Baijiu brewing why must use koji

There are many people who drink alcohol in modern society, but if you really ask what kind of wine is good, many people may not be able to say it. Now there are many types of Baijiu on the market, and all kinds of big-name Baijiu are not a few. Today, the editor Su Aidong will take you to understand.

Q: Some friends, who have been drinking alcohol all their lives, are still at a loss when asked what is Daqu wine and what is Xiaoqu wine. How can consumers understand and drink it realistically?

A: To understand Baijiu, you must first know Daqu wine and Xiaoqu wine. As the name suggests, Baijiu brewed with Daqu is called Daqu wine, and Baijiu brewed with Xiaoqu is called Xiaoqu wine. Chinese Baijiu is one of the six major distilled spirits in the world. The obvious feature that is different from other distilled spirits (such as whiskey and brandy) is that Chinese Baijiu uses Qu medicine in the brewing process. The so-called koji medicine is the starter mixed in the grain during the traditional Baijiu brewing process. Koji medicine is rich in various microorganisms and metabolites of microorganisms. The combined action of various microorganisms can transform the grain, and after distillation, it is Baijiu. Generally speaking, the koji medicine used is divided into Daqu and Xiaoqu, and of course gluten koji and so on. As far as traditional Baijiu brewing technology is concerned, the mainstream koji is Daqu and Xiaoqu.

From the physical point of view, Daqu is big and Xiaoqu is small. Daqu is like a brick, so some people also call Daqu Brick Qu. Generally, a brick is about 2 to 3 kilograms. When used, it is crushed and mixed into grain for fermentation. In contrast, Xiaoqu is much smaller, generally spherical, such as quail eggs, or larger, such as eggs, generally large.

Secondly, Daqu and Xiaoqu are different in terms of raw materials. Daqu uses barley, wheat and peas as raw materials, while Xiaoqu uses rice noodles or rice bran as raw materials, and also adds Chinese herbal medicine or spicy polygonum powder as auxiliary materials, plus a small amount of clay as filler. Among them, Daqu can be divided into high-temperature Daqu and medium-temperature Daqu according to different koji-making processes, while medium-temperature Daqu can be divided into clear stubble koji, post-fire koji and red heart koji. Of course, in addition to distinguishing based on the process, it can also be distinguished according to the fragrance type, such as: soy sauce-flavor Daqu, strong-flavor Daqu, and fragrance Daqu.

However, both Daqu and Xiaoqu were made by natural microbial fermentation after mixing the raw materials. This process, technically speaking, was called microbial enrichment. When mature koji medicine was mixed into grain for fermentation, it would bring in the enriched microorganisms and play the role of brewing.

Q: So what is the difference between Daqu wine made with Daqu and Xiaoqu wine made with Xiaoqu, or which one is better?

Answer: It doesn't matter whether it is good or bad. It depends on the taste of the individual. Daqu wine and Xiaoqu wine have their own characteristics. Daqu wine generally has a rich Qu aroma, a mellow taste, and a sweet return after drinking. For example, Maotai uses high-temperature Daqu; Fenjiu uses medium-temperature Daqu. And Xiaoqu wine also has its own characteristics, that is, the wine is mellow and elegant in aroma. For example, Guilin Sanhua wine, Guangxi Xiangshan wine, and Guangdong Changle are all masterpieces of Xiaoqu wine. Of course, Daqu and Xiaoqu are also used in combination. For example, Dong wine, one of the eight famous wines in China, is the combined use of Daqu and Xiaoqu. Daqu is used to brew fragrant grains, and Xiaoqu is used to brew fermented grains, and then in the process of distillation. Layered and fragrant.

Q: Many of the wines displayed in supermarkets in the consumer market have the words first song, special song, second song and so on. It is very confusing. What does these "songs" mean?

A: Generally speaking, when distilling out wine, the first distilled wine is called Touqu, and the special wine comes from here, followed by Erqu, Sanqu... Touqu is chong but the wine has a strong aroma, and Erqu The wine has a small but peaceful aroma. After the white wine is brewed, if it is cellared, the taste of the wine will become thicker and more mellow with time, so the price of cellared wine is higher.

Well, in fact, the difference between alcohol is also very simple. When I say this, I believe that many observers will understand the difference between the classification of Baijiu and various wines. Some people may have thought that koji contains chemicals, but it is not. Koji medicine is rich in various microorganisms and metabolites of microorganisms.