Make Sake at Home

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kegage

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Sorry for the duplicate post. I have no idea why it happened.
 

jks9199

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Sorry for the duplicate post. I have no idea why it happened.
Dupe deleted. Don't know why it happened, but I've tripped over a couple from various folks tonight. I suggest maybe waiting a bit longer before hitting the "Post Reply" buttons again if nothing seems to be happening.
 
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Just since I posted this article I have realized a couple of things that might enhance some aspects of the process. As soon as I get the details figured out I will post an addendum.

Kevin
 
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In a discussion I am having on the Northern Brewers Forum a gentleman from Denmark shared an article about using a wet T-shirt to enhance the cooling needed to brew at the temperatures necessary for those style of beverages. I realized that this method could also be used to facilitate a quicker reduction to the temperatures necessary for brewing sake, so I have incorporated it into my method in the "Suggestion" section.

Here is the addendum:

2.When reducing the temperature from the 70's to the 50's it will take some time. Adapting, once again from another technique, remove the foam from the brewing vessel and cover it with a old wet t-shirt, or other similar fabric, to help facilitate the reduction in temperature. You may, also, want to use three or all four of the frozen bottles. When you get to about three degrees of the target temperature remove the extra bottle(s) and put them back in the freezer. Once the desired temperature is reached, replace the foam to allow greater control over temperature fluctuation.

Also here is a photo of the entire set up. (I really got to make those photos smaller. Working on that.)

CoolerSetup.jpg
 

crushing

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Hooray for wet t-shirts! :)

Nice picture and setup.

I've thought about using a towel or shirt for cooling and rigging up some sort of constant drip to it and then point a fan at it to help facilitate more rapid evaporation to help keep the fermentor cool.
 
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Hooray for wet t-shirts! :)

Nice picture and setup.

I've thought about using a towel or shirt for cooling and rigging up some sort of constant drip to it and then point a fan at it to help facilitate more rapid evaporation to help keep the fermentor cool.

Couldn't hurt.

Kevin
 
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Had to move the cooler photo to another album in Photobucket. Here it is again.


CoolerSetup.jpg
 

oftheherd1

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Thanks for the link. I occassionally drank sake when I was on Okinawa in the early 60s, but seldom since. Tricky stuff. The Okinawans also had a sake called Shirasage (sp?) sake. Tasted just like a good Smirnoff vodka and many servicemen drank it with an orange flavored soft drink.

As to what it should properly be called, I guess it is country and in the USA, State specific. I remember North Carolina law required a Greek beer be sold as wine due to its alcohol content. I seem to recall that Korea has a word "sul" that refers to all alcoholic drinks, until you wish to be more specific. Once an alcoholic drink has been identified by specific spoken word, sul can become a pronoun as I recall.

I had heard of Makgoeli before I ever went to Korea, and it was spoken of as being of inferior quality as an alcoholic drink. After I got there and tried it, I found I liked it. I even brewed some on my own once. I then filtered it to make it more of a Tongdongju. It was made from a store purchased starter, and was quite good. Home made makgoeli in Korea is of course of varying qualities and flavors.
eek.gif


I don't drink alcoholic beverages anymore, but if I did, makgoeli would be my personal beverage of choice.
 
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Well, it has been awhile, but I have finally been able toget my batch of sake started.
For those that might be unfamiliar, I am attempting tocontrol the brewing temperatures of my sake batch using a cooler and 2-literhot water or ice bottles. So far, it has been very successful with very littledifficulty maintaining the temperatures to within one or two degrees of thetarget temperature. I have finished the Moto (yeast starter) and Moromi (riceadditions) phases and have just started the primary fermentation. If ya’ll whatmore detailed updates, I can post them. I have done some refinements on how-toarticle on this method. I am not quite finished with it yet as I am waiting toget further along in the brewing process, so I can be better assured of mydata.

 

Carol

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Glad to hear you are continuing to move forward!
 

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I was glad to get an email that there was an update to this thread. Thanks!

I've been considering an electric fridge like this Red Bull one below for better fermentation temperature control. I already have a temp control device which controls power to the fridge depending on the programmed temperature range. I think a 5 gallon fermentation bucket or carboy will fit in it.

What is the batch size for the sake you are making?


$T2eC16d,!ysE9sy0jLFoBP5RymnReQ~~60_35.JPG
 
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The recipe in the "Taylor Made" guide I am using is approximately three gallons. The primary fermentation is done in a standard brewing bucket, and it is suggested that the secondary fermentation be done in either three one gallon glass jugs, or a five gallon glass carboy. I am doing a double batch of six gallons. So, I am using two brewing buckets for the primary, and will use one carboy for the secondary. If I have a little too much for the carboy, I also have some one gallon glass jugs handy.
 

Carol

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I was glad to get an email that there was an update to this thread. Thanks!

I've been considering an electric fridge like this Red Bull one below for better fermentation temperature control. I already have a temp control device which controls power to the fridge depending on the programmed temperature range. I think a 5 gallon fermentation bucket or carboy will fit in it.

What is the batch size for the sake you are making?


$T2eC16d,!ysE9sy0jLFoBP5RymnReQ~~60_35.JPG

Did you buy the temperture device or build it? I saw plans floating around to build such a device for a crock pot (sous vide cooking), but I haven't been too motivated to break out the soldering iron :)
 

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Did you buy the temperture device or build it? I saw plans floating around to build such a device for a crock pot (sous vide cooking), but I haven't been too motivated to break out the soldering iron :)

I bought one. Although I would like to get more in to 'homebrewing' the electronic components someday.
 

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It's been a while and I was wondering how it was going, particularly because I went to the American Homebrewers Conference last week and attended an seminar on making sake. The seminar attendees were treated with some homemade sake.

The presenter, Edward Hoskin, mentioned Fred Eckhardt as having the "go to" recipe for beginners. Based on that I googled his name and found this site- Recipe at HomeBrewSake.com

That may have given me the push to get going with making some of my own sake.
 
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Fred Eckhardt is also one of the people that is on the Sake section of the Northern Brewers forum, and like Bob Taylor, is always available to consult with about solving problems, giving advice, and listening to ideas.

Personal Update: I have finished my second batch (six gallons) of nigorizake sake, and it is now in the aging process. It will be ready for consumption in late September. I now age my sake for nine months (just like the pros do). My last batch wasn't ready at in the time frame indicated by the recipe, nor at six months, but was ready at nine months. This recent batch is tasting better than the first batch did. I believe this is due to using a much better brand of rice.
 

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