Homemade Sake (Japanese Rice Wine)
Homemade Sake (Japanese Rice Wine) is a hard Japanese recipe that serves 12. 120 calories per serving.
Prep: 5 hrs 30 min | Cook: 2 hrs | Total: 12 hrs 30 min
Cost: $23.00 total, $1.92 per serving
Ingredients
- 1900 grams Polished sake rice (400g for kome koji, 1500g for main batch)
- 1.5 grams Koji kin (Aspergillus oryzae spores) (For inoculating 400g rice)
- 1 gallon Filtered water (For main fermentation)
- 5 grams Wine yeast (EC-1118 recommended) (Any high-alcohol tolerant wine yeast)
- 4 grams Bittering hops (Magnum) (Optional, for antibacterial effect)
Instructions
Soak and Wash Rice for Koji
Soak 400g polished rice in water for 1 hour. After soaking, wash the rice thoroughly 4-6 times until the water runs clear to remove excess starch.
Time: PT1H15M
Dry and Steam Rice for Koji
Drain and let the rice dry for 20 minutes. Set up your steamer or Instant Pot. Steam the rice for 40-60 minutes, mixing once halfway through. Rice should be sticky but hold its shape.
Time: PT1H20M
Cool Rice and Inoculate with Koji Kin
Spread steamed rice on a casserole pan to cool to 30°C (86°F). Sprinkle 1.5g koji kin evenly over rice (using a mesh strainer if available). Mix gently with sanitized spoon.
Time: PT30M
Temperature: 30°C
Incubate Koji Rice
Cover rice with a damp kitchen cloth. Keep at 30°C (86°F) for 30 hours, checking every 10 hours to stir and re-moisten cloth as needed.
Time: PT30H
Temperature: 30°C
Prepare Main Batch of Rice
Soak, wash, and steam 1500g polished rice as before (soak 1 hour, wash 4-6 times, dry 20 min, steam 40-60 min). Cool to 30°C (86°F).
Time: PT2H30M
Temperature: 30°C
Combine Ingredients in Fermenter
In a sanitized 2-gallon fermenter, add all kome koji rice, 1 gallon filtered water, and all freshly steamed rice. Mix thoroughly.
Time: PT15M
Prepare and Add Hops (Optional)
Boil 4g hops in 1 cup water for 5 minutes. Strain and cool the liquid. Add to fermenter for antibacterial effect.
Time: PT15M
Add Yeast and Begin Fermentation
Sprinkle 5g wine yeast (EC-1118) into fermenter. Stir well. Seal with airlock and place in a cool, dark spot.
Time: PT10M
Active Fermentation and Stirring
For 2-3 days, open fermenter daily and stir with sanitized spoon to submerge rice and distribute koji. Reseal after each stir.
Time: PT15M
Bulk Fermentation
Let ferment undisturbed for a total of 2 weeks (including initial stirring days) to ensure full conversion of sugars.
Time: PT12D
Filter and Press Sake
Pour sake through sanitized mesh bag or cheesecloth into a second vessel. Squeeze gently to extract as much liquid as possible.
Time: PT30M
Cold Crash for Clarity
Refrigerate filtered sake for 24 hours to allow solids to settle. Decant or use spigot to bottle clear sake, leaving sediment behind.
Time: PT24H
Temperature: 4°C
Bottle and Store
Bottle sake in sanitized bottles. Cap or cork tightly. Chill before serving.
Time: PT20M
Nutrition Facts
- Calories
- 120
- Protein
- 1g
- Carbohydrates
- 10g
- Fat
- 0g
- Fiber
- 0g
Dietary info: Vegan, Gluten-free, Vegetarian, low-carb, low-calorie, very-low-calorie, low-fat
Allergens: None (unless sensitive to yeast or mold spores)
Ingredient Substitutions
- Instead of Polished sake rice: Short-grain sushi rice (less ideal)
- Instead of Wine yeast (EC-1118 recommended): Other wine yeast strains
- Instead of Bittering hops (Magnum): Citric acid (1 tsp)
Equipment Needed
- Rice steamer or Instant Pot
- Large mixing bowls
- Casserole pan or baking tray
- Mesh strainer (fine) (optional)
- Sanitized spoon
- Damp kitchen cloth
- Oven with light (optional)
- 2-gallon fermenter (glass or plastic)
- Airlock
- Colander
- Sanitized mesh bags (optional)
- Second fermentation vessel
- Bottling wand (optional)
- Bottles with caps/corks
Critical Steps — Do Not Skip
- Thoroughly washing and correctly steaming rice for both koji and main batch.
- Cooling rice to the correct temperature before adding koji kin or yeast.
- Maintaining proper temperature and moisture during koji incubation.
- Sanitizing all equipment and utensils.
- Stirring during early fermentation to prevent mold and ensure even fermentation.
- Filtering and pressing sake gently to avoid excess cloudiness.
Chef Tips from the Video
- Use the highest quality polished rice you can find for best flavor.
- Keep a fermentation log to track temperatures and times for future batches.
- Taste the sake at each stage to learn how flavors develop.
- Experiment with different yeast strains for unique flavor profiles.
Troubleshooting
Rice is too gummy after steaming.
Rice was not washed enough or was overcooked. Start over and wash thoroughly, steam until just sticky.
No white fuzz or sweet aroma during koji incubation.
Temperature may be too low or koji kin was not viable. Try incubating at a warmer spot or use fresh koji kin.
Fermentation does not start (no bubbles in airlock).
Yeast may be old or temperature too cold. Use fresh yeast and keep fermenter at 18-22°C.
Sake is too cloudy.
Cold crash longer or filter again before bottling.
Off flavors (sour, rotten, or musty).
Likely contamination. Discard batch and sanitize all equipment thoroughly before next attempt.
Storage
Refrigerator: Up to 1 month; flavor best in first 2 weeks.
Freezer: Not recommended (can affect flavor and texture).
Room temperature: Up to 2 days if unopened; refrigerate after opening.
Make-Ahead Tips
- Koji rice can be made a day in advance and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before use.
- Sake improves in flavor after a few days of refrigeration post-bottling.
Last updated: August 20, 2026
