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fermenting 1st. Mash

MonsterMash

MonsterMash

Hey everyone!
 
So here is my first attempt at making some hot sauce. I'm going to start with my favorite style which is a Louisiana style sauce. I like my hot sauces more on the liquidy side rather than the chunky ones we see in the caribbean. Here are my mashes:
 
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From left to right:
 
Red Fresno: About 16 ounces of mash with 3tsp of fine sea salt
Jalapeno: About 16 ounces of mash with 4tsp of fine sea salt
Serrano: About 12 ounces of mash with 4tsp of fine sea salt
Habanero: About 12 ounces of mash with 4tsp of fine sea salt
 
So i'm hoping I put the correct amount of salt in these. I simply put paper towel on the top, put on the mason jar ring to keep it in place and poked some holes in the paper  towel. As I write this post it's been exactly 1 day that the mash was made and so far there is no activity.
 
Don't know if it's working but it looks pretty!
 
-Nelson
 
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Are these grocery store peppers? If so they might not have enough good bacteria to get started so keep an eye on them. Also did you add any liquid? Being just peppers and the fact you want a "Louisiana" style sauce, your ferment may benefit from a little sweet wine. Wine for flavor, sugar for bacteria food.

Also salt is generally measured in percentage of mash weight, 2% is what I use.
 
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JohnsMyName said:
Are these grocery store peppers? If so they might not have enough good bacteria to get started so keep an eye on them. Also did you add any liquid? Being just peppers and the fact you want a "Louisiana" style sauce, your ferment may benefit from a little sweet wine. Wine for flavor, sugar for bacteria food.

Also salt is generally measured in percentage of mash weight, 2% is what I use.
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They are store bought. I was going back and forth on whether to add liquid and decided to go with just the peppers and salt. I was afraid to add too many ingredients in fear that it'll spoil the mash or alter the flavor too much. For salt I went with 1tbsp per pint of mash. Making the percentage calculation now I see I put in 4%.
 
What are the good things to watch for and the bad ones?
 
Is plain sugar a good substitute for the wine?
 
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oldsalty said:
I'd get some plastic tops those metal style for ball rust easily and can react with the ferment.

And why no brine?
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Didn't think I needed to make a brine. I thought the juice from the peppers and salt was enough.
 
I guess I can use rubber bands instead.
 
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MonsterMash said:
Didn't think I needed to make a brine. I thought the juice from the peppers and salt was enough.
 
I guess I can use rubber bands instead.
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The brine normally cover the mash keeping out oxygen. It also is great when processing you sauce.
If you can find the plastic ball jar caps they work nicely. I'm just not a fan of the metal rings.
I don't use the paper towel method but for open fermentation I guess the rubber band is better.

And for the paper towel the method I've seen was fine cheese cloth. Though the most practiced method here is and airlock but many still just use a cap.
 
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MonsterMash said:
They are store bought. I was going back and forth on whether to add liquid and decided to go with just the peppers and salt. I was afraid to add too many ingredients in fear that it'll spoil the mash or alter the flavor too much. For salt I went with 1tbsp per pint of mash. Making the percentage calculation now I see I put in 4%.
 
What are the good things to watch for and the bad ones?
 
Is plain sugar a good substitute for the wine?
Click to expand...
 
Store bought peppers are sometimes irradiated to kill all bacteria on purpose, so wild fermentation isn't a good idea IMO if not from your garden or farmstand. That said you may still be fine. If you can I would add a probiotic capsule or whey drained from active culture yogurt.
 
Good things are bubbles and liquid separating from mash. Bad things are mold. However some white colored mold is OK, but should be scraped off, black mold is BAD, toss that out. Google Kahm yeast and you'll find a common and harmless growth in ferments.
 
4% salt is probably good for the method you're using. The more salt the less chance of nasties, but also harder for good bacteria to grow. With airlock and starter I use 2%.
 
Any sugar will work. I prefer natural sugars like agave, but you may impart some flavors with them.
 
Read the fermenting 101 sticky at the top of the page. 
 
Lastly don't be afraid to experiment and ask questions, THP group is a bunch of great people! :)  ... just make sure you post pics
 
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Welcome to the site MM.  Your first attempt is looking good and you have enough salt.  Store bought peppers might not have enough lacto present to get going, but it's hard to say as I've done multiple successful batches with peppers off the shelf from Meier, Safeway, etc. 
 
The paper towels with holes/bands are going to let air in - along with whatever prevalent yeasts that might be in the house.  For some ferments (yogurt/kombucha/etc) I do the exact same thing (rubber bands and paper towels).  For pepper/hot sauce ferments I airlock them.  
 
Things to look for - good:  bubbles suspended in the mash, good smells coming out the tops.  Bad:  any mold growth - esp that which is dark and/or fuzzy.  With the open tops you may get some kham yeast which won't ruin your batch but should be scraped off before use.  
 
If you want to stop fermentation pull your batch and cook it.  If you want to keep them running you can put them in the fridge and they will stay active.  Investing in a reliable pH meter will benefit you greatly as checking your pH is important for food safety.  
 
Great threads/knowledge abound here at THP.  I've learned much from members Rocketman, Chili Monsta, Old Salty, Salsa Lady and many others.  :)
 
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MonsterMash said:
Update: Started the mashes on Sunday and here is where we are at so far. Little bubbling in the Fresno, Jalapeño, & Serrano but nothing else. In the Habanero we have a layer of white mold: http://s27.postimg.org/dgoyfhy8j/image.jpg Do I leave this layer as is or do I scrape it immediately?
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Looks like kham yeast to me MM - likely because there's so much open space/air in the vessel (could also be the paper towel tops).  It's harmless and sometimes a harbinger of worse things to come.  If you see fuzz and/or dark colors it's best to pitch or compost.  So long as it's the thin white kham you should be fine but scrape before processing.  :)
 
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MonsterMash said:
yea, i already bought them and got half gallon mason jars ready. having a more controlled ferment is definitly the way to go from what i see.
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Sorry to see my friend!! That's definitely gone south!! But as John mentioned don't look back. And just look at it as experience gained! Your next one will be spectacular :)
 
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