Sake

Question 1

What makes Sake different from other spirits?

Answer 1

Multiple parallel fermentation

Koji- Kin ferments starch into sugar then yeast converts the sugar into alcohol

Question 2

What is the scientific name of Koji- Kin?

Answer 2

Aspergillus Oryzae

Question 3

What is the preferred type of rice for sake?

Answer 3

Yamada Nishiki

Question 4

What do the Japanese call the heart of the rice grain?

Answer 4

Shipaku

Question 5

What do the Japanese call the milling process?

Answer 5

Seimaibuai

Question 6

What is the name for the Japanese classification of Seimaibuai?

Answer 6

Tokutei Meishoshu

Special Designation Sake

Question 7

What are the levels of Tokutei Meishoshu?

Answer 7

Junmai
Honjozo
Ginjo
Daiginjo

Question 8

What is Junmai?

Answer 8

Max 70% rice grain remaining.

If producer puts Semaibuai on the label, uses only water, rice and Koji, milling percentage may be higher than 70%

Question 9

What is Honjozo?

Answer 9

Max 70% rice grain milled away.

Slight amount of brewer’s alcohol added to the sake before pressing.

Question 10

What is Ginjo?

Answer 10

Max 60% rice grain milled away.

If just labeled Ginjo, it will be Honjozo in style with brewer’s alcohol added. If no alcohol added it will be labeled Junmai Ginjo

Question 11

What is Daiginjo?

Answer 11

Maximum 50% rice milled away.

If labeled Daiginjo, it will be Honjozo in style with brewer’s alcohol added. If no alcohol is added it will be labeled Junmai Daiginjo

Question 12

What is Omachi?

Answer 12

A pure sake rice strain from Okayama used to create the Yamada Nishiki Strain

Question 13

What are the steps of Sake making from milling to bottling?

Answer 13

Milling> Rinsing> Soaking in water> Steaming> Koji> Moto> Moromi> Pressing> Filtering> Pasteurisation

Question 14

What is Koji?

Answer 14

The steamed rice upon which Koji- Kin is inoculated. The mound grows for about two days.

Question 15

What is Moto?

Answer 15

The starter. Created by adding yeast additional rice and water to Koji. It develops over a period of two weeks before moving to a larger vessel for fermentation.

Question 16

What is Moromi?

Answer 16

Fermenting mash. Formed by adding Koji, water and steamed rice to Moto in three successive stages. Doubles in size.

Question 17

How long does fermentation in sake last? What is the final alcohol level?

Answer 17

Approximately 45 days after the final addition to the Moromi. Can reach 20% but water is usually added to bring it back to 17%.

Question 18

How is sweetness indicated in sake?

Answer 18

Sake value metre (Nihonshudo).

Measures sake’s specific gravity.
Negative values indicate sweetness.
Positive values indicate dryness.

Question 19

What is the best way to serve sake?

Answer 19

Lightly chilled or @ room temperature

Question 20

What are the two service cups for sake?

Answer 20

Ochoko (Small Cylindrical Vessels)

Sakazuki (Ceremonial Cups)

Question 21

What is the name for unpasteurised sake?

Answer 21

Namazake

Question 22

What is the name for unpasteurised sake?

Answer 22

Nigori Sake

Question 23

What is the name for sake aged in wooden barrels?

Answer 23

Taruzake

Question 24

What is the name for a smaller brewery?

Answer 24

Jizake

Question 25

What is the name for a sake brewery?

Answer 25

Kura

Question 26

What is the name for an undiluted sake?

Answer 26

Genshu Sake

Question 27

What is the boiling point of ethanol?

Answer 27

78 degrees (172.4 F)

Question 28

What is a Tokkuri?

Answer 28

A ceramic flask used to heat and warm sake

Question 29

What is the Sokujo Moto method?

Answer 29

A style of sake production in which lactic acid is added to the Moto to speed production and create a cleaner flavour.

Question 30

Definition of Honjozo- Shu?

Answer 30

Made from Seimaibuai (Rice polished down to 70% of original size) and has a small amount of brewer’s alcohol added

Question 31

Definition of Junmai- Shu

Answer 31

Pure rice sake made from Seimaibuai (rice polished to down to 70% of original size)

Question 32

What is Seimaibuai and what is its significance?

Answer 32

It’s the percentage of weight remaining after polishing. The lower the number, the better the sake’s potential.

Question 33

What is Nihonshudo and what is its significance?

Answer 33

The sake value meter and the lower the number, the sweeter the sake.

Question 34

Name the premium sake quality levels?

Answer 34

Junmai- Shu (30% of rice polished away)
Junmai- Ginjo (40% of rice polished away)
Junmai- Daiginjo (50% of rice polished away)

Question 35

Definition and style of Ginjo- Shu

Answer 35

Sake made with rice that has been ground down to 60% of its original volume. Fermented longer at a lower temp. And can be made from Junmai Ginjo or Honjozo Ginzo- complex

Question 36

Definition of Daiginjo- Shu

Answer 36

Sake made from between 35 and 50% of the rice grain so it is highest quality.

Question 37

What is Nama- Zake?

Answer 37

A term for any unpasteurised sake.

Question 38

What is genshu?

Answer 38

Undiluted sake thus alc. content of 18- 20%

Question 39

What is Nigori?

Answer 39

Cloudy sake.

Question 40

Sake in Japan is the term for all alcoholic beverages….

Answer 40

However in English it just refers to the beverage made from fermented rice.

Question 41

Sake shares characteristics with both wine and beer….

Answer 41

But it is distinct. In sake production, rice starch is converted to fermentable sugars, yet the conversion of starch to sugar and sugar to alcohol occurs simultaneously in the same vessel. Multiple Parallel Fermentation (MPF) relies on the combined activities of yeast and a mold, the koji-kin (Aspergillus oryzae) to undergo both crucial processes of fermentation at once. In order to produce sake, a chosen type of rice—Yamada Nishiki is considered superior by many—is milled, or polished, to remove some of the protein-laden outer husk of the rice grain. The pure starchy heart of the rice grain (the shinpaku) produces the best sake, and sake is labeled according to the degree to which it has been milled (seimaibuai).

Question 42

After the rice has been milled…..

Answer 42

It is rinsed, soaked in water, and steamed in successive stages. A first batch of steamed rice is inoculated with the koji-kin, a green, powdery mold. The mold grows on the steamed rice for about two days; the steamed rice upon which the mold is cultivated is the koji. Yeast, additional rice and water are added to koji to create the moto, or starter. The moto develops over a period of two weeks before it is moved to a larger vessel for fermentation. Koji, water, and steamed rice are added to the moto in three successive stages, creating the moromi, or fermenting mash, which doubles in size with each addition. Once the final addition has been made, the sake will ferment for up to 45 days, and reach an alcohol content of approximately 20%—water is generally added back to lower the final alcohol level to around 17%. The sake is then pressed, and is usually filtered and pasteurized.

Question 43

What does the Sake Value Metre (nihonshudo) measure?

Answer 43

the level of residual sugar is often indicated on the label Indicated by a number. Negative values indicate sweetness, with positive values indicating dryness; zero is neutral.

Question 44

Regardless of sweetness, quality sake is best served lightly chilled or at room temperature.

Answer 44

The traditional practice of heating sake will disrupt the delicate nature of premium sake, yet masks flaws in lower quality sakes. Although Sake may be served in wine glasses to enhance its aromas, the beverage is traditionally decanted from the bottle into a tokkuri—a ceramic, narrow-neck flask—and then poured into ochoko (small cylindrical vessels) or, for the more ceremonial sakazuki cups. If warm sake is requested, the tokkuri may be placed in a bath of hot water. Sake is generally meant for consumption shortly after the bottling date, as it does not usually improve with bottle age.

