In Chinese food culture, since ancient times, "small" is better than "big", for example, "small stove" is more delicious than "big pot dishes", "small stove" is exquisite materials, fine craftsmanship, clean environment, is specially created high-end customization.
In China's liquor industry, there is also a "small stove craft brewing technique", which is the "underground tank fermentation process" of Laobai dry aromatic liquor. Different from the mud cellars and stone cellars of thick and sauce-flavored liquor, Laobai dry-flavored liquor uses pottery jars. From ancient times to the present, pottery jars have always been indispensable utensils in people's lives, from the storage of raw food such as grain and water to the preservation of cooked foods such as steamed bread and meat, and then to the brewing of soy sauce, vinegar, wine, etc., which play an important role and occupy an important position in the splendid civilization of China.
The ancestors of Laobaigan winemaking with great wisdom made full use of the excellent characteristics of the clay jar and buried the jar in the ground to create a unique fermentation environment for the fermentation of the fermentation, forming a sweet wine of high quality, pure and supple, which is a masterpiece in the history of Chinese liquormaking.
What is the mystery of fermentation in the tank?
Isolate harmful microorganisms in the soil and make the wine cleaner
The research results show that in the fermentation process, the ceramic tank is outside the fermentation grain, forming a solid wall, which can block the invasion of harmful microorganisms in the soil, so that the beneficial functional microorganisms in the fermentation are not affected, and play an effective isolation role, so that the wine made in this way has a higher cleanliness.
The thermal conductivity is good, and the wine body is more mellow
The ceramic texture tank has a good heat conduction effect during the fermentation process. Baijiu is a typical solid-state fermentation process, and one of the characteristics of solid-state fermentation is the heterogeneity of mass and heat transfer, the larger the fermentation vessel, the more difficult it is to conduct heat, resulting in uneven fermentation. Because the ground temperature is more stable than the natural temperature, the fermentation temperature is easier to control, so as to give the fermentation a stable fermentation environment, which is conducive to the reproduction, growth and metabolism of microorganisms, so that the fermentation is maintained in the appropriate temperature range, which is conducive to the production of wine and the generation of flavor components. Under such relatively stable conditions, the ester components in the alcohol can reach a delicate balance, and the wine will be more mellow. At the same time, it also makes full use of the natural environment for temperature control, which can be described as the co-brewing of heaven and man, and the aura of heaven and earth is extracted, and the effect of energy saving and low consumption is also achieved.
The moisturizing effect is good, and the wine quality is more stable
Humidity is the key factor that determines the quality of liquor, and different fermentation methods will bring different moisturizing effects, and fermentation in the ground tank is the best fermentation method for moisturizing effect. The enamel coating inside and outside the clay jar forms a relatively closed fermentation space inside the tank, so that the water will not be lost to the outside world, ensuring the uniform and stable moisture of the fermented grain, and then ensuring that the quality of the wine is more stable.
It provides a micro-oxygen environment, and the aroma of the wine is more mellow
The pottery texture jar is made of clay firing, with good air permeability, coated with a layer of enamel inside, observed with a scanning electron microscope, there are many micropores around the pottery jar, and these pores form a network structure, so that the pottery jar has a micro-oxidation effect and adsorption effect. In this micro-oxygen environment, the probiotics can grow and multiply rapidly, and the flavor bacteria are selectively cultivated, which has a good promoting effect on the production of aroma components, and the aroma of the wine is more mellow.
, special vat brewing, the formation of field effect, the body of the wine more delicate
Hengshui Laobaigan adopts the craft brewing method of special tanks, and each tank has strict production standards and size requirements, which makes the fermentation of fermentation more balanced. After a long period of domestication, a specific beneficial microflora has been formed, and this specific microflora constitutes a huge and stable microbial field, which continues to affect the quality of the wine and make the wine more delicate.
It is rich in trace metal elements and has a richer body
The pottery jar contains a variety of trace metal elements, which are important nutrients for microbial growth, participate in the composition of cell structure substances, and have the role of energy transfer and regulation of cell function. Trace elements are also closely related to the action of enzymes and are necessary to maintain the stability of products. The pottery jar has a reasonable and appropriate proportion of trace metal elements, which creates a unique microenvironment for the growth and metabolism of microorganisms.
Carefully raise the tank, and the wine quality is better
Hengshui Laobaigan people pay great attention to the maintenance of the tank, after each tank used for brewing is fired, it must be carefully selected to ensure that it is in good condition, and the cleanliness of the tank itself is also very important when used. Because the old Baigan people believe that the earth tank must be as clean as the heart of the winemaker, in order to make good wine. In the process of use, it attaches great importance to the maintenance of the ground tank, to avoid damage, to prolong the service life of the ground tank, after each round of fermentation, must check the state of the ground tank, and replace it in time if there is damage. Because the old Baigan people believe that the earth tank carries the fermentation of fermented fermented rice and completes the sublimation from grain to wine, and at the same time, the ground tank also accepts the smoke of fragrant grain, which can be said to collect the essence of the sun and the moon in itself. The intact aging vat and stable microbial flora can interact with the fermented grain, nourish the fermented grain, and facilitate the generation of aroma components and improve the quality of the fermented grain.