Homebrewing Sake

[T.Lee]

I really dont know where else to ask this, and I may be out on a limb here, but I think many ppl who turned an interest in kendo might have other cultural interests related to japan.

so, anyone know how to brew sake?

im serious. i want to start this up as a home hobby. ive read things on the internet, looked at books, and i know the procedures, ingredients and whatnot, but id like to talk to someone who actually knows and can teach me. ideally someone local (im in los angeles now). im not hoping to produce prize winning stuff, in fact i expect to make some crappy sake at first, but i just want to try, experiment, and take some joy in making my own. and maybe ill end up with something ill like personally even more.

sure, i can buy some at any store, but home gardeners can buy vegetables at the store too.

and yes, i like drinking it too.

[Kirin]

If you can read japanese here ya go
http://www.geocities.co.jp/Athlete-Sparta/1994/d_what.html

I will translate it later.... its 2am and have parctice tomorrow ...ooops this morning hehehe

[Mizukaze]

An english one is here:

http://www.geocities.co.jp/Foodpia/1751/sake.html

[not-I]

i once brewed some kombucha for a couple months after someone slipped me the fungus. it was good stuff, but i got bored and the poor shroom died of neglect.

but this...
this is a project worthy of commitment...and simple too.

just have to borrow a steam cooker.

thanks all for this thread!

nobody understands why we do what we do
this cup of sake does

[Mizukaze]

Enjoy! Now....if only I was legal drinking age. :wink:

[not-I]

don't sweat it.

i didn't realize you were 13, but i once made moonshine for a middle school science project just to annoy the teacher. hey! what are doing here tracking down sake recipes? go do your homework! you need good grades to get into a good college!

:)

my dad used to let me have an occasional beer or glass of wine when i was in my teens so that i could see what it's all about instead of ending up secretely engaging in peer-pressure binge-drinking, but like most i did my share of that too.

alcohol is not evil, but it can be dangerous if it becomes an escape rather than a celebration of life and friendship. just keep your eyes open - moderation in all things.

[Anime12478]

What is the drinking age in Japan? I plan on going to Japan to study abroad over there whenever I get my GPA up in college.

I've gotten drunk once...and hated it! While I wasn't throwing up everywhere, I acted differently than I usually do and I was dizzy the whole night. After that, I made a vow to avoid getting drunk as much as possible.

[R A Sosnowski]

I really dont know where else to ask this, and I may be out on a limb here, but I think many ppl who turned an interest in kendo might have other cultural interests related to japan.

so, anyone know how to brew sake?

im serious. i want to start this up as a home hobby. ive read things on the internet, looked at books, and i know the procedures, ingredients and whatnot, but id like to talk to someone who actually knows and can teach me. ideally someone local (im in los angeles now). im not hoping to produce prize winning stuff, in fact i expect to make some crappy sake at first, but i just want to try, experiment, and take some joy in making my own. and maybe ill end up with something ill like personally even more.

sure, i can buy some at any store, but home gardeners can buy vegetables at the store too.

and yes, i like drinking it too.


Check out Sake (USA): The Complete Guide to American Sake, Sake Breweries and Homebrewed Sake by Fred Eckhardt (self-published by Fred Eckhardt Communications, PO Box 546, Portland, OR 97207).

HTH.

[T.Lee]

Thanks for trying to be helpful. Actually, like i said, i already know the instructions, online and in print, i'm looking for personal advice, someone i can interact with to learn from. not to digress into another thread, reading about kendo isnt the same thing as having someone teach you kendo, or anything else.

not-i, did you mean to say you attempted this yourself? can you email me at tysonlee at hotmail dot com. i do have a few questions.

[Kirin]

I've heard sｔｅｒｉｌｉｚａｔｉｏｎ/ｐａｓｔｅｕｒｉｚａｔｉｏｎ of equipment/container are the Key.
biggest enermy = fungi, mold

[not-I]

not-i, did you mean to say you attempted this yourself?
No. I'm sorry if i was unclear. I have made moonshine (distilation) and kombucha (fermentation), but i have never made sake. This thread inspired me to try it. But first i need to find a shop that has good kome-koji and to buy/borrow a pressure cooker.

So unfortunately, i can't really be of assistance, expect to back up Kirin and say that in fermentation, sterility of equipment is key. If my kombucha fungus got some alien mold, it was possible to clean it off with vinegar, but that was just a shroom and some sugared tea. With kome-koji, yeast, and a rice brew, things get more complicated.

I would also suggest that you ask around in some Japanese stores that sell sake. It could be that there's a local brew and that you might be able to find an actual sake-sensei. It would be more likely in SF than LA though.

[gsx1100s]

I home brew a heap of stout and other dark ales. I'm very interested to see how you go as I too was thinking of doing the same. I have a great love of Sake. Best drink in the world ( besides stout):)


cheers Michael