Sake question

Make sure you dont exceed the hoki-koki nanki-poo standard, and ensure that when you reach the hanki-panki platform that you increase the poki-poki rate.

That's great. I'll watch out for that. Anyone care to respond who doesn't have both hands in their pants?

I hope your homebrew isn't as flat as your sophomoric attempts at humor. :^/

Tom S

You know, as a new brewer who was pondering attempting a sake in a few years, after I have a couple decent meads under my belt, I was kind of interested in seeing serious responses to this post. >:(

Perhaps these brewers are not familiar with making sake?

"HomeBrewer" wrote >

You may have tasted a poor example of the species - or one served incorrectly. Or you may not like warm, still beverages.

A good saki has some interesting nuances that not all pallettes can process. Also, it should generally be served rather warm - this emphasizes those nuances. If your saki experience was the only saki offered on the wine shelf at Kroger, you probably just got a really lousy saki.

"HomeBrewer" wrote > >

Ah - it really is a matter of taste. I got my brother to sample a Samuel Smith India Ale once - which I really like as a pleasant change from the variety of stouts, porters, dark weisses, and generally muddy dark ales I usually drink - and I thought he was going to barf on my shoes. Everybody's palate is different.

Stumbled upon this group stalking my good buddy, Fosco, and while I know nil about homebrew I do know about sake.

I have to correct you about good sake being served slightly chilled. Good sake can be consumed at any temperature and if the ambient temperature outside is below freezing (which it often is in the winter months in Japan) sake will usually, almost always, be imbibed warmed. It should be consumed while warm and finished before it cools, hence sake being served in small flasks (tokkuri)

I also suggest you try unfiltered sake, which resembles milk in appearance. This sake is completely different to filtered sake and is sublime and very easily consumed.

Look out for junmai sake which is made from 100% rice, or daiginjo, which is made from the central core of the rice grain. Both are the sake that other sake should be measured against.

Graeme (back to stalking)

Well, you may wish to start by removing the broom from your arse and stop taking yourself so seriously.

Sounds like you may be correct.

I agree with the warm in cold weather approach. Sometimes, Fugu fin in sake can be quite nice, too. I wouldn't do it with my best sake, tho' - that I prefer to drink cold so that I taste the drink and am not overwhelmed by the alcoholic smell.

Re: bad sake - there's a lot of crap out there. Until my most recent visit to Japan, I'd thought that it was strictly a US-bad, Japan-good phenomenom, however in visiting three breweries, one had extremely poor product.

Personally, if you haven't found good sake, I'd recommend finding a good Japanese market and asking about the character of different brands. Many of my favorites (almost always daiginjo) have apple-character. Mu - a realfave of mine at 'Joy of Sake' last year - has almost grappa-hints as I recall.

There's a lot out there. And making doburoku sake hasn't been too hard so far. All I need now is some experienced advice....

Try cross posting to japan.sake if you to try another group for advice.

I've been making beer and wine for over 25 years and all I know is that it is made of cooked rice, an enzyme converts it to sugar, you ferment it somehow and then drink it at 98*F with some of the dregs in it. Sounds like my idea of fun. Not. Bob<

Phil,

The guy with all the answers is Fred Eckhardt, who has brewed more batches of sake than anyone I know. He has written several articles on sake for Zymurgy -- the most recent of which I can send you if you like. I have participated in a couple of those batches and have never run across the sulferous smell you refer to. The entire process, from yeast mash to finished product takes 81 days.

Fred has a great, easy-to-follow sake recipe that he is happy to share with any would-be sake brewer. Send me an e-mail and I can get you his contact info. Cheers,

Jim Parker Editor in chief, Zymurgy snipped-for-privacy@brewersassociation.org