That's kind of the definition of a mash. Some mashes are thicker than others. Tabasco's are very thick and I think they only add salt and no water to their fermented mashes. I have one that is pretty thick. I will probably add just enough water to loosen it up just so long as ph remains below 4.0.ColdSmoke said:
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If you have a question about commercial production or the hot sauce business, please post in The Food Biz.
tutorial Fermenting Peppers 101
- Thread starter RocketMan
- Start date
Ok guys this is my first post outside of the welcome thread. I told myself I would read this entire thread before replying, and I will but for honesty's sake, I am doing this from page 8.
I've loved hot peppers and hot sauce most of my life and always tried to keep some peppers growing throughout the summer. About a month ago I entered a chili cookoff and thought to myself, wouldn't it sweeten the deal if I made and brought my own hot sauce. That way I could serve a chili that pleased the average consumer that doesn't appreciate spice or the complexities it brings to the table, and offer something on the side for those that want it.
So I went in the back yard and collected about 3 lbs of red fresnos, removed the stems but kept the seeds and inner walls intact. I chopped them rough while wearing gloves, added a few cloves of raw garlic, ans about 1/8 cup of sea salt and gave it a nice swim in a big cup with a stick blender. I then divided this equally, and blended half with distilled white vinegar, and the other half with Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar hoping for a milder flavor. The result, both sauces had amazing color, tasted fresh, vibrant, and pungent. Not to mention spicy as hell. So there I had 2 sauces using the 3 common ingredients of all my favorites and something wasn't quite right. Not having time to sort it out, I mixed up 2 cups of cold filtered water and some xanathan gum, got it nice and thick, and incorporated it into each bottle of sauce, leaving the Bragg sauce in my fridge for me, and the white distilled came to the cookoff for the rubes.
The reason for this long winded intro is, I stayed up that night asking myself why my sauce didn't taste like the ones I prefer from the store. As my many galons of kimchi and saurkraut sat in the fridge, a lightbulb went off and I thought, crap, maybe I should age these things. So the next day I took 3 lbs of habanero, and 2 orange holland peppers, chopped them up, gave them the stick blender love and put them in a 2 quart jar with a rubber seal and clamp down style locking lid that I had previously used to make saurkraut. The problem, as it occurred to me at the time was, in kraut and kimchi making, I had always had more than enough liquid from the salting and hand squeezing process that came before sticking it in the jar. What do I do? Against all better jusgment, I mixed up a few cups of filtered cold water with 1/4 cup of korean sea salt that I use for kimchi and decided to pour it on top of my puree (now known as mash) until there was 1.5 to 2 inches of air between liquid and lid, and I sealed it up.
Now in full disclosure, I've only been making kimchi about 6 months. Ive used the same jars, and I have filled them nearly to the top every time. Every time I've had liquid seep out to the point where I have to replace the plate under the jar on a daily basis. My turnip and my daikon radish kimchi's needed to be opened and drained every other day just to keep the liquid down. I live in TX so the heat has been rather abundant. When the liquid seeps from a cruciferous vegetable well......my wife wants me to buy another fridge and do my business in the garage. That said, I have never seen mold, and after the 3 week ferment and another 3 to 5 weeks mellowing in the fridge, the fermenting sulphur smell departs and I have been left with wonderful amazing kimchi that blew my mind, and kraut that was a bit too salty but was crisp and perfectly fermented.
The reason I am detailing all of this kimchi and kraut background is because I am likely the dumbest guy in the room. I don't have advanced degrees and I have no equipment. I tried making wine about 10 years ago, got O2 into it during bottling and turned the entire venture nasty and bitter. Fermenting vegetables is easy. My habaneros have had no starter. Just sitting in their jar. With less sugars, they haven't even bubbled over. I was tempted to open the lid and stir or smell as I did with previous ferments but something told me to hold off. Rather, whenever the solids float to the top, I give the jar a swirl, and remix. In a couple of hours, the solids are back on top, full of bubbles and orange brightness. What little outgassing there is, smells like wonderfully pungent peppers to me. I then discovered this forum and realized by blind dumb lick, I did a lot of things right, with my first batch of fermenting peppers. Rather than time, I will use reaction as my guide. When I swirl, and the peppers no longer float to the top, I will know it is time to make sauce. As this is my first batch, I won't worry about it being too early. Other research I have done indicates a 3 week ferment as being sufficient (for flavor profile, not shelf sustainability). When I taste the product, I will decide if acid in the form of limes is needed, or sweetness in the form of mango puree is needed. I will blend it down one more time and mix with enough xanathan gum to get the right texture and hopefully be able to bottle enough for my friends and family in time to not have to buy them Christmas presents.
