Anyone have a 1 gallon sake recipe ?
 

I am looking for a simple 1 gallon sake / rice wine recipe. I can't find one online for some reason. There has to be one out there somewhere. Anyone ?

Sake is a difficult thing to make. I'll post a simple recipe for 1 gallon but highly suggest checking out the following site:

http://www.taylor-madeak.org/index.php

1 gallon Sake

1 2/5 cups Koji
5 3/4 cups Rice
9 1/10 cups Water (Good mineral/spring water only like Fiji water)

Reading the site listed above Taylor explains that traditional Sake is made up of the 3 above ingrediant (Plus Yeast) in the following ratio (Koji:Rice:Water) 25%:100%:160%.

I am sure there are measurements that are better to go by than cups but I just know 1 gallon of water is 16 cups so applied the above ratio to get close to 16 cups.

I have seen other people do 1 gallon Sake batches with the following though:

1 cup Koji
4 cups Rice
Water to 1 gallon

A lot of people say to add citric acid or acid blend but that should be highly avoided because the Koji will add a bit of sour to the mix to balance out any sweetness that is left over. Adding any more acid will make the drink too acidic. Especially if you go with the second recipe which will be more dry.

Here is a simple rice wine recipe which involves the use of red rice yeast and yeast balls, though this can be made without the red rice yeast if you desire. Not a true sake but a traditional rice wine across many provinces... http://smallsmallbaker.blogspot.com/2012/07/mums-red-glutinous-rice-wine.html?m=1

I have sourced the yeasts at http://www.asiansupermarket365.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=yeast&Search.x=0&Search.y =0

Though if you have a local oriental grocery you may find them. The white yeast come in balls, like penny gumball size or cake form, kind of like a small hockey puck.

...Sara

Wow I have been looking for a supplier that doesn't cost an arm and a leg for red yeast rice. That stuff is used to make Akaisake which is a traditional Sake of sorts. Using that stuff you can have it substitute 20 - 30% of the Koji in my original recipe and it makes a bolder, more fruity & almost vanilla like character to the sake. Once the temps even out a little and are consistently cooler I am going to have to make some Akaisake.

where can u buy koji locally ??

My local oriental marketplace is where I get my Koji from.

In the oriental market look in the isle they kep the Miso pastes. Koji is what is used to make Miso and so is sold more for that reason. The most common brand of Koji Rice is "Cold Mountain Koji". Also many LHBS carry Koji spores which can be used to make your own koji rice.