Hey everyone!
Thanks to the amazing advice from all of you, I've just finished fermenting two huge 5 gallon pails of my 'mash' for a homemade sriracha-type of sauce (chilis, salt, sugar, garlic, all chopped up and mixed and fermented for 2 days -- I know it's short but it bubbles plenty...)
Now that the fermenting is done, its time to cook and blend the sauce with some vinegar. But I noticed when I made smaller test batches that the sauce NEVER tastes right directly after I make it. But after I leave it in the bottle for a week or two, it mellows out and tastes perfectly balanced, like a good stew sitting overnight. Kind of amazes me every time...
Anyway! Does anybody have suggestions for the best ways to age hot sauce? Should I just return it to the large plastic pails? Get an old whiskey barrel? And does pH level change over time with aging? Right after cooking/blending the ph is right around 3.7.... I want to make sure it will be safe.
Thanks so much everybody!
Thanks to the amazing advice from all of you, I've just finished fermenting two huge 5 gallon pails of my 'mash' for a homemade sriracha-type of sauce (chilis, salt, sugar, garlic, all chopped up and mixed and fermented for 2 days -- I know it's short but it bubbles plenty...)
Now that the fermenting is done, its time to cook and blend the sauce with some vinegar. But I noticed when I made smaller test batches that the sauce NEVER tastes right directly after I make it. But after I leave it in the bottle for a week or two, it mellows out and tastes perfectly balanced, like a good stew sitting overnight. Kind of amazes me every time...
Anyway! Does anybody have suggestions for the best ways to age hot sauce? Should I just return it to the large plastic pails? Get an old whiskey barrel? And does pH level change over time with aging? Right after cooking/blending the ph is right around 3.7.... I want to make sure it will be safe.
Thanks so much everybody!