On the other hand, Hiroshi UEHAEA, who was the former judge of the alcoholic beverages advisory council, stated that the fermentation becomes more rapid at the last stage of fermenting unfiltered Japanese sake, and sake became less stringent during the period when the rice-polishing ratio techniques was not refined and amazake (Japanese sweet rice wine) was poured in at the fourth stage (amazake yondan) to adjust it.
一方では、元酒類審議会委員であった上原浩によれば、精米歩合を高めることができなかった時代には、醪末期（日本酒醪の醗酵の最後の段階）で日本酒醗酵が急に進み、酒が薄辛くなることがあったので、それを補正するために甘酒などを四段目に仕込んでいたという（甘酒四段）。