Even if you like sake and drink a lot, you probably don't know much about how sake is made. I think that there is a way of thinking that if it is delicious it doesn't matter how to make it. In fact, I used to think so.
However, as I enjoyed various flavors and aromas of sake, I became increasingly interested in the question, “Why are these differences?” And while reading books and taking lectures and learning about manufacturing methods, I rediscovered the greatness of sake and was impressed.
Compared to other liquors,The process of making sake is complexis. But it's a waste to think that you don't need to know because it's complicated and I don't know!
Because it is complex because it is complex, the more you know it, the more you can taste sake. I hope that you can learn a little about the efforts and passion of people who make sake.
Only in the world! What is the complex fermentation mechanism of sake?
Wine, beer, whiskey, gin, brandy, shochu ... In addition to sake, there are a wide variety of sakes in the world. All liquors are made by alcohol fermentation.
Alcohol fermentation means “degrading sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide with the help of yeast”Say. This alcoholic fermentation has a different mechanism depending on whether the raw materials originally contain sugar,"Single fermentation"と"Double fermentation"There are two types.
First, “single fermentation”How to ferment when using raw materials containing sugaris. Representative thingWineIt will be.
Grapes, which are the raw materials for wine, originally contain plenty of sugar, so if you add yeast to the liquid that squeezed the grapes, alcohol fermentation will occur. It ’s simple. It seems that the first sake made in Japan is a wine made from yama grapes, but because of this simple method, people in the Jomon period were able to make it.
In contrast, "double fermentation"How to ferment when using raw materials that do not contain sugaris. Representative thingSake and beeris. Rice used for sake and wheat used for beer contain almost no sugar, so adding yeast will not cause alcohol fermentation.
Therefore, it is necessary to use starch contained in rice and wheat. Starch is an aggregate of glucose, but when saccharifying enzymes are added, starch is decomposed and converted to glucose. This makes the sugar necessary for alcoholic fermentation.
By the way,For sake, we use the saccharifying enzyme of koji mold and beer for malt (we sproat the barley in water, which is called malt in English)..
This method of “double fermentation” is further divided into two. That 1 is used in beer"Single and double fermentation".A technique that separates the process of saccharification, which converts starch into sugar, and the process of fermenting the sugar into alcohol.
Another 1 is used for sake"Parallel double fermentation".A method of proceeding saccharification and alcohol fermentation processes simultaneouslyis. This is an extremely advanced fermentation technology that is unparalleled in the world, and it is believed that this special fermentation method has the secret of producing a mellow and deep taste of sake.
In addition, parallel double fermentationA major feature is the high alcohol content.is. Alcohol content of Japanese sake is roughly the same as that of the original sake (not watered)18%is. On the other hand, the alcohol content of beer is about 5% and that of wine is about 12%.
Incidentally, sake, wine and beer are classified as “brewed sake”, whiskey, gin, brandy and shochu are classified as “distilled sake”.
Distilled liquor is obtained by distilling brewed liquor using a distilleris. Distillation is the process of cooling a gas that has evaporated as a vapor by heating the liquid and cooling it back to liquid. By doing so, you can create a higher purity, higher alcohol liquid.
Some distilled spirits have alcohol that is so high that you get over 90%. I have drunk about 75% of rum once, but the irritation on the tongue and throat was not very good. We recommend you to taste it while drinking a chaser.
Rice processing
The main ingredient in sake is rice. thisCareful processing of rice is the first step toward delicious sake brewing.
① Milled rice
First of all, it starts from cutting rice. The rice we use for sake is not edible,Sake brewing suitable rice for sakeIs used.
The main purpose of “Rice milling” isRemove protein, lipids, vitamins and minerals in the surface layer of riceis. These become factors of miscellaneous taste and promote excessive activity of gonococci and yeasts that promote fermentation, so it is necessary to scrape them off.
Rice milling methods vary depending on the brewery. It seems that there are many cases of outsourcing to specialized rice millers, but in recent years,An increasing number of rice mills (rice mills) buy rice mills in their own breweries..
The percentage of rice polishing is determined according to the quality of sake you want. Daiginjo sake with the lowest rice polishing ratio50% or moreAlso sharpen. Some even cut more than 90%. 90% is reduced, and the rice milling rate of rice that only 10% remains is 10%.
The word rice milling rate comes up frequently,The percentage of the part that was cut and finally remained (= actually used for preparation), expressed as a percentageis. Typically,If you cut a lot of rice, it will be lightThere is a trend. On the contrary, if you don't cut too much, it will tend to have a dark taste, and it will be finished in a type that will allow you to taste plenty of rice.
It's a waste to scrape so much rice! Many people may think that. But don't worry. Much of the rice flour left after milling is used effectively for rice confectionery, feed, and fertilizer.
② Withering
In edible rice milled rice, only about 8% is shaved,Sake brewer's preferred rice is almost scraped more than 30%is. Therefore, it takes a considerable amount of time to brew rice suitable for sake brewing.It takes about 60 hours to scrape off about 48%. Therefore, the rice after milling has considerable frictional heat.
Therefore, a process called “withering” is required.Withering is to leave hot rice to cool to room temperature for a certain period of time.Say.
The reason why it needs to be cooled isIf hot rice is washed as it is, it will absorb too much water, and there is a risk of the rice cracking due to sudden temperature changes.is. In addition, water is evaporated by frictional heat, so the purpose is to eliminate the unevenness of moisture contained in rice grains and make the moisture distribution uniform.
The number of days required for withering varies depending on how and what kind of rice is shaved, and its subsequent use (for example, whether it is for sticky rice or for hanging rice).Generally about 2 to 3 weeksIt has been with. Store in a breathable container such as a bag and store in a cool and dark place.