Question 45

Futsuu-shu

Answer 45

Normal sake that does not qualify under Tokutei Meishou-shu. Constitutes 80% of total sake production in Japan

Question 46

Sake with Brewer’s Alcohol: Honjozo-shu

Answer 46

Made with rice, water, koji & pure distilled alcohol to elevate flavours. Tokubetsu designates a more highly polished rice or a special bottling (this actually falls below in the ginjo level since rice is polished to 60% or less)

Question 47

Sake with Brewer’s Alcohol: Ginjo-shu

Answer 47

Made in a more traditional method in contrast to mass-production using rice with 40% polished away

Question 48

Sake with Brewer’s Alcohol: Daiginjo-shu

Answer 48

Highest quality designation, utilizing assiduous precision and rice with half of its mass polished away (50% polished away) or greater.

Question 49

Sake without Brewer’s Alcohol: Junmai-shu

Answer 49

There is no longer required seimaibuai for this classification. Often a lighter style Tokubetsu styles also available (as above, these fall below the Ginjo level)

Question 50

Sake without Brewer’s Alcohol: Junmai Ginjo-shu

Answer 50

Made using rice with 40% milled away (60% remaining). Fermented at colder temperatures to elicit more complex aromatics

Question 51

Sake without Brewer’s Alcohol: Junmai Daiginjo-shu

Answer 51

Made utilizing very highly polished rice (50%). Highest quality level of sake available. Alcohol levels can be 17+%

Question 52

Rice Milling (Seimaibuai)

Answer 52

For all of the various “varietals” of sake rice, the best starches from which to ferment, and ultimately create sake, are located at the core of the rice grains, hence the need for polishing. The shinpaku (or “white heart” as is it often mistranslated… it is literally “heart rate”) is the name for the core of starches in which the brewer is most interested. Gradations {Note: These are minimums (brewers can “declass”but never go to a higher level)}: Junmaishu, Honjozo: 70% remaining, Ginjoshu: 60% remaining, Daiginjoshu: 50% remaining

Question 53

Yamada Nishiki- Rice

Answer 53

Origin: Hyogo, Okayama, Fukuoka. “King of Sake Rice”

Question 54

Omachi Rice- Rice

Answer 54

Origin: Okayama More earthy and generally less fragrant

Question 55

Miyama Nishiki- Rice

Answer 55

Origin: Iwate, Akita, Yamagata, Miyagi, Fukushima, Nagano More rice-like flavor and more sweet, but less fragrant

Question 56

Gohyakumangoku- Rice

Answer 56

Origin: Niigata, Fukushima, Toyama, Ishikawa Smooth, clean and fragrant

Question 57

Oseto- Rice

Answer 57

Origin: Kagawa Very distinctive and highly earthy

Question 58

Hatta Nishiki- Rice

Answer 58

Origin: Hiroshima Very rich style with earthy nuances, but can vary in sweetness

Question 59

Tamazakae- Rice

Answer 59

Origin: Tottori, Shiga Opulent and complex

Question 60

Kame no O- Rice

Answer 60

Origin: Niigata, Yamagata Rich and aromatic, but drier and more acidic than Yamada Nishiki

Question 61

Hidahomare- Rice

Answer 61

Origin: Gifu Elegant yet firm. Soft acidity. Dry, with tropical fruit.

Question 62

Dewa San San- Rice

Answer 62

Origin: Yamagata, Niigata Complex, yet sweeter than Kame no O and more fragrant

Question 63

Nigori-zake

Answer 63

Cloudy, unfiltered sake. Can use gradations of Tokutei Meishou-shu, including Tokubetsu

Question 64

Yamahai-shikomi

Answer 64

Leave the rice to begin fermenting naturally (about 30 days) requires more water and higher temperature. Mr. Kinichiro Kagi (National Institute for Brewing Studies) found that the hard work of pole-ramming was unnecessary and that the enzymes would work on their own, hence the terminology: the rough part (yama-oroshi) could be stopped (hai-shi), which was shortened simply to yamahai. The style involves a yeast starter which allows the growth of wild yeast and bacteria, leading to a much gamier style of sake (usually for consumers with a more ecclectic palate)

Question 65

Sokujo-moto

Answer 65

Faster and more industrial method for creating a yamahai style, with the early introduction of lactic acid to speed the process up.

Question 66

Kimoto-moto

Answer 66

A kimoto yeast starter takes a bit longer than yamahai to create, but ironically, the sake that results from these two methods is similar in flavour profile. Like sake brewed with yamahai moto, sake brewed with a kimoto moto has a higher sweetness and acidity, with richer, deeper, significantly more pronounced flavours. This is similar to batonnage, as the moto is stirred with a long, wooden pole. This process continues throughout fermentation (about 45 days). A combination of yeast, koji mold and rice are crushed into a purée which serves as a starter. Traditionally this process was made via pole-ramming (yama-oroshi) which is depicted in much artwork

Question 67

Shizuku-shibori

Answer 67

Shibori is the term for pressing the sake from its lees. Shizuku refers to a “drip-pressing” method, essentially letting gravity push the liquid through a fine mesh. This produces a very fine and elegant style.

Question 68

Nama-zake

Answer 68

Unpasteurised sake. Also known colloquially as “Nama”. Much fresher, livelier and more zingy flavor than pasteurised sake. Requires greater care and constant refrigeration. Two additional namastyles: Namachozo- Cellared without being pasteurized, but does receive pasteurization before bottling
Namazume- Pasteurized only once before cellaring, but never again

Question 69

Genshu- Alternative style of sake

Answer 69

not diluted

Question 70

Taruzake- Alternative style of sake

Answer 70

aged in wooden barrels

Question 71

Hito-hada-Kan - Warm Sake Temperatures

Answer 71

“Human-skin warm” 95-104 (35- 40 C)

Question 72

Nuru-Kan - Warm Sake Temperatures

Answer 72

“Lukewarm” 104-113 F (40- 45 C)

Question 73

Jyoh-Kan - Warm Sake Temperatures

Answer 73

“Good Hot” 113-122 F (45- 50 C)

Question 74

Atsu-Kan - Warm Sake Temperatures

Answer 74

“Hot Enough” 122-131 F (50- 55 C)

Question 75

What is the type of Sake that has had brewer’s alcohol added?

Answer 75

Honjozo

Question 76

At the minimum, how much of the rice grain remains after polishing for Junmai Ginjo Sake?

Answer 76

60%

Question 77

Sake Brewing Process…

Answer 77

Five crucial elements are involved in brewing sake — water, rice, technical skill, yeast, and land / weather. More than anything else, sake is a result of a brewing process that uses rice and lots of water.

In fact, water comprises as much as 80% of the final product, so fine water and fine rice are natural prerequisites if one hopes to brew great sake. But beyond that, the technical skill needed to pull this all off lies with the toji (head brewers), the type of yeast they use, and the limitations entailed by local land and weather conditions. Please visit the links shown above for a detailed review of the crucial ingredients.

Question 78

Quick Brewing Overview- Sake

Answer 78

Rice is washed and steam-cooked. This is then mixed with yeast and koji (rice cultivated with a mold known technically as aspergillus oryzae). The whole mix is then allowed to ferment, with more rice, koji, and water added in three batches over four days. This fermentation, which occurs in a large tank, is called shikomi. The quality of the rice, the degree to which the koji mold has propagated, temperature variations, and other factors are different for each shikomi. This mash is allowed to sit from 18 to 32 days, after which it is pressed, filtered and blended. This would be enough to get you through most conversations. But let us look at the main steps and processes a bit more closely.

Question 79

Rice Milling- Sake

Answer 79

Note the white opaque starch packet in the center of many of the grains.

