What are the various choices a brewer can make that influences sake?
Ingredients, moto and Moromi, post fermentation, pressing, finishing, maturation
What does shuhari mean?
To protect tradition, to break with tradition by creating something new, and to naturally transcend by creating something new.
What are ingredients and examples of variants a brewer can use?
Rice- type, grade, seimai-buai, blended
Yeast: kyokai, prefectural, Hana, wine, blended
Water: treated and hardness
Koji-kin: yellow, white, black style: so-haze, tsuki haze
What is the moto?
Moto is the fermentation starter
What is the Moromi?
Moromi is the main fermentation mash
What are the decisions a Toji can make as it relates to the moto and Moromi?
Shubu (yeast starter): kimoto, Yamahai, sokujo, koontoka, bodai, mizu
Enamel, stainless steel, kioke, taru, wine barrels, hinoki barrels, custom
Size of fermentation tank
What are the decisions a toji can make post fermentation?
Aru-ten or junmai
Fourth addition
What are the decisions a sake brewer can make when it comes to pressing?
Yabuta, funa-shibori, Shizuku, centrifuge, nigori
Arabashiri, naka-dori, sème
Kasu buai
What are the decisions a toji can make as it applies to the finishing of sake?
- Nama, Nama chozo, Nama zume, hi-ire
- bottle pasteurization (bath, conveyer), tank pasteurization
- charcoal filtration, muroka, protein fining, other filtration
- dilution, genshu
- blending
What are the decisions a toji can make as it relates to maturation?
- bottle, tank
- temperature: -5C, ambient
- length: youthful, aged
- vessel: bottle, tank, wooden vessel (hinoki, oak, sherry cask, taru barrels)
What is bodai moto
Dates back to the late 14th century in Nara.
Aim was to create a soyashi mizu, a water rich in lactic acid derived from lactic acid bacteria
What is nimoto?
Means to boil- originally created in Japan’s warmer months of August and September. Koji and water mixed by hand in a hangiri (a shallow wooden tub). Mixture is kneaded like dough 4x daily. Takes anywhere from 3-10 days for foam to emerge on side of mash. When foam dissipates, the mash is boiled in a kame.
What is mizu-moto?
Originally created in colder months of autumn when you could see your breadth. Made like nimoto, but since colder months were devoid of microspoilage, did not have to boil
Precursor to kimoto method
What is the koontoka-moto method?
Higher temperature, shubo can be prepared way faster than yamahai or kimoto method
What is the difference between kimoto and yamahai methods?
Yamahai no mashing
What is the breakdown in annual shubo production?
Sokujo: 90%
Yamahai: 9%
Kimoto: 1%
What is the Echigo guild know for in sake style and where from?
Know for tanrei karakuchi - light, dry, crisp, kire using tsuki-haze koji and Gohyakumangoku rice
They are from Niigata
What is the tanba toji know for and where from?
Tanba Toji from Hyogo. They are known for developing the kimoto method and their sake is centered on rich, umami-laden flavors
What is the nanbu toji know for and where from?
The nanbu toji is known for their clean, technically flawless ginjo making
They are from Iwate
What is a kuramoto toji
That is a brewery owner and brewer
What is sake brewing’s most prestigious school?
The Tokyo university of agriculture - Tokyo Nodai