The long and short being, this doesn't seem complicated. Mold and yeast and starter cultures oh my. I have found in my limited experience, that the K.I.S.S method is rather failsafe. But definitely welcome your comments as I am a noob at this.
I've loved hot peppers and hot sauce most of my life and always tried to keep some peppers growing throughout the summer. About a month ago I entered a chili cookoff and thought to myself, wouldn't it sweeten the deal if I made and brought my own hot sauce. That way I could serve a chili that pleased the average consumer that doesn't appreciate spice or the complexities it brings to the table, and offer something on the side for those that want it.
So I went in the back yard and collected about 3 lbs of red fresnos, removed the stems but kept the seeds and inner walls intact. I chopped them rough while wearing gloves, added a few cloves of raw garlic, ans about 1/8 cup of sea salt and gave it a nice swim in a big cup with a stick blender. I then divided this equally, and blended half with distilled white vinegar, and the other half with Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar hoping for a milder flavor. The result, both sauces had amazing color, tasted fresh, vibrant, and pungent. Not to mention spicy as hell. So there I had 2 sauces using the 3 common ingredients of all my favorites and something wasn't quite right. Not having time to sort it out, I mixed up 2 cups of cold filtered water and some xanathan gum, got it nice and thick, and incorporated it into each bottle of sauce, leaving the Bragg sauce in my fridge for me, and the white distilled came to the cookoff for the rubes.
The reason for this long winded intro is, I stayed up that night asking myself why my sauce didn't taste like the ones I prefer from the store. As my many galons of kimchi and saurkraut sat in the fridge, a lightbulb went off and I thought, crap, maybe I should age these things. So the next day I took 3 lbs of habanero, and 2 orange holland peppers, chopped them up, gave them the stick blender love and put them in a 2 quart jar with a rubber seal and clamp down style locking lid that I had previously used to make saurkraut. The problem, as it occurred to me at the time was, in kraut and kimchi making, I had always had more than enough liquid from the salting and hand squeezing process that came before sticking it in the jar. What do I do? Against all better jusgment, I mixed up a few cups of filtered cold water with 1/4 cup of korean sea salt that I use for kimchi and decided to pour it on top of my puree (now known as mash) until there was 1.5 to 2 inches of air between liquid and lid, and I sealed it up.
Now in full disclosure, I've only been making kimchi about 6 months. Ive used the same jars, and I have filled them nearly to the top every time. Every time I've had liquid seep out to the point where I have to replace the plate under the jar on a daily basis. My turnip and my daikon radish kimchi's needed to be opened and drained every other day just to keep the liquid down. I live in TX so the heat has been rather abundant. When the liquid seeps from a cruciferous vegetable well......my wife wants me to buy another fridge and do my business in the garage. That said, I have never seen mold, and after the 3 week ferment and another 3 to 5 weeks mellowing in the fridge, the fermenting sulphur smell departs and I have been left with wonderful amazing kimchi that blew my mind, and kraut that was a bit too salty but was crisp and perfectly fermented.
