Kimoto (生酛)

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, but because of its manpower consumes, there are only a few breweries still stick with this method.

Most sake brewery add 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 rapid brewing method was established, sake brewer never added lactic acid and yeast. How did they brew sake? It was incredible that the brewed by wild lactic acid bacteria and for sake fermentation.

In this traditional method of sake brewing, there are two stage 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 with 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” brew with stable quality, Kimoto will produce more lactic acid the Sokujo because of lactic bacteria. Kitomo 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 make Kimoto sake present creamy mouthfeel and quite tasty.