# Get To Know Your Koji-kin



## pdilley (22/4/09)

Shochu is Japans distilled product, so we are more interest in nihon-shu or Sake! the brewed product. Because they both use the same Kojikin on the rice as the first step to making either, its time to get down with our friendly rice mold and learn a little about it.

Kojikin (aspergillus oryzae) is the mold used in shochu and nihon-shu production to break down the starches in steamed rice or sweet potatoes into fermentable sugars so that the yeast can then begin their job of converting the sugar into alcohol. Koji-kin is very, very important in producing or affecting the taste of the final shochu or nihon-shu product.

There are three kinds of koji-kin (mold) for making shochu. They are kuro (black) koji mold; Ki (yellow) koji mold; and shiro (white) koji mold. Each koji mold has a different function to give variation to the final product.






*Shiro koji-kin (White)*



Shiro koji mold was found in a mutation of kuro koji mold. This koji mold quickly converts starch into sugar since its enzyme power is very impressive. Shochu made with shiro koji mold can taste plump, sweet, mild or sharp.


*Kuro koji-kin i (Black)*



Kuro koji mold is very strong and is used to aid decomposition. It makes Shochu taste slightly sweet, rich and strong. Awamori (Thai rice) is usually used with kuro koji mold. Imo (sweet potato) shochu is often made with kuro koji since it produces a very impressive aroma. Any brewing facility or person who works where shochu is made with kuro koji mold will often be covered in black dust.


*Ki koji-kin (Yellow)*



Ki koji mold is very sensitive, and its temperature is very difficult to control. The taste of shochu made with ki-koji is very fruity, light, and smooth.


Now Koji is also used in making Miso paste for Japanese foods. What is sold as koji-kin is not identified from the LHBSs locally or overseas as to which origin their koji-kin comes from. Those that have point back to a company known as a Miso producer. The interchangeability of these strains might be in question to the quality of the end product, the same with all the different strains of Ale yeast.


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## raven19 (22/4/09)

And recipe to make it is similar to Sake? But with distilling at the end of fermentation?

Good reading there. More info now required Pete!


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## Bizier (22/4/09)

Thanks Sensei.

_Kyle voice:_
"I've learned something today"


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## flattop (22/4/09)

I went toe to toe with a couple of Japs drinking Saki and the Korean version (cant remember the name) in Osaka.... Boy was i shabby the next day but i still fronted for work.
I still don't like the stuff


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## pdilley (22/4/09)

raven19 said:


> And recipe to make it is similar to Sake? But with distilling at the end of fermentation?
> 
> Good reading there. More info now required Pete!




The first we can talk about, the second is a "no no you naughty boy you" so we won't 


The rice process is simple and uses the same basic equipment as home brew beer. The rice is fermented, if thats a proper word with mold, in a temperature and humidity controlled environment. To you and me thats an esky with a heater element and cup of water  Until the mycelium has covered the mold in a fuzzy white goodness. Then it is ready to use as the starches are converted.

From there you can make Amazake, a sweet traditional Japanese low alcohol drink but mixing with some water.
Or take the sweet rice water, add yeast and make Sake! - This is a whole family of styles depending on fermentation temperatures, etc.
Or add a few last steps if you are in a country where it is legal to do so at home and distill into a final shochu product.

Rice, barley or soy beans are steamed before being inoculated with the kojikin or Aspergillus oryzae mould that lies at the heart of much fermented food in Japan. Once the kojikin has become established, this substance, now known as koji, is added to a mixture of washed, cooked, cooled and crushed soy beans, water and salt and placed in vats, traditionally made from cedar wood, to ferment. The fermentation period, just like that of shoyu, should ideally stretch over two summers, to allow the proteins in the mixture to be broken down slowly and naturally into flavoursome and nutritious amino acids.

Liquid that is expressed during the process is reserved, bottled and sold as shoyu, to you and me as Soy Sauce! 

If there is enough interest we can try doing a group brew and join the old-school Japanese food and beverage home brewers:




I'm already doing Korean Kim Chi, nice and spicy!


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## Bizier (22/4/09)

Brewer Pete said:


> If there is enough interest we can try doing a group brew and join the old-school Japanese food and beverage home brewers:



I'm not getting dressed in that getup... that's for sure.


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## bum (22/4/09)

Brewer Pete said:


> I'm already doing Korean Kim Chi, nice and spicy!


 
You doing the earthenware pots buried outside method or some churched-up whiteman version?

