Kojimai

麹米

Brewing Process

Definition

The portion of steamed rice used for koji cultivation, comprising roughly 20-25% of total rice in a brew. Kojimai becomes the enzyme source that converts starch to fermentable sugar throughout the moromi fermentation.

In Depth

Kojimai preparation demands the highest standards of rice steaming — the grains must be firm enough to allow koji hyphae to penetrate gradually (tsuki-haze pattern) rather than colonizing only the surface (nuri-haze). The kojimai ratio affects the overall enzyme balance: more kojimai means more saccharification power and potentially more amino acid production. Some breweries use a higher kojimai percentage for junmai styles to enhance umami, while reducing it for daiginjo to keep the profile clean.

Related Terms

Kakemai 掛米 Koji 麹 Koji-muro 麹室

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