7 STAGES OF SHOCHU MAKING
Main ingredients of Shochu can vary from rice, barley, potatos, soba (backwheat), black sugar etc. In Kagoshima prefecture, Potato shochu is their speciality. Majority of Kagoshima Shochu makers use local sweet potato, especially potato called Koganesengan. Potato is used for main/secondary firmantation to extract character of ingredient. For fermentation starter, rice is used after starch in rice is converted into fermentable sugar by emzyme created by Koji mould.
Like Sake making, spring water is very important. Hombo Shuzo’s Chiran Distilleary is srounded with natural envirnment – water, moutain and sea. Perfect place to make Shochu.
1. Harvest of Koganesengan Potato
Harvest of Koganesengan potato is in Sept and October. Hombo Shuzo use only freshly harvested potato. This is potato field near Hombo Shuzo’s Chiran Distillery. During Shochu making season, 50 tones of Koganesengan potato is brought into the distillery, 39 tone of spring water for Shochu making every day.
2. Potato Selection Process
Selecting potato and cleaning potato by hand first. After potato is washed, it is steamed. Once potato is steamed, they are ready for main fermentation.
3. Two Step Fermentation Process
There are two steps fermentation in Shochu making:
- Primary moromi is like fermentaiton starter.
- Seconday moromi which is main fermentation.
4. Koji Making Process
Before Primary moromi process, Koji is created. Koji is made with rice and Koji mold. It converts starch component in potato into fermentable sugar during main fermentation. For Primary moromi, Koji, water and yeast are blended and start initial fermentation for about 5 days.
5. Main Fermentation Process
Secondary Moromi (Main fermentation) is to combine Primary moromi with freshly steamed potato, and ferment for about 10 days.
6. Distillation Process
Now we are ready to distil Secondary moromi. At Hombo Shuzo’s Chiran distillery, they distil only single time for high quality Shochu called Honkaku Shochu.
7. Distillation Techniques
Distillation technique is important as well as cooling process. At Chiran distillery, they use specially crafted tin serpentine, so it benefits to create mellow, soft textured Shochu.
7 STAGES OF SHOCHU MAKING
Main ingredients of Shochu can vary from rice, barley, potatos, soba (backwheat), black sugar etc. In Kagoshima prefecture, Potato shochu is their speciality. Majority of Kagoshima Shochu makers use local sweet potato, especially potato called Koganesengan. Potato is used for main/secondary firmantation to extract character of ingredient. For fermentation starter, rice is used after starch in rice is converted into fermentable sugar by emzyme created by Koji mould.
Like Sake making, spring water is very important. Hombo Shuzo’s Chiran Distilleary is srounded with natural envirnment – water, moutain and sea. Perfect place to make Shochu.
1. Harvest of Koganesengan Potato
Harvest of Koganesengan potato is in Sept and October. Hombo Shuzo use only freshly harvested potato. This is potato field near Hombo Shuzo’s Chiran Distillery. During Shochu making season, 50 tones of Koganesengan potato is brought into the distillery, 39 tone of spring water for Shochu making every day.
2. Potato Selection Process
Selecting potato and cleaning potato by hand first. After potato is washed, it is steamed. Once potato is steamed, they are ready for main fermentation.
3. Two Step Fermentation Process
There are two steps fermentation in Shochu making:
- Primary moromi is like fermentaiton starter.
- Seconday moromi which is main fermentation.
4. Koji Making Process
Before Primary moromi process, Koji is created. Koji is made with rice and Koji mold. It converts starch component in potato into fermentable sugar during main fermentation. For Primary moromi, Koji, water and yeast are blended and start initial fermentation for about 5 days.
5. Main Fermentation Process
Secondary Moromi (Main fermentation) is to combine Primary moromi with freshly steamed potato, and ferment for about 10 days.
6. Distillation Process
Now we are ready to distil Secondary moromi. At Hombo Shuzo’s Chiran distillery, they distil only single time for high quality Shochu called Honkaku Shochu.
7. Distillation Techniques
Distillation technique is important as well as cooling process. At Chiran distillery, they use specially crafted tin serpentine, so it benefits to create mellow, soft textured Shochu.