Yumai-zukuri (liquefied rice brewing)

Yumai-zukuri is a sake-brewing technique that has attracted particular attention in recent years. It uses a process called "liquefied mashing" (ekika shikomi), in which polished rice is liquefied before it goes into the tank. Ordinary sake brewing uses steamed polished rice. In yumai-zukuri, the polished rice is finely crushed in a blender together with the brewing water and turned into a milky white liquid. This liquefaction is characterized by the addition of enzyme preparations to promote saccharification. As a result, sake can be made without the koji that conventional methods require. Warming and stirring the mash also allow alcohol to be produced efficiently. The advantage of yumai-zukuri is that it allows production at low cost. This makes large-scale production and the development of new markets possible, and it is becoming a factor in broadening the diversity of sake brewing.