The reason I am detailing all of this kimchi and kraut background is because I am likely the dumbest guy in the room. I don't have advanced degrees and I have no equipment. I tried making wine about 10 years ago, got O2 into it during bottling and turned the entire venture nasty and bitter. Fermenting vegetables is easy. My habaneros have had no starter. Just sitting in their jar. With less sugars, they haven't even bubbled over. I was tempted to open the lid and stir or smell as I did with previous ferments but something told me to hold off. Rather, whenever the solids float to the top, I give the jar a swirl, and remix. In a couple of hours, the solids are back on top, full of bubbles and orange brightness. What little outgassing there is, smells like wonderfully pungent peppers to me. I then discovered this forum and realized by blind dumb lick, I did a lot of things right, with my first batch of fermenting peppers. Rather than time, I will use reaction as my guide. When I swirl, and the peppers no longer float to the top, I will know it is time to make sauce. As this is my first batch, I won't worry about it being too early. Other research I have done indicates a 3 week ferment as being sufficient (for flavor profile, not shelf sustainability). When I taste the product, I will decide if acid in the form of limes is needed, or sweetness in the form of mango puree is needed. I will blend it down one more time and mix with enough xanathan gum to get the right texture and hopefully be able to bottle enough for my friends and family in time to not have to buy them Christmas presents.
The long and short being, this doesn't seem complicated. Mold and yeast and starter cultures oh my. I have found in my limited experience, that the K.I.S.S method is rather failsafe. But definitely welcome your comments as I am a noob at this.
As a pool owner I can tell you that higher temps reduce the effectiveness of chlorine because it dissipates faster. All of my swimming pool chlorination came from bleach I bought at Walmart and I had crystal clear water year round. That said, because high temps affect and reduce the effectiveness of bleach, doesn't mean hot water should not be used. This is purely my opinion and I understand the healthj codes. When I was a teenager I worked as a dishwasher in a nursing home and they take sanitation seriously given the low germ tolerance of the elderly. We had a sanitation chart showing the bleach PPM to water at varying degrees. While I don't remember the exact ammounts, per the chart, as the temp went up, so did the bleach requirements. That said, the sanitization requirements were to use water temp of 140 degrees or higher, while adding the specified amont of bleach. I don't think its wrong to have a low temp, but if you can achieve the same level of oxidation with a higher water temp, I cannot see an argument against it.salsalady said:Hi Y'all, I just read (most) of the thread...(skipped some of the technical chemestry stuff...)
Just a couple quick things to post and then it's back to reading....
Hot Stuff and Dr Pacheco- I think the Dr has an airlock with a large bung-type rubber stopper on it. I have one like it. If I'm correct, DrP can remove the large rubber stopper and take the plastic airlock which should have a diameter more like 3/8th" to the hardware store and get a smaller 1/2" or so rubber grommet like HS described. If you have a really good hardware store (a mom-n-pop-type) you could probably take the lid you want to use in with the airlock, and they would maybe even drill the hole for you and fit it with the proper size grommet.
We have stores like that around here, but then again...we live in the middle of no-where
For clarification-
RM- you mentioned putting things in the dishwasher for sterilization. Maybe I didn't read it right, but do you put the bottle, reducer, and cap in the DW? Usually when doing hot packing only the bottle needs to be sanitized as the rest is taken care of by inversion. I may not have understood the post correctly.
Large pot- it isn't spelled out, but to help the noobies...it should be a NON-REACTIVE pot. Stainless steel, glass, enamel (if there are NO CHIPS), do not use aluminum, cast iron, copper...
Bleach water- RM, the original post says to fill the pot with HOT water and bleach. Every health food class or course I've seen says to use luke-warm or cold water as hot water actually reduces or eliminates the effectiveness of bleach. Each health district is different, so I'm just sharing what WA state regs are. I had thought that all states had similar regs for bleach. Please let me know if your health codes are different. Just trying to keep accurate information for when people ask questions. Thanks.
Thanks for the great tutorial and...lively....discussions.
I have a gallon+ batch just started using some different ingredients than I've seen here. Will let you know how it turns out.
Thanks again~
Wow Redeemer, that was quite the first post! I guess everything really is bigger in Texas 
!
I think you have oodles more knowledge than most first posters and commend your efforts thus far.
I'm not sure of any specific questions you have aside from looking for an open dialogue?
