Sake?

GordoBrews · 09-05-2009, 05:29 PM

Found this recipe, and am using it as a demo at a local Fermentation Festival.

homebrew sake@Everything2.com

In a 1-gallon jug

4 ½ cups rice
3 cups sugar
handful of raisins

Fill with spring water (or in my case, preboiled tap water), and pitch yeast (have heard general purpose or cake yeast works well, but I’m using White Labs WLP 705 sake yeast). Put it in a cool place, and ferment for 10-20 days.

Anybody tried anything like this without komi koji? How'd it go? I'll post results when it's done.

scuv · 09-09-2009, 05:55 PM

sounds interesting I'd like to have a go at this

GordoBrews · 09-09-2009, 06:08 PM

4 days in, and the yeast are definitely doing their thing. So much so, in fact, that they overtopped the airlock some time in the first 48 hours. I'd suggest using a blowoff tube to anybody who tries this in the future.

It is now happily bubbling, and a cloudy off-white color.

scuv · 09-09-2009, 07:41 PM

did you just stick dried rice in or did you soften it in a pan first?

scuv · 09-09-2009, 08:39 PM

I've been reading up on this and it seems the komi koji is needed to convert the starch in the rice to sugar.
By adding raisins to the mix, maybe you will just end up with a raisin wine flavoured with rice?

Unless the sake yeast is enough to change the rice on its own

GordoBrews · 09-09-2009, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scuv

I've been reading up on this and it seems the komi koji is needed to convert the starch in the rice to sugar.
By adding raisins to the mix, maybe you will just end up with a raisin wine flavoured with rice?

Unless the sake yeast is enough to change the rice on its own

That's absolutely right, komi koji is usually used to provide the fermentable sugars. The process of making it looks to be fairly involved, for example as in this link
About Koji - A Starter For Making Saké@Everything2.com

So I decided to try a simpler recipe first.

Anyone know of any place to buy kome koji? I haven't had any luck finding it.

Also, I didn't soak (or cook) the rice first. I

Sum1Stu · 09-12-2009, 06:24 PM

Yeah I lookt up this one too, its not possible without that koji bacteria! NO CLUE where to find it!

Wierd how it ferments starches into sugarsalcohols!

**Brooklyn-Brewtality** · 09-12-2009, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sum1Stu

NO CLUE where to find it!

Here is a clue: Austin Homebrew Supply

mmadmikes1 · 09-13-2009, 03:00 AM

great clue

BeerAg · 09-13-2009, 06:06 AM

I have another hint for you:

If you get serious about Sake, get your rice from this place: F. H. Steinbart Company - Beer and Wine Making Supplies and Equipment

Sake rice is typically milled down, with the more expensive rice milled down over 50%. The rice you can buy here is the same rice that Sake One uses to make Momokawa (I have been to the sakaria in Forest Grove Oregon, and they told me where to get it).

Sake One rice is milled to 60% (meaning 40% of the grain is gone), which will reduce the lipids in you sake making for a cleaner beverage.

Good luck!