This quick start procedure with videos is meant to help you get started as quickly as possible. It’s a procedure you can use to make very good sake, now, without waiting to learn more. My hope is that, as you make your sake you will be pulled more and more into this unique drink and all its aspects, making the learning about the whys and what fors more exciting and magical.
This outline is specifically for use with rice milled to 60% of original (60% seimaibuai) and pre-made koji.
The big picture: The first task is to create the moto which is a yeast mash to grow up a strong population of yeast for the ferment. The moto lasts for one week in this procedure. Next comes the buildup from the moto to the moromi or the yeast mash to the main ferment. This buildup comes in a three stage addition process over four days. Following the buildup is the main ferment that lasts about 20 days. This is followed by pressing to separate the sake from the lees and a series of rackings. The rackings transfer clear sake from containers with sediment to containers without sediment. This allows the sake to become more and more clear and more sediment free with each racking. Finally, is the pasteurization and bottling to complete the process. The total time from start to end is 88 days and is closely tied to temperature during the process.
There is a tremendous amount of repetition in this process. For example the same process used to create the moto is used for each of the three additions of the buildup. Racking is repeated several times and pasteurization is done twice. So while the following outline is long most of the work becomes comfortable and routine before you are done.
Day 1 – estimated task time 10 minutes:
The first thing we must do is prepare a few things; sake water, yeast and koji. This is often done, as suggested in the recipe, the night before the first rice steaming.
Do:
– Take your yeast out of the refrigerator and leave on counter to warm (target temp:65F-75F)
– Place your koji into the refrigerator if it is not already there (you don’t want it frozen).
– Put together your water. Combine and stir well:
- 2.5 cups soft water (distilled or reverse osmosis water will have no problems)
- 1 teaspoon 88% lactic acid
- 3/4th teaspoon yeast nutrient
- Pinch of Epsom salts (Magnesium sulfate)
- 1¼ teaspoon Morton’s Salt Substitute (Potassium chloride)
– Put ½ cup of this water mixture in the refrigerator and cover
– Put 2 cups (the rest) on the counter next to the yeast and cover
That’s it for the first bit of work.
Day 2 – estimated task time 3.5 hours, beginning Moto:
This section has four distinct phases: broken up by steeping, draining and steaming.
Do phase 1:
– Smack your yeast pack if you have not already done so and are using Wyeast yeast (White labs yeast does not need to be smacked J)
– Ready sanitizer
– Prepare rice
- 1.6 cups of rice
- Wash the rice in cold water till water is mostly clear
- Steep in cold water with 1” water over top of rice for 1 hour
Do phase 2:
– Sanitize the Moto container
– Begin preparing the moto by combining (target temp: 70F):
- 2 cups of sake water prepared on day 1
- Yeast
– Drain rice and place in a colander to drain for an hour
Do phase 3:
– Add 8/10th cup koji to water and yeast mixture
– Prepare steamer with cheese cloth liner
– Add drained rice to steamer
– Steam rice for 1 hour
Do phase 4:
– 30 minute check of the steaming rice to be sure you don’t run out of water in the steamer
Do phase 5:
– Cool rice after steaming – using ½ cup water prepare day 1 and placed in refrigerator
– Combine and mix well (target temp:72F do not let it get to or above 90F):
- Moto starter from phase 2 and 3: sake water, yeast, koji
- Freshly steamed and cooled rice
– Loosely cover with plastic wrap and place where it will not get too much light (target temp: 65F-75F)
Day 3-6 – estimated time 5 minutes
Do from moto begun till ready to start the buildup to the main ferment, Moromi
– Stir well twice a day with a sanitized spoon
– Target temp: 65F-72F
Day 7 – Day before starting the build up to Moromi – estimated time 5+ minutes
Do:
– Stir the Moto
– Begin lowering moto temperature, slowly, down to 60F
Day 8 in the evening – estimated time 10 minutes
The moto should now be at about 60F.
Do:
– Mix with Moto:
- 1.5 cups koji
- 1.5 cups water
– Place 1.25 cups water into the refrigerator to use in the morning
Day 9 – estimated time 3.5 hours
Hatsuzoe, the first addition.
This section has four distinct phases: broken up by steeping, draining and steaming. This is mostly the same as day 2 with a different amount of rice and without the yeast.
