Hey everybody,
I am new to distilling but have wanted to make a drink called shochu for awhile and wondered if anyone on this forum has made this before. For people who don't know, shochu is a drink that is made from Koji (rice that has been infected with Koji mold) and sweet potatoes. After fermentation, it is distilled and then watered down to anywhere between 25% to 35%.The recipe i am using is a modified sake recipe. Was wondering if other people have made this drink and what they think of the recipe.I would also like to get people's input the cuts to make for this drink. I am not sure if I should only harvest the hearts or should i try to harvest more tails then most other drinks due to the fact that i will be watering it down to such a low abv?
wine/sake yeast
30 lb. (13.6 kg) steamed sweet potato
7.5 lb. (3.4 kg) koji rice
11.5 mL 88% lactic acid
0.4 oz. (12 g) DAP or fermaid K
0.07 oz. (2 g) Epsom salt
0.74 oz. (21 g) Morton Salt Substitute
6 gallons (23 L) reverse osmosis or distilled water
Thanks
Shochu recipe
Moderator: Site Moderator
- Hillbilly Popstar
- Site Donor
- Posts: 1396
- Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2016 6:02 am
Re: Shochu recipe
I had some Sochu that was made from koji rice, corn, and barely.
It was fantastic!
It was fantastic!
"Making likker with a hydrometer and thermometer is like measuring the length of a 2x4 with a clock"
Re: Shochu recipe
How did it come out? Lots of sweet potatoes and rice here on the island. I'd be interested in this.
- Yummyrum
- Global moderator
- Posts: 7653
- Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2013 2:23 am
- Location: Fraser Coast QLD Aussie
Re: Shochu recipe
I made some from just jasmine rice and used chinese yeast balls as they contain the necessary koji to convert the rice starch to fermentable sugar as well as yeast to start it off .
Turned out well although I double distilled it .
I had to lookup Morgans Salt substitute . I’m guessing its Potassium Chloride .
Where did you get the recipe from ?
Wondering if the koji is able to brakedown the starches in the sweet potato as well or if its just in there for mouthfeel or the likes .
Good luck with the recipe
Turned out well although I double distilled it .
I had to lookup Morgans Salt substitute . I’m guessing its Potassium Chloride .
Where did you get the recipe from ?
Wondering if the koji is able to brakedown the starches in the sweet potato as well or if its just in there for mouthfeel or the likes .
Good luck with the recipe
My recommended goto .
https://homedistiller.org/wiki/index.ph ... ion_Theory
https://homedistiller.org/wiki/index.ph ... ion_Theory
- cranky
- Master of Distillation
- Posts: 6505
- Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
- Location: Pacific Northwest
Re: Shochu recipe
Sweet potatoes are self converting, if anything I would guess the sweet potatoes help break down the starches in the rice which is why I figured some of the Koreans use them in Soju
- Yummyrum
- Global moderator
- Posts: 7653
- Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2013 2:23 am
- Location: Fraser Coast QLD Aussie
Re: Shochu recipe
Interesting Cranky . Not wanting to take this too Off topic , but do they need ti be boiled and mashed or will this denature the Emzyme ??? In them ?
Do they just do it at say room temp ? How do you tell when a sweet potato is self converted ?
Edit: just found this viewtopic.php?f=11&t=59049#p7371354
Do they just do it at say room temp ? How do you tell when a sweet potato is self converted ?
Edit: just found this viewtopic.php?f=11&t=59049#p7371354
My recommended goto .
https://homedistiller.org/wiki/index.ph ... ion_Theory
https://homedistiller.org/wiki/index.ph ... ion_Theory
- cranky
- Master of Distillation
- Posts: 6505
- Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
- Location: Pacific Northwest
Re: Shochu recipe
I don't know a whole hell of a lot about the processes used. A long time ago I was researching how to make Soju because a Korean guy I work with was talking about it and I stumbled across that some makers use sweet potatoes because at some point in history malted grains were difficult to come by. This led me to believe that in Soju's case the rice is cooked as a mash along with the potatoes. I didn't bother delving too deep into it. What I eventually wound up doing was using enzymes rather than sweet potatoes in a URRV sort of fashion and presented him with a bottle at Christmas. He was actually very impressed that an American could make high end Soju and he shared it with some Soju snobs who were also very impressed.Yummyrum wrote: ↑Sat Apr 11, 2020 3:06 pm Interesting Cranky . Not wanting to take this too Off topic , but do they need ti be boiled and mashed or will this denature the Emzyme ??? In them ?
Do they just do it at say room temp ? How do you tell when a sweet potato is self converted ?
Edit: just found this viewtopic.php?f=11&t=59049#p7371354
All of that said I know nothing about Shochu or the process of how it is made and hope I didn't get too off topic.
-
- Novice
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Sat May 08, 2021 9:41 pm
Re: Shochu recipe
Shochu can be made with just rice or a combo with a list of ingredients approved by the shochu producers’ assoc. I don’t remember it all of hand, but it included sweet potato, potato, corn, cabbage, buckwheat, whey, and other Japanese regional produce. The distillation process is special in some places where they pump steam directly into the still. It is general accepted as a single pass process, though I’m not sure how strict the producer guidelines are. In Okinawa, they call the spirit Awamori and they use a special koji strain called black koji. Apparently white koji was derived from black. Angel rhizopus is not the same thing, so I imagine the taste will be different.
- jonnys_spirit
- Site Donor
- Posts: 3630
- Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2015 7:58 am
- Location: The Milky Way
Re: Shochu recipe
I’ve got some angel rhizopus and do a bunch of koji foodstuff with various oryzae. I’m very interested is using some koji protocols in some spirits - rices and other grains. Protease and amylase. Most likely following a double distillation or 1.5 protocol and select cuts.
Any idea what abv the protease, amylase, and other enzymes in the cultures are denatured at?
Cheers,
Jonny
Any idea what abv the protease, amylase, and other enzymes in the cultures are denatured at?
Cheers,
Jonny
————
i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
————
i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
————