Yeast: Wyeast 4134 – Saké . Yeast #9 ($7)
Rice: Short Grain Sushi Rice- “Akitaotome” ($21)
Water: Spring Water
Koji: Made my own from Vision Brewing kit ($12) [started 2/26 (this is when it really all started :P)]
Bottles ($24)
Labels ($2.40)
Total: $66.40 + more for equipment etc.
Brew Start [3/4]
THE MOTO/SHUBO:
1 tbsp Yeast Nutrient (DAP + Food Grade Urea)
2.5 cups Spring water
0.5 cups Koji
1.5 (dry) cups Rice
Combined in a 1 gallon fish bowl and held for two days @ 70-75*F.
Here is an picture of me holding the start of my sake. Drunken Master is my favorite movie.
This sake got lots of tender loving care.
[3/6]
Full contents of a Wyeast activator pack added. Did not stir it in. Put in mini-fridge overnight, with door ajar. Maintained approximately 50-55*F.
The next day I returned it to 70-75*F, and kept it there for a few days.
Stirred periodically throughout the day with sterilized knife.
[3/11]
I believe this step (leaving it at 70*F) is used to allow acetic acid bacteria to grow, to lower the pH. I would rather not have this acetic acid/vinegary flavor, if possible. (edit: I now think that this stage allows lactic acid bacteria to grow too. Many sources report this.)
I am stopping the moto fermentation early due to acetic acid/ vinegar smell/taste (unpleasant). Also, my temperatures have been warm lately, so the process was accelerated anyway.
Moved into to mini-fridge. Stored at 47-48*F for 7 days. Will it live?
[3/18]
I see bubbles, the yeast is still alive! Smells interesting. Taste: pleasant, natural sweetness, vinegar is still there, though.
Koji is beginning to smell sweet. “Rotten egg” smell has been receding. This took a lot longer than I thought it would. Maybe a longer maturation time for koji is a good thing? (Edit: maybe not, it can spoil!)
[3/18]- Hatsuzoe- 1st Addition
Dumped moto/shubo/starter into 5 gallon fermenter, after sterilizing with Iodophor solution and then rinsing with boiling water. Also put on a clean airlock.
Added to Fermenter:
Entire Moto/Shubo
1.5 cups Koji
3 dry cups Rice, steamed
1 liter Spring Water. (4.23 cups)
Uh Oh! I spilled some tap water on lid when trying to cool the bucket in the sink. Some airlock liquid (non-sterile tap water) got sucked into fermenter somehow. (BAD???) Hopefully the yeast and koji combo is enough to be victorious over this mishap. Will the acid-producing bacteria in the starter also be reduced?
Storing bucket in pot full of water to keep cooler. Maybe hitting 65*F?
Opened window to chill dorm room (Brr...). Draped a cloth over top of bucket to keep out light (over the lid and airlock).
[3/19]
Moved outside for lower temperature. Covered for light protection (and privacy). Brought it back inside.
Added:
Approximately 2.5 cups of Koji
Stirred lightly. Still smelling sweet. Like a natural sweetness. Smells a little moldy, musky too.
[3/20]- Nakazoe- 2nd Addition
Added:
7 dry cups Rice, steamed
2.5 liters Water ( 10.5 cups)
I've been adding more than the amounts suggested by the recipe... This will be a unique batch, based on intuition and not science. Hopefully, I'll get mo
re sake. I want it to be strong, but with subtleties and complexities. Maybe I will need to age it. How will I rack this??? I will need to mix a LOT in the future, and keep it cool, to prevent possible overflow. A long and cold ferment is hoped for.
Is my mixture too dry? I will have to check... I've been putting in more koji and rice than is called for. I've been putting in more water too, but I dunno.
[Night]
Added:
All remaining Koji (4.5 cups) [total of 9 cups koji!]
Uh Oh! A strand of hair fell in while I was stirring. I plucked it out with my hand. My hand is in contact with the moromi anyways because my stir spoon is short. Complete hand-mixing is used in Bob Taylor's method anyway.
I put the fermenter back into the water bath with new ice (in water bottle).
Added more water to water bath. Hitting 56*F in water bath.
[3/21]- Tomezoe- 3rd Addition
(took 12 hours just for the additions! Each rice addition took about 6 hours for the wash, soak, steam, chill and addition.)
Planning was very WONKY for this step due to miscalculations at first.
Hit 53*F in water bath. I'm doubling amount of ice used in water bath. Running out of ice!
Using cold water from the sink seems to be colder. I'll cycle water from the sink, but keep some ice in to keep it cool.
Hitting 53*F after 1 hour. Range of 44-65*F. Typically 50-56*F?
Will these fluctuations stress the yeast?
