Thank you for this amazing content! I’m going through your videos non-stop because they’re very well done with a lot of passion and expertise... there should be a million subscribers here!
I tried getting the koji starter by fermenting black soy bean. When they started blooming, fluffy white fungi, I mixed it into the prepared rice. Since I live on a humid, hot island, I just had to cover the tray with a belgium kitchen towel. After leaving it on our kitchen cabinet for 3 days, I got it all green. I hope I got it right. Thanks for your teachings.
@@2guysandacooler the beans were fermented wild. I am used to do it that way, the beans I mean. The first time I tried this. After I saw your video about koji, I thought it might work.
@@rudolfwester758 cool. If you sprinkle ash all over the beans while they are fermenting it will help the Koji mold grow and keep the bad molds at bay...
Hello I made koji rice (I used koji-kin that I bought from Amazon, I used 2 grams for half kilo of rice) and I controled temperature (I adjusted it at 32 % for the external temp. and I prevented the interior temp frome exceeding 40 %) and controled humidity( about 92%) The rice turned white,sweet, but didn't coherent like a one piece I am confused because I looked carefully at the details of your video and tried very hard to stick to it professionally, though the result was not as satisfactory as I had hoped Do you have an explanation for the reason for the failure?
I wouldn't call it a failure as it seems you grew koji on the rice. I would just say that there's room for improvement. What kind of rice are you using? The only thing I might guess is that your rice was too wet. Perhaps don't steam your rice for 1 hour. When the rice is too wet the koji doesn't need to penetrate into the rice to look for moisture. It can stay on the surface and get all the moisture it needs. When the koji penetrates deep into the grain of rice it creates a network of bonds that hold the rice together. It's a stronger and healthier koji :) I Hope that helps.
@@2guysandacooler Yes . Certainly that's helpful.Thank you.. I think the rice was somewhat solid after the steameing... maybe that was the reason . OK, it's all right ..I understand from your words that I can use this Koji Rice in the recipe that I want...
EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE, thank you so much!!!!! I'm completely new at making any koji-related product and I really wanna try it out and your video has given me a very good synopsis of the process. Best regards from Mexico!
Many thanks for producing this very informative video. Have you tried making Koji with brown rice? I'm steaming it now and I'm seeing that the cooking time is well over the 50 minutes you mention. How can you tell when the rice is done? Should the rice be steamed until its at the chewy stage? Thanks again.
I've never tried with brown rice. I know brown rice takes longer to cook though. You want the rice to be firm but not "cooked" if you bite into it, it will have some "bite" to it but still seem undercooked. If it's too soft the koji won't grow well. Getting the rice is a tricky balancing act. Not cooked enough or too much will affect the Koji growth
@@2guysandacooler Thanks for your kind reply. Based on your description of rice texture, the short grain brown rice took about 2 hours of steaming. It started heating up on its own at hour 28. I've mixed it a few times since then and is still producing heat at hour 48. When it's done will it stop producing heat? On to the next step - making Miso! By the way, I made an incubation chamber from an insulated food transport bag sized for a standard food steam tray. I used a 10X20 seedling heating pad under a tray of water on the bottom of the bag controlled with the heat controller you recommended. This worked great to keep the temp around 90 degrees.
I thought about alternativ technic-equipment: yogurter, steamer with aquarium-heater, ore therarium-mat, egg-cocker, rice-cocker ore even baby-bottle-heater.
so does it still contain probiotics after its done and ready to use? how do you keep the probiotics alive? does it need to be kept in the fridge? also, how do people usually eat it?
What an incredible production - thanks! Amazing humans have made this - nice you connected me into this - these escoteric (to us) videos that connect us to other parts of the world, times, ect, so incredible! Nice work! ^^
God Eric, you truly are the best... all you do and had done is so interesting! I was having a hard time trying to find a way to reproduce koji spores because I want to make Gochujang from scratch and I really need this, but he information out there is not that reliable, and I tried to find info on youtube an BAM, there you go making great content as always... thank you for everything yo have done, you have no idea how much your videos have helped me over the years. Im looking at the other video of koji kin, when I powder the koji rice green spored and vacuum seal it, can i store it in the freezer? and how much time? or is it better to seal it and keep it in the fridge? also, i was thinking maybe a good way to innoculate with this is to put the koji kin powder in spray bottle with distilled water and salt and sugar and maybe it can last a long time in the fridge like mold 600? just a crazy thought there.
Thanks for this wonderful video!! And many others you do!! Congrats!! Great work! I have a rice cooker-like device that has a program yo brew chinese rice wine. Since the temperature range of this program is similar to koji one, I was wondering if I should give a try wirh it. What do you think? Thanks a lot! Big hug from Switzerland!
Hi, Please forgive me my bad english. I bought Koji rice. Recipe indicates that I can make 1,5kg of miso. I wonder if it's better to buy Koji spores directly or Koji rice. I love to do things by myself. But I also wondering about the cost. Thank for your advice(s). I have a tiny refrigerator that I want to transformed into a fermentation box, with temperature programming and hygrometer also. I search how to keep enough air flow without loose of degrees.
@@2guysandacooler Well it saves hundreds of your viewers the bother, when you could check once - it's about being efficient and more importantly about being nice to your viewers. From the poor attitude you show in your reply, I certainly won't be subscribing.
Thank you so much for nice and clear visuals and an easy explanation! 👍 I am wondering, since koji likes to break down starches: when you wash off rice gluten (white) so that the water runs clean, you basically remove what you later add up as flour. This is not the first time I'm hearing to wash the rice until water runs clean, did you see anywhere why it has to be done from the technical point of view?
After you have successfully made Kome Koji, can you directly dry it under the Sun on a hot day? What I'm trying to say is will hot Sun ray kill the fungus?
I liked the video, it answered some questions I had. Iv'e been trying to use mochigome rice but it's not fluffy like yours. It looks more spotty. I also think it is very easy to over steam the mochigome rice.
Thank you. Believe that I consider your information an important reference that I can trust and rely on. The question remains: wild koji spores if was homemade produced with great caution and accuracy when i separate between koji mold and harmful mold, can it be relied upon in the production of koji rice Perhaps you are wondering why so much, the truth is that I find it very difficult to get a koji spoers and when I get it it costs me a lot ... Especially since sites that sell these cultures do not deliver such products to the place where I live, so I ask you to excuse me for the many questions I ask you.
In the video about ship koji you said that this video would show how to make koji to use it indefinitely. This suggested that you would explain how to produce it over and over without having to buy the spores. Where's this part?
Here you go: This is how to make spores: th-cam.com/video/X8TnPCejEaE/w-d-xo.html This is how to make koji without spores: th-cam.com/video/k4EMSadi8TE/w-d-xo.html
do the rice at 90 degrees for 2 days and then leave it there with the door cracked to allow for 85 degrees for as long as it takes to dry? thatts only 5 degrees difference would one just leave it there at 90 period until its totally dry?
90 degrees is actually on the low end of the temperature range. I do mine at 98 degrees. The temperature inside the koji will rise to as the mold starts to grow so you need to make sure you monitor the internal temp of the koji so it doesn't get too hot.. If your humidity is very high the mold will grow very quickly. To dry the koji you need to change the conditions. So remove the humidity source, increase, air flow, and lower the temp. By doing this you slow the microbiological activity keeping it from flowering. Hope that helps..