Do phase 1:
– Start cooling the moto to 50F
– Prepare rice
- 2.5 cups of rice
- Wash the rice in cold water till water is mostly clear
- Steep in cold water with 1” water over top of rice for 1 hour
Do phase 2:
– Drain rice and place in a colander to drain for an hour
Do phase 3:
– Prepare steamer with cheese cloth liner
– Add drained rice to steamer
– Steam rice for 1 hour
Do phase 4:
– 30 minute check of the steaming rice to be sure you don’t run out of water in the steamer.
Do phase 5:
– Ready sanitizer
– Sanitize the large 5-7gallon fermentor
– Cool rice after steaming – using1.25 cups water that was prepared day 8 and placed in refrigerator
– Place steamed and cooled rice into the fermentor
– Mix the moto with the rice in the fermentor
– Loosely cover with plastic wrap and place where it will not get too much light (target temp: 55F)
Do for next 48 hours at 12 hour intervals:
– Stir the ferment for 5 minutes
Day 10 in the evening – estimated time 10 minutes
The second day (hours 24 to 48 after first addition Hatsuzoe) is Odori, the dancing ferment.
The ferment should now be about 55F to 60F.
Do:
– Mix with Moto:
- 2.25 cups koji
- 4.5 cups water
– Place 4.25 cups water into the refrigerator to use in the morning
Day 11 – estimated time 3.5 hours
Nakazoe, the middle addition begins 48 hours after the first addition, Hatsuzoe.
This section has four distinct phases: broken up by steeping, draining and steaming. This is mostly the same as day 9 with a different amount of rice.
Do phase 1:
– Start cooling the ferment to 50F
– Prepare rice
- 6 cups of rice
- Wash the rice in cold water till water is mostly clear
- Steep in cold water with 1” water over top of rice for 1 hour
Do phase 2:
– Drain rice and place in a colander to drain for an hour
Do phase 3:
– Prepare steamer with cheese cloth liner
– Add drained rice to steamer
– Steam rice for 1 hour
Do phase 4:
– 30 minute check of the steaming rice to be sure you don’t run out of water in the steamer.
Do phase 5:
– Cool rice after steaming – using 4.25 cups water prepared on day 10 and placed in refrigerator
– Place steamed and cooled rice into the fermentor
– Mix well in the fermentor
– Loosely cover the fermentor with plastic wrap and place somewhere out of the light where it will cool (target temp: 50F)
Do in the evening:
– Mix with ferment:
- 3.5 cups koji
- 10 cups water
– Place 6 cups water into the refrigerator to use in the morning
Do every 12 hours:
– Stir the ferment
Day 12 – estimated time 3.5 hours
Tomezoe, the last addition in the buildup of the Moromi, begins 24 hours after Nakazoe.
This section has four distinct phases: broken up by steeping, draining and steaming. This is mostly the same as day 11 with a different amount of rice.
Do phase 1:
– Prepare rice
- 10 cups of rice
- Wash the rice in cold water till water is mostly clear
- Steep in cold water with 1” water over top of rice for 1 hour
Do phase 2:
– Drain rice and place in a colander to drain for an hour
Do phase 3:
– Prepare steamer with cheese cloth liner
– Add drained rice to steamer
– Steam rice for 1 hour
Do phase 4:
– 30 minute check of the steaming rice to be sure you don’t run out of water in the steamer.
Do phase 5:
– Cool rice after steaming – using 6 cups water prepared on day 11 and placed in refrigerator
– Place steamed, cooled rice into the fermentor
– Mix well with the rice in the fermentor
– Loosely cover fermentor with plastic wrap and place where it will not get too much light (target temp: 50F)
Do for next 2 days at 12 hour intervals:
– Stir the ferment
Day 32 – estimated time 1.5 hours
Time to press! We must separate the sake from the lees to start to clarify our sake. At this stage we also rack to the secondary fermentor (glass jugs).
Do phase 1:
– Prepare the sanitizer solution
– Sanitize 3 glass 1 gallon jugs
– Sanitize 3 air locks with stoppers
– Sanitize a container for collecting sake from the pressing
– Sanitize a funnel
– Prepare the cloth or bag for holding the moromi while pressing
– Line the container for collecting your sake with the cloth or bag for holding the moromi
Do phase 2:
– Transfer a portion of the moromi into the cloth or bag and begin to squeeze the sake through to the container, transfer the sake into a jug
– Repeat until all the moromi has been pressed and the sake is in the 3 jugs
– Place jugs where it will not get too much light (target temp: 50F)
Do phase 3 (optional):
– Prepare an Hydrometer to measure the specific gravity
– Place sample in the Hydrometer jar and float the Hydrometer in the sample
– Read and record the specific gravity. (Expect it to be around 1.010 to 1.002) depending on clarity
The sake in the jugs will still be quite milky in most cases but should not have any rice mixed in.