After proper sake rice (in the case of premium sake, anyway) has been secured, it is milled, or polished, to prepare it for brewing good sake. This is not as simple as it might sound, since it must be done gently so as to not generate too much heat (which adversely affects water absorption) or not crack the rice kernels (which is not good for the fermentation process). In the photo on left, the rice in top left corner is unmilled, the rice next to it has only 70% of kernel remaining, while the rice at bottom has been milled so only 35% remains. The photo at top right (with red background) shows rice ground to 50%. The amount of milling greatly influences the taste

Question 80

Washing and Soaking- Sake

Answer 80

Next, the white powder (called nuka) left on the rice after polishing is washed away, as this makes a significant difference in the final quality of the steamed rice. (It also affects the flavor of table rice; try washing your rice very thoroughly and notice the difference in consistency and flavor.) Following that, it is soaked to attain a certain water content deemed optimum for steaming that particular rice. The degree to which the rice has been milled in the previous step determines what its pre-steaming water content should be. The more a rice has been polished, the faster it absorbs water and the shorter the soaking time. Often it is done for as little as a stopwatch-measured minute, sometimes it is done overnight.

Question 81

Steaming- Sake

Answer 81

Next the rice is steamed. Note this is different from the way table rice is prepared.It is not mixed with water Kuji steaming riceand brought to a boil; rather, steam is brought up through the bottom of the steaming vat (traditionally called a koshiki) to work its way through the rice. This gives a firmer consistency and slightly harder outside surface and softer center. Generally, a batch of steamed rice is divided up, with some going to have koji mold sprinkled over it, and some going directly to the fermentation vat. (Photo at left: rice steaming in koshiki, or vat).

Question 82

Koji Making (Seigiku)- Sake

Answer 82

This is the heart of the entire brewing process, really, and could have several chapters, if not books, written about it. Summarizing, k(LEFT) Koji being cultivated in small trays (Right) A grain of rice cultavated with koji mold (photos by Kenji Nachi)oji mold in the form of a dark, fine powder is sprinkled on steamed rice that has been cooled. It is then taken to a special room within which a higher than average humidity and temperature are maintained. Over the next 36 to 45 hours, the developing koji is checked, mixed and re-arranged constantly. The final product looks like rice grains with a slight frosting on them, and smells faintly of sweet chestnuts. Koji is used at least four times throughout the process, and is always made fresh and used immediately. Therefore, any one batch goes through the “heart of the process” at least four times. (Photo: Koji being cultivated in small trays, and a grain of rice cultavated with koji mold).

Question 83

The Yeast Starter (shubo or moto)- Sake

Answer 83

The moto, or shubo yeast starter, foaming away (Photo by Kenji Nachi)A yeast starter, or seed mash of sorts, is first created. This is done by mixing finished koji and plain steamed white rice from the above two steps, water and a concentration of pure yeast cells.Over the next two weeks, (typically) a concentration of yeast cells that can reach 100 million cells in one teaspoon is developed.

Question 84

The Mash (moromi)- Sake

Answer 84

After being moved to a larger tank, more rice, more koji and more water are added in three successive stages over four days, roughly doubling the size of the batch each time. This is the main mash, and as it ferments over the next 18 to 32 days, its temperature and other factors are measured and adjusted to create precisely the flavor profile being sought.

Question 85

Pressing (joso)- Sake

Answer 85

When everything is just right (no easy decision!), the sake is pressed. Through one of several methods, the white lees (called kasu) and unfermented solids are pr essed away, and the clear sake runs off. This is most often done by machine, although the older methods involving putting the moromi in canvas bags and squeezing the fresh sake out, or letting the sake drip out of the bags, are still used. (Photo at right: bags of moromi from which sake is being drip-pressed. Below Photo: a fune, used for pressing sake out of bags of moromi).

Question 86

Filtration (roka)- Sake

Answer 86

After sitting for a few days to let more solids settle out, the sake is usually charcoal filtered to adjust flavor and color. This is done to different degrees at different breweries, and is goes a long way in dictating the style.

Question 87

Pasteurisation- Sake

Answer 87

Most sake is then pasteurized once. This is done by heating it quickly by passing it through a pipe immersed in hot water. This process kills off bacteria and deactivates enzymes that would likely adverse flavor and color later on. Sake that is not pasteurized is called namazake, and maintains a certain freshness of flavor, although it must be kept refrigerated to protect it.

Question 88

Aging- Sake

Answer 88

Finally, most sake is left to age about six months, rounding out the flavor, before shipping. Before shipping it is mixed with a bit of pure water to bring the near 20 percent alcohol down to 16 percent or so, and blended to ensure consistency. Also, it is usually pasteurized a second time at this stage. It is somewhat unfair to the sake-brewing craft and industry to reduce sake brewing down to the short explanation above, but excessive detail would soon go beyond the scope of this book. The basics are as explained here.

Question 89

Changes Over the Years- Sake

Answer 89

Over the centuries, naturally there were many adjustments and changes to the sake brewing process. These arose to either make better sake, or to make sake more economically. Sometimes, advances in the economic forum also lead to improved sake quality.

One of the most important advances was the improvement in rice-polishing equipment. Originally, rice was stomped on in a vat to remove the husks. Later, water wheels and grinding stones were used. Today, there are great computer-controlled machines that will polish off the specified percentage of the outside of the grains, and do it in a specified amount of time (with longer being better). This minimized damage from friction heat and cracked grains.

Another major advance was the use of ceramic-lined or stainless steel tanks, now the standard, over cedar tanks, which were used for hundreds of years. This has drastically improved the quality and purity of sake since the beginning of this century.

Then there is the pressing stage. Until the early 1900′s, all sake was pressed by pouring the moromi into canvas bags which were then put into a large wooden box called a fune. The lid was then cranked down into the box, squeezing out the sake. Now, almost all sake is pressed with a huge, accordion-like machine that squeezes the moromi between balloon-like inflating panels, making disposal of the lees (called kasu) simple.

Almost all breweries will still press some of their best sake in the old way, using a fune. It does indeed make subtly noticeably better sake. But the accordion-like machine (called an Assaku-ki) is so much more efficient, and the fune so labor intensive, that the tradeoffs are only worth it for top-grade sake.

Most controversially, however, is the koji making equipment. It is truly amazing how the slightest differences in koji can affect the flavor of the final product. Traditionally, koji is all made by hand in wood-paneled rooms kept warm and humid. As this is such a labor-intensive step, many changes have come about, and a lot of them are rejected later. (It is interesting to note that almost all super premium sake like daiginjo is made using hand-made koji.)

There are now large machines that will perform part or all of the koji making process, doing the work of several individuals. There are countless manifestations of these, all attempting to imitate the skill and intuition of the human masters. Other changes include stainless steel instead of wood walls. The risk of the development of unwanted mold is reduced, but humidity is affected. In the end, there are countless arguments for and against these changes. Subtle changes in daily temperature and rice quality may not always be picked up by machines, but for example sanitation can be greatly improved upon. Naturally, technological progress to some degree is necessary for the industry to survive.

Question 90

Sakami or Rice Variety- Sake

Answer 90

There are several types of rice used to make Japanese sake, and each type yields specific flavor profiles. Keep in mind that these nine types of rice are only part of the battle. How sake is brewed and the water used are the other parts of the story. Further, there is a massive range of styles and tremendous overlap across the board. Finally, the degree of rice milling plays a major role in the final product.

Question 91

Yamada Nishiki Rice- Sake

Answer 91

From Hyogo, Okayama and Fukuoka. The so-called King of Sake Rice. Fragrant, well-blended soft flavor. Representative Sake Brands: About any daiginjo in the country (slight exaggeration). Hard to give one good recommendation. Nadagiku, Tatsuriki, Okuharima (all Hyogo) and Ginban (Toyama) are good examples.

Question 92

Omachi Rice- Sake

Answer 92

From Okayama. Generally less fragrant, more defined flavor elements, more earthiness. The only pure strain of rice left in Japan (to my knowledge, so don’ argue for this point should you choose to quote me). Representative Sake Brands: Bizen Sake no Hitosuji (Okayama). Most visible users of Omachi. Use it across a whole range of sake types . Lots of it good warmed. Some fermented in Bizen-yaki tanks. Also look for Yorokobi no Izumi form Okayama.

