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How to Make shochu
from Sweet Potatoes and Koji
Shochu made from sweet potatoes is popular in Japan. Distilleries making sweet potato shochu are mostly located in the southern part of Japan. By distilling shochu two more times, vodka can also be produced. Materials 4 Lb sweet potatoes (boil-cooked) Yellow or white koji made from 2 cups of rice (1LB) (use white koji if in summer) 0.9 kg (or 2 Lb) sugar 2 gal water Turbo yeast 5g 1 teaspoon citric acid Fermentation · Boil-cook the sweet potatoes until they become soft and can be poked with a fork easily. · Place sweet potato and koji into a fermentation vessel (2 gal vessel) · Mush the sweet potatoes using potato musher and/or a hand-held blender. · Add water, sugar and stir. · Lower the temperature to 90 F (32 C) · Add turbo yeast and stir. · Keep the mash at the room temperature for 7 to 10 days. Fermentation will be completed when no carbon dioxide gas rises. · Filter the fermented fluid in a brew mesh bag. Distillation · Distillation may be done with a pot still, but reflux pot is preferable. · Distill two times. · First distillation: collect all alcohols from the still. Stop when alcohol content becomes 20%, or the boiler temperature reaches 98 C. · Second distillation: discard the head (first 5 % of distillate). Stop when alcohol content becomes 20%, or the boiler temperature reaches 98 C. · The alcohol content will be extremely high. Dilute to 40% before serving by adding distilled water. |