Love to hear about the results either way!


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## pdilley (22/4/09)

Standard large glass jar. Those old mega huge coffee jars from yesteryear. My fermented food books all say avoid plastic even when they call it food safe plastic so I use glass jars.

Saurkraut is also dead easy as well but something tasty about spicy garlic
and gingery green onions with the cabbage. I'll do a separate post if there is interest. It is still brewing just fermenting food so still fits the Non-Beer designation of the forum.


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## Screwtop (22/4/09)

Brewer Pete said:


> Saurkraut is also dead easy as well but something tasty about spicy garlic
> and gingery green onions with the cabbage. I'll do a separate post if there is interest.



REGISTER: INTEREST INTEREST INTEREST


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## sinkas (22/4/09)

Brewer Pete said:


> Shochu is Japans distilled product, so we are more interest in nihon-shu or Sake! the brewed product. Because they both use the same Kojikin on the rice as the first step to making either, its time to get down with our friendly rice mold and learn a little about it.
> 
> Kojikin (aspergillus oryzae) is the mold used in shochu and nihon-shu production to break down the starches in steamed rice or sweet potatoes into fermentable sugars so that the yeast can then begin their job of converting the sugar into alcohol. Koji-kin is very, very important in producing or affecting the taste of the final shochu or nihon-shu product.
> 
> ...



was that meant to be written in engrish?


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## pdilley (22/4/09)

Screwtop said:


> REGISTER: INTEREST INTEREST INTEREST



Alright, I'll sort out a post. Since i'm on holidays this Friday to the following Monday, if I don't get time to do a write up tomorrow night, I'll put one up next week.

In the mean time, Bushells never had it so spicy!



In the mean time you'll have to source a big huge bag of red chilli powder or granulated flakes from a local asian grocer. I got mine from a Korean shop in the city centre for the first time just to make sure I got the right ones to use, but I'll definitely be checking out the asian grocer just down the street as they are a lot larger and have bigger bags and better prices by not having to be paying that CBD rent!

Also get yourself a new pair of rubber kitchen gloves just for making Kim Chi unless you promise you won't rub your eyes for a day afterwards 
Maybe a big food tub if you get into it on a regular basis 
Optional is a small bag of rice flour only some people cook it with water on the stove to make a paste to slather along the cabbage leaves to help the spices stick.

Studies have shown that the anti-cancer properties in cabbages are maximized and some made by breaking it down during fermentation. More so than eating raw cabbage or eating cooked cabbage. Buying Saurkraut and fermented foods today is a farce as the alive/life-giving properties have been eradicated during the sterilization/canning process so you open a big can of dead Kraut. What is worse is more foods are made using modern methods of no longer fermenting them but just pouring in vinegar, sugar, spices and putting it in a bottle or tin can and shoving it on the supermarket shelf. My next focus will be making proper fermented garlic pickles like you can get at a few delicatessens in N.Y. that still sell the old fashioned pickles.

Oh and Bizier, the Japanese Man Thong is entirely optional dress 

They are supposed to grow Chinese/Napa/Korean style cabbages in NSW near Sydney so you shouldn't have trouble sourcing them if you are there.


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## pdilley (5/7/09)

Thanks to Collin at the LHBS I've got a tiny sample of Koji Kin to try. We couldn't source any locally (go figure) and what we happened across was a sachet from 2005 so its really pushing it but I'm going to focus on building up culture from that with the sole intent of creating new viable culture. If that succeeds then I'll switch into Sake brewing mode in addition to the Meads, Ciders, Fruit Wines, and Beers.

The safest way with such a small sample might have to borrow Mushroom growing techniques and build a PDA (sans the A) or similar nutrient solution and then put the stir plate to use with a fish tank heater in a rubbermaid container of water and then the Erlenmeyer flask full of nutrient solution in that. In with a teaspoon of culture and see if I can expand it in a week. If no nasties and all good mycelium growth then pour it into rice as an inoculation and see how it goes from there in a temperature controlled and humidity controlled fridge.


Cheers,
Brewer Pete


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## altone (5/7/09)

Brewer Pete said:


> What is worse is more foods are made using modern methods of no longer fermenting them but just pouring in vinegar, sugar, spices and putting it in a bottle or tin can and shoving it on the supermarket shelf.



So that's why pickles don't taste like they used to when I was a kid!

Hmm, need to do some internet searching I think........