I have several questions please answer: 1-What is the difference between koji and koji-kin? 2. Can I make a koji at home using koji-kin 3. Are there risks in the koji making process 4. Should i sterilize wine or rice vinegar made by koji or koji-kin 5. How much koji should be used for a k.g of rice Thank you
Hello. Thanks for the questions. Let me try to answer. 1. Koji and Koji-kin are the same thing. They both refer to a mold in the aspergillus genus. More commonly though people refer to koji as the white mold that grows on grains and koji-kin as the spores or the seeds that are used to propagate it. 2. Yes. To make koji you need to have the spores. I made a video showing how to make koji with out the use of commercially obtained spores by only using a corn husk. Check out some of my recent videos if you want to find that one.. 3. The risks are very minimal if you use a spore starter. It's very easy to grow and is a great mold to use in different fermentation projects. There are some precautions as you don't want to inhale the spores as that might not be too good. If you don't use a spore starter the risks are slightly higher as you will most likely be growing other types of mold along side of the koji. If you know what to look for though you'll be fine! 4. I pasteurize my wine like sake or Chinese rice wine. This kills the koji spores and yeast and will stabilize your wine. If you don't heat your wine up then you'll probably want to refrigerate it. 5. I generally use a half teaspoon of koji kin (spores) for every kilo of rice. That's a little on the high side but I find that it colonizes super quick... Hope that helps
@@2guysandacooler Certainly the details you wrote already helped And I thank you very much for that and I appreciate your help But I still have some notes: If I don't sterilize rice wine or rice vineger made with using koji spores does this have a negative impact on health? In other words should i get rid of koji spores from wine or vinegar? Is there difference between koji rice and malt rice? I got chinees yeast and nuruk to make rice wine and rice vineger but when I read about Koji I saw that it gives better results and tastes better so I bought online koji-kin. Do you have tips to give me because I have never used koji before and because I intend to make koji using koji-kin I apologize to you for the prolongation but I really need to know exactly what to do because I live where no one knows about this anything. Something else If I made a koji, can I always make another koji using the amount of koji I made? You don't have to answer my questions but I really appreciate it You have my respect and appreciation Best regards ❤❤
Went through your steps and the final product came out smelling funky and potent. Can you tell me what it's supposed to smell and taste like? I plan on using it for Sake. thank you!
Hi Chris. Did you start with green spores? The end result should smell sweet. It should look completely white like a fluffy blanket. As soon as it starts to produce it's spores (turning yellow and eventually green) then it starts to smell slightly funky. It's taste is unlike anything I've ever had. It has a uniquely sweet quality to it. For me when I smell koji growing it makes me want to taste it. So the smell is very appealing. Do you have any pictures you can share with me?
@@2guysandacooler I started with these and they were not green. It looked like it already had rice power mixed in with the koji.... I also realized that I did not sterilize the rice power I make (by crushing up dry rice) and adding to this Koji mix. www.amazon.com/Koji-Starter-Steak-Sake-Spore/dp/B07KCLMY5H I can take and share pictures in a bit.
Great Question. If I'm not mistaken, wild rice isn't polished so when you cook it the outer shell of the rice will leave a slightly sticky film. This makes it difficult for the mold to really sink its teeth into the rice itself. I've never tried it but I would love to hear about it if you attempt it...
Can i use a proffesional oven like a rational? To set the temperature as wel it thats oke do i set it on hot air with steam or on full steam? With 80% steam
That's a great question. Here's what's important. If you can maintain 80-95 F and 85-90% humidity for 48 hours. If it can do that then yes. I think that the steam might get too hot but I'm not sure. I just made a new koji video and I explain in more detail the fermentation chamber that I set up. It's super simple and keeps the perfect conditions. Technically you can use a large ice chest just as long as the temp and the humidity stay on track.. If you want to see the new Koji video you can see it here: th-cam.com/video/k4EMSadi8TE/w-d-xo.html
Hi, koji essentially feeds on simple sugar such as glucose to propagate, which is derived from starch molecule broken down. Rice, wheat, barley are all grains rich in starch, you will be most likely to be successful using grains.
Hey James. You can use a regular oven just make sure it is off and only the light is on inside. You want to maintain a 83-90F area with high humidity. 80-90% so a tray of hot water in the oven will help with the humidity. Other ideas might be a cooler with a light bulb in it and a tray of water. Basically you can use whatever you want so long as you can control the humidity and temperature. I use a smoker with a lightbulb and a humidifier in it.. Hope that helps. Let me know how it works out for you..
Hello, another great video! I currently made some inoculated rice but I am afraid the rice was over cooked. The mycelium looks great but it is not as dry as the koji I see on the internet. Should I still continue to dehydrate the rice? or should i throw it away? . thank you
In my steamer pans I have about 2 kilos of rice in each one. For the spores I premixed 1/2 gram of spores with 5 grams of rice flour. When I am ready to use it I use 2-3 grams of this rice flour/koji blend per kilo of rice. Thanks for your question and comment. Hope that helps..
@@2guysandacooler Thanks for the quick response. I've read other demonstrations that suggest 1-2g koji spores per kilo of rice. You're using ~2% of that! Just checking that you have your units correct, don't mean to offend, I appreciate the time you took to publish your process.
@@natepanek2330 no worries. It's good to double check. I just looked at the manufacturers recommendation and on their packet they say 1 gram of Koji spores for 11 pounds of rice substrate. The say to make measuring easier mix 1 gram of Koji with 10 grams of rice flour. This will give you 11 grams of spore/flour innoculant. From that batch use 1 gram per pound of rice. Obviously more is better but not necessary. I think I was off on the flour total. It's now corrected Thanks for double checking..
Why did you sterilize the cheese cloth when you ended up steaming it with the rice for 50 minutes. Would not the steaming process be sufficient to prevent cross- contamination? Thank you.
Hi Melissa. I use Koji rice for all sorts of stuff. Although it's not consumed like regular white rice it is used as an ingredient in many other things to promote fermentation and enzyme production. For instance: I use this to make miso, sake, shio koji, amazake, soy sauce (but with chickpeas), I use it to accelerate drying for my charcuterie projects, and I use it to tenderize beef. It also works great on vegetables as it has the ability to break down starches and turn them into sugars. There's a fairly good chance that most people won't use it like I do but I run a family business as well and I make koji rice available for anyone who wants to buy it also. Hope that helps.
Unfortunately to make new koji you have to have spores. I generally make a batch of Koji that I let go to spores (it makes a bunch) and keep it in the fridge. Here is a video I made with that process. th-cam.com/video/X8TnPCejEaE/w-d-xo.html
Funny thing, I'm actually making Koji Rice as I'm typing this!!! I plan on making a sake video soon!! The fan isn't completely necessary. I had one on hand and figured it couldn't hurt. Also I do keep the humidity between 85-90% for 48 hours. I find that it blooms faster and more consistently. For the sake video I'll show my new set up as I wasn't super keen on using the smoker's heating element as the heat source. Now I have a 100watt light in a tin can (connected to a temp controller) and I have a humidifier (connected to a hygrostat-humidity controller). Since I started doing it this way my results have been rock solid every time. Before they were hit and miss. When the temp falls below my preset (85F) the light kicks on and heats the chamber back up. Once it gets to the right temp the light shuts off. Same with the humidity controller. Finally I have a BBQ thermometer with duel probe that lets me know the temp of the koji during the ferment. I preset the BBQ thermometer to let me know if it gets to 100F so I can go outside and toss the rice. Cool set up. The temp controllers that I am using currently are these: amzn.to/2O3BmM7 FYI
Thank you for your videos! Ive started my first batch this week.. !! Some questions, do you use only organic rice? Not sure if I over cooked the rice.. any tip on how to know that is ready to remove from steamer? Ive started with 500gr. Humidity in my chamber has been high (80/86), but temperature around 30/32 C (86/89.6 F) , using a styrofoam box and dehydrator. Thank you!!
When the rice is ready it will be "al dente" if you pinch it with your finger you can cut it in half and the center will still be uncooked. If its soft and totally cooked then it's been cooked to long. I've used organic and non organic rice with equal results. Looks like the conditions are ok. Koji really likes high humidity. so keeping it on the higher end of your parameters would be ideal. in 48 hours you should see white koji :)
@@2guysandacooler Thank you so much for your help! Yep, I overcooked the rice too much...! But, still I got (some) Koji !!! Yes, the smell is truly amazing. Trying to dry it now - was starting to turn yellow, still a bit lumpy and in chucks (is dehumidifier ok?). Might try to do Amazake with this one and planning a new batch of Koji very soon. Again thank you for your help and inspiration! Regards, V.
Short grain is traditionally used. The one notable exception I can think of is in the production of Okinawan Awamori, which uses Thai long grain rice - it also exclusively uses black koji spores, so I don't think there's any precedent for propagating white or yellow koji on long grain rice. While you should be able to use either, short grain is probably going to be your best bet, especially since most of the resources on how to make koji will be based on using short grain.
