COEDO Brewery and Bio'c Launch Local Craft Beer Development Project Using Koji-Based Saccharification
On March 5, 2026, Saitama-based COEDO Brewery (Kyodo Shoji Co., Ltd.) announced the launch of a joint project with seed-koji maker Bio'c to develop locally produced craft beer using enzyme-based saccharification technology. Centered on using unmalted barley, the initiative aims to create a new connection between local agriculture and brewing.
Hop BroToday's article is hot! COEDO Brewery has teamed up with Bio'c to launch a "local craft beer" project that uses koji enzymes for saccharification, right?
MugiWait, beer with koji? Isn't that the kind of person you'd find on the sake side of things?!
Hop BroThat's the key point. They turn the starch in unmalted barley into sugar with enzymes derived from koji, then make wort. It's a new design that doesn't rely entirely on malting.
MugiSuga... wort...? My brain is foaming up from all the jargon!
Hop BroTo put it simply, saccharification is the process of making sweet ingredients that yeast can eat, and wort is the sweet liquid that becomes the base of beer. This is an attempt to do that with koji.
MugiOhhh! So that means it will be easier to make use of local barley! And it connects with agriculture in Saitama too, which is such a great story!
Hop BroExactly. And they've been running trial brews since November 2025, checking reproducibility based on COEDO's regular recipes. At Canvas DEMODAY 2025 on March 7, 2026, they also offered tastings of the trial brew.
MugiWhat! It's already at the point where you can drink it? So what's the beer name and style?
Hop BroAt this point it's just a "trial brew," and the official beer name hasn't been announced yet. No specific style has been revealed either, but they're in the stage of evaluating quality based on COEDO's existing styles.
MugiIt's unfair to make me excited before they've even decided the name! Hop brother, let's absolutely chase down the next beer that combines koji and craft brewing!
COEDO x Bio'c Reimagines Saccharification
The core of this announcement is an approach that uses koji enzymes to saccharify barley starch and create wort. Rather than relying solely on the large-scale malting model that conventional beer brewing has depended on, the project is notable for envisioning a new brewing ecosystem that makes use of Japanese-grown ingredients.
According to COEDO Brewery, less than 10 percent of alcoholic beverages brewed in Japan use domestic barley malt as the main ingredient. In response, this project is applying the koji expertise Bio'c has built up over many years. The team is selecting koji strains suited to beer preferences and is moving forward with verification work to saccharify unmalted barley and produce wort.
Trial Brewing Starts in November 2025, Reproducibility Confirmed with Regular Recipes
On the practical side, trial brewing began in November 2025. The current stage involves repeatedly evaluating reproducibility based on COEDO's regular-item recipes. Rather than ending as a one-off experiment, the effort appears to be refining the process against existing quality standards.
In addition, at "Canvas DEMODAY 2025," held on March 7, 2026, representatives from COEDO Brewery and Bio'c took the stage to share progress and future outlooks for the project. Trial brews were also tasted at the venue.
A Challenge That Extends COEDO's Roots in Kawagoe, Saitama
Kyodo Shoji, the parent company of COEDO Brewery, has a background of working closely with agriculture in Kawagoe. Looking at the company's history of paying attention to local farming methods and crops and connecting them to beer's value, this "locally produced craft beer" concept is not a sudden new direction, but rather a challenge that modernizes and expands the company's existing context.
Using abandoned farmland, responding to labor shortages in primary industries, and developing new uses for koji mold, a symbol of Japan's fermentation culture. By addressing all of these at once, this project is likely to become news that makes "the next beer you drink" even more interesting for beer fans.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroToday's article is hot! COEDO Brewery has teamed up with Bio'c to launch a "local craft beer" project that uses koji enzymes for saccharification, right?
MugiWait, beer with koji? Isn't that the kind of person you'd find on the sake side of things?!
Hop BroThat's the key point. They turn the starch in unmalted barley into sugar with enzymes derived from koji, then make wort. It's a new design that doesn't rely entirely on malting.
MugiSuga... wort...? My brain is foaming up from all the jargon!
Hop BroTo put it simply, saccharification is the process of making sweet ingredients that yeast can eat, and wort is the sweet liquid that becomes the base of beer. This is an attempt to do that with koji.
MugiOhhh! So that means it will be easier to make use of local barley! And it connects with agriculture in Saitama too, which is such a great story!
Hop BroExactly. And they've been running trial brews since November 2025, checking reproducibility based on COEDO's regular recipes. At Canvas DEMODAY 2025 on March 7, 2026, they also offered tastings of the trial brew.
MugiWhat! It's already at the point where you can drink it? So what's the beer name and style?
Hop BroAt this point it's just a "trial brew," and the official beer name hasn't been announced yet. No specific style has been revealed either, but they're in the stage of evaluating quality based on COEDO's existing styles.
MugiIt's unfair to make me excited before they've even decided the name! Hop brother, let's absolutely chase down the next beer that combines koji and craft brewing!