Day 44 – estimated time 0.5 hours
Transfer sake off lees into new jugs (i.e., rack sake to new jugs). The idea is to move the clear sake off the lees that have sunk to the bottom without stirring them up and mixing them with the clear sake.
Do:
– Sanitize 3 new glass 1 gallon jugs
– Decant or siphon the clear sake into the new glass jugs
– Fill new jugs up to within a few inches of the top
– Place jugs where it will not get too much light (target temp: 50F)
Day 54 – estimated time 0.5 hours
Rack again. Transfer sake off lees into new jugs. The idea is to move the clear sake off the lees that have sunk to the bottom again without stirring them up and mixing them with the clear sake.
Do:
– Sanitize 3 new glass 1 gallon jugs
– Decant or siphon the clear sake into the new glass jugs
– Fill new jugs up to within a few inches of the top
– Place jugs where it will not get too much light (target temp: 50F)
Day 68 – estimated time 2.0 hours
Time to rack and pasteurize.
Do phase 1:
– Sanitize 3 new glass containers
– Rack the clear sake of the lees and into the new jugs
The sake and lees left may be the correct consistency for nigori
Do phase 2:
– Prepare a double boiler or water bath on the stove that can hold the jugs for sake for pasteurization, most likely one jug at a time
– Place the jug in the water bath while the water is cool
– Bring the water bath up in temperature tracking the temperature of the sake (target 140F to 150F)
– Remove sake from bath when it reaches temperature and let cool to room temperature
– Place airlock on jug and return to cool place (target temp. 45F to 50F)
Day 88 – estimated time 3.0 hours
Time to rack, pasteurize and bottle.
Do phase 1:
– Sanitize 3 new glass containers
– Rack the clear sake of the lees and into the new jugs
The sake and lees left may be the correct consistency for nigori
Do phase 2:
– Prepare a double boiler or water bath on the stove that can hold the jugs for sake for pasteurization, most likely one jug at a time
– Place the jug in the water bath while the water is cool
– Bring the water bath up in temperature tracking the temperature of the sake (target 140F to 150F)
– Remove sake from bath when it reaches 140F
Do phase 3 (optional):
– Prepare an Hydrometer to measure the specific gravity
– Place sample in the Hydrometer jar and float the Hydrometer in the sample
– Read and record the specific gravity. (Expect it to be around 0.998 to 0.990) depending on clarity
Do phase 4:
– Sanitize a funnel and bottles with caps
– Fill bottles with pasteurized sake and cap
– Let cool to room temperature
– Store and drink when ready
Following this procedure will produce sake that is clear, dry and very high quality.
Hey Again Will,
I’m currently working on my second batch – unfortunately I wasn’t able to halt whatever bacterial activity soured my initial batch in time, so it retained its unpleasant sour aftertaste. I have a feeling that a day or two where I had issues with my temperature control setup may have been to blame, but I’ve made some adjustments to both that and my sanitizing process to try to prevent a similar situation in the future.
I had a quick question regarding the moto. I’m currently on day 8 and preparing for the hatsuzoe, and I noticed that my moto has stopped giving me visual indication of fermentation. It was bubbling fairly actively when I stirred it over the course of this past week, but there seems to be little to no bubbling at this point.
Is this something to worry about or react to in your view? I brought the temp down to 60F yesterday but it’s possible that it was sitting a little under that – not sure if that may be related to the activity level.
Thanks!
Pat
Hey Pat,
It is fine that you are not seeing any signs of fermentation a then end of the moto. It sounds like you are on track.
Thanks,
Will
Hi Will,
I’m about to begin the adventure that is home sake brewing. I’ve decided to go with the process you have outlined above. Quick question regarding days 13-32. Do you just stir on days 13 & 14, then leave it alone entirely until day 32? I’m not quite sure how to read that break in the process. For a second I thought maybe the ‘two days’ of stirring was a typo and you meant 2 weeks… but the math didn’t add up.
Thanks,
Ben
Hi Ben,
Things are not as strict as all that. You can play this by ear. Do stir those two days but after that you can stir each day or not at all. Watch it to make sure the foam does not get too high; stir at least when the foam gets close to the top. Otherwise, no worries.
Thanks,
Will
Hi thanks for putting in the effort to guide us through the recepie. I was just wondering how much sake we will get out of this?
This recipe makes roughly about 2 to 2.5 gallons of sake.
