noun
traditional sake yeast starter; oldest surviving traditional sake-making method
A traditional method of preparing the yeast starter (shubo) for sake brewing, using natural lactic acid bacteria instead of added commercial lactic acid. The term can refer to the starter itself or the brewing style.
生酛造りは手間がかかるが、深い味わいの酒ができる。
The kimoto method is labor-intensive, but it produces sake with a deep flavor.
この蔵では、伝統的な生酛で酒を仕込んでいる。
This brewery makes sake using the traditional kimoto starter.
Yamahai is a later simplified method that also uses natural lactic acid bacteria but skips the labor-intensive pole-ramming (yama-oroshi) step of kimoto.
Sokujo-moto is the modern standard method using added commercial lactic acid, faster and more controlled than kimoto.
From 生 (ki, 'pure, raw') + 酛 (moto, 'yeast starter'). The term reflects the use of natural, unpasteurized ingredients and spontaneous lactic acid fermentation.