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1 WSET Sake Lv3 > Learning Objective 1 - Main Ingredients > Flashcards

Learning Objective 1 - Main Ingredients Flashcards

1
Q

What are the only ingredients for premium sake?

A

Steamed rice
Koji
Yeast
Water
Jōzō

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2
Q

What are the main sake specific rice varieties?

A

Yamanda-nishiki - 34%
Gohyakuman-gaku - 21%
Miyama-nishiki - 7%
Akita-sake-komachi - 2.8%
Omachi - 2.4%

TABLE RICE

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3
Q

Yamada-nishiki

A

Hyōgo - 34%
Well defined shinpaku
Perfect for highly polished (low Polish Ratio)
Late Harvest
Prone to lodging
¥¥¥¥

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4
Q

Gohyakuman-gaku

A

Niigata - 21%
Bit small grain then Yamada-nishiki
Well defined shinpaku
Resistant to Cracking
Early harvest

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5
Q

Miyama-nishiki

A

Nagano - 7%
Adapted for cold
Smaller grains than Gohyakuman
Medium harvest

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6
Q

Omachi

A

Okayama - 2.4%
Oldest sake specific
Large grain
Large shinpaku
Difficult to polish (rounded shinpaku)
Lare harvest

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7
Q

Akita-sake-komachi

A

Akita Only - 2.8%
Adapted to cold climate
Large grain
Well-defined shinpaku
Low protein
Ideal for highly polished
Medium harvest

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8
Q

What are the rice classification grades?

A

Above Special - Toko-jō
Special - Toko-tō
1st Grade
2nd Grade
3rd Grade

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9
Q

Toko-jō

A

Above Special Rice Classification

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10
Q

Toko-tō

A

Special Rice Classification

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11
Q

What rice is only for sake making?

A

Toko-jō (above special)
Toko-tō (special)

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12
Q

What rice can be used for table and sake rice?

A

1st grade
2nd grade
3rd grade

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13
Q

What are the grading criteria for rice?

A

<15% or less moisture
-Broken %
-Cracked %
-Dead %
-Unripe %

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14
Q

What is unique about sake rice?

A

Large Grain
Low protein content
Well defined shinpaku
Good water absorbency
Easily broken down by enzymes

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15
Q

What are the characteristics of Yamada-nishiki rice?

A

Deep flavor
Soft
Texture
Elegance
Precision

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16
Q

What are the characteristics of Gohyakuman-gakui rice?

A

Light aromas
Light Texture
Niigata Style - light, dry, very pure, kire finish

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17
Q

What are the characteristics of Miyama-nishiki rice?

A

Restrained aromas
Rich Nagano style - junmai, Intense flavor, rich, slightly sweet
180° opposite of Niigata

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18
Q

What are the characteristics of Akita-sake-komachi rice?

A

Soft textured
Elegant

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19
Q

What are the characteristics of Omachi

A

Richer texture
Earthy
Spicy
Higher umami

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20
Q

Why is kōji used in sake production?

A

kōji is used for 2 reasons. 1. sake rice is usually polished to remove most of the rice structure including the bran and germ. The germ normally would produce enzymes to break down the
2. steamed rice is used and even if the germ remained the heat required to gelatinize the starch at 70-80° would kill the germ

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21
Q

What components help kōji breakdown the rice starch?

A

kōji is a mold
It contains amylases enzymes
1. alpha amylase
2. glucoamylase
3. alpha-glucosidase
4. Protease

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22
Q

Enzymatic hydrolysis

A

Breaks starch chains into glucose molecules and breaks non-branding amylose starch chains into dextrins
Takes place during fermentation

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23
Q

Aspergillus oryzae

A

kōji-kin

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24
Q

How does kōji work

A

Sends HYPHAE into the rice grain/starch which are feeding tubes.
Releases enzymes that break down glucose and amino acids which are used as food to reproduce

