Chapter 20: Crafting Horse King

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A large steamer was placed atop a pot filled with boiling water.

The brewery was equipped with ten stoves, designed for large-scale production.

“The key to steaming is getting the horse barley to the right softness. It should be easy enough for even a child like me to crush, yet still retain a slight firmness. Aim for this delicate balance.”

If the softness isn’t just right, the quality of Horse King can vary significantly.

Jin and Ram were focused intently on learning. They didn’t take notes—neither of them could write.

Literacy in this world is far from common. Unless children are from noble or wealthy merchant families, they aren’t taught to read and write, as they’re usually expected to help out with household tasks.

I was a noble’s illegitimate child, so I received some basic education. But even if I hadn’t, I likely would have figured it out on my own.

I had them physically check the softness of the horse barley, crushing it multiple times to imprint the right texture into their hands. It’s not something you can learn in a day or two, so I planned to guide them until they got the hang of it.

Surprisingly, Ram demonstrated an unexpected talent.

“Sniff, sniff. Like this, right?”

She gauged the steaming status by the aroma wafting up from the steamer.

“That’s incredible! It’s at the perfect softness.”

“R-really?”

Jin, not wanting to be outdone, focused even more intently on steaming the barley.

“Adjust the steaming time based on the season. Right now, since it’s still cold, steam a bit longer. Conversely, in summer, you’ll need to reduce the time. It also varies by the weather and time of day—rainy days, sunny days, mornings, afternoons, and evenings all require adjustments. You’ll probably make a lot of mistakes along the way, but keep at it.”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

Being able to access information on the ideal state is practically cheating for me.

“After steaming, add the starter culture to the barley. Add a small layer of barley to the barrel, then sprinkle the starter, and repeat.”

We carried the steamed barley to the tunnel. The rest of the process would be carried out inside the tunnel.

Add about five centimeters of barley to the barrel, spread the starter culture evenly, then add another five-centimeter layer of barley, followed by more starter. The trick is to layer the barley and starter like a mille-feuille.

We used a marked rod to measure five-centimeter layers, which made it easy to ensure consistency without relying solely on intuition. But care was needed to keep the barley even and sprinkle the starter uniformly.

“After adding the starter, leave it undisturbed for three days. These first three days are crucial for initial fermentation. Do your best not to touch it—just observe.”

Three days later, we checked on the mixture regularly.

“It’s fermenting well.”

In the dim torchlight, bubbles rose from the mushy horse barley, popping at the surface. I was surprised it had become so mushy this quickly, but I assumed the strong starter culture was responsible.

“Once it reaches this stage, stir it gently. The first stir should be slow and gentle.”

I demonstrated the hand movements and body posture.

“Don’t over-stir.”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

They each tried stirring. Jin managed to pass, but Ram would need more practice.

From our work so far, I’d realized that Ram had a bit of a clumsy side, while Jin, despite his large frame, had surprisingly nimble hands.

We stirred daily, gradually increasing the stirring time and intensity.

After a month, vigorous stirring became optimal. At this point, Ram’s strength became an asset. She handled the labor effortlessly and seemed well-suited to it, while Jin, steady and precise, picked up each step methodically.

After about a month and a half, Horse King was ready.

We sampled the barrels made by me, Jin, and Ram, offering the villagers and Father a taste test.

“This is delicious! This is it!”

Father teared up as he tasted Horse King after a long absence. Naturally, it was from the barrel I had made.

My original three barrels of Horse King had mostly been gifted to the noble families we had ties with. The remaining portion was shared with the villagers who’d helped with the brewing, and it was quickly gone. As a result, everyone was eagerly awaiting our latest batch.

“This is incredible.”

“Strong, yet smooth, with a satisfying depth of flavor!”

“It’s truly excellent. Master Toma must be a messenger of the God of Sake!”

The villagers praised it, but I’m no messenger of the gods.

In the temple, the Twelve Gods each have subordinate deities, one of whom is the God of Sake, but I’d never serve someone like that.

“This sake tastes watery.”

That one was from Jin’s barrel.

“It’s good, but compared to Master Toma’s, it lacks that punch.”

My Horse King has an alcohol content of 55%, while Jin’s was around 30%, so it might seem less satisfying by comparison.

“This one is rough on the throat.”

“Yes, there’s a lot of bitterness.”

The villagers weren’t as impressed with Ram’s batch.

As expected, her sake had a strong, rough flavor.

“Still, it’s better than what we used to drink.”

The previous village sake was a fruit-based drink similar to wine, with a bitter taste and only around 10% alcohol content, as my information access skill informed me.

Everyone agreed that Ram’s sake was better by comparison.

“Ultimately, we’ll brand Toma’s version as ‘Horse King.’ The sake made by Jin and Ram, though decent, isn’t up to the Horse King standard.”

“In that case, we could categorize them as premium, first-grade, and second-grade, with second-grade being more affordable.”

Jin and Ram looked a bit downcast, but this was only the beginning.

For their first attempts, they’d done well enough to make a drinkable product, which was worth commending.