Thanks,
Will
Day 13 was exciting. I stirred down a large rice cap late this morning. When I went to stir about 11 hours later the 8 gallon stainless pot I’m fermenting in had overflowed. Apparently I needed to stir three times today.
I’m glad I had it sitting on wing of my brewing sink! Now I know that if I get a fridge or freezer for temperature control I’ll want something to set my fermenter in.
Brooks, Hi,
The fermentation does take a lot more space that you’d think. Glad you are having success!
Will
Hey Will –
Sorry for the multiple questions…I am on main day 19, so right in the middle of the Moromi. I plan on doing a Yodan water addition during my press and I have a general plan but could use some clarification:
My plan is to press the sake and then take the ABV via the combination of the SG and a refractometer (per your book’s formulas). Once I figure out how much water to add, I will pour it through the lees and press the water addition in order to maintain some aromas trapped in the kasu. BUT I am not sure what the ABV should be at that point of the process in order to anticipate a final ABV and therefore, adjust with the proper volume of water at that point. That way, in the end, my final ABV would be 15%-16%. I hope that makes sense! Thanks!
Hi Matt,
I’m not sure I understand. Let me restate what I think you might be asking and see if that is correct.
You want to add water to bring the “cast” strength down to the 15-16% ABV. You plan to do this just after pressing so that you can try to extract more from the lees with the water. Is this correct so far?
OK, after pressing, you would measure the %ABV as you describe above and that number will serve as your CABV value. You will also need to measure the volume of sake you got, this will serve as your VolumeG value which is measured in gallons (G). Given all this the water addition is determined by:
additional water = (CABV * VolumeG)/.15 – VolumeG where CABV is the percent you measure divided by 100 (%ABV/100) and TABV is your target of (15%/100)=.15
You would then add the water addition to the lees, maybe stir them a bit and press the lees again to extract the water. Check the volume and add to your sake.
I think that may be what you are going for.
Thanks,
Will
Hey Will –
Thanks for the feedback. Let me see if I can explain a bit differently…
Basically, I want my final ABV to be 15%-16% when bottled. With that being my end target ABV, what ABV should my sake be at the time of pressing. (This is assuming the ABV continues to change during the rest period). I.e: if the ABV DIDN’T change from pressing to bottling, I would just need to do the math to get the ABV at pressing to 15%-16%.
I hope that helps! (And didn’t make it more confusing)
I see. The ABV should change very little after pressing. So, I think you are good to go.
Thanks,
Will
Thank you!
Hey Will –
I am only on day 4, but all seems to be going well. The Moto smells of bananas! Anyway, at what point in your process do you add the bentonite? I know it’s not for a while, but I am keeping a detailed diary and I am trying to keep all of my ducks in a row. Thank you for all of your info and I also just finished your book!
Matt, Hi,
Bentonite is often added after the pressing in the first stage after fermentation. I, personally, usually don’t use it at all but when I do its usually after the second racking. The reason for the difference here is style. Using bentonite early has the quickest impact to move the process forward. Using it later is more about cleaning things up in the end that have not worked out as intended. These are pretty much the two extremes and you can choose somewhere between or not at all if you prefer.
Thanks,
Will
Will,
On day 44 it tastes pretty good! I notice you pasteurize and then another 44 days go on and then pasteurize again and bottle.
In the period from day 44 to 48 does the flavor change much ? And/or does the alcohol change?
I just want to drink my sake unpasteurized and am not planning on bottling it. I read that the sake won’t go bad as long as I keep it in the fridge unpasteurized.
On sake-talk I read the unpasteurized sake will last up to 6 months in the fridge But I don’t know what it means by opened and unopened since I just have my big jug of unpasteurized sake in the fridge – I hope it lasts 6 months in the fridge (or longer?)
Hey Ian,
You can drink it whenever it seems good. The long wait for me is more about clearing the sake. The taste does change somewhat but whether that is good or bad depends on you and how you like it. If you are going for nama the taste will change more because of the active enzymes. That said it will definitely last six months in the fridge assuming good sanitation, and likely more.
The open vs. unopened has to do with oxygen getting to the sake. In theory and practice there will be very little to no oxygen in the bottle when commercially packaged.
Thanks and enjoy,
Will
On day 32 – is it possible to just be lazy and put the sake in a blender? Or would that kill something because of the heat?
I used a steel strainer and that seemed to work well (instead of a cheese cloth). Idk if there’s an issue with that.