Hi, Thanks for the sub!! I've got a lot of really cool sausage videos coming up.. Koji Rice is medium used to make other things. With Koji rice you can make the Japanese Rice wine called Sake. You can make Soy Sauce, you can make Miso. There are so many things that use Koji Rice. Basically it is a mold that aids in the fermentation of other things.. It's really crazy!! Supposedly you can take koji rice and put it on a steak to tenderize it.... Maybe I need to do a video showing how they do that... That might be cool... Thanks for watching and for your comment..
@@AbenaMcKenzieSoapiphany That's awesome. The Catalog is huge and has lots of information on lots of different areas. My favorite is the sausage making section but fermenting and cheese making is neat as well. That's wonderful that you make soaps. I love it!! I tend to get a little crazy at times with my designs but it's all fun!! If you ever have any questions about my videos feel free to ask. Thanks again!
Quick question on the steaming of the rice - could you use an instant pot or rice steamer machine for this step? I don't have a steamer like the one in the video so I'm going to buy one, just curious what the options were. Thanks for the video, liked and subscribed!
An instant pot/rice steamer will cook the rice too much. Doing it like we did in this video just gets it barely cooked. It still has a firm texture to it.
Hi, great easy to understand video. I have a question. You make a point at the beginning of the video that we should weigh the rice, but you don't tell us how much rice we should be using. How much rice should we begin with? You are specific about the 1/4 cup of rice flour, but you don't tell us the ratio of spores/rice flour or spore mixture/steamed rice. I love your presentation. Would like more specific information. Thanks! Danielle
Hello, Thanks for pointing that out. I need to update my description box. You can use .5 grams of pure koji starter to 5 pounds of dried rice. Once you steam this rice and let it cool, you can mix the spores with the pasteurized rice flour and mix it all together.. If you want to half it you can
@@2guysandacooler Thank you for your speedy reply. I'm very excited to try this recipe and am just waiting for my starter to arrive. I'll let you know how it turns out. I'm also going to try it with organic brown rice.
Oh, one more thing. What do you mean by pasteurized rice flour? It looks like most people just grind some rice in a spice grinder to make the flour. How is it pasteurized?
Just an observation. I'm into cultivating mushrooms, and given they are basically in the same family of Koji, the sanitization process of mishrooms is a lot more intense. The method here doesn't seem as intense. Can we expect to follow these instructions and get the Koji rice or should we expect contamination a fair decent amount of time?
If you do a simple sanitization of your cheese cloth and bins you'll be fine. The difference between this and mushrooms is that Koji fungus is much more aggressive and grows a lot faster. So it colonizes the rice or whatever substrate you grow it on pretty quick (48 hrs). There is still a chance for contamination but not like mushrooms
Hi Noah. When I'm steaming the rice i'm cooking it completely. It won't be as soft as rice cooked in water but will have the perfect amount of mouisture needed to koji to grow on it..
@@2guysandacooler Thanks for the very clear instructions. Mine is at hour 45 now and looking great. I was wondering how to dry it without a dehydrator. Any thoughts? I could use my oven but not sure if i can 'vacate' it for 48h.... :)
Thank you for your video. Im currently at hour 48 and my rice is at a yeasty and sweet smell but I dont see the koji coating growth or dry clumps like yours or in tutorials. My rice is still damp and they’re very independent of each other, I do see a growth but most of them are at the bottom of the rice on the cloth. Is that normal? How do I know my koji rice is ready to use or if I need to start over?
Very interesting. Generally by the 48 hour mark the koji will be finished. It really likes high humidity so make sure the humidity is at 85-90% This really helps it grow fast.. The rice should be completely covered. If it's not completely covered then you might want to start over and add more spores to your steamed rice..
2 Guys & A Cooler hi i tried again this time closely monitoring humidity as you suggested. Realized my issue was i over-steamed my rice before. Great news is I finally have the proper results for this second batch 🎉 so yay thank you for your video
After 48hrs, can you then add some of your ready Koji rice to another batch of fresh rice and continuously make Koji rice? Will the spores keep multiplying if added to more rice medium?
Hello, I find this question must be asked. I have seen in many videos and articles about making homemade sauce that they are ordering non-GMO soy ... Is this a really necessary condition or any kind of soybeans works?
Thank you for sharing that. I have a question about koji rice in miso. In every clip and written miso recipe I've seen they use dried koji rice. Is that just because its convenient to buy dried koji rice? Can you use the koji rice fresh for making miso as soon as it has reached it's peak? I imagine the mold and enzymes are the most active when fresh? Or does drying the koji rice add or change anything necessary for the miso to ferment and mature? Thank's again. /Bengt
@@2guysandacooler Thanks! Much appreciated. Its probably the most economic too. Koji rice is about $45/kg here. And if you like me want to make 5-10 kg batches of miso.... Crazy expensive. Keep up the good work guys! 👍
You know I'm not sure. If I had to guess I would say no because as soon as the koji starts to convert the rice from starch to sugar the yeast will want to begin fermenting it. But like I said I'm not sure, I've never tried that.. If you try it I would love to hear about your results...
This is a link to get it on Amazon amzn.to/2CFv2It . If you create a chamber that you cam control the humidity and temperature you can almost grow this anywhere.. I Live in Panama and can grow it no problem. Very tropical and humid where I live
if i put this in my oven with the light on with the LIGHT disturb the fermenting process? it is a 90 degrees i cant think of how else i could do this do u have any ideas?
The oven is a great idea and 90f is perfect for Koji. Just make sure you add a tray of hot water for humidity. The light in the oven should be fine. I can't wait to hear how it turns out. Let me know if you do this method.. thanks for the comment.
@@2guysandacooler LIGHT will not affect it i mean that light bulb is gonna be just intensely bright stimulating the bacterias I thought they need the dark to prosper?
That's not good. Pink and orange isn't want you want. I would start over. It should be completely white then after 2 days start turning into a greenish yellow mold as it begins to spore..
Hello, I watched a video of making koji rice and in inoculcating rice he did not use Koji Spores but rather grinded a quantity of Koji Rice and then inoculated steaming rice (as I understood from the video because it is in Japanese and it was not translated) My question is: Is this possible or did I understand mistake ? Look, I really like the experience, and I'd like to do that, but if there's no point, why would I do that? So I ask you first ... Thanks
I think that mold stuff grows in the grass clippings in my garden. It smells like pumpkins kind of Also, even without this as an innoculant, if you made malted rice, the leftover husks, set in the right condition, would probably just become this, you could probably freeze dry and powderize it... or sake, just freeze dry and powder the dregs, after letting them air dry, then re - use
Most of the wild mold that's closely related to koji mold is toxic and carcinogenic. Koji mold is a special domesticated variety that won't poison you.
OK I have some questions. I made Koji about five or six times now and each time I steam the rice it wants to get clumpy. I’ve never steamed it for more than 20 minutes. Steaming it more than 20 minutes. Makes it gummy. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. I followed all the same steps you did, but my Rice still wants to clump up. And every time I get to about hour it turns into Koji kin it’s very strange because there’s not very much white spores at our 20 but our 30 it turns into Koji kin temperature I keep at 86° humidity roughly 75°. Please help.
OK cool what about the stickiness when I watched your video and majority of videos that are out there the rice isn’t as sticky as mine is feel like I’m rinsing it well enough
Great question. We wash the rice to get rid of any dirt or bran that's remaining. We don't want any impurities on the rice while it's fermenting. It also helps keep the grains loose but that's a secondary benefit..
That's a great question. I had the same question when I started. I tried using Miso, I tried using koji rice that I had bought online, and I even tried with Chinese Shanghai Balls. After all of that I found that it either didn't work or the mold was very weak. The closest I came to getting koji to grow was by using Koji rice that I had bought online. Even then the mold was weak and didn't produce the results I was looking for in the products I was trying to make with it (Amazake, Shio Koji, sake). SO to answer your question..... I don't know. From my experiments I think that one really needs to start off with good quality spores to propagate koji. From there you can keep it going indefinitely… BUT... there may be a way (I just haven't discovered it yet!!) Thanks for the great question. Do you live in an area where it is hard to get koji Spores?
@@mohamedmostafa4947 Of course. Check out this video I made. th-cam.com/video/X8TnPCejEaE/w-d-xo.html I go into details about how I made the spores. Basically once I had koji Rice I let it continue the growing process till it started to bloom. Once it turned green (koji spores) I harvested all the spores and stored them in the freezer. Hope that Helps..