Question 93

Miyama Nishiki Rice- Sake

Answer 93

From Iwate, Akita, Yamagata, Miyagi, Fukushima, and Nagano. Slightly less dry sake, more rice-like flavor, more mouth feel, and quiet nose. Representative Sake Brands: Sharaku (Fukushima), Hamachidori (Iwate). Both sake have great mouth/tongue feel and presence

Question 94

Gohyakumangoku Rice- Sake

Answer 94

From Iwate, Akita, Yamagata, Miyagi, Fukushima, and Nagano. Slightly less dry sake, more rice-like flavor, more mouth feel, and quiet nose. Representative Sake Brands: Sharaku (Fukushima), Hamachidori (Iwate). Both sake have great mouth/tongue feel and presence

Question 95

Oseto Rice- Sake

Answer 95

From Kagawa. Rich and earthy, very distinctive. Representative Sake Brands: Ayakiku (Kagawa). They use only Oseto rice here, in all their sake.

Question 96

Hatta Nishiki Rice- Sake

Answer 96

From Hiroshima. Earthy undertones, usually in the background. Rich flavor, quite nose. Representative Sake Brands: Kamoizumi and Fukucho from Hiroshima. Two very different styles, the former being wilder and earthy and the latter being softer and sweeter.

Question 97

Tamarakae Rice- Sake

Answer 97

From Tottori and Shiga. Soft and deep, with complex background activity when brewed right. Representative Sake Brands: Kimitsukasa (Tottori ). Hard to find but at Akaoni.

Question 98

Kame No O Rice- Sake

Answer 98

From Niigata and Yamagata. Rich and flavorful and a bit drier and more acidic than other rice types, but I have not had enough to intelligently comment. Representative Sake Brands: Although there are several across Niigata and Tohoku, look for Kame no O (Niigata, Kusumi Shuzo).

Question 99

Dewa San San Rice- Sake

Answer 99

From Yamagata and Niigata. Complex, not so dry, midly fragrant. Top of PageRepresentative Sake Brands: Fumitoi (Yamagata). Bottles are clearly marked with blue sticker, so easy to find Dewa 33 sake, always from Yamagata.

Question 100

Rice and Sake Prior to 1945

Answer 100

Rice has always been a staple part of the Japanese diet. Up until roughly 50 years ago, rice was in short supply, with production volumes unable to meet domestic demand. Thus, the rice available for sake brewing was understandably limited, and brewing itself was confined to the winter months, when lower temperatures and cleaner winter air provided the best conditions for brewing and storage (natural refrigeration helped keep sake fresh for consumption months after it was brewed). Such conditions made large-scale brewing unfeasible until recent times, and resulted in regional sake brands that closely matched the local climate, cuisine, and tastes of the local population. These fairly distinct regional styles can still be identified today.One exception, however, is a generic type of sake produced during the Edo period (1600-1868). During this period, the new Warrior Class (samurai) had wrested power from the nobility, and demand for sake increased dramatically amongst these warriors. Sake brewers (most notably in the Nada brewing region between Kobe and Osaka) began to produce sake with a refined flavor that appealed to these upper-class Edo consumers. Although Nada-type sake had no overwhelmingly strong characteristics, there was nothing to dislike about it, and its appeal was therefore widespread . Interestingly enough, its appeal is still strong today.

Question 101

Water- Sake

Answer 101

Sake is, at first glance, a simple creation. The main ingredients are water, rice, koji, and yeast. Pristine and uncomplicated. But things get a bit more involved just beneath the surface. Water is an appropriate analogy of the apparently simple yet inherently complex nature of sake brewing.

The popularity of bottled and spring water over the last few years attests to the difficulty of maintaining a pure water supply. A quick discerning sniff of the ordinary tap water of many cities can crinkle the nose of even the most insensitive of dullards, especially when compared with fresh spring or well water.Imagine if the delicate flavor components of sake were to be made to compete with that onslaught.

Question 102

The Role of Water- Sake

Answer 102

Sake in its completed form is about 80% pure water. Before it arrives at that final manifestation, however, it is exposed to oceanic amounts of water in each step of the brewing process.The rice is washed, rinsed, and soaked before it ever gets close to the steaming process. Water is then added to the fermenting moromi in the tanks at each of the (typically) three “shikomi,” or additions of rice, water and koji. Finally, a little water is almost always added at the end to bring the alcohol down from the naturally occurring twenty percent or so to around sixteen percent.

All together, the amount of water that goes into a bottle of sake adds up to be more than 30 times the weight of the rice used. It deserves a bit of attention.

Question 103

Sake Watering Holes

Answer 103

Water and Earl Most of the traditional sake brewing locations, like Nada (Kobe), Fushimi (Kyoto), Saijo (Hiroshima) and Aizu-Wakamatsu (Fukushima) came into existence partly due to the abundant supply of good water in the region. Chemical analysis was not exactly in its heyday in the 1700′s, but the final product told the story, and everyone rushed to set up shop where success had been proven.

The most famous example of this is the water that rushes down from Mt. Rokko in Hyogo Prefecture into Nishinomiya and Nada. Known as “Miyamizu,” sake made using this water was immensely popular among the elite. This led to the region having more breweries and producing more sake than any other place in Japan, a statistic which still holds true today.

Eventually science caught up to intuition and experience and found ways to determine what exactly makes “good water” for sake brewing, as well as what does not. The results of extensive research by sake-brewing research centers, which exist in almost every prefecture, have now become common knowledge to brewers.

Question 104

The Bad Compounds in Sake Water

Answer 104

The baddest hombre of the bunch is iron. Iron will darken the color of sake and adversely affect its taste and fragrance. This happens because it chemically attaches to the center of a normally colorless compound attached to an amino acid produced while the koji mold is being made. Also, as sake ages, the residual sugars react with amino acids present to change the flavor and smell, and the presence of iron hastens this reaction.

Manganese plays a different but equally despicable role. When sake is exposed to light, in particular ultraviolet light, manganese promotes a chemical reaction that will discolor and de-luster the appearance of a sake. In direct sunlight, this change can be seen in less than three hours. Although there are others, these are the main two culprits in water that would negate candidacy for sake brewing.

Question 105

The Good Compounds in Sake Water

Answer 105

Then there are the good guys; elements and compounds whose presence we cannot do without. In particular, potassium, magnesium and phosphoric acid are necessary to aid the propagation of the yeast in the “shubo” (yeast starter), as well as in the proper development of good “koji”. If these are not present in sufficient amounts the yeast cells will not multiply as well or as quickly, throwing off the timing off of the entire fermentation so that it can not be properly controlled.

One of the problems here is that potassium is water soluble, and can be washed away during the rice washing and soaking processes if the kurabito (or brewery workers) are not careful. A similar hassle exists with phosphoric acid, as it is generally attached to fat and protein molecules. It must be removed from these, and the bonds are broken by enzymes donated by the kind koji, thereby freeing it up to be used by the yeast. This shows how tightly the various aspects of the brewing process are intertwined.

To sum up, potassium, magnesium, and phosphoric acid help vigorous yeast propagation and also assist in koji development. Iron and manganese, on the other
hand, adversely affect the flavor, aroma, and color of a sake in a relatively short amount of time.

Question 106

Where do Sake Brewers get their water from?

Answer 106

Leaving the chemical chicanery behind, where do kura get their water? More of it comes from wells than any other source. The stable temperature of deep well water gives it consistency,although the individual qualities of a well vary with depth and the land.

Rivers flowing from the mountains as well as lakes and other bodies of water are also used, but the less-than-positive changes in the environment over the last century or so have rendered many of these useless. Which is not to say this practice is completely obsolete. Many kura brag about their region’s “meisui” (famous water), insisting that it is one of the secrets of their fine brew.

Naturally, water can be chemically altered and synthetically produced to specifications, so many kura take that route. Still others use local tap water, and filter it or alter it as is necessary to fit their needs.

As a general classification, water for brewing is often referred to as “kosui” (hard water)or “nansui” (soft water), with several monikers that reside somewhere between those two extremes. Although both kinds of water have the potential to make wonderful sake,the brewing methods are subtly different for each. The famous Miyamizu of Kobe is kosui, whereas nearby Fushimi water in Kyoto is nansui. Both Hiroshima and Fukushima have, in general, soft water.