I also ended up throwing away a lot of rice so I got 2 jugs up to the shoulder and another quarter jug. are you supposed to use all the rice, just after it’s been smashed through the cheese cloth (or metal strainer)? It comes out kind of looking like yogurt or marshmallow if you really squeeze it through. I wasn’t sure if I was just supposed to use the “thin water” part or also use the “marshmallow squeezed through part”. But I used as much as I could without including any whole rice kernels.
Hey Ian,
The steel strainer is fine, no issues with it. Don’t use a blender, it will only make the particles smaller and more will get through the filter which we don’t want.
The kasu (lees) from the moromi are not to be included after straining. They can be thrown out or use for other things. For example some use them for pickling and I have used them in cheese cake.
The amount you got from the process is normal, 2 1/4 is about right.
Thanks,
Will
Hi Will,
I’ve made sake twice before with your recipe and ingredients. This time the Shubo after day one seem awfully “thick”. The rice is clumped together and soaked up all the water. What am I doing wrong?
Hey Julian,
That is not uncommon. Give it a little time and the rice will dissolve. While there is no need, if you are really uncomfortable with it, you can add a little water.
Just know that this is common.
Thanks,
Will
Hi Will. I just completed day 11 evening and tomorrow is the final tomezoe phase.
I ran out of container (it’s filled to the brim) and ordered one on Amazon and I think it will not arrive for 48 hours. Will it ruin the batch if I wait 48 hours before putting in the final addition of rice? If so is there anything I can do to compensate for the fact that I will have to wait an extra day to get another bigger bucket to mix it all in?
Also I have two small containers to fit in the fridge instead of one big large container, so I hope that’s OK.
Ian, Hi,
Hmmm, couple of thoughts on the Tomezoe container issue:
– your solution, amazon order, I don’t know how much this will effect the batch its not ideal
– you could go to a local brew shop and get a container and use as if you had it all the time
– you might be able to split the batch across the two containers you have for the fridge rather than using a new big one
Assuming there is enough head space for the foam and everything, splitting the batch across your two containers is probably your best bet. This means your containers would need to be 2.5 to 3 gallons in capacity.
Thanks,
Will
My fridge is 50 degrees. Will that ruin the Moto on day 7 if I put it in the fridge? I don’t have a cooler so maybe I could try putting the moto in and out of the fridge every 4 hours or so if that would be safer ?
Hey Ian,
So the target temperature at this point is 60F. We don’t want it too cold while starting to build the batch size. I’d try to find a colder place in the house to put it rather than taking it to 50F. We want to keep the yeast active. Going up and down will not be good at this time. I think it would be better to leave it at room temperature if there is not a cooler place that is 60F or above. After the batch is growing the lower temperature will do nicely.
Thanks,
Will
I left the Koji outside of the fridge next to the moto, and it has got some mold on it (day 6). There is slight water precipitate where the mold is.
Is it safe to use the koji for the next step? Should I put the Loki in the fridge and scoop out the moldy part?
Hmmm, Not good. Yes, scoop out the moldy parts and keep in the fridge until use. If the koji were dry is should have been ok and not molded but because it is moist it is vulnerable.
Thanks,
Will
I will be making my first batch of sake in the coming weeks, super excited! I was curious though, am I able to save some of the koji or recover the koji from batch to batch or do I need to buy it each time? If I can save it, how do you go about that? Thank you for this great resource!
Hey Shane,
You can’t really save the koji for use across batches. You can make your own if that is of interest. Both the koji and rice are broaken down by the enzymes in the koji to kasu or lees. They become one and can be used for other things but not brewing more sake.
Thanks,
Will
Thanks for taking the time to post this very detailed guide. I’ve been researching how to make sake over the last several days and this is the easiest to understand guide I have found. Combining short videos with detailed text makes all the difference.
I am getting started with equipment. Instead of a series of jugs, could I use a conical tank like the Fermentasaurus or Fermzilla? These are designed to separate the brew sediment and negate the need for transfers.
I’m looking forward to getting started!
Daniel, Hi,
Yes, you can use other types of containers / fermenters. You will likely not be able to use those you mention in the same way as you would for a beer because of the different amount of lees. I would be surprised if you are able to get away from pressing and racking.
Thanks,
Will
Thanks, this is very helpful!
Hi will.
I am at the first at stage where I’m going to let it ferment for 6 days and I noticed your batch had water above the rice line.
My batch of 1.6 cups of steamed rice and .8 cups of koji has completely absorbed the 2.5 cups of water and the liquid yeast.
Should I pour in more water until the rice is underneath the water or leave my rice exposed to the elements as it is now?
