Sake Revolution Shubo Series: Starting with Sokujo
Episode 56. Over the next few weeks, we're going to do a short series on a sake production step called "Shubo" (酒母). Shu=Sake and Bo=Mother. So consider this step the mother of the sake, and it gets translated in many ways... seed mash, yeast starter, fermentation starter. However you slice it, the shubo step in sake production is where yeast get introduced and where fermentation begins. One of the keys to all shubo methods is lactic acid. It is required to kill off all of the bad bacteria and make the starter tank environment ideal for sake yeast. The secret to the sokujo method is that they put in ready-made lactic acid to jump start the process. All other shubo methods let lactic acid develop naturally over time. Be cause it is easier, cheaper and faster, 90% of all sake produced uses the Sokujo method. So, let's dive in and learn more about all things Sokujo!