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Few alcoholic beverages out there offer the crystal clear and subtle taste profile of sake, otherwise known as Japanese rice wine. Its characteristics may vary greatly depending on where it is made in Japan, but that is also precisely the reason why the world of sake can be very intriguing.
And for those who have always fancied making their own delicious Japanese rice wine but never had the chance to do so, a brewing kit called the MiCURA “Kotohajime” Ver1.1 may just be the perfect solution.
▼ Despite its name sounding like computer software, this kit is able to churn out 4.4 liters of sake in 33 days.
Traditional sake brewing is often performed in highly controlled environments where every step is tightly regulated to ensure reproducibility. As ordinary people do not have access to such expensive equipment, Kotohajime simplifies the process by omitting rice steaming and yeast. It also utilizes dry koji mold spores and special “alpha rice” to skip tricky steps that would otherwise take lots of skill and time to perform.
That is not to say that customers will end up with bad-tasting sake, as these shortcut techniques are actually being used by experts in the field.
Perhaps the most enjoyable thing about home brewing is being able to witness the entire process firsthand, and the transparent brewing vessel allows us to observe exactly how the rice wine ferments and slowly matures over weeks.
Worried that the brewing instructions will be all in Japanese? Fear not, as customers can choose to have manuals written in English, not to mention that all kits are available worldwide thanks to very affordable international shipping plans. They also include one of four message cards which customers can choose from.
Interested individuals can find more information about the kit and purchase them online here.
Although other fantastic do-it-yourself Japanese rice wine brewing kits are available out there, MiCURA’s Kotohajime Ver1.1 streamlines the process and makes it easy to get started in the wonderful world of brewing. After a few batches and a few swigs, you will be a master sake brewer in no time.
Source: MiCURA via PR Times
Read more stories from SoraNews24.
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-- Japan’s tax agency considers protected designation for Japanese sake
© SoraNews24
12 Comments
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Frank Thornton
I believe home brewing is illegal in Japan.
Nippori Nick
Wow. That's a pretty high price for what in essence is water, yeast and rice.
gelendestrasse
I've brewed my own beer. Maybe I'll try sake. But not at that price!
cleo
Top of the linked page -
home brewing is prohibited in Japan so refrain from using them inside Japan
Every year I have a super crop of blackberries; I would love to try my hand at home-made blackberry wine, but it's illegal even though there is no blackberry wine on the market that I would be taking tax revenue away from. (The ban on home-made booze is all about taxes, of course)
Amazon Japan used to have wine-making kits, but a quick check this morning shows they seem to have been pulled.
Kobe White Bar Owner
@ Frank yes i thought the same. Even got a home brew kit nabbed by customs once... interesting maybe its the new microbrew laws??? hmmmm
Deadforgood
Isn't home brewing illegal in Japan? Must be marketing internationally
MichaelBukakis
But you can’t brew sake or beer on your own IN JAPAN. It is illegal and reserved for the conglomerates of Kirin, Sapporo, Asahi, and Suntory only. Which charge 2 USD PER CAN of Budweiser quality beer.
Ah_so
Frankly, homebrewing is a very low risk crime and I know Japanese who do it as a hobby. And I have also home brewed saké as well. Fairly easy.
You need a reasonably large container; koji; yeast rice; water; a muslin net.
Ferment a small amount of rice rice with koji - takes a week or so.
Steam the rest of the rice.
Put it all in the container with water and yeast, close the lid and stand back. Leave for a week or two while it bubbles away.
Strain and drink. Pasturise if you want to keep for longer.
Lots of recipes and videos online.
The product will be cloudy doburoku - the kind of saké that was normal until recently until producers started adding pure alcohol and lowering the rice content. And is delicious.
And it won't cost you $200!
Ah_so
I'd argue that they are a lot better than Budweiser.
badman
Indeed. My in laws visit once a year here in the states and they bring me 12 cans of Sapporo Red Star, which is not so easy to find even in Japan. This summer I will go to Sapporo and bring back Blue Star which is like a Belgium White beer.
Cliffy
My grandmom used to do that. Now, my in-laws do that in their home. Don't really like drinking, but I will use it for cooking.
Ah_so
Never had it, but enjoy!