Among sake brewers, water is more often referred to as “tsuyoi mizu” (strong water)and “yowai mizu” (weak water). This refers to how well the water promotes fermentation.And just because the water is “weak” does not by any stretch mean it is not suitable for brewing; it just indicates that the timing of certain steps will be different. Although the correlation is not completely direct, hard water is generally strong water.

Lately, in the barrage of information that has come to appear on sake labels, the type of water used in brewing is sometimes listed.

Question 107

Importance of Yeast in Sake brewing…

Answer 107

The importance of yeast in the production of sake is extremely important, as yeast influences many elements of sake taste, most noticeably sake fragrance. And since our sense of taste is highly influenced by (if not dependent on) our sense of smell, this is crucially important. Indeed, the proper tasting of sake requires a well-developed sense of smell. There is the initial sniff, noting the general fragrance of a sake. Then comes the fukumi-ka, or the fragrance that arises as you hold the sake in your mouth and breathe. There is also the modori-ka, a third fragrance that becomes discernible immediately after you expel or swallow a sip. Yeast will affect all of these

Question 108

What part does yeast play in sake?

Answer 108

Yeast converts sugar to alcohol and carbon dioxide. It is the heart of the creation of all alcoholic beverages. But different yeast strains will produce different things, like esters, alcohols, and acids and other chemical compounds that affect the nuances of fragrance and flavor.

Each yeast will give rise to its own specific array of chemical compounds, with scary names like ethyln caproate and isamyl acetate. These will be present in varying quantities, depending on the choice of yeast and the successful progress (or lack thereof) of the fermentation. Which esters, alcohols and
other compounds are produced are highly dependent on the temperature at which fermentation takes place. All of this will help to determine the character and nature of the sake. In this way, the choice of yeast also directly affects flavor.

Question 109

Are all Sake yeasts the same?

Answer 109

How does one strain of yeast physically differ from another? There are many ways, but not all are so obvious. It is often not simply a matter of size or physical appearance. In fact, when the cells of two yeast strains are set next to each other in a microscope, the average person is not likely to be able to tell the difference.

The differences are more evident in other things Like the length of the life cycle of the yeast: how long will it work before becoming dormant, or how robust or fickle it is against alcohol and/or temperature.Which alcohols, esters and other things it tends to give off as by-products of its life cycle during fermentation is of course, another important factor.

Question 110

How is sake yeast developed?

Answer 110

Although we speak of a yeast being “developed,” it is more a matter of being isolated. The process of coming up with a new, specialized yeast strain, usually takes about three years, and is actually a kind of reverse engineering.

Yeast is usually isolated by starting with a tank of sake being made. It may be one in which many, many strains of naturally occurring (i.e. floating in the air) yeast strains were allowed to initiate the fermentation. Some of the thick foam on the top of the moromi (the fermenting mash) is taken and analyzed. This foam has the highest concentration of yeast cells in the tank. If the sake comes out well, the strain of yeast that is most populous is isolated and reproduced for further study. If it continues to demonstrate the desired qualities, it is made available on a larger scale.

Question 111

History of yeast in Japan….

Answer 111

In the early 1900s, the Central Brewers Union first began taking pure yeast strains that had been isolated (usually by larger breweries from particularly good tanks of sake) and making them available to kura (breweries) across the nation in pure form, usually in small glass vials. These yeast strains have since been assigned numbers by the Central Brewers Union.

Question 112

Common Yeast Strains- Sake

Answer 112

At present, they are up to number 15. Each one has its own special qualities. Yeast #1 through #6 are no longer in use, as apparently the acid produced was too strong.

Yeast #7, #9, and #10 are perhaps the most important these days. Yeast #7, discovered by Masumi of Nagano, is the single most commonly used yeast in the country, with its mellow fragrance and robust strength during fermentation. Yeast #9 is the most common yeast for ginjo-shu, due to its wonderful fragrance-creating abilities, and fairly healthy constitution during fermentation. Yeast #10 produces a lower-acid, fine-grained flavor in sake, but is a bit fickle at all but the lowest fermentation temperatures.

More recently, Yeast #14 (which is low in acidity with lots of pears and apples in the fragrance) and Yeast #15 (which is very fragrant but not of such robust constitution) are often seen used in finer sake, especially in particular regions.

There are, on top of the publicly available yeast strains, dozens of others that are used on varying scales throughout Japan. Many of these are proprietary, having been developed by kura and used only by them, or more commonly, developed by prefectural brewing research institutes and used by kura in that prefecture.

Many of these are wonderful indeed, and go well with the water and rice of that region. A few examples of this include F701, also known as Utsukushima Yume Kobo from Fukushima, the wonderfully fragrant Alps Kobo from Nagano, and HD-1 and NEW-5, which help Shizuoka sake be the wonderfully drinkable brew that it is.

And finally, no discussion of sake yeast would be complete without mention of the awa-nashi kobo, or foamless yeasts. Yeast #6, #7, #9 and #10 all have cousins that do almost an identical job without producing the massive amounts of foam that rise and fall and breathe majestically throughout the course of the fermentation. These are designated by adding 01 to the number. For example, #901 is a foamless version of #9.

Why foamless? This saves hours and hours of grueling cleaning time, scraping the remnants of the foam from the side of a tank before starting the next batch. Also, since a third of each tank must usually be reserved for the rising foam, more sake can be brewed with less space using such awa-nashi yeast.

However, some experts say that the these foamless versions are not quite what their bubbling cousins are, in terms of the final product. Fragrance and flavors are not quite as refined, although they may be 99 percent of the way there, say some. This is somewhat unsubstantiated, and may be nonsense. It is most likely affected by preconceived notions, but such talk has been heard.

Often these yeasts will be given working names, names that are more romantic than a simple number. One example given above is the F701 from Fukushima, known much more commonly as the Utsukushima Yume (dream) Kobo. Others include mighty #9,also known as Kumamoto Kobo, in honor of the prefecture from which it originally comes (more specifically, from the kura that brews the fragrant and very fruity sake called Koro. Number 10 was discovered by a gent named Chikara Ogawa, so that it is often called Ogawa Kobo (especially in northern Japan, where it was isolated). Number 14 is often referred to as Kanazawa Kobo, and #15 is commonly known as AK-1, for Akita Kobo, both in recognition of their origins.

Question 113

Why pay attention to yeast in Sake production?

Answer 113

Yeast is one of the newer developments in the sake world that we can all follow with interest. Over the last ten years or so, dozens of new yeast strains have been developed and come into use. This has been one of those great technical advances in the sake world — one factor that separates great ginjo of today from the run-of-the-mill sake of yesteryear.

Although it may not make much of a difference once you are sipping, learning to identify the qualities of a yeast strain and searching for and comparing fragrance and flavor profiles can be extremely instrumental in improving your palate. It can also simply be a lot of fun.

More and more commonly, especially for decent sake, the yeast used is listed on the bottle. Be sure to look for and try to identify the various special qualities of the various yeast strains.

It is also interesting and important to note that yeast development is one area of progress that has taken place outside of the actual brewing process, yet still affects the final product greatly. In other words, great sake might be brewed using a brand new yeast strain, but the actual brewing process still relies on old hand-made ways that eschew modern machinery.

Question 114

What is koji?

Answer 114

Koji is steamed rice that has had koji-kin, or koji mold spores, cultivated onto it. (See photo at right, which is a grain of rice cultivated with koji mold.) This magical mold, for which the official scientific name is Aspergillus Oryzae, creates several enzymes as it propagates, and these are what break the starches in rice into sugars that can be fermented by the yeast cells, which then give off carbon dioxide and alcohol. Without koji, there is no sake. For what it is worth, sake is not the only beverage in the world using koji. There are a couple of others throughout Asia. But the brewing methodologies are vastly different.

