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| ■Selecting the Soybeans |
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| Taking Delivery of Soybeans |
Soybean Sorting Machine |
Once delivery of the soybeans has been taken they are put into a sorter to remove
twigs and waste.For light-colored miso, the skin of the soybean
may be removed.
The soybeans are then immersed in a soak tank to absorb water. |
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| ■Steaming |
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| Soak Tanks and Rotating Pressure Cooker |
Steamed Soybeans |
The soybeans are put into a rotating pressure cooker and are
steamed until soft.
The weight of the soybeans can more than double following steaming.
Steaming softens the soybean structure to promote the action
of the Koji bacteria enzyme as well as it sterilizes other bacteria. |
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| ■Selecting the Rice |
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| Rice Sorting Machine |
After taking delivery of the rice, it is put into a sorter to remove bran, dust
and other foreign substances. |
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| ■Steaming |
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| Rice Steaming Machine |
After absorbing water the rice is completely drained before steaming with a steam
cooker.
Steaming transforms starch as the major ingredient into alpha
body and denatures the protein to promote the fermentation action
of the Koji bacteria.Steaming also sterilizes other bacteria. |
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| Automatic Koji Making Machine |
“Koji” is a cereal, like rice, wheat or soybeans, but consisting of the incubated
Koji bacteria, a process we call “Koji Making”.
The rice is cooled down to a suitable temperature (about 28-34
degrees C) after being steamed. This is followed by inoculating
the source bacteria and put into an automated Koji maker.
To make Miso, Koji bacteria or “Aspergillus Oryzae” is used
and propagated with the steamed rice in a Koji Making Machine
at 34-36 degrees C and 95% humidity. |
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| Inside of Automatic Koji Making Machine |
After about 3 hours of inoculation, the mycelia growth penetrates
deep into the rice. It takes about 40 to 43 hours to complete
the Koji process.
The Koji Making Machine is made of stainless steel. Loading/unloading
of the Koji, intermediate operations, and chamber washing and
sterilization after Koji making are entirely automated. |
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| Mixing the 3 ingredients |
Steamed soybeans, Koji and salt from the storage tank are weighed and mixed together
with an automated mixer.
Fermentation bacteria is further added to help promote fermentation.
The fermentation bacteria is essential to modern Miso production,
whilst traditional home-made Miso was made using natural fermentation. |
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| Automatic Mixer |
Mixing |
The proportion between soybeans and Koji and addition of salt is determined by
the type of Miso, and the automated mixer, which precisely weighs
the amount of each ingredient before starting mixing.
This process is then continuously repeated. |
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| Transfer to Tank |
After being mixed all of the ingredients are transferred to a stainless steal
tank in the fermentation room, which completes that stage of
the process.
The stainless steal tank has a capacity of 60 tons, which is
equivalent to about 3 million cups of Miso soup. |
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Miso is fermented and aged by the complicated interaction
between the Koji enzyme and the fermentation of salt-tolerant
bacteria.
Koji first hydrolyzes proteins and oils, which precedes the
crystallization of starch.
This action produces low-molecular peptides, amino acids, reduces
sugar, fatty acids and glycerol.
Salt-tolerant bacteria use nutriments to produce flavor elements
such as alcohols, organic acids and esters through metabolism.
The reaction between carbonyl compounds and amino acids browns
the miso.
This process depends on the temperature, and this is the reason
why temperature control is at the center of fermentation control.
Miso ingredients contained in the tank are heated up to around
30 degrees C to promote primary fermentation (mainly decomposed
by enzymes). |
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Iijima Green Factory Secondary Fermentation
Room
Brewing Transfer System |
At a certain time after setup, the ingredients are taken to small tanks and turned
upside down so as to make the quality uniform and to promote
the growth of ferment.
The small tanks filled with miso ingredients are carried to the secondary fermentation room.The Iijima Green
Factory uses, in the secondary fermentation room, a brewing
transfer system that is an automated solid warehouse with a
sequential system for fermentation, aging and storage.
This system maintains stable fermentation conditions.
Some products are put through a strainer to obtain a smooth
“Koshi-Miso” (or “Suri-miso”), and some of the other products
are added to using alcohol to inactivate ferment remaining in
them so as to prevent packages from swelling due to further
fermentation. |
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| Secondary Fermentation Room |
Some products are transferred to the main factory across Lake Suwa for extended
aging in the aging room.
The extended aging process requires at least 6 months, or at
longest 12 to 24 months. |
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| Analysis with Gas Chromatography |
We, at Hikari Miso, perform elaborate quality checks from the inspection of incoming
ingredients right through to the final stages of production
with thorough checks of each and every step along the
way, including fermentation and aging.
These inspections include sensory inspections for color,
taste and flavor of the miso as well as instrumental and
chemical inspections.
We are addressing quality control in various phases, including
sanitary checks of the whole factory. |
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| Blending Miso with Seasonings |
For some products, the miso is blended with stocks and seasonings.
The combination depends on the product.
This blending creates special products of seasoned miso.
For instant miso soup, similar quality checks are performed
before transferring to the next step. |
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| Filling the Cups |
Following quality control, the miso is packed and wrapped into various containers
such as cups, gazettes, pillows (pots, packets) and commercial
boxes using an automated sanitary line. |
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| Filling Miso Sticks |
A high-speed filling machine is used to package the miso products.
This machine seals and cuts the film just as soon as the
miso has been filled producing a maximum of 150 sticks
of miso seasoning per minute.
Each stick is packaged into a plastic bag together with
other ingredients that are packed separately. |
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| Loading the Containers |
Products packed in cartons are delivered all around the country in trucks and
containers. |
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