Sake Recipe

Makes one gallon of sake. Good luck and happy sake making!

Ingredients

• 2.5 pounds rice (husked or raw)
• 1/2 pint grape concentrate or 1 pound of light raisins
• 1 gallon hot water
• 2.5 pounds corn sugar or honey
• 3 teaspoons acid blend
• 3/4 teaspoon yeast energizer
• 1 Campden tablet
• 1 package red star champagne yeast

 

Instructions

1. Wash and coarsely crush rice.
2. Place rice and chopped raisins in nylon straining bag, tie top, and place in sanitized primary fermentation container.
3. Pour hot water over rice and stir in all ingredients except yeast and nutrient. Don’t forget the grape concentrate if not using raisins.
4. Wait 48 hours.
5. Add yeast and energizer and cover primary fermenter with a cheesecloth.
6. Stir daily, checking specific gravity and pressing pulp lightly. For more information on taking gravity readings, check out this post.
7. When gravity reaches 1.050 (after 2-3 days), add 1/4 pound of dissolved sugar or honey per gallon.
8. When gravity drops to 1.030 (after 6-7 days), strain juice from bag.
9. Siphon wine into secondary fermentation container and attach bung and  airlock.
10. At a specific gravity (SG) of 1.020, add another 1/4 pound of dissolved sugar or honey per gallon.
11. When fermentation is complete (at a SG of 1.010 or less), siphon off into a sanitized secondary container and attach airlock.
12. Siphon every 2 months to aid in clearing.
13. Bottle when fermentation ceases or when ready.
14. It is possible to continue building up alcohol by adding additional sugar until fermentation ceases. For a sweeter sake, add 1/2 teaspoon of stabilizer and 1/4 pound dissolved sugar, per gallon, before bottling.