A quick comparison between the production methods of sake versus other alcoholic beverages may prove useful. Wine is fermented from grapes, which already contain sugar (glucose, to be chemically correct). This is what yeast cells need for food. There are other kinds of sugars, but they cannot bemetabolized by yeast. So in winemaking, yeast is added to a liquid already containing sugar.Grain of rice on which koji is propagating

Beer and other beverages made from malted barley begin not with sugars, but with starches, which are molecularly monstrous. Here, brewers employ enzymes brought out in the barley malting process (where the barley is moistened and warmed, i.e. the sprouting process begun, albeit artificially) to break down the starches into sugars. These enzymes, which activate within very specific temperature ranges, chop the starch chains into much smaller sugar molecules. Some will be glucose and feed the yeast, some will be chemically different sugars and add to flavor.

Koji spore
Grain of rice on which koji is propagating
Back to sake. Sake is brewed from white rice stripped of its husk. There can be no malting, so the starch-chopping enzymes must come from somewhere else. Enter the cooperative koji. The dark-green spores, sprinkled onto steamed rice, graciously provide the necessary enzymes for saccharification. There are many enzymes involved in this process. Some act to create fermentable sugar (glucose), others act more to create sugars that will not ferment but will instead affect texture and flavor in a sake.

Koji production (known as seigiku) is at the very heart of the sake-brewing process. The leverage it holds over the final product is immense. From a good beginning all things flow naturally, and so it is with koji. Koji is cultivated in a special room in the kura (brewery) called the koji muro. When ready, it is mixed with more steamed rice. Initially, yeast and water are added here. In later stages of a batch, koji is transferred into the large tank within which the sake-to-be is fermenting away. It continues to do its sugar -making work, while imparting the effects of its own sensitive production, until fermentation is finished.

As an example of how sensitive yet powerful koji can be, I once had sake presented by the brewer with an apology: “Look, we just rebuilt our koji muro last year. The wood used for the walls was not quite as ready as we thought, and you can unfortunately taste the cedar wood in the sake.” Sure enough, delicious though the sake was, the faint essence of cedar was evident in the flavor and fragrance.

In general, the koji-making process takes 40 to 45 hours. During this time, the developing koji is checked and mixed constantly to ensure proper temperature and moisture, as well as an even distribution of both. As the koji mold works its way into the center of the steamed rice grains, heat is generated. Different temperatures are ideal at different stages of the process. Not only that, but these ideals will change depending on the sought-after flavor profile. The type of rice, pH and mineral content of the water, and a myriad of other things affect the way koji is made as well. These variables compound to create a process that is more art and intuition than science.

When koji is ready for use, it looks like rice with a small amount of white frosting on each grain. The smell and taste are slightly sweet, as might be expected. There is a characteristic light chestnut-like aroma that wafts wonderfully up.

In response to the demands of the times, there are several manifestations of automatic koji-making machines. Some of these are fully automatic; insert ingredients here, stand back for 42 hours, here’s your kooji. Others allow much more human intervention, some being only closed-loop temperature controlled tables. Even robotic-finger kooji mixers are out there. All of these work well; some better than others. On the quality-versus-labor-saved curve, these score very high indeed. But it is interesting to note that almost every kura in the country makes kooji for their best sake by hand.

Question 115

Kuramoto, Toji and Kurabito- Sake

Answer 115

Sake is produced by the kuramoto (brewery owner), the toji (head sake brewer), and the kurabito (brewery workers). In economic terms, creating the product calls for land, finances and raw materials. The kuramoto is responsible for procuring these, while the toji is responsible for the actual brewing and the hiring and management of the kurabito. Moreover, since sake is brewed only in the winter, the toji and kurabito are essentially “contract” workers.

Question 116

The Toji System- Sake

Answer 116

The toji, or head brewer, is generally associated with one ryuha, or “school” of brewing. These toji ryuha are tied closely to various regions throughout Japan, and there are perhaps 25 schools of toji in existence now. Each school has its own style, to be sure, and that style is evident in the sake they brew, but the differences between various schools of toji is not what it was long ago. Long ago, it was all quite secretive, and the methods employed and refined by one group were never disclosed to other groups. But, over the past several decades, toji and brewers from all over the country readily share information in their shared desire to make better sake.

In part, the toji system came about with a little help from the government. In 1798 the Shogunate formalized an economic system based on rice. In order to establish tight control, the government decreed that no sake brewing was permitted before the Autumn Equinox. Although not much could be done in the warmer seasons anyway, sake brewers now had to go into the boonies to get the farmers who found themselves with too much free time in the winter.

Toji for the most part are, in the off-season, farmers and fishermen. During the spring, summer and fall, they grow rice or work on fishing boats in their home regions. When the fall harvest is over, or the fishing season ends, there is no longer any work in their villages. This is the season when they head off to sake breweries to work. In Japanese, this traveling for seasonal employment is called “dekasegi.”

The various toji schools are usually centered in the snowy regions of Japan, like the northern Tohoku region and Hokuriku region. Although the dekasegi system of travelling far from home for seasonal work was never limited to the sake brewing industry, the pay and status of sake laborers was always relatively higher than other seasonal labor jobs. In general, the competition for jobs in the sake industry has thus been more intense than in other industries employing dekasegi laborers

Question 117

Learning the trade- Sake

Answer 117

A toji basically learns his skill through on-the-job training. There are no texts, and the only way to learn is by watching. In the old days, no one taught anyone else by direct instruction; one was expected to watch and learn. This allowed one to develop a very deeply embedded and strong sense about what to do in each situation. As a result, if you gathered together 100 toji, you would likely find 100 different brewing styles. Indeed, the Japanese saying Sakaya Banryu was coined to express this wide divergence in toji styles.

In modern times, however, this system of learning only by watching has changed somewhat. Today, the government and toji unions encourage those wanting to become toji to formally study fermentation and chemistry.

Question 118

A typical tori day- Sake

Answer 118

What precisely does a toji do? Let’s look at a typical day during the high season of sake brewing. The toji, along with the other brewing craftsmen (kurabito), gets up about five in the morning. The first thing to do is to check on the state of the koji. Koji development is an extremely important step in the brewing process, in which the starch in the rice is converted into sugars. Koji is created by propagating koji mold spores (called aspergillus oryzae in English) onto rice. To do this properly, the koji must be mixed regularly and have its temperature checked constantly. This is the first order of business in the early morning.

Next, toji check the status of the various tanks of fermenting sake mash. This mash, called moromi in Japanese, is a mixture of koji, rice, water, and yeast. The mash must undergo fermentation to yield alcohol, and the typical fermentation period lasts two to three weeks. However, premium ginjo-shu sake takes longer (usually one month) to ferment.

During the fermentation period, the toji will check daily the status of each moromi tank. This often means making a chemical analysis of the moromi to determine if various compounds are sufficiently present. But the toji does not rely purely on chemical analysis. He relies on his experience and Koji workerseyes to judge the condition of the mash. He looks at the foam on the surface of the moromi, how much carbon dioxide is emanating from it, the amount and appearance of the foam, and even the sound of the foam as it churns and bubbles pop. The toji call this “talking to the moromi.” It ‘s like judging a baby’s health by listening to the baby’s crying. Then, based on this information, adjustments are made.

For example, if the yeast is particularly active and the fermentation is proceeding too quickly, he may cool the tank down a bit to slow the progress of the fermenting moromi. Just how many degrees it needs to be chilled would be a decision based on the toji’s experience. Before there were any major technological developments, sake was brewed exclusively by these kinds of methods, but even today in the age of chemical analysis and modern technology, these skills are just as important as the analysis and modern equipment.

After checking on the moromi and koji, the toji eat breakfast. Following that, preparations are made for the sake that will be brewed that day. This includes washing rice, steaming large amounts of rice, cooling the rice after steaming, adding it to the correct fermenting tanks, and making koji

There are usually several types of sake being brewed at any one time, each calling for different types of sake rice. Toji must be very careful to keep their rices separate. Also, sake that has completed its fermentation period and is ready will be pressed to separate the clear sake from the remaining rice solids to give what is called genshu, or pure undiluted sake. This process can take all day and last into the evening.

