C14 - Finishing - completed Flashcards

1
Q

can sake be packed and sell immediately after filtration?

A

yes, some are sold in limited numbers as a seasonal product

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2
Q

why most of the sake needs to go through the finishing processes?

A
  • clarity
  • colour
  • alcohol level
  • stability
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3
Q

what are the processes in finishing?

A
  • subtracting
  • pasteurisation
  • storage and maturation
  • additions
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4
Q

what is not allowed to remove in finsihing?

A

alcohol

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5
Q

for all sake, what is the only ingredient permitted to add after filtration?

A

water

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6
Q

what are the techniques used in subtracting?

A
  • sedimentation
  • protein fining
  • charcoal fining
  • final filtration
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7
Q

what sedimentation does?

A
  • after filtration, leaving the sake for up to a week to settle the sediments (small particles of rice or yeast)
  • clear sake can be pumped off the sediment
  • using a filter to filter out the sediments
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8
Q

what protein fining does?

A
  • during storage, tiny protein particles suspend in the sake
  • adding fining agent can make these particles to clump together
  • and then filter out those larger particles
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9
Q

what is the functions of using active charcoal in charcoal fining?

A
  • it’s an fining agent to reduce colour
  • remove undesirable aromas, flavours, textures
  • slow down sake ageing
  • slow down the development of colour and aged aromas
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10
Q

what is the Japanese term of charcoal fining?

A

roka

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11
Q

when was the charcoal fining technique developed?

A

1911 - 1923

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12
Q

when was clear sake most appreciated?

A

when the water-white style of Niigata style is developed in the late 1980s

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13
Q

Why is the market trend is toward muroka style now?

A
  • brewers believed roka also removed some positive characters
  • roka makes the sake too thin and characterless
  • in extreme cases, can even smell and taste the carbon
  • muroka is more natural, richer and less manipulated style
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14
Q

what are the 2 main objectives of using filters in final filtration?

A
  • produce a crystal clear sake
  • remove yeast and bacteria for stability
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15
Q

why pasteurisation is needed?

A
  • risk of deteriorating
  • koji enzymes can continue breaking up starch fragment
  • if temperature rises, yeast and microorganisms can feed on the residual sugar
  • low acidity environment can let microorganism lives
  • cannot add SO2 as preservatives because it won’t work on low acidity environemnt
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16
Q

which tool can be used to remove yeast and much more smaller bacteria?

A

special filters with very small pore size

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17
Q

what is hi-ochi kin?

A

a strain lactic acid bacteria

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18
Q

what is the problem of hi-ochi kin?

A

it can make the sake cloudy, oxidised and give unpleasant odour

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19
Q

what is not being removed by normal filtration?

A

koji enzymes

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20
Q

what is the problem of the remaining koji enzymes after filtration?

A
  • increase sweetness
  • accelerate oxidation
  • loss of freshness
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21
Q

which tools can be used to remove the remaining koji enzymes?

A
  • molecular filter
  • heat
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22
Q

what kind of special sake can be produced by using molecular filter?

A

unpasteurised sakes that do not need to be kept cold

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23
Q

what is the disadvantage of molecular filter?

A

expensive

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24
Q

what are the effects of using heat for pasteurisation?

A
  • deactivate koji enzymes
  • kill any yeast and bacteria
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25
Q

what is the temperature range for pasteurisation?

A

60 - 65C

26
Q

what are the two method of pasteurisation?

A
  • pasteurise in bulk
  • pasteurise bottled sake in hot water
27
Q

what is the other name of bulk pasteurisation?

A

ja-kan

28
Q

describe the ja-kan method

A
  • the coiled tubes are heated up to 60 - 65C
  • sake runs through the tubes to pasteurise
  • then the sake is transferred to a large tank for storage
  • usually will go through once again for second pasteurisation
29
Q

what are the advantages of using ja-kan method?

A
  • very efficient for large quantity
  • sterilising and stabling the sake very well
30
Q

what is the disadvantage of using the ja-kan method for ginjo sake?

