Shubo kōtei

【English】
Shubo making process(es)

« Kimoto »

Day One.

Steamed rice cooled → steamed rice wrapped at about 30°C → ike meshi (埋け飯) → 5 hours on → mixing of steamed rice → 7 – 8 hours later → shikomi (mashing) (measuring (hakari-komi) rice into hangiri tub, measuring koji into same tub, kaisai kongo (long second “o”, 潰砕混合,) mixing of materials to break down lumps of rice or koji, kumi-mizu (addition of water), meshi-awase (飯合わせ, addition of steamed rice) → 4 – 5 hours on → te-moto (手酛, hand-mixing, two or three times, every two hours)

 

Day Two.

ara-bumi (“rough trampling”) (or ara-zuri (“rough grinding”)) → niban-zuri (second grinding) → sanban-zuri (third grinding) → uchi-komi (ori-komi) (combination of contents of every two tubs into one) → toki-gaki (moto-gaki; regular night-time stirring every few hours)

 

Day Three.

uchi-ake (moto-yose (combination of contents of all remaining hangiri into one tank)) → utase cooling period

 

Days Five to Six.

hatsu-daki (first heating (with daki, a container of hot water)) → mae-daki kikan (preliminary heating stage)

 

Day Thirteen.

fukure (“swelling”)

 

Day Fourteen.

waki-tsuki (commencement of (full-blown) fermentation) → waki-tsuki yasumi (end of heating stage)

 

Day Seventeen.

giri daki (heating by swirling a daki in the mash) → nukumi-tori daki (heating to about 30°C) → saiko ondo (first “o” long, peak temperature) → go saiko ondo (post-peak temperature)

 

Day Nineteen.

wake (“division”; cooling by dividing the mash)

 

Day Twenty-one.

modoshi (mash returned to one tank) → jukusei (maturation) → karashi (conditioning period) (2 – 30 days) → use

 

« Yamahai »

Day One.

Steamed rice cooled → steamed rice wrapped at about 30°C → ike meshi → mixing / kneading of steamed rice → mizu-koji → mashing → awase-gai (preliminary mixing with kai)

 

Day Two.

ara-gai / kumi-kake (further mixing with kai or kumi-kake treatment)niban-gai (“number two” mixing with kai) → sanban-gai (“number three” mixing with kai)

 

Days Three and Four.

utase cooling period

 

Days Five to Six.

hatsu-daki (first heating) → mae-daki kikan (preliminary heating stage)

 

Day Thirteen.

fukure (“swelling”)

 

Day Fourteen.

waki-tsuki (commencement of (full-blown) fermentation) → waki-tsuki yasumi (end of heating stage)

 

Day Seventeen.

giri daki → nukumitori daki → peak temperature → post-peak temperature

 

Day Nineteen.

wake (“division”; cooling)

 

Day Twenty-one.

modoshi (mash returned to one tank) → jukusei (maturation) → karashi (conditioning period) → (2 – 30 days) → use

 

« Sokujo »

Day One.  

Kumi-mizu (preparation of mashing water) → addition of lactic acid → addition of koji (mizu-koji) → addition of yeast → cooling of rice → (wrapping of rice) → mashing → preliminary kai mixing → kumi-kake

 

Day Two.

kai mixing → utase cooling period

 

Days Three and Four.

hatsu-daki (first heating) → mae-daki kikan (preliminary heating stage)

 

Days Four to Five.

fukure (“swelling”)

 

Days Five and Six.

waki-tsuki (commencement of (full-blown) fermentation) → waki-tsuki yasumi (end of heating stage) → peak temperature

 

Day Nine.

wake (“division”; cooling, usually carried out in the same single tank) → jukusei (maturation) → karashi (conditioning period) → (1 – 5 days) → use

 

« Ko-on toka shubo (high temperature saccharification shubo) »

Day One.  

Kumi-mizu (preparation of mashing water) → heating (60°C) → addition of koji → addition of steamed rice (mashing, 58°C) → preliminary kai mixing → saccharification (6 hours) → cooling → addition of lactic acid (40°C) → cooling → addition of yeast (25°C)

 

Day Two.

fukure (“swelling”)

 

Days Three and Four.

waki-tsuki (commencement of (full-blown) fermentation) → waki-tsuki yasumi (end of heating stage)

 

Day Five

cooling

 

Day Six.

jukusei (maturation) → use