Multiple parallel fermentation
Japanese: 並行複発酵
A brewing method where saccharification and alcoholic fermentation proceed simultaneously in the same vessel. Unique to sake, enabling high alcohol content.
Multiple parallel fermentation is a brewing method where saccharification by koji and alcoholic fermentation by yeast proceed simultaneously in a single vessel. Unique to sake, it holds an extraordinarily distinctive position among the world's brewing methods.
For beer, malt enzymes first convert starch to sugar (saccharification), then yeast is added for alcoholic fermentation—sequential fermentation. In sake, koji produces sugar while yeast in the same tank immediately converts it to alcohol.
Because sugar doesn't accumulate, osmotic pressure stays low, allowing yeast to remain active longer—achieving alcohol levels around 20%, the highest among brewed beverages worldwide. Two microbial relays running simultaneously in one vessel: an exquisite technology born of Japanese brewing culture.