Pressing

Question 1

Pressing accomplishes what?

Answer 1

It removes the undissolved rice and yeast from the new sake.

Question 2

Why is it important to drop the moromi temperature to 3-5C for pressing?

Answer 2

To stabilise the yeast activity. The sake could retain sour smells.

Question 3

What is the cake left over after pressing?

Answer 3

Sake-kasu

Question 4

What is the average alcohol content of sake-kasu?

Answer 4

8% alcohol by weight

Question 5

Describe Arabashiri

Answer 5

The first run, the sake has extreme freshness and is full of young, wild flavours.

Question 6

Arabashiri is often sold un-matured and un-pasteurized at what time of year?

Answer 6

The beginning of the year.

Question 7

What are the three pressings?

Answer 7

Arabashiri - First run

Nakadori (or Nakagumi) - middle press

Seme - final press

Question 8

Which two pressings are often blended together?

Answer 8

Arabashiri and Seme

Question 9

Which pressing is frequently bottled by itself and sold at a higher price?

Answer 9

Nakadori / Nakagumi

Question 10

What is the most widely used filter method?

Answer 10

Yabuta shibori

Question 11

Describe what happens in Yabuta Shibori

Answer 11

The sake mash is poured into the vertical pocket panels of an accordion-like machine called an assaku-ki (or yabuta). Pressed sake runs out the bottom and the the meshes in the panel hold the sake-kasu.

Question 12

Describe what happens in Fune Shibori

Answer 12

Also a mechanical method of pressing, this is gentler than Yabuta Shibori. The mash is poured into long, individual cloth bags made of chemical fiber or cotton and these bags are laid in a large tub called a Fune. The sake is released by using a machine to apply pressure from above. This method is most frequently used for Ginjo.

Question 13

Describe what happens in Fukuro Shibori

Answer 13

The mash is put into 6 litre cloth bags and hung from a pole. The sake is allowed to drip out under its own weight into 18-litre glass bottles called Tobin.

Primariy used for super premium sake.

Question 14

What is this?

Answer 14

An Assaku-ki (or Yabuta)

Question 15

What method is this?

Answer 15

Fukuro-Shibori

Question 16

What is the most modern method used by roughly 10 breweries currently?

Answer 16

Centrifuge separator

Question 17

Enshin-Bunri is another name for what?

Answer 17

Centrifuge Separator

Question 18

What are the advantages of Enshin-Bunri?

Answer 18

It is fast and avoids risk of evaporation of ginjo aromas and contact with oxygen. There is also little to no risk of the stainless steel tainting the sake.

Question 19

What is kasu-buai?

Answer 19

The ratio fo sakekasu to the less remaining after the sake has been pressed from the moromi.

Question 20

If using a 100kg of rice to brew sake and 25kg of sakekasu is left, what is the kasu-buai?

Answer 20

25% kasu-buai

Question 21

The kasu-buai ratio is related to the pressing method used.

True or False

Answer 21

True

Question 22

The lower the kasubuai the higher the qualaity.

True or false

Answer 22

False

Question 23

Daigingo typically has what percentage kasubuai?

Answer 23

40%-50%

Question 24

What colour is sake that has just been filtered?

Answer 24

Pale lemon-green or lemon.

Question 25

What is shizuku?

1. A method of pressing sake in a large accordion press.
2. A method of pressing sake by stacking bags of the main mash in a large box and applying pressure on the top.
3. “Free-run” sake made by hanging bags of the main mash and only bottling what drips out.
4. An unpleasant diacetyl aroma from microbial damage in sake.

Answer 25

3. “Free-run” sake made by hanging bags of the main mash and only bottling what drips out.

Question 26

Also known as joso, what is the term for wringing the moromi from its lees?

1. shizuku
2. shibori
3. sokujo
4. shikomi

Answer 26

2. shibori