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fermenting Current Ferments

Hi all,
 
Sharing some pics and details of my current batch of ferments; please feel free to comment and/or ask questions.  I've been making fermented hot sauce for quite a while now, and have found a general process I'm comfortable with - so I'm now enjoying myself trying out new peppers and flavour combos.
 
The pint jars are basically small-scale test batches; and depending on how they come out, I'll then choose whether to scale up (with slight modifications for scale) to half- or full- gallons.
 
My current babies:
 
25a6aki.jpg

 
Front row, pint jar test batches, left-to-right:  
1. Hungarian Hot Wax, Moscato, Vidalia Onion, Garlic, Salt
2. Green Jalapeno, Riesling, Shallots, Garlic, Cocoa Nibs (don't ask, I don't know what I was thinking!), Salt
3. Green Jalapeno, Moscato, Apple (Granny Smith), Red Onion, Garlic, Salt
4. Red Jalapeno, Red Zinfandel, Red Onion, Garlic, Salt
 
Back row, half-gallon carboys, left-to-right:
5. Serrano, Riesling, White Onion, Garlic, Salt
6. Aji Peruvian & Turkish Sus Biberi (50/50), White Zinfandel, Vine Tomatoes, Red Onion, Garlic, Salt
 
Instead of a water brine, you've probably noticed I use either Moscato or Riesling (for greens and orange peppers), or a White Zinfandel/blush/rose (for red peppers) for the liquid content.  The sweet wines I use tend to be quite low alcohol (9% alc/vol) - so whilst the alcohol slightly moderates the vigour of the ferment, the extra sugar helps counter-balance this.
 
I haven't ever used a starter, but having read about this product on these excellent forums, I think I'm going to try it out for the next set of batches, as I'm starting another 4x half-gallons in a couple of weeks:  Tabasco, Cayenne and Datil batches (all homegrown), plus some superhots that I purchased from (the awesome) Judy and which are currently sitting in my freezer, looking threatening :)
 
I put vodka in the airlocks.  Not really sure it's any more or less better than water, but I guess I'm kinda superstitious about doing things the same way, once I found a process that appears to work every time!  The other huge benefit of using vodka in the airlock is that when it's time to open the ferment, you get an awesome double-shot "welcome" to celebrate the batch!  :dance:
 
I used to weigh the mash under the liquid with glass beads inside a hop bag - but having tried a number of batches without doing this (and none of them spoiled), I gave up weighing the mash down: I've never even had Kahm yeast grow on a batch.  (I absolutely accept that other people's mileage may vary, and what's worked for me might not work for another!)
 
These ferments will run at least 3 months at 85F in a dark room, before I open them up for the next steps.  I give them a swirl every few days or so, and - despite endless temptation - I have a strict "never, ever, open it up once it's sealed" rule.
 
Bubbling along nicely (about 10 days in):
 
zt9mvr.jpg

 
Once they're done, then there's the vodka shots plus a bunch of tasting to be done with friends to work out what's going to help finish the sauce off (if in fact it would further benefit from something extra, often it doesn't).
 
Sometimes it's not going to do much more than go through a food mill, and nothing more will be added.  
 
Sometimes I decide it'll work better with fruit, or juices, herbs, spices, liquor, different types of vinegar, and every so often I go crazy with some exotic ingredients.  I still think my Wormwood-Campari-Bitter Lemon Aji ferment is a triumph.  Unfortunately, no one else agrees with me ;)
 
I'm anally-retentive about record keeping, so each batch of hot sauce gets a number and all the ingredients get logged at every stage of the process, weighed to the gram / ml.
 
Sometimes the secondary ingredients get blended in and left to age for a further month or so, shaking or stirring regularly to help them bind together a little better.  I've got a lightly-toasted Oak barrel that I've used in the past - though I have to be honest and say that - apart from the "cool" factor - using the barrel can be more hassle than it's worth, and I'm really unable to tell the difference between an oak-barrel-aged hot sauce vs a carboy-aged hot sauce with a toasted oak spiral or chips...
 