Added: (the first batch of the last addition)
7 dry cups Rice, steamed
13 cups spring water
Smelled great. I wonder how this will change over the next month.
I am seriously doubting that I'll have enough room for the final portion. It will fit, but the yeasts will bubble up and rise (rice traps a lot of the bubbles and rises a lot). I am at risk of overflowing.
I only have 4 cups dry rice left.
Added:
4 dry cups Rice, steamed
8.2 cups water
I still have maybe 2-3” of headspace. Still feel uneasy about overflowing. Rechilling in ice/water bath. Covered with cloth.
Smells a little like durian fruit (stinky fruit), but not unpleasant at all. Slight banana smell. The koji and yeast are hard at work, but still have a long way to go!
TOTALS:
The rice:koji:water ratio was off, but I have the same ratio of dry to wet (rice+koji: water)
15 lbs Rice + Koji
2.4 gal water (38.4 cups)
[3/22]
No overflowing. I've been swapping the water every so often. The water temperature was able to stay from 46-55*F for 5 hours during the night, using cold tap water and two water bottles of ice. Swapped water and ice as soon as I got up (45*F @ 8AM). Agitated (like a steering wheel) bucket for 5 minutes to get rid of perceived air bubbles (I don't want to open it up at this stage, even though I would like to).
The airlock can act unpredictably when taking the bucket in/out of the water bath due to suction and pressure. I have to remember to go slowly, to prevent sucking in the airlock fluid, but quickly to prevent temperature gain!
(Edit: reflecting back on this, it
Smelling the airlock bubbles, there are some notes of muskmelon and strawberry.
(52*F @ 12:30)
Water change (44*F @ 12:45)
Ice replaced (47*F @ 3:36)
(50*F @ 8:10) water change (45*F @ 9) and (@ 12:40am)
Opened and stirred for one minute. Tasted more vinegary/sour than I expected. How would acetic acids be developing in an anaerobic and cold environment? I don't know. I hope it's not the dreaded lactic acid bacteria. Obvious banana smell from airlock. How are all these fruit scents already forming? Could it be because I just ate a banana and have ripe bananas nearby? Probably.
[3/23]
Water change @: 8, 2:10, 4, 8:30, 12:30
Typical temp range is now 47-52*F, using cold tap water and two ice bottles.
[3/24]
Water change @: 8, 12:45, 3 (ice change, still cold), 6:35 (ice only), 9:25 (ice), 1am
I'm getting more conscious about how much water I'm using to chill my sake. I will try to switch the ice without a water change (except in the morning or if it gets exceedingly warm). I think I'll do ice changes during the day and only a water change in mornings.
Durian smell still present.
[3/25]
Water change in the morning. Periodic ice changes (usually every two-three hours). Typical temp is about 46-50*F.
I will have to find someone to take care of my sake if I have to go home for a job interview.
[3/26]
Water change in morning. Periodic ice changes (usually every two-three hours).
(49*F @ 5:50pm)
Banana smell is back or at least more detectable.
[3/27]
(54*F @ 9am, 9 hours without ice change)
Water changed. I would like the majority of the main ferment to take place under 50*F. Ice changes can maintain 44-49*F usually.
Banana + durian smells are still predominant. Some rice smells. I feel like I might be catching a cold lol.
The airlock has been bubbling at a slow and steady rate. I want this slow and steady ferment to continue for as long as possible, with the koji amylases and other enzymes slowly breaking down the rice over time, at low temperatures.
[3/28]
Changed ice at 2:30 am. Water (54*F) change at 11:20 am.
Very slightly sour smell detectable. Probably acidity rising? I've never had sake before, but I hope it's not too sour.
[3/29]
Water change in morning. Periodic ice changes (usually every two-three hours). Maintaining the same schedule, with mild agitation during ice changes. This is pretty damn labor intensive. I'm basically refrigerating it completely by hand.
[3/30]
Same stuff.
[3/31]
Same stuff. I noticed that bubbles come out of the airlock slower when the temperatures are lower, compared to in the morning after I haven't changed the ice in a while. Makes sense.
Yeast smell a little detectable now, maybe.
[4/1]
Still going. Water change in morning, with periodic ice changes during the day.
[4/2]
I'll be going home today for 5+ hours. I will just let it do its thing without an ice change during that time. The tap water doesn't seem as cold anymore. Maybe it's the warm weather? Left at 10am.
63*F @ 10pm when I got back. Changed water and ice. Getting 49*F.
[4/3]
Ice change at 2:30am (fire alarm) and water and ice at 10am. I didn't change water between 3 and 7pm due to cooking food.
[4/4]
Morning water change. I think I will need to either use more ice or change ice more often due to the warmer weather.
[4/5]
Same stuff.
