Equipment Sources
Equipment
Here is a list of equipment providers. Some are specific to sake brewing and some are generalized vendors for wine and beer making.
PLEASE NOTE: Finding equipment through this site does not guarantee it will meet your needs. Do your own research before buying.
General Suppliers
These suppliers have a wide range of equipment for almost every stage of production.
GW Kent
“GW Kent carries an extensive supply of commercial brewery, winery and food processing equipment. From basic supplies like fittings and valves, hoses and food-grade washdown equipment, to bottling and packaging equipment for commercial use; to our wine making supplies including testing instruments, hydrometers, titrators and more.”
TCW Equipment
“TCW Equipment is the beverage industry leader in service, products, and knowledge. Since 1966 we have been providing equipment and service to wineries, breweries, distilleries, and specialty food and drink producers. We are constantly updating and adding to our product line to produce the absolute best in quality, affordability, and service.
Our equipment represents well-established companies around the world including Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, China, and many products made right here in the USA. Most of our equipment is ordered without motors or electrical devices. We source USA components to meet any electrical requirements.”
Filter Presses
YABUTA Industries
“YABUTA was established in 1963 to manufacture and supply the ‘YABUTA automatic moromi filter’ developed in our affiliate Daiwa Sake Brewing Company. In our history expanding over half a century, we have worked to develop systems that constantly improve quality through highly efficiency production and energy saving, and that contribute to an increase in customer’s profits. Through these endeavors, we can supply products that have been favorably received by the foodstuff industry and pharmaceutical industry in Japan and overseas, as well as in a variety of production fields such as chemical products and electronic materials.”
TCW Equipment
Offers 20” x 20” and 40” x 40” plate filter presses. Options for fine filtration as well.
Tanks
TCW Equipment
“TCW Equipment is the beverage industry leader in service, products, and knowledge. Since 1966 we have been providing equipment and service to wineries, breweries, distilleries, and specialty food and drink producers. We are constantly updating and adding to our product line to produce the absolute best in quality, affordability, and service.
Custom fabrication is a unique part of our business and helps our customers get exactly what they need.”
Steamers
Nagata Brewing Machinery
“Since founded in 1906, it has been our privilege to be given your caring supports, which enable us to stay on the right track to keep up with the times and to expand our business. We have been in the fields of traditional Japanese foods such as sake (rice wine), shochu (distilled spirit), miso (soybean paste), and shoyu (soy sauce) for more than one hundred years, making our best efforts to develop and produce brewing machines. Through our incessant improvements and enhancements, we have successfully earned various types of patents, and have been making every endeavor to satisfy our customers’ needs. Now we can proudly say we have made a lot of achievements not only in Japan but also in the world.”
Houreiki (Rice-cooling machine)
Sakai
This site is Japanese only. We will be working on an English contact for inquiries.
Tsukamoto Kusayoshi
This site is Japanese only. We will be working on an English contact for inquiries.
Rice Washers
MRW-15 Maruzen Rice Washer
There may be some issue ordering this from Rakuten. The website Buyee.jp can serve as a middle buyer.
Woodson
Makers of a variety of well-regarded rice washers. This site is Japanese only. We are working on an English contact for inquiries.
Cloths
Universal Filters, Inc.
Universal Filters created several cloths in cooperation with sake brewer Todd Bellomy.
Fune Bags:
7022-12FX32-EE
Steamer Cloths:
28″ x 40″ cloths to line steam pans. Dimension can be altered.
PEMFD-100-28X40
Draw-string rice washing bags: (22″ square)
NMOFD600-22DX22DS
Koji
Packaging
Kita Sangyo
“Value creating packages and packaging machines”, “Challenging unique and original technology / products / design”, are our philosophy.
Kita Sangyo Co., Ltd. is a unique company providing; own manufacturing closures, PET bottles, self-heating cans , various package materials such as glass bottles, metal cans, labels and even packaging machines . “Synergy Power” of the three divisions is our intension and strong point.
Koji Sources
Koji
To convert sake rice into sugar that can be fermented, koji-kin is delicately distributed over steamed sake rice in a very hot, humid room. Over a period of 48 to 72 hours, the mold is carefully cultivated to grow evenly onto the sake rice. When the “moldy rice” is ready to be incorporated with the other elements of the sake, there is a noticeable, sweet chestnut-like aroma coming from the rice. To the naked eye, each grain of rice appears to be coated with a white frost.
This cultivation of koji (once koji-kin is fully grown onto sake rice, it is simply called “koji”) is often considered the most important part of the sake brewing process. Although the method of koji-making varies greatly from one brewery to another, in each brewery the koji muro (room for making koji) is the most sacred and revered part of the brewery.
Akita Konno (Japan)
Since establishment of our company, we have had a lot of industry-university and industry-academic-government joint research and development. In those, there are white Koji fungi as stated above, non-dark and non-black pigment Koji fungi , leucine acid high productive Koji fungi (received Tohoku Invention Recognition Invention Exhortation award 1990 fiscal year), anti-fungi material “Asperatine”. The Institute of Biotechnology Applied to Eumycetes was established by investment of the Biologic Specific Industry Investigation Promoting Government Organization 1994 and we are making rapid progress as general microbe starter maker.
Higuchi Moyashi (Japan)
“Principal Clients: Over 85% of Japanese sake, miso and soy sauce manufacturers. Most leading shochu manufacturers.
Business: Koji starters of all kinds used in the production of sake, miso, soy sauce shochu and mirin. Marketing of enzyme preparations for brewing, including products from Amano Enzyme Co. Ltd., Daiwa Fine Chemicals Co. Ltd. and HBI Co. Ltd.”
Tokushima Seikiku (Japan)
“Tokushimaseikiku is producing ‘Dry Koji’ with their patented dry system that enables the product to maintain its quality for the long term even though usual koji can’t do it. You can use not only for the fermented food such as Alcohol Beverage, Miso and Mirin but also for bakery dough instead of yeast food.”
Yeast Sources
Yeast
Over the past 100 or so years, many types of yeast have been isolated and developed for sake brewing. They can range from low aroma traditional yeast to the more modern strains that give fruity “ginjo” aromas. Below is a list of know providers.
Akita Konno
“Since establishment of our company, we have had a lot of industry-university and industry-academic-government joint reseaches and developments. In those, there are white Koji fungi as stated above, non-dark and non-black pigment Koji fungi , leucine acid high productive Koji fungi (received Tohoku Invention Recognition Invention Exhortation award 1990 fisical year）, anti-fungi material “Asperatine”. The Institute of Biotechnology Applied to Eumycetes was established by investiment of the Biologic Specific Industry Investigation Promoting Government Organization 1994 and we are making rapid progress as general microbe starter maker.”
Brewing Society of Japan
“The Brewing Society of Japan was established in 1906 and was authorized as an incorporated foundation in 1915. Thereafter, for 85 years, the society has supported the progress and development of Japanese brewers by supplying pure yeast cultures, publishing books on brewing and performed other related duties.”
White Labs
“Every day, we set out on a single mission: To stretch the limits of science in order to set new standards in purity and freshness. From the industry’s first pitchable liquid yeast, to a complete revolution in the way it’s propagated and packaged, our innovative spirit is tireless.”
Wyeast Laboratories
“For over three decades we’ve been a leader in producing premium fermentation products. Our liquid yeast strains are recognized around the world, and we’ve partnered with some of the most successful craft beverage brands. But we’ve never stopped exploring new ways to ensure that every product that leaves our Hood River facility is of the highest quality possible.”