My "use everything" mantra means that I usually put the smushed goodness that gets left in the food mill on a baking sheet in a low heat oven, and (when brittle) through a spice mill to make powder.
 
I do pH testing at every stage once the ferments are opened.  Pretty much every batch (on finishing the ferment) comes in at between 3.2 and 3.6, and I make sure the end product never goes over 3.6.
 
Finally a reblend, hot cook and simmer, and best-practice bottling (you know the drill... sterilisation, starsan, inversion etc).  Depending on the type of sauce (the thickness) and the amount that I have, I'll use different bottles (8oz French Squares & 5oz Woozies are usually my favourite).  I make my own labels in Photoshop, and if I'm feeling particular 'arts & crafts-y' I'll sometimes cap the bottles off with bottle wax.
 
It all finally ends up as Christmas presents for friends, family and neighbours; some of whom count themselves as "lucky", and others of whom just wanted an Xbox :)   Every so often I even get to keep some for myself!
 
I'll add to this thread with pics of this batch as it develops; hope someone finds this interesting!
 
Thanks for reading.
 
James N
 
James,
 
Good write up.
 
I've made only one ferment (Cranberry, Pear, Congo Trinidad, plus other stuff). I did get a lot of kalm yeast, which grew down into the liquor and looked like something out of a horror movie! Anyhow, it didn't spoil, and I like the results.
 
Thanks for posting,
Tom
 
Very impressive James,
I really enjoyed and appreciate you taking the time to share such detail in your narrative.
 
I too am reluctant to stray from my time tested approach to fermenting....and I've never used wine instead of water, but have read a few recipes recently that do ....so I've been toying with the idea.
 
Your post has convinced me that its time to give it a try. I've got a couple pounds of Aji Limon ready for harvesting, so looks like I'll be making a trip to the liquor store for some Riesilng.
Thanks
CM
PS....any chance you'd want to share your Wormwood-Campari recipe?
 
Chili Monsta said:
I too am reluctant to stray from my time tested approach to fermenting....and I've never used wine instead of water, but have read a few recipes recently that do ....so I've been toying with the idea.
 
Your post has convinced me that its time to give it a try. I've got a couple pounds of Aji Limon ready for harvesting, so looks like I'll be making a trip to the liquor store for some Riesilng.
 
Oh, I really hope it works out for you.  Personally think it's awesome.  You don't have to be picky about the wine tbh... I've found (now that I'm living in the US) that my local CVS sells Moscato and White Zin (a brand called "Grapevine") for $2.99 a bottle.  Yes, it's pretty undrinkable (too sweet, too little booze), but in a ferment it's pretty much what you're looking for!

 
Chili Monsta said:
PS....any chance you'd want to share your Wormwood-Campari recipe?
No-one except me thought it was any good - and I'm not sure you'll thank me for it if you do make it :) but here goes....
 
The recipe for a half-gallon ferment) was:
 
650g Peruvian Aji pepper mash
250ml "Barefoot" White Zinfandel
200g Shredded Carrot
150g Red Onion
30g Garlic
35g Salt
5g Wormwood
3g Meyer Lemon Zest
1g Key Lime Zest
1g Black Peppercorns, cracked over heat with
1g Mustard Seeds (also cracked over heat)
 
3 month ferment, then boil up with:
 
100ml Campari
50ml Absinthe
1 can of (fizzy) Schweppes Bitter Lemon
 
Simmer/ reduce till the CO2 in the fizzy bitter lemon stops its normal bubbling thing (about 25 mins).  
 
If the pH at the end of this was over 3.6, I would probably have added some white wine vinegar (but it wasn't, so I didn't).
 
Seal up again in a sterile carboy for a couple of weeks, shaking every day.
 
Enjoy!  Or, probably, hate.  (tbh most people hated it, as it's got that serious Eastern European "bitters" thing going on in droves.)
 
Certainly a different flavour, though!
 
best,
 
James N
 
Hardwarehank said:
Those are some gorgeous looking ferments.  I wonder if the sulfites in the wine have any affect on inhibiting the growth of kahm yeast in the ferment.  Will definitely have to try this out in future mashes.
Thanks HH!
 