After dinner, they take a break prior to the late-evening check and mixing of the koji. They go to sleep about ten o’clock, with the same work awaiting them the next morning.

Today, scientific theories and systematic testing provide viable explanations for the fermentation process, and the toji craft has lost some of its “magic and mystery.” Yet, we must still admire the toji, for they are dealing daily with a fermentation process that involves microorganisms too small to be seen by the naked eye. Some of these microscopic organisms are floating around in the air, and although some are beneficial to sake production, others are detrimental. Just how to balance the effects of these organisms is something the toji does not with his eyes, but based on his experience, his sense, and his intuition. And in the end a great toji creates a great work of art that science alone could never achieve through automation. Making sake is indeed deep and complicated work. It may seem that a toji’s work is one of simple repetition, but each day he works with nature, not against it, to seemingly control organisms he cannot see, based on what could be called “the eyes of his heart.”

Question 119

Decline in number of Toji- Sake

Answer 119

Along with a general decline in the number of sake breweries in Japan, the number of toji as well is declining owing to advanced age, the lack of successors, and the utilization of mass-production techniques. The average toji age is 65. Successors are hard to find, as more and more Japanese youth prefer the excitement and opportunites of the big cities to life in small farming and fishing villages. The toji take pride in their work, but they also know it is hard work on a seasonal basis and thus in general they refrain from forcing their children to follow in their footsteps.The number of toji is expected to decline rapidly in the years ahead, but some kuramoto are working to remedy this situation. Some are moving away from “contracted” seasonal labor and offering more permanent employment opportunities. Others are attempting to automate certain operations, like bottle transport, which do not require a “handmade” touch. Some are introducing computers and new technologies to “simulate” — via fuzzy logic — the experience and intuition of the toji. Although many smaller brewers are experimenting with ways to combine automation technologies with centuries-old hand-made brewing techniques, their objectives remain quite different from the large-scale mass producers of sake. The objective of the small brewer is not to produce greater volume, but rather to continue producing unique “hand-made” sake with technologies and employment practices that ensure its future survival

Question 120

Famous Toji Schools- Sake

Answer 120

There are about 25 toji ryuha throughout Japan. The largest three are by far Nanbu toji from Iwate, Echigo toji from Niigata, and Tajima toji from Hyogo. Their names come from the old geographical names for their respective regions. As might be expected, Nanbu toji were centered around Tohoku, Echigo toji near Niigata and Kanto, and Tajima toji in Nada and Fushimi. Other examples include Akitsu toji from Hiroshima, Yamanouchi toji from Akita, and Tanba toji, also from Hyogo.

Although consumer demand has often come to dictate style more than in the past, some semblance of regional distinction remains. Sake made by Echigo toji is quite often “tanrei karakuchi,” or dry and clean. The soft and mellow sake of Nada and Kyoto is indicative of that made by Tajima toji, and Nanbu toji sake is generally simple, straightforward, but well pronounced; a personal favorite as far as styles go. Others recommendable for their distinction and memorability include the sake of Hiroshima’s Akitsu toji, and that of the Izumo toji of Shimane, albeit a bit harder to find.

As the number of kura (sake breweries) has drastically declined, naturally so has the number of toji in most ryuha. The number of Echigo toji has dropped to one-third what it was at the beginning of the Showa era, and the number of Tajima toji, the largest at the beginning of the Showa era, has dropped to one-tenth the number of members. Only the Nanbu toji have retained strength in the ranks, having maintained the same number of members for the past 40 years or so. This may be due to the training and strict qualifications testing provided. Amongst prize-winning sake, the Nanbu toji names are appearing with increasing frequency.

With the convenience of modern transportation systems, the toji are venturing farther and farther from home. They very often travel together with the same crew of kurabito (workers). For example, Nanbu toji and their merry bands can be found as far south as Kansai. They have come to naturally fill the voids left by the decreasing number of Echigo toji.

As interest increases in the factors that go into brewing good sake, the name of the toji, and where he or she is from, is often listed on the label. Paying attention to toji helps develop a sense for the particular styles and distinctions of the various regions.

Question 121

What is sake? Is it a beer? Is it a wine? Is it a spirit?

Answer 121

Sake is a beverage fermented from rice, which is a grain. This would make it more of a beer than a wine. Yet, sake is not carbonated, and flavor-wise is closer to wine than beer , although it is indeed uniquely different from wine. Sake is not a distilled beverage, and is not even remotely related to gin, vodka or other spirits.

Question 122

What is the alcohol content of sake?

Answer 122

Sake is generally between 15% and 17% alcohol.

Question 123

How long does it take to brew sake?

Answer 123

Basically about a month. It can be a bit longer for ginjo-shu, including all the steps. Also, this does not include the ( usually) six-month period sake is “aged” before release.

Question 124

Is sake aged like wine ? Is there such a thing as “vintage” sake?

Answer 124

In general, sake is not aged (beyond the six month period mentioned), and is meant to be consumed soon after purchase. If kept cold and dark, it will last six months to a year without degradation in flavor. There are exceptions, as some sake is deliberately aged. There is no such thing as a vintage year in the sake world. Be sure, then, to notice the bottling date on the label. If the sake was brewed in Japan, note that the year 10 (for Heisei 10) is 1998. So a sake with 9.4.23 would have been bottled on April 23, 1997. Avoid! Try to buy a sake bottled within the last year, at least. If you found it refrigerated, take one more sigh of relief. If not, it may not be totally fresh.

Question 125

How should sake be stored?

Answer 125

Sake should be stored away from light and kept cool. Refrigeration is best, although not absolutely necessary unless the sake has not been pasteurized.

Question 126

How many types of sake are there?

Answer 126

From a production point of view, there are five basic types. Note that there are several other less-common types as well.

Question 127

How can one tell a good sake from a bad sake?

Answer 127

If you do not have a chance to taste it, begin by trying to buy something with the words Junmai-shu, or Honjozo-shu, or Ginjo-shu or Daiginjo-shu on it. If you do have the chance to taste it, look for balance. Nothing should be cloying or pushy in the flavor profile. A sake can be quite dry or quite sweet and still be in balance. If it is lethargic and/or dull, and cloyingly sweet or gratingly harsh, avoid it. (Unless you like it that way!)

Question 128

What is the proper color for sake?

Answer 128

Sake is generally almost transparent, which is often due to filtering at the kura (brewery) before shipping. This can be excessive at times, stripping a sake of its character. Often a sake has a light amber or gold color to it. This is often the case in full-flavored sake. This can be quite pleasant and add a new dimension to the sake experience. Beware: if a sake has been left in the light or allowed to age, it will turn a darker color, almost a lusterless brown. Sake that has degraded to this level is best avoided.

Question 129

How many sake brands, or labels, are there?

Answer 129

There are about 1800 sake breweries (called kura in Japanese) in Japan, a number which is sharply decreasing each year. So there are 1700 brands, but most kura make several grades or types of sake, which are significantly different. So there are likely as many as 10,000 different sake among these breweries. In the US, there are presently seven breweries, most of which make more than one product.

Question 130

How does US-brewed sake stand up to sake from Japan?

Answer 130

The breweries in Japan have a 1000 year head start, not only in terms of brewers and craftsmen, but in terms of special rice that makes great sake. It is understandably a richer and more diverse world, and the sake reflects that. There is good sake and bad sake being brewed in the US — just as there is in Japan. While in general the sake from Japan (assuming it has been cared for properly) is more flavorful, alive and character-laden, there is plenty of very drinkable sake being brewed in the US. Plenty. Also, as the cost of raw materials is significantly less in the US, sake brewed in the US can present quite a value to the consumer.

Question 131

What is koji?