My first and most concerned thoughts are in regards to your using a jar with clamp down lid. This sounds very dangerous to me. Lacto fermentation of vegetable products in a warm environment will cause alot of off gassing. You could burst that jar if you don't burp it frequently. Another issue, even if burping, is that you will re-introduce oxygen, creating a habitat ripe for nasties to grow. Your goal is for an anaerobic environment that burps itself, e.g. an airlock!
Second though is your salt content. This varies greatly depending on a few factors, including, but not limited to, starters used, liquid in the brine and pepper origination. Long story short, salt is used to negate nasty growth, but adversely will also slow positive growth. The faster your fermentation, the less salt is needed. With a solid recipe/mix, I shoot for 2% by weight of mash pre-brine.
Third and last is your use, or lack there of, starters. I don't see this as an issue given your experience, but for posterity thought it warrents mention. Using a starter is a good idea for 2 reasons. 1, if your peppers/fillers aren't fresh it ensures a good ferment. 2, it ensures an expedient ferment limiting the risk if nasties and failure.
There is obviously a lot more to all of this, but hopefully this is good food for though and will help narrow any question or doubts you have.
Good luck and keep us posted!
!I think you have oodles more knowledge than most first posters and commend your efforts thus far.
I'm not sure of any specific questions you have aside from looking for an open dialogue?
My first and most concerned thoughts are in regards to your using a jar with clamp down lid. This sounds very dangerous to me. Lacto fermentation of vegetable products in a warm environment will cause alot of off gassing. You could burst that jar if you don't burp it frequently. Another issue, even if burping, is that you will re-introduce oxygen, creating a habitat ripe for nasties to grow. Your goal is for an anaerobic environment that burps itself, e.g. an airlock!
Second though is your salt content. This varies greatly depending on a few factors, including, but not limited to, starters used, liquid in the brine and pepper origination. Long story short, salt is used to negate nasty growth, but adversely will also slow positive growth. The faster your fermentation, the less salt is needed. With a solid recipe/mix, I shoot for 2% by weight of mash pre-brine.
Third and last is your use, or lack there of, starters. I don't see this as an issue given your experience, but for posterity thought it warrents mention. Using a starter is a good idea for 2 reasons. 1, if your peppers/fillers aren't fresh it ensures a good ferment. 2, it ensures an expedient ferment limiting the risk if nasties and failure.
There is obviously a lot more to all of this, but hopefully this is good food for though and will help narrow any question or doubts you have.
Good luck and keep us posted!
Hello JohnsMyName and thanks for your reply.
Its encouraging to get that kind of feedback from my first post. Thats the product of a late night, and quite a few beers while 1,500 miles from home You make very good points so I should address them each.
1. The containers had me worried when I was using them for kraut and kimchi, but like everything else thats made in China, they failed to provide a true seal, and as soon as there was enough pressure, bubbled up quite a bit. The clamp was enough to keep the lids from flying off, but not enough to maintain the seal under a certain ammount of pressure. I guess you could call this self burping? Your point is well taken though and as I plan to significantly ramp up my production, an investment into some slightly better gear with airlocks would be prudent.
2. The salt content was derived from my memory of how much I used making kraut in the same sized jar, reduced by an eyeball measured half because that batch of kraut had been way too salty. Totally unscientific, but before anyone thinks me cavalier for doing this, keep in mind my origial goal was simply to age the pappers, 7 to 10 days at most. It was only after additional research that I realized I could, and should ferment quite a bit longer. This batch will be experimental, and hopefully tasty, and serve as the starting point for where I want to take this little hobby.
3. The starter is another good point. It seems many people hold deep beliefs one way or another with the purists saying this and the modernists saying that. For me, sheer curiosity will be the driver. My next batch, I will puree and divide. All things (including salt) being equal, I will blend some whey into one half, put them both in the same type of vessel, in the same location and observe the differences. We go through a fair amount of plain organic yogurt and I doubt anyone will mind if I help myself to the "water" iff the top of a new container. To make things interesting, I may even use a bit of leftover from the current ferment, provided it comes out good, in a 3rd container to see if using a "mother" starter is effective.
