Author Topic: Making Sake (Read 10943 times)

Beer Monster · « **on:** February 19, 2005, 13:32:07 »

I am about to start making sake........anyone got any pointers, especially the yeast.

I have got a few recipes and am just waiting for my Koji-Kin (mould seeds) to arrive from Australia so I can make my Kome-Koji (malt rice). I have got my premium Japonica rice (well milled) and will be using Lemon juice instead of citric acid (I don't use chemicals). The yeast I currently plan to use is CWE Formula 67, a high alcohol tolerant all-purpose wine yeast.

Any help is welcomed.

Beer Monster · « **Reply #1 on:** March 02, 2005, 22:16:11 »

Well I have received my Koji-Kin from OZ and I have made my Kome-Koji. The rice needed a bit of help to get it going with the mould seeds but shall I say its "ripened". It gets very cheesy before the sake aroma takes over.

I have now started the fermentation and its nearly 2 days in, the yeast is doing its work and according to the recipe it should start to smell like sake in the day or so.

I will keep this thread updated, although it seems unless I brew Elderboringberry or Sloooooooooooe Gin no one seem very adventureous.

NattyEm · « **Reply #2 on:** March 03, 2005, 14:08:01 »

oooo I'd missed this thread!! I'm interested! Though sake is a kind of aquired taste I think! I have no ideas about making it though to help sorry.

Mrs Ava · « **Reply #3 on:** March 03, 2005, 23:18:05 »

Not that we aren't adventurous, just some of us don't really brew. Sloe gin is easy to do after all, doesn't involve yeast and demijohns and so on ???

Doris_Pinks · « **Reply #4 on:** March 04, 2005, 13:32:35 »

After a bad experience of drinking far too much sake one night/morning, it is not a drink I would attempt, especially home brew! :o If it has the alcohol content of some of my wines it could induce a VERY nasty hangover!!!
But it is making interesting reading! ;D

oubykh · « **Reply #5 on:** March 04, 2005, 14:52:11 »

when i was about 15 my dad took me to a chinese resturant and i wanted some sake. he agreed a to small one which was duly delivered. i poured it out of the china jug and drank. After a couple of helpings i commented that it was not that good and tasted like warm water - definatly no kick to it. with that my dad removed the top of the jug to reveal the sake in another jug - :o i had been drinking the warming water!! :D :D felt complete idiot anyone mentions sake now!

NattyEm · « **Reply #6 on:** March 04, 2005, 17:13:36 »

Beer Monster · « **Reply #7 on:** March 11, 2005, 07:46:48 »

I am glad some people have joined the thread.... :D

Well I am 10 days in and after about 7 days the yeasty aroma became a sweet sake like smell......my god its working....I am always surprised when things work the first time.

I don't seem to be on the same timeline as the recipe but if I have ever learnt anything about brewing........its patience.

It should take 2 weeks to complete fermentation but I guess it will probably be more like 3 weeks. Then its time to filter at which point it can be drunk, this is called “Doburoku”, I am going to try one small bottle of this but then rack the rest to clear and pasteurise for storage then bottle.

I will update the thread when I have tried the “Doburoku” :P

PS. Got a marvellous deal on eBay...14 clear demijohns for a fiver.

derbex · « **Reply #8 on:** March 11, 2005, 11:48:54 »

Why do you need to pasteurise it? The alcohol should stop it going off.

Well done on the DJs every time I've looked on eBay they've either been expensive or in Addis Abbaba.

Jeremy

Beer Monster · « **Reply #9 on:** March 13, 2005, 16:43:28 »

The explanation in the recipe goes...