Thanks
Ian, Hi,
I believe you are referring to the moto. It is not uncommon for the rice to absorb all of the liquid in the batch before the enzymes have a chance to liquefy the rice. There is no reason to add more water at this point because the enzymes will soon break down the rice. However, if you are uncomfortable with this you can add a little water for the sake of your nerves.
Thanks,
Will
i thought salt kills yeast (watching day 1 video)
Ian, Hi,
Yes, table salt, sodium chloride, will have a negative effect on yeast. However, Morton’s Salt Substitute (Potassium chloride) is not table salt. It and Epsom salts (Magnesium sulfate) are a type of salts that act as nutrients for the yeast.
Thanks,
Will
Hi Will
Its day 41 and it is in a rag jug. Still bubling and totally milky, and didnt settle. Temperature is 42f. Smell and tastes good, dry and acid. Do i have to pasteurize in order to stop bubling and settle?
When do i have to add bentonite?
Where can i find your book in london?
Thanks for your help.
Hey Martin,
Has the temperature been 42F for most of the fermentation? If so, the process will be moving slower than usual because of the lower temperature and it is fine to do so.
Once it stops fermenting OR you believe it tastes they way you want it to, you can add the bentonite, rack… Once it is as clear as you want, pasteurization will stop the fermentation and denature the enzymes to fix the current state.
If you let it go until it stops fermenting (bubbling) on its own it will be dryer than if you stop it sooner.
You should be able to order the book from the UK Amazon.
Thanks,
Will
Thank you!
Dear Will,
Thank you so much for this resource. I’m nearly done with the process. I’m at a point where I can transfer it, filter it through gauze, clarify it with bentonite, and pasteurize it. It’s pretty clear at this point, just a little more yellow than I’d like – plus has a banana aroma, can’t tell if it’s an off-flavor or normal. Anyway, my question is whether further clarifying the sake is just for aesthetic purposes and has the risk of introducing bacteria (like a secondary ferment for beer). If so, I’ll probably just pasteurize and age it. Thank you for your help.
The yellow tint is normal so there is no need to try to remove it if you don’t mind having it. As for the banana aroma, that is also normal. Fruits like melon and banana are common and often desired.
Thanks,
Will
P.S. Sorry for late reply
Hi, Great site thanks
My third batch and I have a stuck ferment. The yeast appears to have flocculated and ABV stuck at 10%. Any ideas why I got this?
My question is do I try reactivating by pitching a fresh starter or try the wait and see method?
Appreciate any ideas. Thanks.
Hey, Really sorry this reply is so late. I didn’t get an email about this and the next one.
So you have made it through the 3rd addition and then is seems to have stopped fermenting? Have you stirred it? How are to checking its ABV?
Thanks,
Will
Hey,
I did not have those glass jugs so I have my sake in a plastic pail with an air lock.
I filtered it through a bag and took out all the rice and put into a new pail about 9 days ago. There is a white foam ontop of the sake sitting in the bucket. Is this something to be worried about? Can I do anything about it?
I’m not sure what that would be. Its probably OK. If you are making nama and there is an infection then you’d want to drink it sooner rather than later. How does it taste?
P.S. I’m doing some maintenance so my next response will be a while.
The foam had actually went down a bit. It is still a bit cloudy but I had a taste anyways.
It tastes terrible 🙁
it doesn’t taste like it has spoiled or anything. Just has this one very strong taste and I am not sure what it is.
That does not sound good. This could be an infection causing the off taste. However, it could be that the sake is very dry causing a harsh taste. If the gravity is very low then you could ameliorate as discussed on the recipe page and re-taste to see if that is more to your liking. Or if the bad taste is still present. Give it a little time to come together before deciding.
Good luck,
Will
So now the sake is a beautiful colour. DOes not look infected or anything like that. However it has the strongest overpowering taste of yeast 🙁
is there something I can do?
If you are using distilled water is in necessary to mix the water and let it sit overnight on day 1? I though that step was to allow chlorine to off gas from tap water.
What changes in the final sake if you skip the epsom salts and /or kcl ?
Thanks this site is quite helpful, also using your book.
No, you don’t need to let it sit over night when using distilled water.
The difference between using the salts and not using them is subtle but quite real. Tasted apart from each other I probably would not be able to tell which sample used the salts and which didn’t. However, tasted side by side, inevitably we pick the one with salts to be better. I don’t really have a good way to describe the difference though.
Thanks,
Hello,
Thanks for the step by step, very informative. My question is about collecting the sake from the mash for SG at Day 19. I took a sample and even put it through a strainer and it was still too thick for an accurate reading. How are you doing this?