A
  • harm the ginjo aromas and freshness
31
Q

how long it take to cool down the pasteurised sake after ja-kan?

A

2 days

32
Q

what are the Japanese names for bottle pasteurisation?

A
  • bin hi-ire
  • bin-kan
33
Q

describe bottle pasteurisation (bin hi-ire)

A
  • bottled sakes are put into hot water till to raise to the required temperature
  • bottles are cooled down by showering cold water or put into ice-cold water
  • some let the bottles cool down naturally by the cold ambient temperature
  • can be done by hand or machine
34
Q

what is the advantage of using bin-ire?

A
  • it’s already bottled, no need to pasteurise the second time
  • quick and gentle
  • the shortest time
  • usually used for ginjo styles, as well as others
35
Q

what are the characteristics of nama-zake?

A
  • extremely fresh
  • expressive taste
  • lingering finish
36
Q

when to release nama-zake, traditionally?

A
  • right after the first press
  • around mid-November to early December
37
Q

how the nama-zake are labelled?

A

Seishu (new sake)

38
Q

how long will the nama-zake be available?

A

till early summer

39
Q

why nama-zake only available for a short period of time?

A
  • it’s more sensitive to heat and maturation
  • risk of spoilage by hi-ochi bacteria
40
Q

what causes nama-hine-ka?

A
  • over-maturation
  • incorrect storage conditions
  • enzymatic action cause degradation of nama-zake
41
Q

what is nama-hine-ka smells like?

A
  • malt, bacon, rancid cheese
42
Q

other than the ‘true’ nama-zake, what are the 3 options to maximise freshness of the sake?

A
  • nama-chozo
  • nama-zume
  • ‘once-pasteurised’
43
Q

Nama-chozo is sake pasteurised at which stage?

A

once, after bulk storage

44
Q

why nama-chozo only pasteurised once?

A
  • provide some of the character of ‘true’ nama-zake
  • slightly lower risk caused by poor storage in the supply chain
45
Q

Is nama-chozo a legally defined term?

A

yes

46
Q

Nama-zume is sake pasteurised at which stage?

A

once, before bulk storage

47
Q

what is hiya-oroshi?

A

name-zume released in autumn

48
Q

what is ‘once-pasteurised’?

A
  • sake is pasteurized once before storage in bottle
49
Q

what is the advantage of ‘once-pasteurised’?

A
  • the second pasteurisation is unnecessary because the sake is already bottled
  • it keeps the sake fresh, stable and unmanipulated
50
Q

why sake needs to be rest for 6 - 12 months?

A
  • heat in pasteurisation alters the aromas, with an unrefined taste
  • freshly filtered sake is rough and lively in flavour
  • resting can settle and balance the flavours
51
Q

which period in a year the sake is stored for resting?

A

during spring and summer

52
Q

what is the temperature range for resting the sake?

A
  • vary
  • from freezing to ambient
  • normal is 10 - 20C
53
Q

what kind of vessels are the sake stored before release?

A
  • sealed tanks
  • bottles (ginjo)
54
Q

what is the legal rule for koshu’s minimum maturation length?

A

none

55
Q

brewers tend to mature koshu for how long?

A

two years or more

56
Q

why water addition is sometimes necessary?

A
  • the sake in storage is usually 17 - 20% abv, too high for consumption
  • adding water can lower the alcohol level by 1 - 2% abv
57
Q

what is the characteristics of genshu?

A
  • more concentrated and rich flavours
  • higher alcohol
58
Q

why the brewer wants to blend the sake?

A
  • for volume
  • for stylistic consistency
59
Q

what are the components the brewer can use for blending?

A
  • polishing ratios
  • rice types
  • yeast types
  • fractions
  • ages
  • storage methods
  • amount of sake lees
60
Q

how to determine the sake grade is different polishing ratios are blended in the sake?

A

the highest polishing ratio limits the sake grade

61
Q

what are the common colours of the sake bottles?

A

black, brown or dark green