Nyū-san

【English】

Lactic acid

【Japanese】

乳酸

One of the organic acids in fermented products, produced by lactic acid bacteria and yeast. When mashing sokujo-school shubo and for kobo-jikomi, it is used to repress harmful micro-organisms. It is also used in preparing the chomi-eki (long”o”, 調味液) liquid used as a brewing adjunct, and in adjusting the acidity levels of shubo, moromi and seishu in cases where it is too low.

Lactic acid as used in brewing meets the Standards for Food Additives, and may further meet the Standard for Lactic Acid for use in Brewing (90 – 92% pure, specific gravity 1.21 – 1.22) set by the Brewing Materials Standards Council of the Brewing Society of Japan.