A rice cooker tends to cook the rice too much. You want the rice to be "Al Dente". You should be able to use your fingernail to slice the grain in half but not mush it
Hey guys I have attempted this three times. I’m using short grain rice,well rinsed and soaked. I am steaming with cheese cloth In an over sized steaming pot. My spores aren’t penetrating. I think it’s because my rice is sticking together after steaming. What can I do to keep the rice from sticking. I’m not getting enough spore penetration into the rice to get a really good spread. Tried to let it go longer but then it blooms in patches. Following all other instructions to the letter. I would really love to keep making sake but it’s too expensive to make any real amount without making koji rice. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hey Tyler. Let's see if we can figure this out. Assuming that you rinsed it properly (till water runs crystal clear), soaked and drained properly and assuming that your humidity is at 90% and your temp is controlled to remain between 85 f and 90f (that part is super important). Based off of what you told me, my guess is that your over steaming your rice. Not all rice behaves the same way (I personally like using jasmine rice). So what I would recommend starting off would be to cut back the time that you steam your rice. If it's super sticky when you apply Koji it won't work. The Koji mold grows deep into the grain because it's looking for water. If there's plenty water on the surface the Koji has no need to spread. Wild right? The rice grains should be easy to press with your fingernail but still firm. Like al dente pasta. I hope that helps...
2 Guys & A Cooler great I’ll give it a try. I was using sticky rice so that I’m sure is my problem. I will also cut the ferm box back to one incubator element as well. Really appreciate your videos!
By the way, you may know already but for sake making, usually don’t make koji fluffy outside because it gives strong koji flavor. When koji company make rice koji to sell to be used for amazake, shiokoji, and so on, they tend to make outside fluffy to enjoy the koji flavor. Well that’s what I heard from Koji making/ sake making experts.
Guys can you help me plz? I accidentally bought Rhizopus oryzae instead of Aspergillus oryzae ☹️, I plan to make koji and miso, is it possible to use Rhizopus oryzae? Thank you
oops!! The two molds are very different in the sense that aspergillus have very heavy enzymatic activity and produces specific flavors. It is not tolerant to heat as well. With that being said the real answer is I don't know. In theory you could as they are both molds that break down starches through enzyme production. You'll have to do a batch and get back to me.
Amazing.. How do you no so well about Japanese food? Sake, Miso, Shiokoji, Amazake... We cannot expect anything to be "unknown and secret" these days...
Can I still use my Koji for sake and stuff if it bloomed? Because yesterday it seemed like there is not so much fungi, and today whole rice turned greenish and idk what to do :v This is my first time tho
On the bright side you have more koji spores :) Once it goes to spore you have to start over. Generally it takes between 36-45 hours to grow. Past 45 hours it starts to bloom and turn to spores..
Ok,and how to storage those spores? Does ithave to be dried,separated..They can be used for making soy sauce,right? I'm new at this and this is a great vid,great expl. ❤ thank you
@@kali524 You can store the spores in the refrigerator. Dried and separated. Koji can be used to make soy sauce (a project I'll most likely be starting in a few weeks).. Thanks for the comment
Scientifically, there is no difference between exposing rice to steam or cooking it with water. The result is the same, it will be saturated with water
@@2guysandacooler There are many ways to get rid of water moisture in rice, including leaving it in front of a fan or placing it in the oven on low heat. Rice naturally dries quickly and expels moisture.
The issue isn't "can you fix it if it's too wet", that's easy. The issue is the amount of starch that's been released after it's too wet. This produces a very bad medium for koji spores as the rice will clump together😉
@@2guysandacooler The most important part of the success of this process is fermenting the rice for a whole day. You misunderstood me. You think I will cook it and put it in the oven to dry. No, dear, fermentation is the most important point 😜
I think I used 3 pounds but I can't remember. It doesn't matter too much what you start off with though as I've made as little as 300 grams and as much as 2 kilos.
Dude ! First, really cool video, and second, I really like your casual way to explain and also smile/laugh. Super nice ! Keep going and thanks !
Thank you very much for such a wonderful comment. I appreciate the feedback.
Thank you for this amazing content! I’m going through your videos non-stop because they’re very well done with a lot of passion and expertise... there should be a million subscribers here!
Glad you like them!
I tried getting the koji starter by fermenting black soy bean. When they started blooming, fluffy white fungi, I mixed it into the prepared rice. Since I live on a humid, hot island, I just had to cover the tray with a belgium kitchen towel. After leaving it on our kitchen cabinet for 3 days, I got it all green. I hope I got it right. Thanks for your teachings.
was it wild fermentation or did you use a spore starter?
@@2guysandacooler the beans were fermented wild. I am used to do it that way, the beans I mean. The first time I tried this. After I saw your video about koji, I thought it might work.
@@rudolfwester758 cool. If you sprinkle ash all over the beans while they are fermenting it will help the Koji mold grow and keep the bad molds at bay...
Very good video. Lots of great instructions. Easy to understand.
Thank you for your comment. Very encouraging..
It's got a good beat and it's easy to dance to.
Hello I made koji rice (I used koji-kin that I bought from Amazon, I used 2 grams for half kilo of rice) and I controled temperature (I adjusted it at 32 % for the external temp. and I prevented the interior temp frome exceeding 40 %) and controled humidity( about 92%)
The rice turned white,sweet, but didn't coherent like a one piece
I am confused because I looked carefully at the details of your video and tried very hard to stick to it professionally, though the result was not as satisfactory as I had hoped
Do you have an explanation for the reason for the failure?
I wouldn't call it a failure as it seems you grew koji on the rice. I would just say that there's room for improvement. What kind of rice are you using? The only thing I might guess is that your rice was too wet. Perhaps don't steam your rice for 1 hour. When the rice is too wet the koji doesn't need to penetrate into the rice to look for moisture. It can stay on the surface and get all the moisture it needs. When the koji penetrates deep into the grain of rice it creates a network of bonds that hold the rice together. It's a stronger and healthier koji :)
I Hope that helps.
@@2guysandacooler
Yes . Certainly that's helpful.Thank you..
I think the rice was somewhat solid after the steameing... maybe that was the reason .
OK, it's all right ..I understand from your words that I can use this Koji Rice in the recipe that I want...
@@Batoul12332 yes you can.
EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE, thank you so much!!!!! I'm completely new at making any koji-related product and I really wanna try it out and your video has given me a very good synopsis of the process.
Best regards from Mexico!
Many thanks for producing this very informative video. Have you tried making Koji with brown rice? I'm steaming it now and I'm seeing that the cooking time is well over the 50 minutes you mention. How can you tell when the rice is done? Should the rice be steamed until its at the chewy stage? Thanks again.
I've never tried with brown rice. I know brown rice takes longer to cook though. You want the rice to be firm but not "cooked" if you bite into it, it will have some "bite" to it but still seem undercooked. If it's too soft the koji won't grow well. Getting the rice is a tricky balancing act. Not cooked enough or too much will affect the Koji growth
@@2guysandacooler Thanks for your kind reply. Based on your description of rice texture, the short grain brown rice took about 2 hours of steaming. It started heating up on its own at hour 28. I've mixed it a few times since then and is still producing heat at hour 48. When it's done will it stop producing heat? On to the next step - making Miso!
By the way, I made an incubation chamber from an insulated food transport bag sized for a standard food steam tray. I used a 10X20 seedling heating pad under a tray of water on the bottom of the bag controlled with the heat controller you recommended. This worked great to keep the temp around 90 degrees.
I thought about alternativ technic-equipment: yogurter, steamer with aquarium-heater, ore therarium-mat, egg-cocker, rice-cocker ore even baby-bottle-heater.
what kind of metal tray/cooling rack do you use [dimensions etc]?
so does it still contain probiotics after its done and ready to use? how do you keep the probiotics alive? does it need to be kept in the fridge? also, how do people usually eat it?
