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Sugidama Podcast How sake is made

It’s a Kind of Magic: How Sake is Made Part 2

The second part of the exciting two-parter about how sake is made. I never stop admiring the skill and craftmanship of sake brewers. They manage to create a beautiful drink from rice and water. In this episode we continue exploring the sake brewing process learning about sandan jikomi, multiple parallel fermentation, pressing and post-production.

As it’s tuned out, the episode contains a lot of Japanese terms for various parts of the sake brewing process. In order to make life of the listeners easier, I have compiled a short dictionary at the end of the show notes.

Don’t forget, Sugidama Podcast now has a sponsor, London Sake, an excellent online sake store. London Sake has one of the widest selections of premium and craft sake available online today. They deliver across the UK and Europe, and with over 100 sake from 25 breweries, there really is something for everyone.

Using simple online tasting notes and sensible, affordable food pairings they help you find the perfect sake without any of the fuss. Listeners of the podcast can get a 10% discount Listen to the episode to get the magical code! London Sake: making sake simple.

Episode’s Content:

  • Recap from the previous episode
  • Sandan Jikomi
  • Multiple Parallel Fermentation
  • Why open tanks?
  • Sake pressing
  • Preparing sake for bottling (post-production)
  • Sake of the episode: London Kanpai Taru Barrel-Aged Junmai

Kampai!
Sake mentioned:
Taru Barrel-Aged Junmai
Kanpai London
London Sake

Episode Dictionary
Moto/Shubo (酛/酒母) – yeast starter
Sandan Jikomi (三段仕込) – a three-stage mixing process of sake fermentation mash
Moromi (醪) – sake fermentation mash
Hatsuzoe/soe (初添/添) – Day 1 of Sandan Jikomi
Odori (踊り) – Day 2 of Sandan Jikomi (resting day)
Nakazoe/naka (仲添/仲) – Day 3 of Sandan Jikomi
Tomezoe/Tome (留添/留) – Day 4 of Sandan Jikomi
Fune (槽) – sake press
Arabashiri (荒走り) – rough run
Nakadori/Nakagumi (中取り/中汲み) – mid run in sake pressing
Seme (責め) – the final run in sake pressing
Fukuro-tsuri (袋吊り) – hanging cotton bags
Shizuku-zake (雫酒) – drip sake
Tobingakoi (斗瓶囲い) – a special 18-litre sake bottle
Sake kasu (酒粕) – sake lees, a by-product of sake pressing
Oribiki (おり) – rice sediment
Roka ( ろ過) – filtering
Chozo (貯蔵) – sake maturation
Chougu (調合) – blending
Warimizu – (割水) – diluting sake with water

Music used:

Wirklich Wichtig (CB 27) by Checkie Brown https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Checkie_Brown_1005/hey/Wirklich_Wichtig_CB_27

Just Arround the World (Kielokaz ID 362) by KieLoKaz
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/KieLoKaz/Free_Ganymed/Just_Arround_the_World_Kielokaz_ID_362

Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Vocal: Svetlana

Alex

Alex is a London-based sake blogger, podcaster, IWC Sake judge and sake advocate. He is a publisher of the Sugidama Blog website and a host of the Sugidama Podcast. Alex has an International Kikisake-shi (Sake Specialist) qualification from SSI (Sake Service Institute). He sees his mission as expanding the awareness of Japanese sake among as many people as possible and helping the growing community of sake lovers to bring together beautiful Japanese sake and non-Japanese food as a way to build a better understanding between our cultures.

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