The Traditional Brewing Process
Oldest method existing in this era
Work: Lightest
Time: 4 weeks
Kimoto method is an ancient method to produce Shubo. It costs 4 weeks to produce Shubo and needs people to stand around a small tub to smash steamed rice, KOJI, and water to a mixed mud to help the yeast to do its job more smoothly.
Although it is a traditional way to brew sake, because of its manpower consumption, there are only a few breweries that still stick with this method.
Most sake brewery adds lactic acid and artificially cultivated yeast for brewing sake. The rapid brewing method was established in 1910 and became a consistent way for winemaking to maintain its quality.
Before the rapid brewing method was established, sake brewers never added lactic acid and yeast. How did they brew sake? It was incredible that they brewed by wild lactic acid bacteria and for sake fermentation.
In this traditional method of sake brewing, there are two stages for producing the “Shubo.” The first stage is the growth of lactic acid, and the second stage is the growth of yeast.
This is an almost original form of sake brewing. Compared to the rapid sake brewing series, it must take twice as much time for fermentation. Because this method relies too much on nature, it is very difficult to grasp the quality. Most sake breweries have been switched to the “Sokujo” rapid brewing system for producing “Shubo”.
Although “Sokujo” brews with stable quality, Kimoto will produce more lactic acid than Sokujo because of lactic bacteria. Kimoto will make sake more creamy and softness is due to lactic bacteria. The Kimoto sake got complex and rough texture and sourness from lactic acid. The body is very strong because the raw materials are smashed in an artificial way. After heating to 40 degrees, the lactic acid reacts with heat and makes Kimoto sake present creamy mouthfeel and quite tasty.