Lastly, I just wanted to add that no, I had no specific question, I just welcome the discussion because when like minded people come together looking for knowledge, it makes us all smarter. I'm not interested in making the world's finest hot sauce, simply in making the finest hot sauce that I can make. Cheers.
BTW, John, what part of CT are you from as I lived there for many years. Feel free to PM me.
Its encouraging to get that kind of feedback from my first post. Thats the product of a late night, and quite a few beers while 1,500 miles from home
You make very good points so I should address them each.1. The containers had me worried when I was using them for kraut and kimchi, but like everything else thats made in China, they failed to provide a true seal, and as soon as there was enough pressure, bubbled up quite a bit. The clamp was enough to keep the lids from flying off, but not enough to maintain the seal under a certain ammount of pressure. I guess you could call this self burping? Your point is well taken though and as I plan to significantly ramp up my production, an investment into some slightly better gear with airlocks would be prudent.
2. The salt content was derived from my memory of how much I used making kraut in the same sized jar, reduced by an eyeball measured half because that batch of kraut had been way too salty. Totally unscientific, but before anyone thinks me cavalier for doing this, keep in mind my origial goal was simply to age the pappers, 7 to 10 days at most. It was only after additional research that I realized I could, and should ferment quite a bit longer. This batch will be experimental, and hopefully tasty, and serve as the starting point for where I want to take this little hobby.
3. The starter is another good point. It seems many people hold deep beliefs one way or another with the purists saying this and the modernists saying that. For me, sheer curiosity will be the driver. My next batch, I will puree and divide. All things (including salt) being equal, I will blend some whey into one half, put them both in the same type of vessel, in the same location and observe the differences. We go through a fair amount of plain organic yogurt and I doubt anyone will mind if I help myself to the "water" iff the top of a new container. To make things interesting, I may even use a bit of leftover from the current ferment, provided it comes out good, in a 3rd container to see if using a "mother" starter is effective.
Lastly, I just wanted to add that no, I had no specific question, I just welcome the discussion because when like minded people come together looking for knowledge, it makes us all smarter. I'm not interested in making the world's finest hot sauce, simply in making the finest hot sauce that I can make. Cheers.
BTW, John, what part of CT are you from as I lived there for many years. Feel free to PM me.
My pleasure, lots of really good and knowledgeable folks on here, you've definitely come to the right place.
1. I would highly recommend the air locks, they are a very small investment and can be used for all kinds of fermenting. I got plastic lids (fits on Ball jars), rubber seels, grommets and the air locks on Amazon for around $20 and made about a dozen tops.
2. There are many factors that would determine the "correct" amount of salt to use, but I always shoot for as little as possible, you can always add more during processing if needed. Many here recommend 45 to 90+ day ferments. You can taste the difference after only a couple of days, but will be rewarded for your patience if you go longer, e.g. Wine.
3. You are right about the starter. They can impart flavor sometimes so the purist route has its argument, but I like using starters for peace of mind. The faster your fermentation starts, the less chance for nasties to grow and faster your flavors will develope and change. I think liquid from another successful ferment would be the best route as long as the flavors aren't conflicting. I currently use yogurt whey, but will be trying probiotic capsules for ease of use and less chance for flavors to carry over.
I'm glad you started the discussion, I couldn't agree with you more. I learned everything I know from these very conversations right here on THP!
PM inbound on CT topic too.
1. I would highly recommend the air locks, they are a very small investment and can be used for all kinds of fermenting. I got plastic lids (fits on Ball jars), rubber seels, grommets and the air locks on Amazon for around $20 and made about a dozen tops.
2. There are many factors that would determine the "correct" amount of salt to use, but I always shoot for as little as possible, you can always add more during processing if needed. Many here recommend 45 to 90+ day ferments. You can taste the difference after only a couple of days, but will be rewarded for your patience if you go longer, e.g. Wine.
3. You are right about the starter. They can impart flavor sometimes so the purist route has its argument, but I like using starters for peace of mind. The faster your fermentation starts, the less chance for nasties to grow and faster your flavors will develope and change. I think liquid from another successful ferment would be the best route as long as the flavors aren't conflicting. I currently use yogurt whey, but will be trying probiotic capsules for ease of use and less chance for flavors to carry over.
