does anyone brew Saki ?

[evilredlight]

I am starting to learn about it

and it sound like an interestin proposition

For those of you who don't know anything about it I will write the little bit I do know

The rice is special Koji rice that has an enzyme present that converts the starch.
You steam and then squish the rice up by hand and add it to the fermentor. The Yeast is also Special
During the process you have to add more rice and more rice and allow thwe liquid to evaporate off.
And also resquish the old rice
As the liquid raises in alcohol content the yeasties become acclimatized, because it happens so slowly.
it allows you to reach very high alcohol contents of 20-22%
with the yeast still alive.

And I thought an all grain mash was labour intensive !!!

[Tweek]

I gave a kit to my wife for Xmas. She still hasnt gotten around to brewing it up, but as soon as she does Ill let you know how it comes out.

[evilredlight]

where is the kit from?

Is it an extract kit or is it more like what I described(with the rice and yeast included?)?

[Tweek]

it is a kit that I got from my brew store in SF. All it comes with is some nutrients and the Koji mold. so basically I guess its not really a kit. You still need to supply rice (any rice will work, though the better the rice (polish) the better the end product.) and yeast.

[Sunriver]

I brew saki,

It is a very interesting brew. I dont make anything great, But it is drinkable.

I am also considering trying to convert barley malt to sugar via Koji.

As for the yeast, Any yeast will work. I use whatever yeast it handy. Wine yeast usually.

[evilredlight]

so to acknowledge the correction and clarify:

koji is mold that is introduced to the rice?

And is it lumpy and ricey throughout the fermentation?

I have asked my LHBS manager to return a book about making saki to the store, he borrowed it, but didn't buy it, when it is back I am going to buy it.

Then I may be able to enter into more of a discussion about it, It does sound very interesting.

[Sunriver]

Correct,

Koji is a special strain of mold that converts rice starches into sugars. Koji as for as i know comes in 2 forms.

Rice Koji: Rice that contains koji mold

Koji pellets: Pure koji in pellet form (I have never seen or used this)


If you plan to make Saki it is a good idea to make a starter, Fill a mason jar half full with steamed white Calrose rice and place in a dark warm place.

No, it does not stay lumpy forever. It will eventually become a thick soupy mixture as the rice is convertd to sugar.

[evilredlight]

So i have the book on saki and some koji/yeast pelets!!!!

I am goint to try two batches at once, one made with the recipe as it says, with rice
the second batch i am going to make with potato.

I hope it works, this is very exciting

I will not be able to follow the recipe exaclyt as I cannot find koji-kin(mold spores) or koji Rice(mold innoculated rice) only these marbels of Koji/yeast mixed.

but from the wide range of recipies i have seen it should make something anyway, maybe not a good something, but it will be something!!!!!!!!!!

[evilredlight]

Started the saki last night

-Mixed yeast nutrient, brewing salt and koji/yeast balls in water and refridgerated
-soaked rice in water, refridgerated overnight
-today I steamed the rice
-mixed koji/yeast nutrient water and rice together
-stirred for 30 minutes

it smelled like ammonia, it made my eyes water, I hope this turns out drinkable

I did the same thing for the potato saki except I measured the amount of cooked rice(since it had doubled during cooking) and doubled that so I used 6 cups of cooked potato to the three cups cooked rice.

The reason being that rice has 4 times the amount of carbs of potato. Since the potato did not gain or lose size in cooking but the rice doubled 3 cups of cooked rice only has 2 times the carbs, so I doubled that to get 6 cups potato.


The potato and Koji/yeast nutrient mix did not smell like ammonia

[toneyc]

Cool, this sounds like fun, keep us posted!

:)
Toney.

[evilredlight]

What I have made so far is the moto mash (Basically a starter)

Last night I made the first of three additions

I dissolved two Koji/yeast balls and added them to my Moto, the moto has a strong alcohol smell. Almost even airplane glue smell

Cooked the rice, 3 cups, let it cool, added some yeast nutrient and some brewing salt (pinch each).

I then put the moto mash and the rice addition into a large primary (white bucket)

and stirred them together (the recipe specified I was to use my hands) and squished up the rice. It has an extremely sweet smell, it is not unpleasent, but i washed my hand several times afterwards and i couldn't get it off.

The first addition is called "the dancing ferment" and it is, it has a nice thick ?Krausen? it is very white and has dense bubbles.
Pleasent sweet bread smell, like a french egg bread.

three days and I make the second addition which is 6 cups of cooked rice
then 3 more days and the third and final addition is 12 cups cooked rice.

This is going to be alot of rice, I hope I like it.

[burritosandbeer]

having never made saki i gotta say two things

1. I'm really interested in how this will turn out, so please please keep us all posted

2. expect to have to age it... more complicated wines require at least 10 months of aging before they are really drinkable, so do high alchohol brews... since this is going to be a high alchhohol complex wine, i would be surprised if it didnt taste like poo the first few months...

keep us posted, I'm thinking about some myself :-)

[Sunriver]

Aging Saki is not as important as it is in wines because it does not really need time to mellow out the tannins or develop

[evilredlight]

that is what i understand as well
there is no aging necesary

and it is, infact, best drunk fresh!

Although it is quite old already, when it is done.