinkles original koji on it. It’s then placed in a room with a controlled temperature and humidity for forty eight hours. This process is the most important of all. Steamed rice being put into the warm box.

Base fermentation

SHUBO Base fermentation is called “SHUBO” which means “Mother of Sake” in Japanese. A small tank is used to propagate yeast in order to make the main fermentation go smoothly. First koji rice is soaked in mineral water then steamed rice is added along with lactic acid and yeast. Lactic acid works to protect the rice from bacteria and Sake Yeast works to prevent wild yeast from being produced with the fermentation. The process continues for two weeks. Preparing for the SHUBO

Main fermentation

MOLOMI fermenting in a tank The mash of main fermentation is called “MOLOMI”which consists of koji rice,steamed rice,and mineral water ,which are added into a mash of SHUBO. Then a large tank is used for fermentation. The materials are mixed in three steps. After that, we manage the temperature for MOLOMI, because if the temperature goes up, the fermentation works actively and the rice dissolves too quickly, leaving an unbalanced taste. After a few days of material mixing, MOLOM froths up to the surface and we will sense carbon dioxide. If you put your face close to it , your nose will note a pungent smell. Molomi increases yeast and fermentation actively each day, while producing glucose in the same time. As this continues for two weeks,the froth decreases and we can see the surface of MOLOMI that is still fermenting and we can begin to smell the Sake aroma. About a month later, it completed.

Pressing and New Sake Pouring

Fresh sake We analyze the degrees of specific gravity, alcohol, acids, amino acids and temperature in the liquid from Molomis every day. When the degrees of alcohol comes to about eighteen percent,we press the Molomi . The pressing result in new sake, and a solid that is called “SAKEKASU”. When the clear sake that has a fruit like fragrance like is tasted, we notice carbon acid at first, then sweetness, richness and acidity on our palette. New Sake has characteristics that tends out strongly.

Filtration and pasteurization

Fresh sake being filtered After pressing,the new sake is filtered without charcoal. New sake is raw sake which has active enzymes and it includes about eighteen percent alcohol so that almost no bacteria can live in it, but a kind of lactic acid bacteria that likes alcohol is in it. It’s heated to 67℃ in order to stop the enzymes working and pasteurize the sake lactobacilli. Aging Pasteurizing fresh sake As soon as the sake is pasteurized, it is moved to a tank. If it is under sixty five degrees Celsius ,Sake lactobacilli might increase in the sake. Therefore it must be kept between 66℃ and 68℃ in the tank . Ordinary Sake is left to age for more than four months and then bottled ,before being sent to customers.

Aging

Sake aging at our storehouse As soon as the sake is pasteurized, it is moved to a tank. If it is under 65℃,Sake lactobacillus might increase in the sake. Therefore it must be kept between 66℃ and 68℃ in the tank . Ordinary Sake is left to age for more than four months and then bottled ,before being sent to customers. Our old brewery (about 200years old building)