MIYAMOTOSHUZOUTEN WHAT IS SAKE

Introduction

The knowledge on sake and its brewing processes have become more common nationwide. Sake has been playing a major roll in Japanese life style and culture over the past 2,000 years.
In fact, sake is such an integral part of Japanese food culture that having some knowledge of it can add to one's understanding of Japanese history, culture as well as of the society in japan today.

Sake is a rice-based alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin that is produced by fermentation. It is made through brewing process using a microorganism called Koji and yeast and contains 13% to 16% alcohol.
As well as the quality of rice, water is also an important ingredient. Brewers take advantage of nature and environmental conditions such as the great variety of rice and natural water from different regions in Japan to create a distinctive brew.

Sake breweries are located throughout Japan, from Hokkaido to Okinawa. There are approximately 2,000 brewers in Japan. Each of them usually makes several different labels of sake, offering opportunities for people to enjoy the full palate of unique and authentic flavor from that region.

The Sake Brewing Process

Ingredients

As mentioned above, the primary ingredients are rice, water and Koji .

---Rice---

The rice used exclusively for brewing sake is called sake rice. The grain is larger and has softer texture which contains less protein than the ordinary rice eaten by the Japanese.
Sake rice is more expensive due to the complicated cultivation method.

---Water---

Water is one of the important ingredients for making sake. Rigid restrictions are observed for the concentrations of certain chemical substances which can affect the taste and quality of sake.
The water used is almost always groundwater or well water. Urban breweries usually import water from other areas, because of the difficulty of getting water of sufficient quality locally.

[Mujou Junmai Daiginjo Gold]
Polishing Yamada Nishiki (rice) to 40%, Gohyaku Mangoku (rice) to 50%: polishing outer of rice, leaving inside of starch.
[Mujou Junmai Ginjo Silver & Mujou Junmai Ginjo]
Polishing Gohyaku Mangoku (rice) 55%: polishing outer of rice, leaving inside of starch.

Rinsing and soaking the polished rice

Steaming the rice: for making
Koji, Shubo, and Moromi.

making Koji – a portion of steamed rice is taken to a Koji room (temperature and moisture controlled room), and then, used to create the Koji by sprinkling it with the Koji-kin which is mold.

making Shubo – Shubo is mixture of steamed rice, water, Koji and yeast. Shubo needs about two weeks to concentrate of yeast cells.

making Moromi – Moromi is mixture of more steamed rice, Koji, Shubo, and water.

Moromi making: This process takes four days. First day: Shubo is mixed with more steamed rice, water, and Koji. Second day: Resting day Third day: more steamed rice, water, and Koji is added. Fourth day: more steamed rice, water, and Koji is added again.

Moromi is fermented for 25 to 30 days.

Moromi is pressed though the mesh to separate the sake from the solids precipitated during fermentation.