What is Koji? What kind of wine is koji

It is to use the enzymes produced when the grains are germinated to saccharify the raw materials into sugar, and then use yeast to convert the sugar into alcohol; The other type is to make koji from moldy grains, and use the enzymes contained in the koji to saccharify and ferment the grain raw materials into liquor.

Koji liquor refers to the brewing process, koji refers to the grain starter in the brewing process, generally made of wheat, and can be divided into large koji, small koji, bran koji, and the flavor is not directly related, several famous liquor generally belong to Daqu liquor.

Sanhua wine, Dong wine, and Changle soju all belong to Xiaoqu wine. At present, in addition to famous liquor, pure Daqu liquor is not easy to buy, and it is generally a new type of liquor produced by the solid-liquid combination method, that is, a part of Daqu liquor and some other methods of liquor or edible alcohol are blended.

According to the scientific analysis of the original decay theory, the koji actually evolved from moldy grains.

According to the raw materials for koji-making, wheat and rice are mainly divided.

Therefore, they are called wheat koji and rice koji respectively.

There are many types of koji made from rice: koji made from rice flour, red koji made from steamed rice, or black rice koji, and rice koji.

Koji liquor refers to the fermentation of Maoyanliang mixed in grain in the traditional liquor brewing process, which is rich in various microorganisms and metabolites of microorganisms, and the combined action of various microorganisms can transform the grain into liquor obtained after distillation.

Koji refers to the grain starter in the brewing process, which is generally made of wheat, and can be divided into large koji, small koji, and bran koji, which is not directly related to the flavor type, and several famous liquors generally belong to Daqu liquor.

The original koji was moldy or sprouted grains that were modified to make koji suitable for sake brewing. Depending on the ingredients used and the production method, the natural conditions of the production area are different, and the variety of koji is diverse.

At present, in addition to famous liquor, pure Daqu liquor is not easy to buy, and it is generally a new type of liquor produced by the solid-liquid combination method, that is, a part of Daqu liquor and some other methods of liquor or edible alcohol are blended.

Difference Between Koji Liquor and Liquor:

First of all, the quality of koji liquor and liquor is different, and koji liquor is a puree liquor that is not blended with a reduced degree; Baijiu is a combination of liquor with different flavors after steaming, saccharification, fermentation, distillation, aging and blending, reducing the original liquor and adding different flavors.

Secondly, the operation method of production is different, and the enzyme preparation contained in the koji liquor is used to saccharify and ferment the grain raw materials; Liquor is inoculated with Xiangyin pure-bred mold cultures with bran as raw materials, which can be used to replace part of the large or small koji, and the bran koji method liquor is one of the main operations of liquor production in China.

Koji liquor is a fermentation agent mixed in grain in the traditional liquor brewing process, and the koji medicine is rich in various microorganisms and metabolites of microorganisms, and the combined action of various microorganisms can transform the grain into Changhuai, which is liquor after distillation.

The origin of koji is no longer known, and the earliest text about koji may be the Zhou Dynasty's work "Shujing - Saying Fortune" in the Ruozuo liquor liquor, Erwei qu tiller. From a scientific point of view, the koji actually evolved from moldy grains.

Koji brewing is the essence of Chinese winemaking, the microorganisms growing in koji are mainly mold, and the use of mold is a major invention of the Chinese.

Cereals

Looking at the history of winemaking from grain ingredients in countries around the world, there are two main categories. One is the way of grain germination, using the enzymes produced when the grain is sprouted to saccharify the raw material itself into sugar, and then use yeast to convert the sugar into alcohol. The other type is to make koji from moldy grains, and use the enzymes contained in the koji to saccharify and ferment the grain raw materials into liquor.

Since the beginning of written records, the vast majority of Chinese liquor has been made from koji.

In addition, China's koji method has a great influence on neighboring countries such as Japan, Vietnam and Thailand. Therefore, before describing the varieties and characteristics of Chinese liquor, it is necessary to have a more detailed understanding of Chinese liquor koji. Although the Chinese have dealt with qu tiller for thousands of years and know that wine must be added to wine wine, they have never known the essence of qu tiller.

"Koji" refers to: the raw materials used for fermentation to make wine using koji to make wine is a characteristic of our country, and how the ancients used koji is worth studying. Koji is a saccharified starter agent, and in ancient times, it was regarded as a primer for fermentation.

In ancient times, one of the key steps in making sake was to make koji into this primer, and the proper use of koji often determined the success or failure of sake. Because ancient koji is naturally inoculated with microorganisms, it is easy to contaminate miscellaneous bacteria. In ancient times, there were two ways to use koji, one was to soak the koji in water first, wait for the koji to start (that is, after the enzymes in the koji have been dissolved and activated), filter the koji juice, and then put in the rice to start fermentation, which is called the koji soaking method; The other is to mash the koji into a fine powder and mix it directly with the rice, which is called the "koji bibimbap method".

The dipping method may be older than the bibimbap method. The soaking method is probably transformed from the soaking and saccharification fermentation of tillers (grain buds). The dipping method was the most commonly used method in the Han Dynasty and even in the Northern Wei Dynasty, which can be concluded from the widespread use of dipping in the <>.

In ancient times, it was understood that the water soaked in koji should be treated separately according to the different seasons. The water taken from the brewing in winter can be directly soaked in koji; After spring, the temperature is high, the water is not clean, the water needs to be boiled, and the boiling water cannot be directly soaked in koji, but can be soaked after cooling (boiling water will scald the microorganisms in koji to death, and the enzymes will also be inactivated). The soaking time should be determined according to the season and water temperature.