What an incredible production - thanks! Amazing humans have made this - nice you connected me into this - these escoteric (to us) videos that connect us to other parts of the world, times, ect, so incredible! Nice work! ^^
God Eric, you truly are the best... all you do and had done is so interesting! I was having a hard time trying to find a way to reproduce koji spores because I want to make Gochujang from scratch and I really need this, but he information out there is not that reliable, and I tried to find info on youtube an BAM, there you go making great content as always... thank you for everything yo have done, you have no idea how much your videos have helped me over the years. Im looking at the other video of koji kin, when I powder the koji rice green spored and vacuum seal it, can i store it in the freezer? and how much time? or is it better to seal it and keep it in the fridge? also, i was thinking maybe a good way to innoculate with this is to put the koji kin powder in spray bottle with distilled water and salt and sugar and maybe it can last a long time in the fridge like mold 600? just a crazy thought there.
Thanks for this wonderful video!! And many others you do!! Congrats!! Great work! I have a rice cooker-like device that has a program yo brew chinese rice wine. Since the temperature range of this program is similar to koji one, I was wondering if I should give a try wirh it. What do you think? Thanks a lot! Big hug from Switzerland!
Hi,
Please forgive me my bad english.
I bought Koji rice. Recipe indicates that I can make 1,5kg of miso. I wonder if it's better to buy Koji spores directly or Koji rice. I love to do things by myself. But I also wondering about the cost.
Thank for your advice(s).
I have a tiny refrigerator that I want to transformed into a fermentation box, with temperature programming and hygrometer also. I search how to keep enough air flow without loose of degrees.
Great video, but pls can you remember to give temperatures in Celsius, as people outside the US stopped using Fahrenheit back in the 60s - thanks!
That's what google is for😉
@@2guysandacooler Well it saves hundreds of your viewers the bother, when you could check once - it's about being efficient and more importantly about being nice to your viewers. From the poor attitude you show in your reply, I certainly won't be subscribing.
@@lakrasia if you can't appreciate the free information, I would kindly request that you move along.
@@2guysandacooler Don't worry, I will be, arsehole.
Thank you so much for nice and clear visuals and an easy explanation! 👍 I am wondering, since koji likes to break down starches: when you wash off rice gluten (white) so that the water runs clean, you basically remove what you later add up as flour. This is not the first time I'm hearing to wash the rice until water runs clean, did you see anywhere why it has to be done from the technical point of view?
From a technical point it makes the rice too sticky when cooked. The grains have to be fluffy and loose
@@2guysandacooler ah makes sense! Thank you!
After you have successfully made Kome Koji, can you directly dry it under the Sun on a hot day? What I'm trying to say is will hot Sun ray kill the fungus?
I liked the video, it answered some questions I had. Iv'e been trying to use mochigome rice but it's not fluffy like yours. It looks more spotty. I also think it is very easy to over steam the mochigome rice.
Good point. I haven't tried that rice yet. The Sushi rice worked perfectly as did Jasmine Rice. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
You can use a seed propagator as well
if i wanted to try with a koji rice instead of the spores the process is the same? i just mix it?
Thank you. Believe that I consider your information an important reference that I can trust and rely on.
The question remains:
wild koji spores if was homemade produced with great caution and accuracy when i separate between koji mold and harmful mold, can it be relied upon in the production of koji rice
Perhaps you are wondering why so much, the truth is that I find it very difficult to get a koji spoers and when I get it it costs me a lot ...
Especially since sites that sell these cultures do not deliver such products to the place where I live, so I ask you to excuse me for the many questions I ask you.
The answer is yes. It can be used to make Koji rice
@@2guysandacooler
Thank's❤
Hi! Thanks for the great vkdeo. Can I mix in the Koji spores with wheat flour instead of rice flour?
Yes you can!
Can you make a video doing the spores? Thanks from Mexico.
In the video about ship koji you said that this video would show how to make koji to use it indefinitely. This suggested that you would explain how to produce it over and over without having to buy the spores. Where's this part?
Here you go: This is how to make spores: th-cam.com/video/X8TnPCejEaE/w-d-xo.html
This is how to make koji without spores: th-cam.com/video/k4EMSadi8TE/w-d-xo.html
@@2guysandacooler 😀 thank you!
do the rice at 90 degrees for 2 days and then leave it there with the door cracked to allow for 85 degrees for as long as it takes to dry? thatts only 5 degrees difference would one just leave it there at 90 period until its totally dry?
90 degrees is actually on the low end of the temperature range. I do mine at 98 degrees. The temperature inside the koji will rise to as the mold starts to grow so you need to make sure you monitor the internal temp of the koji so it doesn't get too hot.. If your humidity is very high the mold will grow very quickly. To dry the koji you need to change the conditions. So remove the humidity source, increase, air flow, and lower the temp. By doing this you slow the microbiological activity keeping it from flowering. Hope that helps..
I have several questions please answer:
1-What is the difference between koji and koji-kin?
2. Can I make a koji at home using koji-kin
3. Are there risks in the koji making process
4. Should i sterilize wine or rice vinegar made by koji or koji-kin
5. How much koji should be used for a k.g of rice
Thank you
Hello. Thanks for the questions. Let me try to answer.
1. Koji and Koji-kin are the same thing. They both refer to a mold in the aspergillus genus. More commonly though people refer to koji as the white mold that grows on grains and koji-kin as the spores or the seeds that are used to propagate it.
2. Yes. To make koji you need to have the spores. I made a video showing how to make koji with out the use of commercially obtained spores by only using a corn husk. Check out some of my recent videos if you want to find that one..
3. The risks are very minimal if you use a spore starter. It's very easy to grow and is a great mold to use in different fermentation projects. There are some precautions as you don't want to inhale the spores as that might not be too good. If you don't use a spore starter the risks are slightly higher as you will most likely be growing other types of mold along side of the koji. If you know what to look for though you'll be fine!
4. I pasteurize my wine like sake or Chinese rice wine. This kills the koji spores and yeast and will stabilize your wine. If you don't heat your wine up then you'll probably want to refrigerate it.
5. I generally use a half teaspoon of koji kin (spores) for every kilo of rice. That's a little on the high side but I find that it colonizes super quick...
Hope that helps
@@2guysandacooler
Certainly the details you wrote already helped
And I thank you very much for that and I appreciate your help
But I still have some notes:
If I don't sterilize rice wine or rice vineger made with using koji spores does this have a negative impact on health?
In other words should i get rid of koji spores from wine or vinegar?
Is there difference between koji rice and malt rice?
I got chinees yeast and nuruk to make rice wine and rice vineger but when I read about Koji I saw that it gives better results and tastes better so I bought online koji-kin.
Do you have tips to give me because I have never used koji before and because I intend to make koji using koji-kin
I apologize to you for the prolongation but I really need to know exactly what to do because I live where no one knows about this anything.
Something else
If I made a koji, can I always make another koji using the amount of koji I made?
You don't have to answer my questions but I really appreciate it
You have my respect and appreciation
Best regards
❤❤
Went through your steps and the final product came out smelling funky and potent. Can you tell me what it's supposed to smell and taste like? I plan on using it for Sake. thank you!
Hi Chris. Did you start with green spores? The end result should smell sweet. It should look completely white like a fluffy blanket. As soon as it starts to produce it's spores (turning yellow and eventually green) then it starts to smell slightly funky. It's taste is unlike anything I've ever had. It has a uniquely sweet quality to it. For me when I smell koji growing it makes me want to taste it. So the smell is very appealing. Do you have any pictures you can share with me?
@@2guysandacooler I started with these and they were not green. It looked like it already had rice power mixed in with the koji.... I also realized that I did not sterilize the rice power I make (by crushing up dry rice) and adding to this Koji mix. www.amazon.com/Koji-Starter-Steak-Sake-Spore/dp/B07KCLMY5H I can take and share pictures in a bit.
@@2guysandacooler I have some pictures to share with you. Where can I send them?
Hi ! i love ur videos , they’re so informative but i wanna ask is the cloth ure using a muslin cloth ? or can i use any thin cloth ?
Yes the cloth I'm using is a muslin. Any thin cloth should work
thanks for sharing! i don't know much about it and was wondering if wild rice would work in place of the white rice?what do you think?
Great Question. If I'm not mistaken, wild rice isn't polished so when you cook it the outer shell of the rice will leave a slightly sticky film. This makes it difficult for the mold to really sink its teeth into the rice itself. I've never tried it but I would love to hear about it if you attempt it...
