PDA

View Full Version : How is sake made?



Kenjiro Tsugenjii
19th August 2000, 18:17
I know that most things like rum, wine, beer and vodka are made from boiling rotten fruit juice,........but how would sake be made? }Sorry if this post sounds pathetic, but I have an ignorance of sake, and dont use it much anymore. Matane.


- Kenjiro

Steve Williams
16th September 2000, 19:45
You can't produce a classic vintage wine without first class grapes, any wine connoisseur will tell you that. You will hear the same protestation from Japanese sake connoiusseurs except the magic ingredient is … rice… polished to perfection, for in making sake the preparation of the rice is just as important as the quality of the rice itself. The best sakes in Japan are made with large grains containing a rich white kernel. The grains are polished to remove up to 55% of their covering, before they're washed, soaked, steamed and cooled. Fermentation starts when koji rice is added, which turns the rice starch into sugar, and the yeast transforms the sugar into alcohol. After 20 to 25 days fermentation, the mash is filtered to produce fresh sake. Another important ingredient in the process is water. Sake breweries in Japan are located near some of the best spring water in the world. Pure water leads to a sake full of consistent rich flavor. After fermentation the cocktail of ingredients still has to be filtered, skimmed and pasteurized before it's stored, for best results up to a full year. Then it's bottled and shipped to the bars ready for thirsty drinkers. Of course this is a description of the best sake on the market, made without adding extra alcohol. Just 6% of sake is made this way

Taken from: http://www.sake.com/ a very informative sake site.