Also, when to stop stirring the moromi? The fermentation has slowed considerably to the point where there is no more foaming to speak of. My concern is adding too much oxygen to the ferment at this point, but this is a first time for me with sake so I’m not sure.
Thanks!!
Phil
Hey Phil,
The gravity reading is not taken until day 32 in the procedure. Part of the reason is the issue you are running into. Taking a reading midway through the ferment is not as useful as it would be in beer or wine making because of the enzymes that are actively creating more sugar from the rice starch during the process.
As for stirring, just as soon as the foam is not threatening to overflow the fermenter you can stop stirring.
Thanks,
Will
Great, thanks!
Hi Will, (It’s my first batch)
Yesterday I made the different steps of the 2nd day of the recipe.
This morning as i’m about to mix the moto, the rice had absorbed all the liquid.
In your video, on day 8 we clearly see that you have plenty of liquid left in your moto container.
Is it normal? If not should I simply add water? Is too late?
Thanks,
Thiery
Hey Thiery,
It should be fine. It is common for the rice and koji to suck up almost all the liquid. After a little while longer you should see it becoming more liquid again as the enzymes continue to break down the starch in the rice and liquefy it. If you don’t see this you can add a little water but most likely this is unnecessary.
Enjoy!
Thank you so much for the fast response!
Your help and guidance is gold!
Where is V17?
You can see it at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi1TzzzPteg
Thanks,
Will
Hello,
I bought your sake brewing kit, which comes with a 40oz bag of koji rice, which come to about 4 cups of koji. The question I have is in regard to your “recipe” above which asks for about 8 cups of koji rice.
Am I misunderstanding something? Do I have to scale it down?
Also, your kit doesn’t include Morton’s salt or Epsom salt, is it not mandatory?
Thank you
Thiéry
Hi Thiery,
Measurements in cups vary much more than do weight. The best way to measure your koji is to use a scale and follow the amounts to use for ounces or grams. That is the most accurate. That said, I never do that I just use cups. The problem with cups is that the amount of koji per cup can vary by a lot. Generally a cup of koji is about 5-7 ounces. The recipe is using the 5 ounce number. That is, 40 ounces divided by 8 cups is 5 ounces per cup.
And you are correct that Morton’s salt substitute and Epsom salt are optional.
Note that Morton’s salt SUBSTITUTE is not Morton’s salt. The substitute is potassium chloride; it tastes somewhat like sodium chloride (table salt) but is not the same thing.
Thanks,
Will
Hi Will,
Thank you for all the precious information!
My sake is almost ready, a couple more days. I would like to make a few bottles turn into carbonated sake is that possible if so how so ?
I heard there were two ways. 1) adding yeast when time to bottle up 2) carbonating it with a machine, would like to do try carbonating it a bottling time but unsure of which ingredients to add and how much
I am bottling my sake in 750 ml bottles
Many thanks
Laurence
Hey Laurence,
This is a tricky one. First, it is not wise to use a standard wine or sake bottle for a carbonated drink. It is not made for that and could have problems. If you don’t get it right this can also happen in more stout bottles as well. Think in terms of a champagne bottle.
Let’s consider three ways:
– Using a keg system; Add the sake to the keg, attach the CO2 bottle and pressurize. I am thinking this is not what you have in mind when you say “with a machine”
– Using a soda maker type machine. I’ve never done this so if you try it let us know how it works. I am quite interested.
– Bottle conditioning, this requires some yeast and sugar in the bottle to ferment. If you have not pasteurized it then it is likely to have enough yeast. In this case adding a little sugar is all that is needed but how much. This depends on what is already in the sake and how much carbonation you want. On the other hand brew shops sell “carbonation” or “fizz” drops that are just a measured mount of sugar to bottle conditioning your beer. This should be pretty much the same for sake. One drop for a regular beer bottle and two for 750 ml bottles.
Let us know what you end up doing and how it turns out,
Will
Hello, would it be fine to ferment at a higher tempature, around 60 deg? What would this do? And could I get by with just 3 glass jugs when racking? Maybe use a bucket to rack into then pour back into jugs?
Hey Andy,
Fermenting at 60F should work well. Lower is better but you do what you can.
Yes, you can have just the 3 jugs. Be careful to have the bucket clean and sanitized. You could also, use a single 3 gallon fermenting vessel rather than the 3 jugs if that is better for you.