I'm glad you started the discussion, I couldn't agree with you more. I learned everything I know from these very conversations right here on THP!
PM inbound on CT topic too.
Wow wow wow as John has pointed out that's one Texas sized first post!!! Looks like he's got you covered!!!!
Only thing ill add is when using a starter like Probiotic capsules the ones I use are made completely from vegetable matter. And are vegan certified. No chem fillers or other nasties. They are created in a lab to control purity. Nothing that will change your flavor profile. There is no taste difference between ferments I've started naturally or with these as a starter. They also allow for a lot less salt in your mash because of the quicker start of Fermentation.
I've also used the brine from ferments that I've already had going removing some liquid before processing.
This works as well!!
On the subject of brines I prefer a brine as it keeps the mash free of oxygen until fermentation starts. And help with final processing. The liquid is never so much it leaves my sauces runny. And if they are a little lose just a few more minutes on stovetop usually fixes that asap.
Watch your headspace on your jars leaving about 3 inches from the top to allow for expansion. I also cap my mash with a cabbage leaf to help it stay below brine. This method works fantastic and imparts no flavor change to sauce I just discard leaf before processing. Or eat it it's yummy!!
Types of brine I use distilled water and my favorite Go to brine is white zin I love using wine and my sauces always do fantastic! Never experienced any nasties using this method.
As far as salt content I use 38/40 grams of salt to anywhere from 980 to 1400 grams of mash. This produces a very clean tasting sauce with no salt flavor!! Just right as goldilocks would say!!
Run time I would recommend 45 days minimum!!!! The longer the more complex the flavor profile becomes.
And never ever ever open you jars until you're ready to process!!! Or to remove airlock and cap then into your fridge to start with the aging process.
Well there's my two cents hope you can use some of it and welcome to the FERMENTING CREW!!!!
Oooh and Nice Job John!!!!!
Only thing ill add is when using a starter like Probiotic capsules the ones I use are made completely from vegetable matter. And are vegan certified. No chem fillers or other nasties. They are created in a lab to control purity. Nothing that will change your flavor profile. There is no taste difference between ferments I've started naturally or with these as a starter. They also allow for a lot less salt in your mash because of the quicker start of Fermentation.
I've also used the brine from ferments that I've already had going removing some liquid before processing.
This works as well!!
On the subject of brines I prefer a brine as it keeps the mash free of oxygen until fermentation starts. And help with final processing. The liquid is never so much it leaves my sauces runny. And if they are a little lose just a few more minutes on stovetop usually fixes that asap.
Watch your headspace on your jars leaving about 3 inches from the top to allow for expansion. I also cap my mash with a cabbage leaf to help it stay below brine. This method works fantastic and imparts no flavor change to sauce I just discard leaf before processing. Or eat it it's yummy!!
Types of brine I use distilled water and my favorite Go to brine is white zin I love using wine and my sauces always do fantastic! Never experienced any nasties using this method.
As far as salt content I use 38/40 grams of salt to anywhere from 980 to 1400 grams of mash. This produces a very clean tasting sauce with no salt flavor!!
Just right as goldilocks would say!! Run time I would recommend 45 days minimum!!!! The longer the more complex the flavor profile becomes.
And never ever ever open you jars until you're ready to process!!! Or to remove airlock and cap then into your fridge to start with the aging process.
Well there's my two cents hope you can use some of it and welcome to the FERMENTING CREW!!!!
Oooh and Nice Job John!!!!!
Great advice as always salty!
Thanks!
oldsalty said:Wow wow wow as John has pointed out that's one Texas sized first post!!! Looks like he's got you covered!!!!
Only thing ill add is when using a starter like Probiotic capsules the ones I use are made completely from vegetable matter. And are vegan certified. No chem fillers or other nasties. They are created in a lab to control purity. Nothing that will change your flavor profile. There is no taste difference between ferments I've started naturally or with these as a starter. They also allow for a lot less salt in your mash because of the quicker start of Fermentation.