Yeah, I wonder that too re alcohol and Kahm yeasts.   Maybe there's a biochemist or micro-biologist around here who could shed some light?
 
FarmerJones said:
When you bake your leftovers, what do you use it for and at what temp/time do you bake it? Would that be useful in rubs? I hate being wasteful too.
 
Currently I spread the mash as thin as possible on baking sheets, and put the oven on lowest possible setting (about 110F) with the door just slightly open so the moisture can escape.  
 
So long as you've really got most of the moisture out of the mash (using your mill) then it takes between 4 to 6 hrs to turn brittle.  I check it every 30 mins after the second hour, and when I can snap/break it with my finger, it's done.
 
I really should probably get a dehydrator tbh; I gather the lower temperatures help it keep it's colour better; and there're a lot of other things I could use a dehydrator for.
 
I definitely use the powder in rubs, but also as a powder shaker on top of general food that I want to put some spicing on (home-made pizza spring to mind!), but also in recipes as a spicier addition to recipes that require some Paprika or Cayenne.
 
Thanks everyone for your comments! 
 
James N
 
Just an update - after a 5-day hiatus, the second fermentation has kicked in with a vengeance on Batch #6!
 
2v28ks8.jpg

Whilst I find most every ferment is different (in its own special way!) I do usually find the active CO2 bubbling to happen in two distinct stages in the first month - with a 3-7 day gap between the 2 stages, and the second stage being substantially more vigorous than the first.
 
I like how your seed sinks to the bottom of the ferment.  Never seen that before because I ferment in a crock that is dark and impossible to peek in during the ferment.  I get the vigorous CO2 release just after a week and last for a month then slows down substantially.  The ferment is ready at this point or you can continue to your desired taste of aged peppers.  Everything looks really good.
 
Pepper Ridge Farm said:
I like how your seed sinks to the bottom of the ferment.  Never seen that before because I ferment in a crock that is dark and impossible to peek in during the ferment.  I get the vigorous CO2 release just after a week and last for a month then slows down substantially.  The ferment is ready at this point or you can continue to your desired taste of aged peppers.  Everything looks really good.
Thank, PRF.  Yeah, I tend to get very separated layers through different stages of the ferment, and I do love seeing it happen in the glass jars.
 
Two new batches started, after yesterday's postie brought a very nice box from Juanito's peppers.
 
2s1vpg5.jpg

 
The white one with a tinge of blue (in case anyone doesn't know, Garlic sometimes naturally goes blue/green when it ferments - this is normal!) is a Rocketman's "Theriac"-inspired White Bullet Hab with a shed-ton of Garlic, plus some ginger, leek & onion in a blend of Fino sherry, Vermouth & Moscato.
 
The super-dark purple batch is Choc Habs with Blueberries in a White Zin.  Hoping they'll  be ready by the family gathering for Thanksgiving!
 
The dark red Aji batch has now pretty much finished fermenting, so it's just going to age for a couple of months at this point.
 
Best,
 
James N
 
I'm inspired!  Everything looks great!  I'm wondering if you know if your sauces alcoholic at all?  I had just heard about fermenting peppers in wine from a guy in Knoxville the other day.  I was going to try a couple side by side batches, water v wine, to see what I like better but it's hard to argue with what looks great from your pics.  Do you ever ferment with water brine at all or is it always wine?  Is there a % salt ratio you follow?  Also, how do you determine the volume of liquid to add?
 
patrad said:
I'm inspired!  Everything looks great! 
Thanks Patrad, much appreciated!
 

patrad said:
I'm wondering if you know if your sauces alcoholic at all?
I've not actually tested in any scientific way, but I'd doubt it.  It's usually pretty high sugar / low alcohol to begin with, and there's going to be a lot of evaporation both during the ferment as well as during the pre-bottling sterilisation / heating process.  I'd be very surprised if there was any more alcohol in any of my sauces than in a standard Coq au Vin (ie pretty much zero).
 

patrad said:
Do you ever ferment with water brine at all or is it always wine?  Is there a % salt ratio you follow?  Also, how do you determine the volume of liquid to add?
I have fermented with brine before, but since starting using wine I haven't looked back.  I've also been experimenting with using low-alcohol sparkling wines (like a sweet cava) either as the sole liquid in place of brine, or simply to top off the batch prior to closing the airlock.  One amazing advantage of using sparkling wine is that the carbonated CO2 bubbles instantly create an anaerobic environment for the LAB to flourish!

