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a k e S h o p . c o . u k
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07834-235525 E-mail sales@sakeshop.co.uk
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The source of rice for the Uzen Sakura Gawa sake is local to the brewery from the Niigata region, of acknowledged excellence for its rice production. The first step in the sake production process is a careful polishing of the rice grains. This polishing reduces the grain by 50% for the Nozawa Ginjo sake and by 65% for the Daiginjo sake. This degree of polishing has a strong influence on the taste of the final sake products. The polished rice grains are then washed of any residues as shown in the above photograph.
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After polishing and washing, the rice is then steamed. The steam itself is percolated through the rice grains as they are held within the steaming vat that is shown in this photograph. All of the rice used to produce sake is steamed to make this suitably softened for the fermentation process. Then the batch of rice is split, some being used to prepare the koji and the remainder being used in the general fermentation of the sake. |
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| After steaming the prepared rice is laid on mats to cool. Outside of the Nozawa brewery, Oguni Town will most likely be deeply covered by snow. Inside the brewery the workers will split the rice into batches so that the cooling is uniform and well controlled. |
The koji is quite simply the essential ingredient of sake. Rice, unlike wine, does not contain sugars that can be directly fermented into alcohol. Cooled rice is spread uniformly on this cedar bed on which the koji mold is cultivated. The mold (Aspergillus Oryzae) begins to breakdown the rice starches into sugars, that can then go on to be fermented. The koji is fundamentally important to the final flavour of the sake and the correct environmental conditions are essential for the biochemical conversions to take place. This is why brewing at the Nozawa brewery takes place only in the winter period.
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According to the instructions of the head brewer, the special koji is then separated into smaller trays to continue its development. The trays are monitored closely, and mixed and re-arranged regularly to ensure the consistency of the essential koji. It is in this handling of the koji that much of the historical art of the sake manufacturer still resides.
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The maturing koji is contained in an environment in which humidity and temperature are carefully controlled. In this room, the koji might develop for 36 to 48 hours and the trays will be used at three or four points during the sake fermentation. |
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| A starter mixture is created by adding the fully developed koji with more rice from the earlier steaming, together with a yeast and water. The mixture is then left for about two weeks for the yeast colony to feed on the newly created sugars and replicate greatly. | The starter mixture is then added to larger fermentation tanks. In a specific sequence that again creates the special nature of the sake, more steamed rice, further koji and additional water are added in stages over a period of about one to two months. Composition and temperature are monitored and the head brewer regularly assesses the progress of the fermentation. Finally, the sake is judged to have fermented satisfactorily. It is pressed out of the "mash" contained within these fermentation tanks, filtered, pasteurized (usually) and bottled. |
Tel 07834-235525 E-mail sales@sakeshop.co.uk