Can i use a proffesional oven like a rational? To set the temperature as wel it thats oke do i set it on hot air with steam or on full steam? With 80% steam
That's a great question. Here's what's important. If you can maintain 80-95 F and 85-90% humidity for 48 hours. If it can do that then yes. I think that the steam might get too hot but I'm not sure. I just made a new koji video and I explain in more detail the fermentation chamber that I set up. It's super simple and keeps the perfect conditions. Technically you can use a large ice chest just as long as the temp and the humidity stay on track.. If you want to see the new Koji video you can see it here: th-cam.com/video/k4EMSadi8TE/w-d-xo.html
can you use nuts or seeds instead of rice, or do I need to use a grain to start off with?
Hi,
koji essentially feeds on simple sugar such as glucose to propagate, which is derived from starch molecule broken down.
Rice, wheat, barley are all grains rich in starch, you will be most likely to be successful using grains.
Can I use a regular oven or would that get it too hot? What else can I use for a fermentation chamber?
Hey James. You can use a regular oven just make sure it is off and only the light is on inside. You want to maintain a 83-90F area with high humidity. 80-90% so a tray of hot water in the oven will help with the humidity. Other ideas might be a cooler with a light bulb in it and a tray of water. Basically you can use whatever you want so long as you can control the humidity and temperature. I use a smoker with a lightbulb and a humidifier in it.. Hope that helps. Let me know how it works out for you..
@@2guysandacooler so turning on the proofer setting on the oven would do the trick?
Hello can you make it without spores or any substitute?? In our country this type of spores are not available!
Corn Husk Method
Do you have a link to the smoker you are using in this video? Are you still using it to make koji?
Have you ever use the same smoker to make natto?
Hello, another great video! I currently made some inoculated rice but I am afraid the rice was over cooked. The mycelium looks great but it is not as dry as the koji I see on the internet. Should I still continue to dehydrate the rice? or should i throw it away? . thank you
If the rice is too wet it won't penetrate the rice so good. You might be better off starting over
How much rice comfortably fits in the full steam pans? Are you using 2g spores to 1 Kg rice? Great video!
In my steamer pans I have about 2 kilos of rice in each one. For the spores I premixed 1/2 gram of spores with 5 grams of rice flour. When I am ready to use it I use 2-3 grams of this rice flour/koji blend per kilo of rice. Thanks for your question and comment. Hope that helps..
@@2guysandacooler Thanks for the quick response. I've read other demonstrations that suggest 1-2g koji spores per kilo of rice. You're using ~2% of that! Just checking that you have your units correct, don't mean to offend, I appreciate the time you took to publish your process.
@@natepanek2330 no worries. It's good to double check. I just looked at the manufacturers recommendation and on their packet they say 1 gram of Koji spores for 11 pounds of rice substrate. The say to make measuring easier mix 1 gram of Koji with 10 grams of rice flour. This will give you 11 grams of spore/flour innoculant. From that batch use 1 gram per pound of rice. Obviously more is better but not necessary. I think I was off on the flour total. It's now corrected Thanks for double checking..
Could you use a dehydrator to ferment?
Why did you sterilize the cheese cloth when you ended up steaming it with the rice for 50 minutes. Would not the steaming process be sufficient to prevent cross- contamination? Thank you.
Probably but I wanted to be completely sure...
I'd love to know some other uses for this much koji rice! Is it made and consumed like regular white rice?
Hi Melissa. I use Koji rice for all sorts of stuff. Although it's not consumed like regular white rice it is used as an ingredient in many other things to promote fermentation and enzyme production. For instance: I use this to make miso, sake, shio koji, amazake, soy sauce (but with chickpeas), I use it to accelerate drying for my charcuterie projects, and I use it to tenderize beef. It also works great on vegetables as it has the ability to break down starches and turn them into sugars. There's a fairly good chance that most people won't use it like I do but I run a family business as well and I make koji rice available for anyone who wants to buy it also. Hope that helps.
Do you ever grow spores for future batches of koji? Or can you use dried koji as a starter for new koji?
Unfortunately to make new koji you have to have spores. I generally make a batch of Koji that I let go to spores (it makes a bunch) and keep it in the fridge. Here is a video I made with that process. th-cam.com/video/X8TnPCejEaE/w-d-xo.html
Is the fan necessary and do you keep the humidity high for the entire 48 hour process?
Funny thing, I'm actually making Koji Rice as I'm typing this!!! I plan on making a sake video soon!! The fan isn't completely necessary. I had one on hand and figured it couldn't hurt. Also I do keep the humidity between 85-90% for 48 hours. I find that it blooms faster and more consistently. For the sake video I'll show my new set up as I wasn't super keen on using the smoker's heating element as the heat source. Now I have a 100watt light in a tin can (connected to a temp controller) and I have a humidifier (connected to a hygrostat-humidity controller). Since I started doing it this way my results have been rock solid every time. Before they were hit and miss. When the temp falls below my preset (85F) the light kicks on and heats the chamber back up. Once it gets to the right temp the light shuts off. Same with the humidity controller. Finally I have a BBQ thermometer with duel probe that lets me know the temp of the koji during the ferment. I preset the BBQ thermometer to let me know if it gets to 100F so I can go outside and toss the rice. Cool set up.
The temp controllers that I am using currently are these: amzn.to/2O3BmM7 FYI
@@2guysandacooler Hi, I'm waiting for the video of making your own sake.
@@kentadran I have a batch started and will be posting a video as soon as it's done. Thanks for the sub!!
How do you grow the koji kin or the spores?
Thank you for your videos! Ive started my first batch this week.. !! Some questions, do you use only organic rice? Not sure if I over cooked the rice.. any tip on how to know that is ready to remove from steamer? Ive started with 500gr. Humidity in my chamber has been high (80/86), but temperature around 30/32 C (86/89.6 F) , using a styrofoam box and dehydrator. Thank you!!
When the rice is ready it will be "al dente" if you pinch it with your finger you can cut it in half and the center will still be uncooked. If its soft and totally cooked then it's been cooked to long. I've used organic and non organic rice with equal results. Looks like the conditions are ok. Koji really likes high humidity. so keeping it on the higher end of your parameters would be ideal. in 48 hours you should see white koji :)
@@2guysandacooler Thank you so much for your help! Yep, I overcooked the rice too much...! But, still I got (some) Koji !!! Yes, the smell is truly amazing. Trying to dry it now - was starting to turn yellow, still a bit lumpy and in chucks (is dehumidifier ok?). Might try to do Amazake with this one and planning a new batch of Koji very soon. Again thank you for your help and inspiration! Regards, V.
Great information!👌🏽
Many thanks. Very helpfull
Great video! Thanks
Thank You
What type of white rice is best. Short grain or long. Thanks 🙏
Short grain is traditionally used. The one notable exception I can think of is in the production of Okinawan Awamori, which uses Thai long grain rice - it also exclusively uses black koji spores, so I don't think there's any precedent for propagating white or yellow koji on long grain rice. While you should be able to use either, short grain is probably going to be your best bet, especially since most of the resources on how to make koji will be based on using short grain.
I like the way you teach and explain in your videos, I am Subscribed! I am so interested in Sausage making now. But what is Koji Rice used for?
Hi, Thanks for the sub!! I've got a lot of really cool sausage videos coming up.. Koji Rice is medium used to make other things. With Koji rice you can make the Japanese Rice wine called Sake. You can make Soy Sauce, you can make Miso. There are so many things that use Koji Rice. Basically it is a mold that aids in the fermentation of other things.. It's really crazy!! Supposedly you can take koji rice and put it on a steak to tenderize it.... Maybe I need to do a video showing how they do that... That might be cool... Thanks for watching and for your comment..
@@2guysandacooler I also ordered your catalog, and look forward to it for information. I too make soaps! My biz is Soapiphany!
@@AbenaMcKenzieSoapiphany That's awesome. The Catalog is huge and has lots of information on lots of different areas. My favorite is the sausage making section but fermenting and cheese making is neat as well. That's wonderful that you make soaps. I love it!! I tend to get a little crazy at times with my designs but it's all fun!! If you ever have any questions about my videos feel free to ask. Thanks again!
