Sokujo-moto (quick yeast-starter method)

Sokujo-moto (also read sokujomoto) is a modern sake brewing method used mainly to make light, crisp (tanrei) sake. It was developed in 1910 at Japan's National Brewing Research Institute, and today it is used to prepare about 90% of all shubo (yeast starter). In sokujo-moto, brewers add lactic acid made for brewing use to prepare a good environment for the yeast to grow. Because the method does not depend on the natural activity of lactic acid bacteria, it is not affected by the by-products of those bacteria. As a result, sake made with sokujo-moto is characterized by a clear, clean, light profile. The method made it possible to produce sake of more stable quality in a shorter time.