What is the meaning of “hi-ire” in sake making? Words related to Sake(Hiire)
A heat treatment during the process of sake brewing. Sake is usually hi-ire twice, once before storage and once before shipping. The purpose of hi-ire is to stop the fermentation of yeast to preserve the flavor, and to sterilize the sake by killing lactic acid bacteria called hi-ochi-bacillus, which is the great enemy of sake. In addition, the designation of sake differs depending on the timing and number of times hi-ire is performed. Sake is classified into the following categories: “Nama-shu,” which is never hi-ire, “Nama-pakizake,” which is hi-ire once after production, “Nama-storage-shu,” which is hi-ire once after storage, and “hi-ire-shu,” which is hi-ire twice, once after production and once after storage.