③ Washed rice
Rice that has been withered and returned to an appropriate temperature and moisture state is then subjected to a process called “washed rice”.Rinse fine debris such as rice cake and rice scraps remaining on the surface of rice with water.
There are two types of rice washing: machine washing and hand washing. The amount of rice used for sake brewing is enormous, especially in large sake breweries, it takes a lot of labor to wash all rice by hand.
there,Many sake breweries use a washing machine. The improvement in the performance of rice washing machines is remarkable, and some of them have extremely high performance that can be precisely controlled by setting the washing time and water absorption by computer control. Of course, these latest machines are also quite expensive. Some of them cost as much as 10 million yen.
On the other hand, it seems that this is often done when making high-quality Japanese sake, such as Daiginjo Sake and sake for exhibition. Some small sake breweries are thoroughly hand-washed. However, it's quite a tough job to do in the cold winter months.
The shaved rice is delicate and easy to break even after withering,Extreme care must be taken when washing a lot of shaved rice.It becomes. Also,Because rice is worn about 1 to 2% and absorbs moisture when it is washed, it is very delicate.It can be said.
④ Immersion
After washing the rice cleanly, it goes into a process called “immersion”.Soaking is the work of sucking water to the center of rice.
The purpose of soaking isMoisten the amount of water needed for steaming riceis. If you smoke more than necessary, the rice will become sticky when steamed, and you will not be able to brew the sake as you expected.
Since water absorption is too high or too low, soaking is an extremely sensitive and important process that uses nerves and must be done precisely according to a detailed plan.
The soaking time is determined in consideration of various conditions such as the type of rice, the percentage of polished rice, the day's weather and temperature, humidity and water temperature, and how much water the rice originally contains.
In particular, in the case of rice with a low rice polishing ratio used for Daiginjo sake or Ginjo sake, it is cut to a small size, so the speed of water absorption is fast, and the water content changes in just a few seconds. The therefore,Often, a stopwatch is used to strictly control the water absorption time in seconds.. Such strict water absorption management"Limited water absorption"It is called.
The temperature of the water used for immersion isGenerally around 10 to 15 ℃Is considered appropriate. However, the lower the water temperature, the slower the water absorption rate, so cold water below 5 ° C may be used to immerse rice for Daiginjo sake.
After the soaking as planned, the rice is drained. It is a work to remove the moisture on the surface of rice. The time required for draining depends on the soaking time. In general, it seems that there are many patterns in which rice is washed and soaked in the afternoon before steaming rice, drained overnight, and steamed the next morning.
⑤ Steamed rice
There may be many people who feel uncomfortable that the phrase “steaming” rice has been repeated repeatedly. It is natural to wonder why we need to “steam” rice to “cook” the sake we eat. When I first learned it, I was very surprised.
In fact, "cooking" the rice used for sake brewing,If you heat the rice while it is soaked in water, the amount of water contained in the rice will increase too much.. So heat with steam"Steam"The method is used.
Using a large steamed rice cake (Koshiki) placed on a pot filled with water and a continuous steamer, steam evenly with a dry steam with a high temperature exceeding 100 ℃. Traditionally, wooden cedar made of cedar has been used, but recently, metal made of metal such as aluminum or stainless steel has been widely used.
Steamed riceSteamed riceIt is called. By steaming with hot dry steam,The starch of rice is moderately gelatinized (gelatinized) and is easily saccharified by koji mold.
In addition, The outside is smooth and hard, the rice is not sticking to each other, the inside is soft and contains moisture moderatelyIs the ideal steamed rice. Such a state,"External hard and soft"Is called.
Steaming rice is a simple preparation of sake8 times in totalI also do it. Necessary for rice for glutinous rice and for rice. However, for rice for rice, it is divided into 4 types for sake mothers, supplements, intermediates and diversions.
The time to steam rice is almost40 to 60 minutesit's dark. In any brewery, rice is steamed in the very early hours, from dawn to early morning. If you are weak in the morning, it's not very useful.
This unsatisfactory result of steamed rice has a great influence on the subsequent brewing, sake brewing, and brewing, and greatly affects the aroma and taste of sake. Therefore, it is necessary to work carefully while frequently checking the steaming of rice.
As a check method,Knead steamed rice to make it a “twisted rice cake” and check the steamingThe method is often used.
Stir-boiled rice is mixed with a wooden scoop called "Bunji". Steamed rice is very heavy and its heat is close to 100 ℃. The work done while the hot steam rises like a mist is fantastic and beautiful, but for the creators, it's a fight against heat.
Sake is made by accumulating a lot of these hard work, so it really falls for you. When you drink sake, you don't want to waste a single drop.
⑥ Cooling
The rice that has been steamed to the target state moves to the final process of “cooling”.Cooling is to lower the temperature of steamed riceis. Cool the steamed rice until it reaches the target temperature set according to the purpose of use.
The way to cool isNatural coolingとCooling by machineThere are 2 types.
Natural cooling is an old-fashioned method,Spread steamed rice over hemp and cool naturallyThat's it. It is said that the hot steamed rice is spread out by hand, so even if you are used to it, your hands may be reflexively reflected in too much heat.
It ’s still hot, so you ’d like to clap your hands to cool the palm. Some people expressed that it was hot enough to jump into a rice cooker.
in this way,Natural cooling is very hard work, takes time to cool, and requires a large floor area.Therefore, there are many sake breweries that cool by machine now..
Machines include a continuous cooler using a belt conveyor with a mesh, and a box-shaped simple cooler, all of which can be rapidly cooled by the wind of a fan. Some breweries use a machine to cool all of them, while other breweries use different types of rice depending on the purpose, such as steamed rice for firewood is naturally cooled, and steamed rice for hanging rice is cooled using a machine. .
After this process, the rice is finally finished.
Next article“Until Sake is made Part XNUMX”