"Pasteurizing: Sake that is stored with yeasts still alive in the bottle may be unstable and not preserve well. Sake can be stabilised by pasteurising, this process requires GENTLY heating the strained brew in a saucepan for 5 mins at 55 degrees centigrade(132° F), this will slightly change the character of the drink. Ignore any strange smell given off by the decaying yeasts, this will vanish within 6 days. Allow the sake to cool before bottling. This bottle will be now good for many years while it remains unopened. Generally sake will improve for the first few months after bottling. Leave it for at least a week after pasteurising before drinking. Any sterile sealed bottle will work well for storing Sake. Store in a dark place as light does not agree with Sake. One can choose not to pasteurise, however be sure to keep the Sake refrigerated at all times to preserve it well".

Beer Monster · « **Reply #10 on:** March 24, 2005, 22:45:58 »

Well......I have had success and kind of a failure.

After the fermentation ended I filter the brew with the intention of trying the "Doburoku", it was YAK. A kind of semolina texture that left a nasty taste and made me a tad worried about the outcome of the brew itself.

Hey ho, I carried on and decanted the liquid into 2 large bottles about a week ago. It cleared quickly leaving a thick white sediment in the bottom. At this point I pasteurised the contents of one of the bottles as per the recipe guidelines and re-bottled it, leaving the other as a comparison.

This evening I tried the 2 bottles, both chilled and warm..........

In bottle One......the pasteurised.....it has a yeasty after taste and isn't that good, cold or warm.....bugger......I hope it improves with aging.

In bottle Two......the fresh brewed.....success, a clean taste with a kick and a half, better chilled than warm.

With buoyed optimism I have started another brew, I have substituted Lime juice for Lemon juice to try and sharpen the taste up.

Going to get wrecked this weekend.

To quote the late David Niven "Sayonara is goodbye in Japanese, cyanide is goodbye in any language". ;D

Doris_Pinks · « **Reply #11 on:** March 25, 2005, 12:54:10 »

Are you still with us beer monster??? ;D ;D

philcooper · « **Reply #12 on:** March 27, 2005, 21:29:55 »

BM,

I'm glad to see that you left the Sake to mature before you drank it, otherwise it might have tasted a bit "immature" :D

Phil

Beer Monster · « **Reply #13 on:** March 27, 2005, 22:14:50 »

Phil

Are you a "sarci" expert ?

Any pointer are welcome.

BM

philcooper · « **Reply #14 on:** March 29, 2005, 09:08:39 »

I'm no wine expert - but I know what I like ;)

NattyEm · « **Reply #15 on:** April 27, 2005, 08:22:46 »

Hows brew no. 2 coming along?

Beer Monster · « **Reply #16 on:** April 27, 2005, 19:01:28 »

The second brew is very good, I have let it mature a little more this time.

The taste is much closer to saki you can buy, just a little less sweet.

Its crystal clear and is nice chilled, but I still prefer it warmed.

The making of the Kome Koji is the pain, it needs a constant 30 degrees C, its OK over winter because I can put the central heating on constant over the weekend but at the moment its getting a little too warm. I need to wait until summer kicks in to make any more.

Doris_Pinks · « **Reply #17 on:** April 28, 2005, 09:07:29 »

Glad to see you are still alive Beer monster! ;D

Beer Monster · « **Reply #18 on:** June 02, 2005, 20:16:05 »

If anybody is interested in making there own Sake, I am about to order some more KOJI KIN from my supplier in Australia.

If you would like some please let me know who you are and how much you want, it comes in 1.5g bags or enough to do 1 gallon of sake. Please let me know by the 10th June.

I don't want to come across all sales like but its cheaper for me to order larger quantities. I am NOT looking to make a profit so please don't be offended and think this is a commercial opportunity. Depending on the quantities I order, it should work out at about £1.10 to £1.40 (+ 35p for me to post).

sayonara

movingfinger · « **Reply #19 on:** June 30, 2005, 15:44:45 »

Hi Beer Monster,

I would like to make some sake. Can you let me know how I can go about getting some Koji Kin?

I'm looking to make 5 gallons in my first batch.

Cheers

MF

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Author Topic: Making Sake (Read 10943 times)