 

In the past I've gone as high as 10% salt, but I've since settled down, and now typically use between 2.5% and 3.5% salt by solid weight (ie weight excluding the wine).  
 
So my typical half gallon batch has about 1250-1400g mashed solids (peppers, onion, garlic, etc) and around 40g (non-iodized) salt.  The amount of wine I add will slightly depend on how "juicy" the other ingredients are in the mash (eg if I'm adding fresh chopped orange or pineapple to the mash then there's more liquid anyway - and I'll use less wine).  The wine goes in to a) help the mash blend by providing some liquid, and b) to make sure all the mash is covered and the half gallon jug is filled to the shoulders.  The sulfites in the wine *may* have some effect of reducing the incidence of Kahm yeasts (since moving from brine to wine, I've *never* had a Kahm yeast form, in more than 30 batches).  On average, I put around 500ml (2/3rds of a bottle) in a typical half gallon batch.
 
Hope that helps!
 
Best,
 
James N
 
EDIT:  One quick addition/thought... Has anyone ever tried putting their brine solution through a SodaStream, and using the carbonated brine to create an insta-CO2 environment?
 
I appreciate and am reinspired by your insanity!
 
Have you ever used home brewed wine as the wine in your ferments?
 
 
I hadn't heard of using wine before. But I have a 6% bone dry cranberry wine that might add a nice bitterness to a ferment.
 
Halbrust said:
I appreciate and am reinspired by your insanity!
 
Have you ever used home brewed wine as the wine in your ferments?
 
 
I hadn't heard of using wine before. But I have a 6% bone dry cranberry wine that might add a nice bitterness to a ferment.
 
tyvm Halbrust, much appreciated.
 
I've never homebrewed before; and I'd think it'd be a great addition tbh.  I've certainly borrowed some cloudy hard cider from a homebrewer before to use in a ferment - and the result was quite spectactular imo.
 
Your 6% dry cranberry wine sounds awesome:  mouth is salivating at the flavour profiles right now...
 
Cranberry wine, cocoa nibs, ginger with choc habs...
Or a seasonal cranberry wine, wormwood, cloves, pumpkin with Aji....
Om nom nom. Must. Stop. Daydreaming.
 
James N
 
JamesN said:
 
... I've certainly borrowed some cloudy hard cider from a homebrewer before to use in a ferment - and the result was quite spectactular imo.
 
HELLO!
 
Now you're talkin. Do tell.
 
JamesN said:
Thank, PRF.  Yeah, I tend to get very separated layers through different stages of the ferment, and I do love seeing it happen in the glass jars.
 
Two new batches started, after yesterday's postie brought a very nice box from Juanito's peppers.
 
2s1vpg5.jpg

 
The white one with a tinge of blue (in case anyone doesn't know, Garlic sometimes naturally goes blue/green when it ferments - this is normal!) is a Rocketman's "Theriac"-inspired White Bullet Hab with a shed-ton of Garlic, plus some ginger, leek & onion in a blend of Fino sherry, Vermouth & Moscato.
 
The super-dark purple batch is Choc Habs with Blueberries in a White Zin.  Hoping they'll  be ready by the family gathering for Thanksgiving!
 
The dark red Aji batch has now pretty much finished fermenting, so it's just going to age for a couple of months at this point.
 
Best,
 
James N
Howdy James just scored a big basket of blueberries am dying to try fermenting with these any suggestions on what to use with them is yours just the habs and blueberries? Appreciate any suggestions . And just processed my first 70 day ferment using your instructions wife and I think it's my best sauce yet.
CHEERS
 
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