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25
How does kōji impact style?
Flavins give color Protease enzymes creates amino acids = umami flavor Aminos also food for yeast = acidity Adds vitamins & lipids Creates Chestnut aromas
26
alpha amylase
kōji enzyme - breaks starch to dextrins (shorter starch chains)
27
glucoamylase
kōji enzyme - breaks dextrins (shorter starch chains) to glucose
28
Protease
kōji enzyme changes protein to amino acids and peptides
29
Alpha-glucosidase
kōji enzyme - similar to glucoamylase breaks dextrins (shorter starch chains) to glucose
30
What are the components of rice grain
Husk Bran Endosperm Shinpaku
31
What is always removed from the rice polishing
Husk Bran Germ
32
What can be found in the endosperm?
Yeast nutrients - gives cereal aromas, texture Proteins Lipids Vitamins Minerals
33
What does more protein left after polishing for sake rice?
More umami
34
What does less protein after polishing help create for sake rice?
More ginjō aromas
35
What is amylose?
Unbranched chain of glucose molecules
36
What is amylopectin?
highly branched chain of α-glucose units and is water-insoluble
37
What is considered glutinous or sticky rice?
80%+ amylopectin
38
What is considered non-glutinous or non-sticky rice?
<80% amylopectin
39
What is required for enzymatic hydrolysis?
enzymes and water
40
What are the insoluble starch chains that enzymes cannot break down called?
Limit dextrin
41
What are the primary acids that are produced by yeast fermentation?
Succinic Malic Lactic
42
What are the 3 main strains of kōji?
White - citric acid produced Black - citric acid produced Yellow - most common used
43
How does kōji reproduce and how many days after innoculation?
asexual 4-6 days
44
What are enzymes and how are they managed?
Are proteins that act as a catalyst to speed up chemical reactions. Can be managed with temperature control
45
What are outputs of kōji?
Glucose Amino Acids Vitamins Minerals Limits (fatty acids) / Protein Flavins (color) Chestnut aroma
46
What is the format of kōji when adding to steamed rice
1. Granulated 2. Powdered
47
What is granulated kōji?
Rice that has Kōji mold already growing on it Used for hand-shaking distribution
48
When is powdered kōji used?
Simple mold spores used for automatic kōji processing
49
What nutrients do yeast require?
Sugar Amino acids Vitamins Magnesium Phosporous Potassium
50
What are the outputs of yeast after glucose metabolism?
Ethanol CO2 Heat Aromas Malic, Succinic acid
51
What is unique about sake fermentation?
There is a parallel fermentation 1. kōji converting starch to sugar 2. yeast converting sugar to ethanol
52
Who provides yeast to sake brewers?
Brewing Society of Japan Kyōkai kōbo
53
What is unique about sake yeast strains versus wine or beer?
They can tolerate higher levels of ABV up to 22%
54
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Yeast species
55
What do higher temps for yeast do?
Creates fast fermentation
56
When does yeast stop fermenting?
3-5° C yeast goes ambient too cold 35° C+ heat can kill yeast 22%+ ABV ethanol kills yeast
57
Autolysis
When yeast consumes dead yeast creating lees aromas
58
What type of yeast did brewers traditionally use?
Ambient yeast found in the brewery take the foam from one brew and use it in the next
59
What did the Brewing Society of Japan start and accomplish?
Founded in 1906, BSJ manages the multiplication of yeast to keep yeast strains consistent and provide to sake brewers
60
How does the BSJ identify yeast?
Usually at brewery specific sites and isolate
61
How does the BSJ distribute
Numbered yeast are distributed in ampoules to avoid contamination
62
What is a ampoule?
Small glass bottles with yeast & nutrient rich fluid 2-5 ampoules per 100kg of polished rice Shelf life 50 days
63
What are the options for yeast purchase?
