Sake (Rice Wine) 酒

4 lbs Polished Sweet Rice
1.5 grams (1/2 tsp) Koji-Kin
1 Gallon Water
1.5 tsp Citric Acid or Acid Blend
1 tsp Yeast Nutrient
EC-1118 Wine Yeast

The first step is to make Kome Koji, or Malted Rice. For this step, steam 1 lb of the polished rice. It is important to steam the rice, not boil it. Boiling the rice creates a gummy blob not suitable for making Sake. Prior to steaming, soak the rice in water for about an hour, then rinse thoroughly, several times until the water runs clear. Let it dry for 20 minutes or so, then steam. When done the rice should be sticky but not gummy and hold its shape similar to sushi rice. Spread the cooked rice out in a 9x13 casserole dish to cool. The rice should be at or around 86 degrees F, if it’s too hot the heat will kill the Koji-Kin spores. Sprinkle the Koji-Kin evenly over the cooled rice, then stir to mix in. Cover with a damp cloth and put in a warm place. The rice/ Koji-Kin mixture should stay warm and damp, 86 degrees being the optimal temperature. Placing the rice in the oven with the oven light on (assuming it’s incandescent) should keep the oven close to 86 degrees. Let the rice sit for 30-36 hours, checking it every 10-12 hours to make sure the rice is warm and moist, rewetting the cloth or misting the rice with a little water if necessary. Also stir every 10-12 hours to make sure the Koji-Kin is evenly mixed. If the Koji-Kin is properly converting the starches, you should notice a slight cheesy aroma around the 20-24 hour mark. The rice will also start taking on a white fuzzy appearance and will have taken on a slightly sweeter taste.

After 30-36 hours, the Kome Koji is ready to make wine. Cook the remaining rice, soaking, rinsing, and steaming as before. After steaming, allow the rice to cool to around 86 degrees. In a sanitized fermenter, combine the Kome Koji, water, and the cooked rice, stirring to mix thoroughly. Bottled water is preferred to avoid adding any off tastes from tap water but that is personal preference. Stir in the yeast nutrient and 1.5 teaspoons of citric acid to add some acidity and help prevent any bacterial spoilage. Add the wine yeast and cover. Lalvin EC-1118 is a good yeast for this, as it has high alcohol tolerance and the ability to ferment steadily at lower temperatures. Fermenting at lower temperatures produces a better Sake. For the first 4 days, stir daily to push the rice back down into the must. Since the Koji-Kin will continue to convert the starches to sugars it is difficult to measure SG in this wine, but the final ABV should be between 16-18%. Allow to ferment for 14 days. After 14 days, the fermentation should be complete. Using a second primary with a spigot on the bottom, filter the Sake through a mesh bag to remove all the rice, squeezing the bag to capture as much Sake as possible. Sake commercially comes both clear and cloudy , so you can bottle at this point if you don’t care if the Sake is a little hazy. If you want clear Sake, place the fermenter in the refrigerator for 24 hours to cold crash. After 24 hours the hazy sake should be below the level of the spigot. Using colored glass bottles to reduce the effect of light on the Sake, bottle the clear Sake first, then bottle the remaining milky Sake. This Sake is better chilled.