Thanks,
Will
What would happen if I fermented at a higher tempature say around 60deg. For the whole fermentation period? And would it be fine when racking the sake to have my 3 1 gallon jugs and rack it into a bucket then clean my jugs and pour it back into the jugs this saving me from having to buy 3 more jugs?
Hey Will,
New brewer here, and the shubo is happily fermenting right now. Thanks for all your great info, and for condensing / organizing Fred’s original recipe in your book. I really like the approach you’ve taken there, which is to steam the rice in the evenings (instead of mornings). It’s definitely easier on my work schedule.
A couple question (for now):
1) Steamed rice temp – As in your video, my steamed rice temp was quite high for about 30 minutes even after adding the chilled water on Day 1 (before adding to koji / yeast). I am considering changing the counter top water vs chilled water ratio from 2c / 0.5c to something like 1.5c / 1c, to help the rice cool down to room temperature more quickly. Any reason I shouldn’t consider this?
2) CO2 – In the beer world, brewers take pains to spray some CO2 over the top of their ferment to avoid oxidation. In the sake world, I expect that this would be likely unnecessary during the shubo / moromi phases, given the activity, but do you hear of anyone adding this to the top of the carboys during 2nd ferment before capping / airlock?
Thanks,
Joe
Hey Joe,
No issues with chilling a higher percentage of the water.
Often home brewers will do things like topping up with CO2 but I have not heard of any commercial brewer doing so.
Thanks,
Will
Do you carry the Mesh bag for sale or the idofor? Great site BTW. Incredible resource
No, I don’t carry the mesh bags or iodophor. Check out a local brew shop.
Thanks,
Will
I forgot to ask. How much time can the sake yeast be without refrigeration? I live a little out of the way and sometimes it takes a little extra time for packages to get to me.. I want to order some stuff from your site. Do you carry the mesh bags or the idofor?
BTW great site. This was awesome to watch. Very helpful
I don’t have a time to give you. In general, the shorter the better.
HI.. Why do you put the airlocks on the gallon bottles. Is there fermentation still occuriing or is it to prevent oxygen from entering. If I don’t have airlocks is there an alternative? Could I fill bottles all the way to the top and close them off?
Hey Eric, No you don’t need to use air locks. Don’t close them though because they may still be fermenting some. You could place some foil over the top to prevent stuff from falling in while allowing gases to escape.
Hey! Are you still getting questions?
I was wondering… if I wanted to go for a sweeter sake, what should I do? Also, what should I do if I want a nigori?
I forgot to mention nigori on your first question. If you follow the recipe but don’t work too hard at clearing the sake you will have nigori. Its easier done than you’d expect. Or said the other way around, it harder than you’d expect to remove all the lees.
Hello! Are you still reading this?
You say at the end that this produces a clear, dry sake. I love that, but I’m curious… what if I want to produce a sweeter sake or even a nigori sake? What do I need to do differently?
Hey Nathan,
For a sweeter sake there are two routes, ameliorate as discussed on the recipe page or stop the fermentation sooner. Stopping fermentation sooner can be done by pasteurizing sooner. A second way to stop fermentation sooner, taken from wine makers, is to add Potassium Sorbate. For the purist the early pasteurization is the method of choice as amelioration and potassium sorbate both add non-traditional items to the brew. Changing the recipe can also result in different outcomes.
Thanks,
Will
Well… My first ever batch turned out ok!
Nice flavour and lovely colour, sort of golden but not too much. Like a very light wine. Nice and clear too.
It doesn’t taste as strong as other sake I’ve tried, not sure if it was a case of too much additional water (I only added 950ml though) or that my koji want quite up to the job.
A few lessons learnt along the way. Next time I’ll definitely make a 3 box press… Saw it somewhere else but can’t remember where now. Basically; 3 big plastic tubs, large enough for pillowcase of sake. Bottom one has one hole in side near the bottom for a tube to run sake from into a new container. Middle goes inside that one. Has lots of holes in the bottom and a few in the sides, put your pillowcase of unfiltered sake in here. Top box pushes down on pillow, fill with water for extra weight!
Next time I’ll make sure I’m 100% confident in my koji before starting my brew.
Unfortunately it’s far too hot here for sake brewing now (UK) so I’ll have to wait and have another go in September.
Cheers,
Jon
Hey, Thanks for the update!
Thanks Will,
Such a great resource you’ve created here. Nothing close to it on the internet for sake. Was a bit worried my koji hadn’t taken properly as I only had spotty growth but saw an earlier comment you left saying sometimes this was ok.
Seems to be creating a lot of gas now so the koji must be working to make those sugars. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Thanks again,
Jon