Making method of Daqu

The cultivation process of Daqu can be divided into four steps: stacking Daqu, covering grass and sprinkling water, turning Daqu and disassembling Daqu.

1. Stacking koji: Leave the pressed koji for 2-3 hours. After the surface is slightly dry and hard, it is transferred to a curved chamber for culture. The stacking method is to spread a layer of straw on the ground against the wall, with a thickness of about 15 cm, which plays a role in heat preservation. Then, the three building blocks are crisscrossed, the spacing between the building blocks is about 2 cm, separated by grass, and the rows are very close to adjacent building blocks to avoid the deformation of the building blocks and affect the turning operation.

2. Cover with grass and sprinkle water: After the blocks are piled up, cover the top and periphery of the blocks with straw to keep warm and moist. The straw layer above the bent pile should be watered frequently, and the amount of watering is more in summer than in winter, subject to the fact that water does not flow into the bent pile.

3. Curling: After covering with grass and sprinkling water, the doors and windows of the curved chamber are closed immediately, and microorganisms gradually multiply on the curved surface. It's too late to turn the song, there are many black songs in the sauce, and there are many Huang Ge on time. Maotai Daqu, with yellow qu as its strongest flavor. According to practical experience, the suitable turning time is when the temperature of the middle layer of the starter reaches 60℃ and the starter tastes sweet.

4. Unpacking: After the songs are turned over, the product temperature between songs will generally drop by 7-12℃; After 6-7 days, the temperature gradually rose to the highest point, and then gradually decreased. The block gradually dries out, and it takes about fifteen days after the first turn. You can open the doors and windows a little to dissipate moisture and catch your breath. Hyperbolic, bottom curve and positive curve should be stored separately. Heavy-duty and bottom bends need good ventilation to promote drying. The storage time of finished koji is generally Dragon Boat Festival, and the song is opened and the sand is released on Chongyang.