[4/6]
Same stuff. Still fermenting. If it's still going after three weeks of primary fermentation should I let it keep going? Or should I pasteurize? I'll have to think about this. I am dreading the pressing and pasteurizing step. It is all done in open air and there are many vectors of contamination, oxidification, and acidification.
Will I need a carboy? How will I keep the carboy(s) cool? How will I bottle and cap? (edit: keep reading to find out!)
[4/7]
I plan on buying a dozen bottles. I plan on straining through cheese cloth, into a bucket. After that I will put that liquid into 4+ gallon jugs, which will be pasteurized as quickly as possible. They will then be put in a cold water bath to cool down. They will then be refrigerated. I plan to keep some as nigorizake (cloudy, with sediment), but others will be siphoned to produce a clear product.
Morning water change + periodic ice changes as usual. Still bubbling.
Either straining everything this weekend, or next weekend (more likely).
Should I do rice or water additions?
Adding either rice or koji to sweeten, or water to dilute. So many possible flavor/texture changes from these. I will have to see how dry it is.
(two cups steamed rice + ½ cup koji)
Maybe I wont pasteurize immediately? I could allow a secondary ferment. (edit: this is what I did)
[4/8]
Morning water change + ice changes ever 2-3 hours.
[4/9]
Same stuff.
[4/10]
Same stuff. Bubbling decreasing when cold.
[4/11]
Same stuff.
[4/12]
Same stuff.
[4/13]
Same stuff. Picked up a dozen bottles and a gallon jug at the local brew store.
[4/14]
Same stuff.
[4/15]
Same stuff.
[4/16]
Same stuff. Still bubbling. I plan to do a rice addition this weekend. When bottling, I will try to make completely different types of sake. I will try to make nigori and clear sakes.
Smell of musk melon, banana skin, white bread sweetness smell. Durian smell seems to be absent. My sense of smell isn't very developed. Same with my sense of taste.
[4/17]
Same stuff. I feel a little sick, so I don't want to add rice right now. Bubbles slow down dramatically when it's colder, compared to when I wake up in the morning.
[4/18]
Today has been my first taste of sake. My first taste of sake has been my own sake!
Still keeping up with temperature regulation. Maybe my sake will be more “yeasty” because I am fermenting for longer than usual.
Added:
3 cups (dry) of steamed rice.
½ cup water (just to unstick the rice from the cheesecloth)
Also, a tad more water to the airlock.
I added Akitakomachi rice instead of Akitaotome rice because I ran out of Akitaotome. The rice was past the expiration date, but looked fine and smelled fine; it has been stored in a dry dark place. I added the rice with my clean hand.
Tasting for the first time:
Opened it up, smell not too sour. A little spicy smell. Creamy appearance. Texture is soft. Rice grains fall apart, and melt in mouth (the koji enzymes have been hard at work!); squishy like bruised banana. Rice taste. Thick chew. Mealy. Banana smell without fructose. Some sweetness still. Grapefruit (bitter) with a banana skin. Balanced? I don't think that I'm actually tasting these flavors. I am just using them as a descriptor, because I really don't know how to describe it. Also, I have a bit of a cold, so my taste and smell may be off.
Ran and got five people to taste it. All 5 said “good,” probably because I was there and said that I had brewed it. “Tastes like rice.” “Tastes like wine, like rice wine.” “Smells good/ like miso.” “Creamy.” “Pretty close to how it's supposed to taste.” “Not bad.”
WHERE IS THE ALCOHOL? Is it just “in control?” It tastes light, not much ethanol taste. This is a good thing if the alcohol content is high. Hopefully, my yeast has been working hard and not died. Maybe the yeast already pooped out, but is still bubbling? That would explain the sweetness. (Tasting has been at about 50-60*F). I hope my rice addition with up the alcohol a couple percentages.
Going to heat it and re-taste.
Taste when heated:
Hot smell reminds me of fish? Like steamed haddock with ginger, red vinegar, and scallion garnish. Clean white fish, like we had for dinner when my grandmother lived with us. I don't know why I thought of this. Maybe “fresh seafood.” (It doesn't actually taste like haddock, it only brings back memories). White rice smell. Starchy, like alcoholic packing peanuts. Fresh bagel, or rather a large soft pretzel due to some “salt” smells/minerality. Taste is more bitter on aftertaste. A little sour, like biting into the rind of a grapefruit, not the flesh.
An hour later:
Woah. Is it just me or is it bubbling faster? I would be very surprised if the free-floating koji enzymes were so fast acting.
