Homebrew Sake (Doburoku)

This recipe will create a Nigorizake style Sake with 19% Alcohol. The sake recipe first requires the creation of a starter Moto culture ( lactic acid and yeast slurry) that will start your brew with the desired micro-organisms. The remaining rice and koji is added over a 4 day period and then allowed to brew for a further 16 days. The 785 grams of malt rice (Kome Koji) can be made in one session and stored in the freezer and used as required.

The Moto is created at a temperature of 40° to 50° F; at these temperatures lactic acid organisms becomes dominant and provide a very suitable medium to establish a thriving yeast culture. It is wise to use Lager yeast that works well in lower temperatures. Keep the brewing container at 50°-60° F during the whole fermentation process. The obectives are to:

• Create a Moto starter culture
• Mix the starter culture (Moto) with three additions of rice, water and malt-rice (Kome Koji) to create a brew with the right micro-organisms.

Two-Step method for producing - Homebrew Sake (Doburoku)

Step One - making the Moto starter culture

Ingredients:

• 13 oz. or just under 1 lb. steamed rice
• 5 oz. Kome-Koji
• 18 oz. water - chilled, soft, chlorine and iron free
• 1/2 oz. lager yeast

Method for producing Moto starter culture:

Combine all ingredients and keep in the refrigerator for 10 days at a temperature of 40°-50° F, stir the mixture a couple of times a day. The texture will change gradually from swollen rice grains to a porridge texture as the days go by and will eventually become a creamy soup texture. The yeast becomes active after 3 days and the surface will appear to bubble. The taste also changes from sweet to slightly acidic and finally acidic and bitter. By this stage 10 days should have elapsed and now the moto is ready to do its work.

Step Two - Brewing Sake with Moto and the three water/rice/Kome Koji additions

Ingredients:

• 8 pints chilled iron/chlorine free water
• 1 1/2 lbs. Kome Koji
• 5 lbs. rice (short grain)
• All of the prepared Moto (as described above)

Method:

• Day 1 - Steam cook 13 oz. of rice. Cool it and combine with 15 oz. of water, all of the Moto and 5.5 oz. of Kome Koji in a suitable sanitized brewing container (12 liter, stainless steel/ceramic/glass) and stir thoroughly, keeping the brewing container at about 50°-60° F). After:15 hours stir gently and stir again every few hours. The rice will absorb the water and you will have a swollen rice grain texture with no visible fluid.
• Day 2 - No additional materials required. Stir gently a couple times a day.
• Day 3 - Steam cook the 26.5 oz. of rice, cool it, add together with 8 oz. Kome Koji and 2.5 pints of water to the brewing container and mix well. Wait for ten hours before stirring (this delay helps the yeast and alcohol production) and the preferably stir every few hours. Keep the brewing container at about 50°-60° F.
• Day 4 - Steam cook the 2.5 lbs. of rice, cool it, add together with 12 oz. kome-koji and 4.75 pints of water to the brewing container and mix well. Wait for ten hours before stirring (this delay helps the yeast and alcohol production) and the preferably stir every few hours. Keep the brewing container at about 50°-60° F
• Day 5-7 - There should be a lot of yeast activity during this period with the surface of the brew being very frothy indeed.
• Day 8 - The yeast activity will be subsiding with a new complex bitterness and acidity in the taste. The texture should change from porridge to soup.
• Day 10 - Alcohol per Volume is now approx 15% with some yeast activity.
• Day 14 - Alcohol per Volume is now approx 17.5% with further reduction in yeast activity.
• Day 16 - Alcohol per Volume is now approx 18.5% with further reduction in yeast activity.
• Day 20 - Alcohol per Volume is now 19% with further reduction in yeast activity. the brew is ready to be strained through cheese cloth or nylon straining bag, pasteurized and bottled.

Brewing containers and bottles should be sterilized by washing with Sodium Metabisulphate. Please use caution when using this product and be sure to read the manufacturers instructions carefully. Household bleach can also be used for sterilizing, again follow manufactures instructions.

Pasteurizing - Sake that is stored with yeasts still alive in the bottle may be unstable and not preserve well. Sake can be stabilized by pasteurizing, this process requires GENTLY heating the strained brew in a saucepan for 5 minutes at 132° F, this will slightly change the character of the drink. Ignore any strange smell given off by the decaying yeasts, this will vanish within 6 days. Allow the sake to cool before bottling. This bottle will be now good for many years while it remains unopened. Generally sake will improve for the first few months after bottling. Leave it for at least a week after pasteurizing before drinking. Any sterile sealed bottle will work well for storing Sake. Store in a dark place as light does not agree with Sake. One can choose not to pasteurize, however be sure to keep the Sake refrigerated at all times to preserve it well

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