Sake and Spirits Flashcards
What is the name of the mold used in MPF for sake production and what is its Latin Name?
koji-kin Aspergillus oryzae
What is the shinpaku refer to in Sake fermentation?
The pure starchy heart of the rice grain
What type of rice is generally considered the most superior?
Yamada Nishiki
What is the Seimaibuai?
The degree to which the rice has been milled.
What is the maximum % of rice remaining for Junmai? Honjozo? Gino? Daiginjo?
Junmai (max remaining was 70% prior to 2004, now a higher percentage may remain) Honjozo (max 70 % remaining) Ginjo (max 60% remaining) Daiginjo (max 50% remaining)
What is the difference between Junmai and Honjozo?
For Honjozo, as opposed to Junmai, a slight amount of brewer’s alcohol (pure distillate) is added to the sake before pressing following fermentation.
If either Ginjo or Daiginjo is produced without the addition of brewer’s alcohol how will each style be listed for each respectively?
Junmai-Ginjo Junmai-Daigingo
List the following steps of sake fermentation in order form first to last: Rinsing of the freshly milled rice Creating the Moto Rice is milled Rice is rinsed and soaked Fermentation Pasteurization and Filtration Creating the Koji Creating the Moromi Addition of water for alcohol level adjustment Sake is pressed
Rice is milled Rinsing of freshly milled Rice Creating the Koji Creating the Moto Creating the Moromi Rice is rinsed and soaked Fermentation Addition of water for alcohol level adjustment Sake is Pressed Pasteurization and Filtration
What is the name of the scale that measures sake’s specific gravity, or density in contrast to that of water? Describe what values corresponding to this designate. (positive, negative, neutral)
Nihonshudo Designation of values: Negative values indicate sweetness Positive values indicate dryness Zero indicates neutural
The following are service vessels for sake: Tokkuri, Ochoko, Sakazuki. What are they and how are they used?
Tokkuri: A ceramic, narrow-neck flask that sake is poured into from the bottle that is used as a decanter Ochoko: small cylindrical vessels that sake is served in Sakazuki: a more ceremonial vessel than Ochoko
What is the term used to indicate that a sake is unpasteurized?
Namazake
What is the term used to indicate that a sake is unfiltered?
Nigori
What is the term used to indicate that a sake is aged in wooden barrels?
Taruzake
What is the term used to indicate that a sake is from a smaller kura (brewery)?
Jizake
What is the term used to indicate that a sake is undiluted?
Genshu
What is the simple premise upon which the principle of distillation relies on?
Alcohol has a lower boiling point than water
What is the boiling point of ethyl alcohol at sea level?
173F (78C)
What is fractional distillation defined as?
the separation of two liquids with different boiling points
What are the three most common vessels for distillation?
Alembic still Pot Still Continuous Still/Coffey/column/patent still
Describe how a pot still functions.
Fermented liquor (the “wash”) is placed into a closed vessel and heat is applied directly to the vessel. This vaporizes the ethyl alcohol, a certain amount of water, and congeners-volatile molecules such as esters, other alcohols, and aldehydes, which contribute to the flavor (or off-flavor) of a spirit. The Vapors are then cooled, condensed into liquid and collected in a separate vessel. In this simple form the spirit will be impure. The distiller must discard the foreshows-the first vapors to condense- as these contain a toxic alcohol. The tails are also discarded, as unwanted congeners tend to collect in the distillate residue. The middle vapors are collected as the desired spirit.
Describe how a Continuous still functions. How does it differ from a pot still? (anatomy, source of heat, purity/strength of spirit)
A continuous still has two columns- an Analyzer and a Rectifier. Steam is used rather than direct heat to vaporize the alcohol. The wash travels through steam heated layers in the Analyzer and the alcohol vapors leave the Analyzer and enter the Rectifier where they condense and are collected. Excess condensation continues back into the Anaylzer again and the process repeats until the desired strength of the spirit and purity is achieved.
Do spirits improve with age? Which do? Which don’t?
Some do. Brown spirits, such as brandy and Scotch whisky, gain color and character from oak aging Bottled spirits, unlike wine, do not continue to develop.
What are the three most common methods aside form oak aging that are used to flavor spirits? Describe how they work.
Infusion: Warmer quicker process with alcohol and flavoring agents Maceration: Slower, colder steeping with flavoring agents Percolation: base spirit is pumped through the flavoring method. Resembles coffee brewing.
Alcoholic strength of a spirit on EU and US bottles is listed as ABV at what temperature?
20C (68F)