Quick question on the steaming of the rice - could you use an instant pot or rice steamer machine for this step? I don't have a steamer like the one in the video so I'm going to buy one, just curious what the options were. Thanks for the video, liked and subscribed!
An instant pot/rice steamer will cook the rice too much. Doing it like we did in this video just gets it barely cooked. It still has a firm texture to it.
2 Guys & A Cooler Thank you for the response! I'll order the proper steamer, wishing you all the best!
Hi, great easy to understand video. I have a question. You make a point at the beginning of the video that we should weigh the rice, but you don't tell us how much rice we should be using. How much rice should we begin with? You are specific about the 1/4 cup of rice flour, but you don't tell us the ratio of spores/rice flour or spore mixture/steamed rice. I love your presentation. Would like more specific information. Thanks! Danielle
Hello, Thanks for pointing that out. I need to update my description box. You can use .5 grams of pure koji starter to 5 pounds of dried rice. Once you steam this rice and let it cool, you can mix the spores with the pasteurized rice flour and mix it all together.. If you want to half it you can
@@2guysandacooler Thank you for your speedy reply. I'm very excited to try this recipe and am just waiting for my starter to arrive. I'll let you know how it turns out. I'm also going to try it with organic brown rice.
Oh, one more thing. What do you mean by pasteurized rice flour? It looks like most people just grind some rice in a spice grinder to make the flour. How is it pasteurized?
@@TimeForChangeKitchen heat it on the stovetop till the temp reaches 140-150. Then let it cool down. This kills unwanted bacteria from the flour
@@2guysandacooler Got it, thanks!
Just an observation. I'm into cultivating mushrooms, and given they are basically in the same family of Koji, the sanitization process of mishrooms is a lot more intense. The method here doesn't seem as intense. Can we expect to follow these instructions and get the Koji rice or should we expect contamination a fair decent amount of time?
If you do a simple sanitization of your cheese cloth and bins you'll be fine. The difference between this and mushrooms is that Koji fungus is much more aggressive and grows a lot faster. So it colonizes the rice or whatever substrate you grow it on pretty quick (48 hrs). There is still a chance for contamination but not like mushrooms
When you steam it for 50 minutes, are you cooking it completely, or just sterilizing and moistening it?
Hi Noah. When I'm steaming the rice i'm cooking it completely. It won't be as soft as rice cooked in water but will have the perfect amount of mouisture needed to koji to grow on it..
Great video. But how do you separate the Koji from the rice?
Hello Devin. Check out my video "how to make Koji Kin"
Thanks for a great video. I’m in the prep stage. How do you dry the rice Koji after? Can you use a dehydrator or will the heat kill the good stuff?
I let mine sit on top of the dehydrator for about 24 hours. I set the dehydrator to 90f
@@2guysandacooler Thanks for the very clear instructions. Mine is at hour 45 now and looking great. I was wondering how to dry it without a dehydrator. Any thoughts? I could use my oven but not sure if i can 'vacate' it for 48h.... :)
Thank you for your video. Im currently at hour 48 and my rice is at a yeasty and sweet smell but I dont see the koji coating growth or dry clumps like yours or in tutorials. My rice is still damp and they’re very independent of each other, I do see a growth but most of them are at the bottom of the rice on the cloth. Is that normal? How do I know my koji rice is ready to use or if I need to start over?
Very interesting. Generally by the 48 hour mark the koji will be finished. It really likes high humidity so make sure the humidity is at 85-90% This really helps it grow fast.. The rice should be completely covered. If it's not completely covered then you might want to start over and add more spores to your steamed rice..
2 Guys & A Cooler hi i tried again this time closely monitoring humidity as you suggested. Realized my issue was i over-steamed my rice before. Great news is I finally have the proper results for this second batch 🎉 so yay thank you for your video
Can we use this for making miso paste?
yes
I saw smoke inside the chamber what was that and is it required and how can i do that in the chamber?
It wasn't smoke, it was my humidifier running.
How long can It be stored in the fridge? Can I deep freeze the Koji Rice?
You can freeze the koji rice 😁
Thank you for your fast response! It was really helpful.
Hey, how to store it after drying? Does it have to be freezed or I can pop it in the plain fridge or I can keep it on room temp?
I just placed it in my frdge in a vac sealed bag.
I wonder if controlling the temp (and humidity) of the rice via sous vide would work?
Absolutely. That's a great way to do it.
You mean at the final step, where the aspergillus is growing? Also how would you go about controlling the humidity?
Great vid!
Hi green sprinkle powder is what
After 48hrs, can you then add some of your ready Koji rice to another batch of fresh rice and continuously make Koji rice? Will the spores keep multiplying if added to more rice medium?
Yes that is essentially a grain to grain transfer but it's rather easy to take spores if you want to learn
Hello,
I find this question must be asked.
I have seen in many videos and articles about making homemade sauce that they are ordering non-GMO soy ... Is this a really necessary condition or any kind of soybeans works?
Hello, Any kind of soybean will work
Thank you for sharing that. I have a question about koji rice in miso. In every clip and written miso recipe I've seen they use dried koji rice. Is that just because its convenient to buy dried koji rice? Can you use the koji rice fresh for making miso as soon as it has reached it's peak? I imagine the mold and enzymes are the most active when fresh? Or does drying the koji rice add or change anything necessary for the miso to ferment and mature?
Thank's again. /Bengt
Fresh is certainly the best option.
@@2guysandacooler Thanks! Much appreciated. Its probably the most economic too. Koji rice is about $45/kg here. And if you like me want to make 5-10 kg batches of miso.... Crazy expensive.
Keep up the good work guys! 👍
Can i use glutinous rice? Nice video 👍
I don't think so. It may be too sticky...
@@2guysandacooler ok thx
Can I use koji yeast to make koji rice?
You know I'm not sure. If I had to guess I would say no because as soon as the koji starts to convert the rice from starch to sugar the yeast will want to begin fermenting it. But like I said I'm not sure, I've never tried that.. If you try it I would love to hear about your results...
If the rice is turning green (blooming), can you still use it for your koji Stuff?
It depends. Once it turns too green then it would be better to start over and have a fresh batch of koji. If it's just getting yellowish then it's ok
Can i ferment in a dehydrator? Thank you
You need really high humidity and a little air flow. Not sure a dehydrator would work
What can I do if I don't have a chamber where I can humidify?
You can use an ice chest with a little heating pad and a tray of hot water (the steam will increase the humidity).
Where can I get the spores? Is it possible to make koji in a tropical climate.
This is a link to get it on Amazon amzn.to/2CFv2It .
If you create a chamber that you cam control the humidity and temperature you can almost grow this anywhere..
I Live in Panama and can grow it no problem. Very tropical and humid where I live
hi, sorry if its a dumb question but can i use koji if i let it bloom too much?
I wouldn't. Better to start over. The ideal time is 30 - 40 hours. All white
Hello
If you pleaes how can make malt rice
if my koji has small spots of green and has a hue of green is it okay ?
the green spots are the koji spores. they are perfectly okay, but if you let it sporulate for too long it will taste bad
if i put this in my oven with the light on with the LIGHT disturb the fermenting process? it is a 90 degrees i cant think of how else i could do this do u have any ideas?
The oven is a great idea and 90f is perfect for Koji. Just make sure you add a tray of hot water for humidity. The light in the oven should be fine. I can't wait to hear how it turns out. Let me know if you do this method.. thanks for the comment.
@@2guysandacooler LIGHT will not affect it i mean that light bulb is gonna be just intensely bright stimulating the bacterias I thought they need the dark to prosper?
If you have the capability of covering the light with aluminum foil that would be better... Dark is better but some light is ok.
Hi I made some koji rice and it has patches of the vary pale pink or orange is that OK?
That's not good. Pink and orange isn't want you want. I would start over. It should be completely white then after 2 days start turning into a greenish yellow mold as it begins to spore..
Zen garden 🙏
Hello, I watched a video of making koji rice and in inoculcating rice he did not use Koji Spores but rather grinded a quantity of Koji Rice and then inoculated steaming rice (as I understood from the video because it is in Japanese and it was not translated) My question is:
Is this possible or did I understand mistake ?
Look, I really like the experience, and I'd like to do that, but if there's no point, why would I do that? So I ask you first ...
Thanks
I've never had much success doing it that way.