I've also used the brine from ferments that I've already had going removing some liquid before processing.
This works as well!!
On the subject of brines I prefer a brine as it keeps the mash free of oxygen until fermentation starts. And help with final processing. The liquid is never so much it leaves my sauces runny. And if they are a little lose just a few more minutes on stovetop usually fixes that asap.
Watch your headspace on your jars leaving about 3 inches from the top to allow for expansion. I also cap my mash with a cabbage leaf to help it stay below brine. This method works fantastic and imparts no flavor change to sauce I just discard leaf before processing. Or eat it it's yummy!!
Types of brine I use distilled water and my favorite Go to brine is white zin I love using wine and my sauces always do fantastic! Never experienced any nasties using this method.
As far as salt content I use 38/40 grams of salt to anywhere from 980 to 1400 grams of mash. This produces a very clean tasting sauce with no salt flavor!!
Run time I would recommend 45 days minimum!!!! The longer the more complex the flavor profile becomes.
And never ever ever open you jars until you're ready to process!!! Or to remove airlock and cap then into your fridge to start with the aging process.
Well there's my two cents hope you can use some of it and welcome to the FERMENTING CREW!!!!
Oooh and Nice Job John!!!!!
Howdy oldsalty and thanks for the input. I think my best bet is to experiment with all of the popular methods and see which workd best for me. Reading is awesome, and necessary, but at the end of the day what works for the user is what is best. Its fascinating that environmental factors play such a diverse role. The wild yeast and bacteria in the air inside my house will differ from that of my next door neighbor, but be similar. 1,500 miles to the East it will be completely different, with the ambient temp and humidity effecting the outcome. We could all follow the exact same recipe and still produce a "regional" flavor. I love it.
As for some of the tips, I completely forgot about the capsules. I have tons of those on hand as i take them every day. I guess there is the #4 experiment batch for me.
I've read about the cabbage leaf technique, likely in one of your posts. Do you think the same thing could be achieved using onion? I think any imparted flavor, however subtle, might be more to my liking if it was onion.
Another thing I want to try, I read on page 9 or 10 is the salt cap. I think the idea of having that dry salt layer would allow you to leave more space between the mash and the top of the jar. Definitely worth a try. There goes #5.
Now what has me intrigued the most is your wine brine. I drink a good deal of savignon blanc, and some pinot grigio, because I like them dry. No Zin for me, but the concept is the same. The imparted flavor must be truly unique. There will be my #6
I think I am going to swing by this place tomorrow for some airlocks and grommets. http://www.austinhomebrew.com/Home/?search=airlocks
Sadly, to run 6 new batches, I am going to have to buy some peppers. They usually have a good selection at this place called Central Market. I want to do something other than habanero though, and the test batches all need to be the same. I guess I will keep you guys posted.
Wait a sec, I just realized I DO have a question. I've Ben thinking about this for days and forgot to include it in any of my posts. Ascorbic acid, aka Vitamin C. I've seen it in store bought sauces and I use it at home and can attest to its ability to preserve color due to its antioxidant properties. My original plan had been to add 1/2 tsp to the finished produce to preserve the color but please chime inbreed. If it's an anti-oxidant, can I put it into the initial mash? Am I correct to assume it will keep down O2 levels or will it simply reduce the oxidation reaction? I know such a small amount won't effect flavor but will it inhibit my LAB colony? Thoughts?
I don't know for certain, but I would think not. Peppers have more vitamin C than oranges!
Hi Redeemer, welcome.
Here's my 2 cents:
Fido jars!
I've tried air locks, mason jars with cheese cloths, but these have never failed me. Sounds like that may be close to what you have, but watch the glass from China. Lead issues. I got mine from Amazon, made in Italy.
I don't use a starter. A little fruit in the mash will get things going. Thw sweetness will be lost in the end so add more when processing.
The other thing I've learned is to lest the sauce rest. At least a few days. The flavor changes dramatically.
Look forward to seeing what you are doing!
