Add the water and brown sugar to sauce pan over medium heat. Stir the mix until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Add the miso and continue stirring until the mix is smooth and slightly thickened.

Add the Korean chili powder and continue to stir until the sauce has thickened. Use bubbling as your clue. You want to see a few bubbles burst on the surface.

Turn off the heat and allow the mix to slowly cool while remaining on the burner. Let it cool to approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit or use "near room temperature" as a gauge.

Add the rice vinegar, salt, and sake and stir to combine. Do not skip this step as it's critical to stopping the fermentation process.

Remove the gochujang from the heat and allow it to cool completely to room temperature, then place it in sealable containers.

Refrigerate the gochujang. The paste will keep for months, so use it as you need in recipes or as a spread.