Kakemai
掛米
Brewing Process
Definition
Steamed rice added to the fermenting moromi during sandan-jikomi (three-step addition). Kakemai provides the bulk starch that koji enzymes convert to sugar for yeast fermentation, comprising roughly 75% of total rice used.
Ausführlich
Kakemai is distinguished from kojimai (the portion used for koji cultivation). While kojimai is carefully prepared in the koji-muro with precise temperature and humidity control, kakemai is simply steamed and added directly to the tank. The quality of kakemai steaming — firm outside, soft inside (sotoka-naka-yawaraka) — affects how quickly and evenly it dissolves in the moromi. Overcooked kakemai dissolves too fast, releasing sugar in excess. Undercooked kakemai resists dissolution and starves the yeast.