#9 Chamomile Sake

Jan 26th 2025

(Day 1) Jan 26th: Combined 600mL cold water with 4g of yeast nutrient and 115g of (~1.2kg total) previously prepared koji. Leaving that in the fridge. Separately, also washed and placed to soak 340g of Jasmine rice into the fridge overnight.

(Day 2) Jan 27th: Prewarmed the steamer. Steamed the 340g of rice for 50 min. Sterilized 5 gal plastic bucket with peroxide-based brewing sanitizer. Combined with the 600mL water+koji+nutrient solution. Mixed in bucket by hand and affixed airlock. Placed bucket at room temp.

(Day 3) Jan 28th: Stirred a couple of times by shaking closed bucket.

(Day 4) Jan 29th: Sprinkled 1 packet of Lalvin EC-1118. Did not stir in. Left at cooler temperature (14 to 17C) for 24 hours.

(Day 5) Jan 30th: Stirred the mixture.

(Day 9) Feb 3rd: Stirred the mixture. The moto is now progressing. The enzymes have almost completely liquified the rice. There is a floating layer that that has formed on the surface (~2mm thick, partially broken up like dried clay, white). It smells like lactic acid, but not as strong as a moto that was raised back to 20C after Day 5. There is yeast bubbling action.

(Day 12) Feb 6th: The floating layer has gotten thicker, about 3mm thick. Less broken up. The smell is a bit more lactic acid as well. Still a tiny bit of bubbling under the layer generally.