Topic: Making Sake

[Beer Monster]

Just a brief update.....I have just finished by latest brew using a champagne yeast (Lalvin EC-1118) and its REALLY good.

I won't to try some other yeasts now.......any suggestions.

ta
BM

[jamesthehat]

crazy beer monster go blind on sickly sake? ;D

[Beer Monster]

Not going blind drinking Sake.................can't always focus when I've had too much rum though.

[suzylou]

Hey BM, would you share your recipe with me?  Sake is one of my favourites... :)

[Beer Monster]

Hi Suzylou,

no problems...I follow this recipe http://www.ebrew.com/primarynews/sake_basic_overview.htm#basic_sake

I don't use anything artificial whilst brewing so I replace the citric acid with lemon or lime juice and would suggest using the Lalvin EC1118 champagne yeast...much nicer taste.

If you are after Koji Kin I have some listed on ebay.

cheers
BM

[suzylou]

Ta everso ;)  If I can persuade t'other half to let me have a go I'll look you up on ebay! :>

He got his GCSE in Japanese this year, and we eat sushi (with sake!) at least once a week but somehow he doesn't seem to trust me on this one  :P

[Portsmouthnappies]

I have some questions for Beer Monster- Do you not use any chemicals at all??
We would prefer not to and indeed don`t in most aspects of our life however have just received some new kit including campden, citric acid etc.
What sort of success have you had??

[jaggythistle]

   Well I take my hat off to you............I had to endure saki at 2 blessing
  ceremonies..top of the range stuff too.........brought over by my then Japanese
  employers........ 30 gallons each barrel.......they would not let us drink it till it
  was at proper temperature between that n squid and Japanese dishes..don't
  know which was worse my head or my butt  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[petesake]

I've been homebrewing sake for a while now.  How's your brew coming along?  I'd love to share ideas with you.  My latest batch is okay, but needs refinement.  I am trying to find a source of highly polished rice, what kind of grain do you use?  BTW, I use wyeast #9, which is evidentally the most common with japanese kura.  I've also used lager yeast and champagne yeast.  Your results make me want to try champagne yeast again.  I started photodocumenting my process and I plan on writing a procedure once I nail it myself  :)  http://petesake.net/gallery

[Mikewinemaker]

:)
Hi there, just been looking for Koji-kin ... looked most places, looks like i will have to order from abroad.
I enjoyed reading the posts and will hope there are more in this category.

I thought I was making sake, when really I was making rice beer. It was clear, good to taste, and never got any complaints.

Sorry I used citric acid though, probably will carry on using it, though will opt for lemon juice as an alternative.

I really want to go for this sake brewing though, hopefully making quite a lot in future. My ambition is to be able to make pure rice sake, from some of the intructions it appears that hardest thing is to get the temperature settings just right all way through fermentation. To do this I imagine some sort of controlled environment is required, with the ability to change the temperature seetings. Though a little complicated at first, I am sure it can be built so that perfect results are allways achieved.

Anyway, if anyone has any koji-kin for sale, I wold appreciate it if you offered it to me for purchase.

Oh just one thing about what beermonster mentioned about yeast and pasteurising. An alternative, Whig i have not used yet, is to get a pressure filter, that has fine filtering ability, so that the yeast can be filtered out. My 'Buon Vino' filter with no.1 filter in can do this. It also mean to give it a real shine to the wine.

Hope to get some results,

Mike :)

[petesake]

mike,

check out vision brewing, they sell koji spores if you want to make your own koji.  I haven't seen koji rice pre-made for sale, but evidentally you can find it in asian markets.  it's my understanding that sake refers to all alcholic beverages.  to us though sake is nihonshu or rice beer, so you have been brewing sake...

-peter

[Mikewinemaker]

 :)
Peter

OK, thank you for your reasurance, by putting me back on right track. Glad I was actually making sake, as that is what I was calling it, when giving it to my friends.

Just checked out your sake web site of pics... Impressive  ;) and i am not just saying that.

I won't actually buy the Koji-kin till I have something like your koji rice box ...
Though I have acheived something today, I now know where I can actually get hold of the koji-kin.
So i am really happy I can get it now.
I was making the mistake in looking for Aspergilus Oryzae, which is the enzyme / mold.
I would love it if i could get a sample of koji-kin and be able to keep it reproducing... need a sterile set up for that hey. Thought of something, not sure if you are using it though. Its the air circulation, air in, cold be drawn in through a charcoal filter, and a pump...Not sure if that helps, ...?
Another tool I am not sure would help is a ultrasonic humifier, for putting water content into the koji rice maker, if it falls below the recommended hydrographic percentage. I guess it requires high humidity. Not sure if that helps either. OK... well I shall let you know how I get on, though might be sometime before I get the koji-kin.
Though will make some rice beer next week, using a super thrive yeast, enough for 20 litres.



Thanks again for replying so quickly.

Mike :)

[whisk]

http://www.tibbs-vision.com/sake/
This may help with a few recipes for your brew. it is the place which supplies most of the goodies needed. If you have it I have some more sites.
Regards and good luck with your brew.
Whisk