Did you already try koji aged steak?
yeah. im surprised i didnt get food poisining 😅
I think that mold stuff grows in the grass clippings in my garden. It smells like pumpkins kind of
Also, even without this as an innoculant, if you made malted rice, the leftover husks, set in the right condition, would probably just become this, you could probably freeze dry and powderize it... or sake, just freeze dry and powder the dregs, after letting them air dry, then re - use
Most of the wild mold that's closely related to koji mold is toxic and carcinogenic. Koji mold is a special domesticated variety that won't poison you.
OK I have some questions. I made Koji about five or six times now and each time I steam the rice it wants to get clumpy. I’ve never steamed it for more than 20 minutes. Steaming it more than 20 minutes. Makes it gummy. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. I followed all the same steps you did, but my Rice still wants to clump up. And every time I get to about hour it turns into Koji kin it’s very strange because there’s not very much white spores at our 20 but our 30 it turns into Koji kin temperature I keep at 86° humidity roughly 75°. Please help.
steam it for less time. If it's gummy that means it's too wet. Try 10 minutes next time
OK cool what about the stickiness when I watched your video and majority of videos that are out there the rice isn’t as sticky as mine is feel like I’m rinsing it well enough
Why do we rinse the rice if the koji needs the starch to grow? Is this just so the grains stay separate or something?
Great question. We wash the rice to get rid of any dirt or bran that's remaining. We don't want any impurities on the rice while it's fermenting. It also helps keep the grains loose but that's a secondary benefit..
@@2guysandacooler Awesome. Thanks. I just went ahead and washed it, and took your word for it. My first batch is underway. Thanks for the video.
Can I make koji rice without koji spores
That's a great question. I had the same question when I started. I tried using Miso, I tried using koji rice that I had bought online, and I even tried with Chinese Shanghai Balls. After all of that I found that it either didn't work or the mold was very weak. The closest I came to getting koji to grow was by using Koji rice that I had bought online. Even then the mold was weak and didn't produce the results I was looking for in the products I was trying to make with it (Amazake, Shio Koji, sake). SO to answer your question..... I don't know. From my experiments I think that one really needs to start off with good quality spores to propagate koji. From there you can keep it going indefinitely… BUT... there may be a way (I just haven't discovered it yet!!) Thanks for the great question. Do you live in an area where it is hard to get koji Spores?
Yes
Can tell me how made koji spores at home
@@mohamedmostafa4947 Of course. Check out this video I made. th-cam.com/video/X8TnPCejEaE/w-d-xo.html I go into details about how I made the spores. Basically once I had koji Rice I let it continue the growing process till it started to bloom. Once it turned green (koji spores) I harvested all the spores and stored them in the freezer. Hope that Helps..
can you cook the rice in a rice cooker instead of steaming?
A rice cooker tends to cook the rice too much. You want the rice to be "Al Dente". You should be able to use your fingernail to slice the grain in half but not mush it
@@2guysandacooler thank you!
Gallon of water with an aquarium heater and both inside an insulated cooler.
after hour 20 , how often do i need to mix it ?
I depends on the temperature. I usually give mine a little mix when the temp starts to get too hot (above 98f)
Hey guys I have attempted this three times. I’m using short grain rice,well rinsed and soaked. I am steaming with cheese cloth In an over sized steaming pot. My spores aren’t penetrating. I think it’s because my rice is sticking together after steaming. What can I do to keep the rice from sticking. I’m not getting enough spore penetration into the rice to get a really good spread. Tried to let it go longer but then it blooms in patches. Following all other instructions to the letter. I would really love to keep making sake but it’s too expensive to make any real amount without making koji rice. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hey Tyler. Let's see if we can figure this out. Assuming that you rinsed it properly (till water runs crystal clear), soaked and drained properly and assuming that your humidity is at 90% and your temp is controlled to remain between 85 f and 90f (that part is super important). Based off of what you told me, my guess is that your over steaming your rice. Not all rice behaves the same way (I personally like using jasmine rice). So what I would recommend starting off would be to cut back the time that you steam your rice. If it's super sticky when you apply Koji it won't work. The Koji mold grows deep into the grain because it's looking for water. If there's plenty water on the surface the Koji has no need to spread. Wild right? The rice grains should be easy to press with your fingernail but still firm. Like al dente pasta. I hope that helps...
2 Guys & A Cooler great I’ll give it a try. I was using sticky rice so that I’m sure is my problem. I will also cut the ferm box back to one incubator element as well. Really appreciate your videos!
Will this process also work with corn?
I'm not sure. The koji needs carbs and corn has plenty of them. It's worth an experiment. If you do it let me know the results!!
By the way, you may know already but for sake making, usually don’t make koji fluffy outside because it gives strong koji flavor. When koji company make rice koji to sell to be used for amazake, shiokoji, and so on, they tend to make outside fluffy to enjoy the koji flavor. Well that’s what I heard from Koji making/ sake making experts.
Guys can you help me plz? I accidentally bought Rhizopus oryzae instead of Aspergillus oryzae ☹️, I plan to make koji and miso, is it possible to use Rhizopus oryzae? Thank you
oops!! The two molds are very different in the sense that aspergillus have very heavy enzymatic activity and produces specific flavors. It is not tolerant to heat as well. With that being said the real answer is I don't know. In theory you could as they are both molds that break down starches through enzyme production. You'll have to do a batch and get back to me.
@@2guysandacooler yes, i will do little experiment about rhizopus koji and rhizopus miso
Amazing.. How do you no so well about Japanese food? Sake, Miso, Shiokoji, Amazake... We cannot expect anything to be "unknown and secret" these days...
Could i use either a dehydrator on a low temp or my oven? I do not have a smoker.
Sure. The air flow and humidity might be a problem...
Can I still use my Koji for sake and stuff if it bloomed? Because yesterday it seemed like there is not so much fungi, and today whole rice turned greenish and idk what to do :v
This is my first time tho
On the bright side you have more koji spores :) Once it goes to spore you have to start over. Generally it takes between 36-45 hours to grow. Past 45 hours it starts to bloom and turn to spores..
Ok,and how to storage those spores? Does ithave to be dried,separated..They can be used for making soy sauce,right? I'm new at this and this is a great vid,great expl. ❤ thank you
@@kali524 You can store the spores in the refrigerator. Dried and separated. Koji can be used to make soy sauce (a project I'll most likely be starting in a few weeks).. Thanks for the comment
Great! Thank you! Looking forward to see your video on soy sauce making
All these nice comments about me. Thanks guys!
I knew you were out there... What took you so long😊?
Pourquoi est-ce que vous désinfectez l'étamine avant qu'elle ne passe à la vapeur avec le riz ?
so that I don't add contamination as the koji starts to grow
@@2guysandacooler mais l'étamine ne se désinfecte pas suffisamment via la vapeur ?
In my experience, it's the temperature that sterilizes it.
Scientifically, there is no difference between exposing rice to steam or cooking it with water. The result is the same, it will be saturated with water
It's much easier to over hydrate the rice in water. With steam you
have more control😉
@@2guysandacooler
There are many ways to get rid of water moisture in rice, including leaving it in front of a fan or placing it in the oven on low heat. Rice naturally dries quickly and expels moisture.
@@2guysandacooler
Cedar has very high dehydration properties when left uncovered 😉
The issue isn't "can you fix it if it's too wet", that's easy. The issue is the amount of starch that's been released after it's too wet. This produces a very bad medium for koji spores as the rice will clump together😉
@@2guysandacooler
The most important part of the success of this process is fermenting the rice for a whole day. You misunderstood me. You think I will cook it and put it in the oven to dry. No, dear, fermentation is the most important point 😜
How much rice did you use?
I think I used 3 pounds but I can't remember. It doesn't matter too much what you start off with though as I've made as little as 300 grams and as much as 2 kilos.
is it useful for manufacturing cosmetics?????????????????
The Koji spores you put a link to are $47.31 Canadian.
wow, stuff sure is priced a little higher in Canada.
@@2guysandacooler How much is it in the US?
@@britney901 like 10 bucks
@@2guysandacooler Why is it so much cheaper? Does it come from Japan? Shipping my be different.
@@britney901 not sure. Have you just searched the Canadian Amazon store to see what's available. Look for koji kin