Rice Wine---Saki

Classification: sake

Source: David Herron (mailrus!ukma!davids.UUCP!david) Issue #48, 1/10/89

This recipe came from a collection of wine recipes by Raymond Massaccesi titled Winemakers Recipe Handbook. Various digest subscribers question the authenticity of this recipe. Sake should contain only rice---no corn sugar, grape concentrate, or honey. Authentic sake should also be inoculated with koji. There is a sake brewery in Berkeley, California, that will conduct tours for those interested in learning more about sake. Sake is discussed by Fred Eckhardt in Best of Beer and Brewing Vol. 1-5, available from the AHA. Koji is available from Great Fermentations of Santa Rosa.

Note to 2nd Edition: Fred Eckhardt is now putting out a brief newsletter, on an infrequent periodic basis, geared strictly toward the sake brewer. He lists various places to buy koji, sources of polished rice, commercial sake brewers, etc.

Ingredients:

2-1/2 pounds, rice (husked or raw)
1/2 pint, grape concentrate
7 pints, hot water
2-1/2 pounds, corn sugar or honey
3 teaspoons, acid blend
3/4 teaspoon, yeast energizer
1 tablet, Campden
1 pack, sherry yeast

Procedure:

Wash and crush rice. Place rice in nylon straining bag and place in primary. Pour hot water over rice and stir in all ingredients except yeast and engergizer. Wait 48 hours. Add yeast and energizer and cover primary. Stir daily, checking gravity and pressing pulp lightly. When gravity reaches 1.050 (2-3 days), add another 1/4 pound dissolved sugar or honey per gallon. When gravity drops to 1.030 (6-7 days) strain any juice from bag. Rack to secondary. Attach airlock. Rack again in 2 months, if necessary. Bottle when ready. It is possible to continue building up alcohol by adding additional sugar until fermentation ceases. For a sweeter drink, add 1/2 teaspoon stabilizer and 1/4 pound dissolved sugar.

NOTE: Any additional sugar added should be corn sugar, not cane sugar.