Going to make me some Olde English pickles


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## pdilley (5/7/09)

boddingtons best said:


> So that's why pickles don't taste like they used to when I was a kid!
> 
> Hmm, need to do some internet searching I think........
> 
> Going to make me some Olde English pickles




Mm don't get me started. I got hooked on the garlic pickles used in the New York delicatessens when I spent some time there in the states. Nothing beats an old fashioned pickle for taste, or character. And after all, its just another form of brewing! Nothing like expanding the hobby further!

Cheers,
Brewer Pete


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## rendo (28/5/10)

Care to share your recipe for KimChi mate?  

rendo

EDIT.....oops, found it @ http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...showtopic=32444



Brewer Pete said:


> I'm already doing Korean Kim Chi, nice and spicy!


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## ekul (18/6/10)

Maybe you could use agar plates to cultivate up your yeast? You'd probably want to do a few plates though to increase the chances of an infection free plate. The good news is that a little yeast goes a long way.

I don't personally know how to do it but i had a mate who used to grow his own oyster mushrooms that kept his cultures alive with agar plates. I think he used to keep cheese cultures as well (like blue/white moulds). I'm pretty sure its quite easy and cheap. I remember doing it at school, mine got infected though and was very colourful!

If your interested i'm sure google would turn up a good guide.


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## QldKev (9/4/13)

I've been given a bottle of "Kakushigura" Japanese Barley Scochu. Very fragrant like a scotch whiskey, good alcohol warmth without being fuel hot, mellow almost earthy taste and leaves a sweet residue in my mouth. I could get used to this stuff.


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## tanukibrewer (8/5/13)

I love Shochu!There are many different brands made from many different ingredients usually in the 20-25% alcohol range.This not to be confused with Awamori (made with rice) from the island of Okinawa and usually is 25-45% in alcohol.
The 2 most popular types of Shochu in Japan are Mugi Shochu (made from Barley) and ImoJochu (made from sweet potatoes). Mugi Shochu ( Barley Shochu) is the more easy drinking of the two,the ImaJochu (Sweet Potatoe Shochu)has more flavour and tends to be favoured by more experienced Shochu drinkers,I like both.
Shochu made from rice is not as common as these two,however it is not hard to find in Japanese bottle shops/supermarkets.Last month friends from Japan bought me a bottle and the flavour was awesome.An example of a rare Shochu is Kuri shochu (made from chessnuts on the island of Shikoku) and I have a bottle in the cupboard for a special occason.
The prefecture of Kagoshima on the island of Kyushu (one of the big four islands)is the most famous region for producing Shochu,however it is made all over Japan.A lot of West Aussie farmers grow the Shikoku strain of barley that is exported back to Japan for Mugi Shochu production.
Bottle sizes range from 700ml to 4L !in Japan the 1.8L is most common size and comes in glass bottles and milk carton like containers.(see pic below).In summer I drink it straight on ice and winter I drink it with hot water,however it can be mixed with coke,OJ and even iced coffee.
BrewerPete I was unaware that Mugi Shochu (Barley)and Ima Jochu (Sweet Potatoe) used Koji Kin in the brewing process so thanks for teaching me something new.
Shochu can be bought at DMs and online so give it a go!
Below is a pic of of a bottle of IIchiko, MugiShochu (made from Barley).


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (8/5/13)

Where can we buy koji, then? I've just scored a rice cooker and I'm going to make some ragers, but I do love shochu as well and soju. Had some Korean and Japanese friends in BNE, so I got the odd tetra pack.


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## tanukibrewer (8/5/13)

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Sake-home-brew-kit-vision-brewing-koji-kin-koji-tane-50-grams-2x-25gm-packets-/330919717554?pt=AU_Kitchen_Novelties&hash=item4d0c5a2ab2
and check out
Taylor Made AK - Sake, very interesting site


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## benno1973 (21/5/13)

Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> Where can we buy koji, then? I've just scored a rice cooker and I'm going to make some ragers, but I do love shochu as well and soju. Had some Korean and Japanese friends in BNE, so I got the odd tetra pack.


Sorry for the late reply, just saw this. You can try the website direct...

http://www.tibbs-vision.com/sake/

He's in Perth, but it's standard postage across the board, worldwide.


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## Online Brewing Supplies (21/5/13)

I got some from this supplier just last week, I will see if its viable to grown some on agar.
There is enough in each packet to make 22L of Saki, so 44L all up.
I am turning Japanesa, turning Japenesa, i think so ...
Bit exy but
Nev


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