Sake?

[Jim Brewster]

When I read "fungus" I thought that's a bit dodgy, before remembering that yeast is also a fungus. Sounds an interesting one to try

 

[MZonard]

I left the Koji rice production a bit long so it became stressed (green tinge) but it seems to be working OK. As I'm using Wyeast Sake' yeast with gazillions of cells there's no need wait for the yeast starter to build-up. So I've now done the stepped koji, steamed rice and water additions. There's around 5kg of rice and 6 litres of water in the bucket.

The frothy fermentation is amazing. Now for around 3 weeks of the main fermentation.

 

[MZonard]

So yesterday I filtered the Moromi through a fine nylon mesh bag to produce about 7 litres of milky liquid which didn't smell very alcoholic. Put in DJs and added wine finings. Today the rice is starting to fall out of suspension leaving a clear yellowish liquid above. Do I have Sake' or gack? Only time will tell...[

 

[MZonard]

So it's been racked again and it's now cleared and ready for pasteurisation and bottling.

 

[johncrobinson]

It looks like saki

 

[CraftySamurai]

Thinking of getting the Umami Chef White Rice Koji from Amazon and using this to make a amazake/sake to then try combine with a pilsner or ipa. Anyone have any experience with this product? The koji kin kits are all sold out in the uk or about £40 with postage or even more.

 

[Mr_S_Jerusalem]

So it's been racked again and it's now cleared and ready for pasteurisation and bottling.

What does it taste like? And what is it’s general effect after a glass? The same as a wine glass?

 

[MZonard]

My daughter in law (who had a couple of bottles for Xmas) says it tastes like Sake'... adding that there was a haze of rice in suspension. I think that's cleared now. I'll do a taste test tomorrow!

 

[CraftySamurai]

My daughter in law (who had a couple of bottles for Xmas) says it tastes like Sake'... adding that there was a haze of rice in suspension. I think that's cleared now. I'll do a taste test tomorrow!

Sounds good, I am going to use some Yumenishiki short grain rice. I was thinking of about milling it too. Hope it tastes as good as your daughter in law says

 

[CraftyConcoctions]

Thinking of getting the Umami Chef White Rice Koji from Amazon and using this to make a amazake/sake to then try combine with a pilsner or ipa. Anyone have any experience with this product? The koji kin kits are all sold out in the uk or about £40 with postage or even more.

Hi Samurai, I have seen the Umami Chef koji used to make Amazake and a Koji beer. The recipe was on their website

 

[CraftySamurai]

Sweet! Thanks for letting me know I'm excited to start brewing again and two very different beers at that. Also an amazake right now would be welcome with a bit of ginger nice and warming when it's bloody freezing outside.

 

[MZonard]

I tasted my sake today and found it not to my liking. It's a bit sour and I can taste the rice. But maybe that's what it's supposed to be. Adding a bit of ginger sounds good to me.

 

[CraftySamurai]

Amazake is a crude sake with little or no alcohol that's served with all the lumps and bumps of unfiltered sake. Personally I wouldn't add ginger to sake but it could do the trick for ya. Just grate a small amount of fresh ginger into your cup to taste. I prefer Sake cold nearly always chilled. The difference in taste is often quite astounding sometimes

 

[johncrobinson]

It does take a bit of getting used to if you are not a saki drinker.
I was not impressed with my first sip,Considering the legend around the stuff
I was expecting "nectar of the gods".

If memory serves me right some of it is actually flavored with SALT.

So i suppose (as the brewer) you can flavour it with whatever you like

 

[CraftySamurai]

It took me a few years after my first taste of sake (originally I tried either Choya or Doragon sake from a uk supermarket) I couldn't even finish the bottle at the time but now I drink different brands and pay a little more, although I don't mind Gekkeikan or Choya as a basic brand to drink if you are looking for something simple and cheap. I recommend Gekkeikan as a sampler if you can find it cheap enough.

I'm not a somelier but I always think most sakes end up with a kinda light melon flavour to them and sometimes that almost a little sour flavour too. There's tons of variants out there and lots of grades of sake too. Often many are produced with added alcohol rather than pure fermented alcohol from the rice, this makes them cheaper and the purer blends much more prized and more expensive in turn. So us homebrewers are actually making something to more akin to the premium sake.

Leaving it unfiltered produces a type of sake called Nigori which is with the pulpy gloop in the bottle too. It's an acquired taste but it's popular all the same.

Would love to hear how any additions you make change the flavor profile and if they are more suited to your liking.

I orders the Umami kitchen brand koji and a book on koji that they had paired with it. Although my main reason for brewing sake is to create this beer sake blend I also will probably make an unbastardized sake too, so will let you guys know how that turns out. Very excited after seeing your process and progress and hearing it's now readd to drink.