Ampoules Dried Yeast - cost-effective Cultivated yeast
64
Why would a brewer pick dried yeast?
-Enables to skip shubo -Means can complete fermentation in 2 weeks -Low foaming -1 year shelf life -only option for outside Japan
65
What is cultivated yeast?
Brewers screen yeast out of moromi onto agar plates
66
What is cultivated yeast?
Brewers screen yeast out of moromi onto agar slants (test tubes with nutrients) -still creates mutations
67
Shizuoka Yeast
Known for Isoamyl acetate (banana) Low acidity Success in competitions
68
Akita Yeast
AK1 Strain 1990 Great for low-long fermentations Low aciid Pronounced ginjō Many wins in comps
69
Hiroshima Yeast
2013 Hightly Aromatic Sakes
70
Yeast #6
1935 Akita Reliable & strong fermentations Pre-date ginjō boom
71
Yeast #7
1946 Miyasaka (Suga) Industry standard Reliable & strong fermentations Pre-date ginjō boom Slightly better than #6 used from futsū-shu to ginjō
72
Yeast #11
Variant of #7 with similar char Good for dryness Dry, non-aromatic sakes
73
Yeast #9
1968 Early ginjō Kumamoto Released for competitions became a standard for ginjō YK35 = Yamada rice-Kumamoto-35% polish ratio HIgher acidity
74
Yeast #10
1977 - Meiri Yeast N. Japan Early ginjō yeast
75
Yeast #14
1995 Kanazawa Low acid ginjō yeast Extreme version with pronounced ginjō and low acid Pronouned isoamyl acetate (banana)
76
Yeast #1801
2006 Cross between #9 and #1601 Current standard for competition sake Ethyl caproate (apple & melon)
77
Yeast #1901
2014 Non-urea (carcinogenic) producing strain of #1801 Ethyl carbamate (apple/melon) low levels
78
Why were low foaming yeast propagated?
Froth from regular yeast strains could take up to half the tank. BSJ wanted less foaming closer to wine and beer. Saves money since you can produce more in the same tanke
79
What are other yeast options than using Brewing Society of Japan?
1. Ambient Yeast 2. Proprietary Yeast 3. Prefecture or Regional Yeas
80
What is the challenge with Ambient yeast?
Ambient yeast is found within the brewery They pose a risk due to other microbial contamination during the multiplication stage since there is little acidity in the sake And can lead to inconsistent results
81
What is proprietary yeast?
Some brewers collect yeast samples from successful fermentation and other natural sources Then develop specific variations for the brewery for differentiation.
82
What is blended yeast?
When brewers mix and match other yeasts like 1801 with 901 to blend the different yeast characteristics and aromas
83
How does Japanese water compare to the rest of the world?
Relatively soft water
84
What are water sources for sake brewers
Natural - spring and wells Municipal
85
What are the key contaminants that must be low in water for sake?
Iron close to zero (1/10th of tap water) Organic material
86
What are desirable minerals to have in water for fermentation?
magnesium potassium phosphorus good nutrients for yeast
87
What causes hardness in water?
Calcium and magnesium
88
Miya-mizu
Mineral rich water Nada and Kobe (Hyōgo Prf) Faster, more complete fermentation
89
What style results from miya-mizu (hard water)
less floral More complete fermentation Restrained and drier
90
Fushima water
Near Kyoto Soft Less vigorous fermentation
91
Saijo Water
Hiroshima Low-mineral water good for tsuki-haze kōji
92
Where does most jōzō come from?
Brazil - molasses or grain Must be agri product 95% ABV Min
93
What is the dilution strength of jōzō?
30-40% ABV when added to sake reduces the risk of fire in. the brewery
94
How much jōzō for Junmai Premium Futsú-shu
Junmai = 0% Premium = 10% Futsú-shu = 50%
95
What is the challenge of adding jõzō from a timing perspective?
Too early or late can cause yeast to die Yeast autolysis (self-digestion) creates unwanted aromas.

1 WSET Sake Lv3 (35 decks)

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