Sake factory visit: this is how sake is made!

Wakura Sake Brewery, Chiba Japan

 

Sake is stored in the tanks.

Sake is strongly connected to Shintoism.

The black bacteria contributes to the flavor of sake.

Rice.  Made in Chiba (local).

Polished rice.

Rice soaked in water.  Very exact work to the seconds.

Steaming the rice.  Also strict to seconds.

Drying the steamed rice.

Making "syubo", the mother of sake - a kind of yeast.

Syubo contains all the aspects of fragrance that sake develops: ester note like apple, pear, grape, and acid note like milk acid, even including the fatty acid note.

Syubo turns sugar into alcohol.
Koji turns rice into sugar.

Making "koji" (rice bacteria) under the controlled temperature and humidity.

 

Now everything in one pot together and fermentation process starts. In this stage it's called "moromi".

I've tasted this stage of sake:  tastes of all micro-organism!  Feeling its energy.

Squeesing.  The rest is called "sake-kasu".

Checking the alcohol percentage in the laboratory.

Flavour of apple, pear, grape, milk (acid)...

They are open for your visit.  (Spoken only in Japanese though)
Wakura Sake Brewery