Other:
The name for my sake will be Kooriki which is a combination of the Japanese words for “ice” and “Qi/vapor/steam/breath/change in weather,” which I will translate as “Invisible Vapors of Ice.” I think that this is a good name because it can be attributed to the ice-change-intensive process, the “breathing/living” ferment, the steaming of the rice, and, to some extent, my feelings about this brew. Also, it might indicate the serving temperature, which should be chilled.
The plan is to do a bulk secondary ferment, after pressing in an aluminum pot, and transferring back into the same bucket, by pouring..
[4/19]
Maintaining ice schedule.
My room smells a like green unripened bananas.
[4/20]
Same stuff. I'm going to let it keep fermenting to up the alcohol content. Probably going to separate from the lees this weekend and allow a week of secondary fermentation. Then shit gets real. How am I going to deal with these final papers?
[4/21]
Same stuff. I was outside for a long time picking dandelions to make wine. I forgot to change ice for a period of 6 hours during the day. However, I was up late last night writing a paper and was able to maintain ice changes throughout the night.
[4/22]
Same stuff. Should maybe pour-press-pour tomorrow, let it ferment for another week, then pasteurize and bottle.
[4/23]
Same stuff. Didn't have time to pour-press-pour.
[4/24]
Maintained ice changes and separated the lees. I spilled about a half cup of sake on the floor and my room smells magnificent. I took a video of the process.
The sake was difficult to press. I tried to step on it with an aluminum plate, but it bent. The sake kasu was a little too wet, but I threw it into the freezer. It is difficult to press in a vessel that does not have an open bottom, because many of the juices will be reabsorbed by the solids.
I am worried that I very badly reoxygenated the sake from pouring from one vessel to another, twice. Ladeling would have been more gentle, but would have taken more time. I do not know which is better in terms of exposure/time. In many videos the professional sake seems to get dripped or poured at some point, but I think the entire facility is temperature controlled.
The airlock does not seem to be moving anymore. I seem to have about 3 gallons of sake. That rice took up a lot of space.
Taste was similar to last time. Maybe more sour? I drank some of the stuff that was pressed later. It was very thick and coated everything like a paste. It will probably be even more sour soon due to all the oxygen. I really hope that the oxygen doesn't “kill” it by reacting with the chemical compounds.
I was telling people that I might sell it for $25 a bottle, but now... I am thinking about how much I am underselling for. I will probably never reproduce a brew with this intricate of a process during my life. (Edit: bullshit.)But, truly, the labor that went into this was immense, unlike mead, which can be thrown together rather quickly.
However, I want to give some bottles away as gifts. To family, to close friends.
[4/25]
Room smells like spilled sake (awesome). Same ice changes
[4/26]
Same ice changes. Redesigned label to make it taller and skinnier.
[4/27]
Brought label to the print shop. Will cost $2.40 for color copies.
Same ice changes. I'm worried that the 45-60 degrees may actually be too warm, especially after oxidizing from all the pouring and pressing. Also, there is more headspace in the bucket, which means there could be more oxygen. I am worried that this will turn my sake sour.
[4/29] (technically 4/30)
Wow! The sake turned very clear. It was a golden yellow, similar to vegetable oil. But I mixed it up to make nigori. However, I think I included too much sediment :(. I should have held off on that. I want to try making a clear sake in the future. However, producing a clear sake would drastically reduce my yields.
Didn't taste sour. I guess I kept it cold enough :)
Brought the sake up to 145*F and shut off the stove. (Microbiologically, I don't know if this was enough). Then I ladled it into sterilized bottles. I wound up with 12 full bottles and 1 near full bottle. This means that my yield was only 2.55 gallons, even after increasing the online recipe by 150%. The recipe was supposed to produce between 2.5-3 gallons. My pressing technique was probably less efficient.
[4/30]
I met with professors of zymurgy and 2 student brewers:
They said it was “good” or “not bad.” Less than 18% alcohol. Why? I fermented a lot of rice for a lot of time. Maybe closer to 12-15%. (Edit: probably close to 10-12%). It may have been my koji to rice ratio? Milky aspects. Dr. Jarvis said, “Creamy,” “light,” and “melon.” It was agreed that I should have put in less sediment. The glasses had visible rice sediment. I will try to use less sediment, or even produce a clear sake in the future.
I will change my labels accordingly.
Finished labeling all of the bottles w/ two labels each. Certainly took a while. Stored them in the fridge. I really hope they don't go bad or get stolen.
Random notes:
I tasted a barley wine today. It had been fermenting for only 6 days but tasted very good. There were no fruit, but it smelled like Hawaiian Punch and tropical fruits. This was because of a specialty, hybrid-aroma hop variety called Simcoe.
I learned that charcoal filtering is used to analyze the esters in mead. The process takes out the color, leaving the solution clear.
Parting comment:
Today I shared half a bottle with some other students :)
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