Alison
Here's my 2 cents:
Fido jars!
I've tried air locks, mason jars with cheese cloths, but these have never failed me. Sounds like that may be close to what you have, but watch the glass from China. Lead issues. I got mine from Amazon, made in Italy.
I don't use a starter. A little fruit in the mash will get things going. Thw sweetness will be lost in the end so add more when processing.
The other thing I've learned is to lest the sauce rest. At least a few days. The flavor changes dramatically.
Look forward to seeing what you are doing!
Alison
Nice! Thanks Alison, those are the exact same jars I'm using that I purchased from the grocery store!Alynne said:Hi Redeemer, welcome.
Here's my 2 cents:
Fido jars!
I've tried air locks, mason jars with cheese cloths, but these have never failed me. Sounds like that may be close to what you have, but watch the glass from China. Lead issues. I got mine from Amazon, made in Italy.
image.jpeg
I don't use a starter. A little fruit in the mash will get things going. Thw sweetness will be lost in the end so add more when processing.
The other thing I've learned is to lest the sauce rest. At least a few days. The flavor changes dramatically.
Look forward to seeing what you are doing!
Alison
Hey Redeemer sounds like you have everything in check. As far as the cabbage leaf it imparts no flavor what's so ever. My daughter hates cabbage but uses my ferments like there going out of style. Just one leaf you'll never know it's in there!! As far as wine the cheap sin I use is how I was taught by JamesN one of the fermenting experts here when I first joined. I've tried several wines And cannot discern between them. The zin is sweet the sugar promotes fermentation. It's not for imbibing!!! Hahaha, after processing and even after your done with fermentation stage you can't tell. But does lend a certain flavor profile that the water brine did not almost a cleaner pepper flavor. So don't stress about type or vintage just brine wine my friend!!! I don't drink so it's all good to me!
Good luck and keep us posted!!
As far as wine the cheap sin I use is how I was taught by JamesN one of the fermenting experts here when I first joined. I've tried several wines And cannot discern between them. The zin is sweet the sugar promotes fermentation. It's not for imbibing!!! Hahaha, after processing and even after your done with fermentation stage you can't tell. But does lend a certain flavor profile that the water brine did not almost a cleaner pepper flavor. So don't stress about type or vintage just brine wine my friend!!! I don't drink so it's all good to me! Good luck and keep us posted!!
Hey oldsalty, thanks for the input. I think i will try it your way and use the zin, for the sugar content. Your description of the imparted flavor sounds like it would be the perfect backdrop for a ghost pepper sauce. I really want to make one that brings through the true flavor of the pepper, without additional tastes. I've thought of onion, garlic, and even mango to include in the ferment but don't think any of those will work without significantly altering the profile. Another possibility is the yellow or orange holand peppers. Using a pure jolokia mash will be too spicy I reckon. I jst might put that together today.
For those of you waiting for my multimethod nearly single mash 5, or 6 method experiement, I haven't picked up the airlocks yet but will try to this week. I plan on starting a separate thread for that one.
For those of you waiting for my multimethod nearly single mash 5, or 6 method experiement, I haven't picked up the airlocks yet but will try to this week. I plan on starting a separate thread for that one.
Just cracked this one for processing today. 8 months ferment. Smells perfect, tastes incredible, no mould etc.Bumper said:And it's done. First ferment prep went well, thanks to all for the advice.
1litre jar
400g chillies, including 2 red bhuts straight off the plant, 4 red habaneros again picked and pickled, about a dozen cayennes, and 10 birdseye of various sizes.
1/2 onion
4 cloves garlic
2 medium sized carrots
500ml brine at 3.6% with himlayan rock salt.
3 capsules of lactobacillus.
The smell was and still is just incredible. The bhuts and habs had the best aromas.
Airlock shows we have a good seal, so now we wait.
one extra carrot went in and a couple of extra birdseye beyond what's pictured here
URL=http://s1379.photobucket.com/user/Bumper200/media/IMG_0714_zpsgep0tzms.jpg.html][/URL]
Attachments
Lookin good Bumper!!