Sake is born from “rice,” “water,” “nature,” and the hands of skilled “people.”
Sake is a living entity.
During the brewing season, the brewery workers dedicate themselves wholeheartedly, working as one team, both day and night.
In the early mornings, the brewery is filled with life as steam rises thickly into the air.
Under the careful guidance of the master brewer (Toji), the workers move skillfully and efficiently, performing continuous tasks without pause.
Here, we would like to introduce you to a part of this work.
It would bring us great joy if, while savoring a cup of sake, you could think, “Ah, this is the sake brewed in that brewery…”
Brewing – The Art of Sake Making
Polishing and Steaming the Rice
Sake brewing begins with polishing brown rice, followed by washing and soaking it in water.
The sake rice, which has absorbed sufficient moisture, is placed into a large steamer called a koshiki. It is then rapidly steamed with high-temperature steam.
Koji
Koji mold is cultivated on the steamed rice to produce koji.
Koji plays a crucial role in sake brewing by breaking down the rice starch into fermentable sugars, a process vital for both the starter mash (shubo) and the main mash (moromi).
Moto
Moto, also known as the “mother of sake,” is a mixture of steamed rice, water, koji, and yeast.
It is carefully cultivated to grow a large amount of yeast, which is essential for fermenting the moromi (main mash).
Since sake brewing requires a substantial amount of high-quality yeast, shubo truly lives up to its name as the “mother of sake.”
Shikomi (Fermentation Process)
In this stage, the unique three-step brewing process of Japanese sake, called dan-shikomi, takes place.
Hatsuzoe (First Addition):
On the first day, the initial addition of ingredients is made.
Odori (Rest Day):
The second day is a rest day, allowing the yeast to multiply slowly. This process is called odori, meaning “dance,” as the yeast becomes more active.
Nakazoe (Second Addition):
On the third day, the second addition of ingredients, called nakazoe, is made.
Tomezoe (Final Addition):
On the fourth day, the final addition, known as tomezoe, completes the fermentation preparation.
The dan-shikomi method is a distinctive technique that helps suppress the growth of unwanted bacteria, encourages yeast propagation, and facilitates better temperature control during the fermentation of the moromi (main mash).
Moromi
Finally, koji, steamed rice, and water are added to the Moto (starter mash) to create the moromi (main mash).
During this process:
The rice dissolves.
The starch is converted into sugar by the power of koji (saccharification).
The sugar is then converted into alcohol by the yeast (fermentation).
These two processes occur simultaneously, known as parallel multiple fermentation, gradually increasing the alcohol content.
This liquid is called moromi. For regular sake, fermentation takes about 20 days, while for ginjo-shu, it lasts around one month.
The Birth of Freshly Brewed Sake
Once fermentation is complete, the moromi is pressed using a sake press to separate it into sake and sake lees.
The freshly pressed sake is then filtered, pasteurized (hiire), and stored.
Sake that is not pasteurized at all after production is called namazake (unpasteurized sake).
Sake stored without pasteurization but pasteurized before shipping is called namachozo-shu (freshly stored sake).
Through the complex processes of rice polishing, parallel multiple fermentation, and the dan-shikomi method, sake is born over a period of approximately 60 days.