Answer 131

Koji is steamed rice onto which koji-kin (which means koji mold) has been cultivated. This mold is known in English as Aspergillus Oryzae. It is used in sake brewing to break down the starch molecules into sugar molecules that can be used as food by the yeast cells. Since rice is milled, there is no husk and therefore no enzymes, so malting (as in beer brewing) is not possible. Koji provides those enzymes to create the sugars for fermentation. This cultivation of koji-kin mold onto steamed rice to create koji itself is the heart of the sake brewing process.

Question 132

What is the nihonshu-do, or Sake Meter Value?

Answer 132

This is a measure of the density of the sake relative to water. It is a very general reference to the sweetness or dryness of a sake. Note, however, that acid content and water hardness and temperature and other factors also contribute a great deal to the concept of sweet and dry.

Question 133

What is the ideal temperature for serving sake?

Answer 133

In spite of the words of the venerable James Bond, most decent sake tastes best slightly chilled. In short, there is no one ideal serving temperature, but cool to chilled brings our the best in most good sake, with subtle differences presenting themselves at each temperature range. A lot of good sake goes well warmed, but not too hot! Piping hot sake is a carryover from decades ago when sake was not at the level it is now, and heating it was the best way to go. Times have changed, but in Japan as well as in the US, a lot of cheap sake is served very hot.

Question 134

Are different kinds of rice used to brew sake, as grapes are for wine?

Answer 134

Yes, indeed. There are about 65 varieties of rice designated as sake rice, and naturally some are more prized than others. Like grapes, different rice strains grow best in particular regions. Some famous examples are Yamada Nishiki, Gohyaku Mangoku and Omachi.

Question 135

What is the sugar content of sake, and how many calories are there in a typical serving of sake?

Answer 135

There are between 180 and 240 calories, or 20 to 27 grams of carbohydrates, in 5.5 oz glass of sake. Protein and fat are negligible. During the brewing of sake, the yeast cells eat the natural sugar created by the starches in the rice and give off alcohol and carbon dioxide. The starch-to-sugar conversion, and the fermentation of that sugar, take place simultaneously in the same tank. This makes sake unique; in other beverages the conversion to sugar occurs first, and fermentation later. Also, another important parameter to be aware of is the Nihonshu-do. Also called the Sake Meter Value (abbreviated SMV) in English, this is the specific gravity of a sake. It indicates how much of the sugars created from the starches in the rice were converted to alcohol, and how much remained to contribute to sweetness. By ancient convention, the higher the number, the drier the sake. What is the range? In theory, it is open-ended. In practice, + 10 or so is quite dry, -4 or so is quite sweet, and +3 or so is neutral. Keep in mind this parameter is affected by acidity, temperature, accompanying food, and a host of other factors so that it is limited in its usefulness.

Question 136

What are the ingredients of Sake?

Answer 136

Rice, Water, Yeast, Koji- Kin: the spores of the fungus ‘Aspergillus Oryzae’

Question 137

When is Sake rice grown and harvested?

Answer 137

• Planted between April and June

- Harvested between August and October

Question 138

What are the top 5 Sake rice varieities planted?

Answer 138

1. Yamada Nishiki (33%)
2. Gohyakumangoku (30%)
3. Miyama Nishiki (10%)
4. Omachi (2.6%)
5. Hatten Nishiki (1.6%)

Question 139

What type of rice was traditionally used for Sake production?

Answer 139

Table rice. However over time it was realised that sakamai (Sake rice) was better

Question 140

Sakamai rice?

Answer 140

Is a large grained rice with a large opaque white centre in which the starch is concentrated, this means that the outside (which contains the fats, proteins, minerals and amino acids) can be polished off easily to make a cleaner style of Sake

Question 141

What style of Sake does Table rice produce?

Answer 141

It produces a more robust, traditional style. Whilst Sakamai rice produces a cleaner more refined style

Question 142

What type of factors determine the quality of a Sake?

Answer 142

The milling percentage, along with the rice, determine style, aroma and flavour

Question 143

A Sake that has been lightly milled to say 80% will___________

Answer 143

Still have 20% of the other grain milled away will tend to have a more robust aroma and flavour than a Sake made with more polished rice

Question 144

What is a Toji?

Answer 144

A master Sake brewer

Question 145

What qualifies a Sake as Ginjo?

Answer 145

When rice is polished to 60% or less (with 40% removed). It must also meet quality requirements and have good flavour, colour and luster

Question 146

What qualifies a Sake as Daiginjo?

Answer 146

50% polished and 50% remaining. It must also meet the quality requirements that it have good flavour, colour and luster. Some people regard these as ‘premium’ or the ‘best’ style. But others consider it just another style.

Question 147

What style of water needs to be used for sake?

Answer 147

The purist style of water. It is used for washing, soaking and steaming the rice. It’s also sometimes used for diluting the ferment and to dilute the the alcohol level

Question 148

Where are most kura (Sake breweries) Located?

Answer 148

Right near fresh sources of water

Question 149

How do the describe the levels of minerals in water for Sake?

Answer 149

It can either be described as hard water or soft water. Water that has a lower mineral content is soft water. Generally this means that the yeast doesn’t have to work as hard and it’s a slower ferment. This means that the Sake is gentler and softer.

Question 150

Do most Sake Kuras use wild yeast or cultivated yeast strains?

Answer 150

Cultivated yeast strains are used now

Question 151

Creation of the Koji….

Answer 151

• 25% of the steamed rice is taken to the Koji room (small room kept, hot and humid- like a sauna)
• Steamed rice is spread out and sprinkled with Koji spores- this breaks down the starch in the rice grain into sugar
• Koji- Kin is massaged into the rice and then the rice is placed in containers and left in the Koji room. This is left for 2 days to allow the Koji- Kin time to start the conversion process of starch into sugar
• The rice then becomes known as koji (rice that has been inoculated with Koji mould)
• The Koji has is taken out of the hot room back into the main brewery where it is added to a small ferment tank along with more steamed rice, spring water and yeast

Question 152

At the moto stage of brewing sake what are the 3 main starter techniques?

Answer 152

Kimoto
Yamahai
Sokujo

Question 153

Kimoto- Sake starter method

Answer 153

• First Method, involves grinding the rice, water and Koji together with wooden paddles
• This mashing technique encourages lactic bacteria to start the start. This feeds the yeast
• Extremely labourious way of creating the starter
• Takes about 4 weeks

Question 154

Yamahai- Sake starter technique

Answer 154

• Uses a small amount of ingredients. These are bought together.
• Instead Of using the mashing technique (like Kimoto), the ingredients are just left alone

Question 155

Sokujo- Sake starter technique

Answer 155

• This is the most modern way
• A small amount of lactic acid is added to the starter, This then feeds the yeast straight away
• This is now the most common way of starting the Moto and takes about 2 weeks to create

Question 156

If a sake doesn’t list Yamahai or Kimoto on the label what type of starter method is used?

Answer 156

The Sokujo method

Question 157

What flavours do Yamahai, Kimoto or Sokujo provide to sake?

Answer 157

Yamahai and Kimoto provide robust sake often with earthier/ more traditional flavours. Whereas Sokujo provides a cleaner flavour

Question 158

Multiple Parallel Fermentation- Sake

Answer 158

• Conversion of starch in the rice grain into sugar (by a Koji), and the conversion of sugar into alcohol (by the yeast) are happening at the same time
• This results in undiluted Sake has an alcohol content of approx. 18- 20%, this is higher than any other naturally fermented beverage

Question 159

What is different between sake Fermentation and beer or wine Fermentation?

Answer 159

• Wine Fermentation is known as simple Fermentation, grapes contain a high % if sugar naturally, Fermentation can occur spontaneously due to the wild yeast on the grape skin or with cultured yeast
• Beer ferment is known as seperate Fermentation because the brewer malts the grain to first develop the enzymes required to change the grain starches into sugars. The sugars are then converted into alcohol by yeast. In beer this happens in different stages, unlike Sake where they happen simultaneously (or parallel)

Question 160

Pressing: Post- Fermentation- Sake

Answer 160

• The liquid is then seperated from the solids

- Most common method used now is ‘assakuki’ press