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fermenting First Ferment

Okay. I had a bunch of frozen peppers from last season and a few early-turners from this season.

I added 1tbsp of salt per cup of water and threw a little extra because I'm a bit scared of botulism or other nasties.

After a week nothing. I tasted it and it was super-duper salty. I strained out the water and added fresh water to lower the salinity.

One week later, I see bubbles.

I'm using an airlock system on a mason jar.

image_zpsc7mvuxqv.jpg


image_zpsbp6btm0d.jpg


Does this look right? I've read that botulism grown in an airlocked environment like this and I don't want to die or kill someone.

Any advice? And yes, I read the thread on the topic. I'm just a bit scared about this.
 
Deschet said:
Okay. I had a bunch of frozen peppers from last season and a few early-turners from this season.
I added 1tbsp of salt per cup of water and threw a little extra because I'm a bit scared of botulism or other nasties.
After a week nothing. I tasted it and it was super-duper salty. I strained out the water and added fresh water to lower the salinity.
One week later, I see bubbles.
I'm using an airlock system on a mason jar.
image_zpsc7mvuxqv.jpg
image_zpsbp6btm0d.jpg

Does this look right? I've read that botulism grown in an airlocked environment like this and I don't want to die or kill someone.
Any advice? And yes, I read the thread on the topic. I'm just a bit scared about this.
Deschet no reason to worry looks great!!!!!!!!! You definitely have fermentation that babies a boiling!! :)
Yep y'all went a little crazy on her salt. Haha that's ok you can fix by using RocketMan's technique of adding a peeled potato while cooking down during final processing.

Normally I would not recommend opening the jar once closed but looks like yer good. Just try not to make it a habit :) was it just peppers. No starter just brine? I usually let them run 45/90 days+ but at least try for 45 seems hard on yer first few but the anticipation gets easier. Just keep us posted and don't panic yer cruising along nicely :) :) plenty of the ferment crew guys like SmokenFire will be glad to help if you feel overwhelmed just shoot me a pm any time!!
Cheers
 
oldsalty said:
Hell yeah coach were all waiting for ya!! And ready to lend a hand!! :)
:)
 
I picked literally over 1,000 pods today & have about the same number yet to pick. Gotta do something with them. Was planning on freezing & making non-fermented sauces in the not so distant future. I've made 4-5 batches of sauce before but never a ferment. I'll read up & ask questions as needed. 
 
Didn't mean to hijack the thread!
 
coachspencerxc said:
:)
 
I picked literally over 1,000 pods today & have about the same number yet to pick. Gotta do something with them. Was planning on freezing & making non-fermented sauces in the not so distant future. I've made 4-5 batches of sauce before but never a ferment. I'll read up & ask questions as needed. 
 
Didn't mean to hijack the thread!
Remember you can still ferment frozen peppers!! Pm me if you have any questions! :)
Sorry Deschet :) :)
 
Thanks guys. The bubbles stopped today. Good smell. Hot as hell. We'll chalk this up to a good first try with frozen peppers. I'll likely cut up the rest of the peppers in the freezer and add some fresh ones and this time not open it at all.

But... question. It looks like the peppers are all starting to rise out of the water. Would you weight them down or just fill the water to the brim?

I'm going to run the batch I have through the food mill tomorrow and see what comes out. Add some vinegar and bottle.

Any other pointers would be awesome.
Yeah. No apologies needed. Threadjack away, guys! Now that I know how to make an airlock jar... I just need to grow more peppers. Mine are not the prodigious sons of bitches they were last summer.

As a general rule is one tablespoon of salt per cup of water good? Is there a way I can buy an easy lacto starter at the local beer store?
Also. Botulism concerns. My friend keeps saying botulism grows in a sealed environment like an airlock. Any secrets to this not happening?

Other question: I've heard of using wine as a brine. What about a fruit juice for a fruit sauce?
Also. Peeled potato? I don't know where that is in the Threadzilla.
 
I boiled and simmered and boiled and simmered the fermented reapers for a while. What started as 30 reapers ended in one lonely woozy bottle after I strained it and added some vinegar. But holy fracking hades. It's hot. Really, really hot. It's thin, so I might keep it around as a base. I'm not sure. None of my friends want anything to do with it.
 
Deschet said:
Thanks guys. The bubbles stopped today. Good smell. Hot as hell. We'll chalk this up to a good first try with frozen peppers. I'll likely cut up the rest of the peppers in the freezer and add some fresh ones and this time not open it at all.
But... question. It looks like the peppers are all starting to rise out of the water. Would you weight them down or just fill the water to the brim?
I'm going to run the batch I have through the food mill tomorrow and see what comes out. Add some vinegar and bottle.
Any other pointers would be awesome. Yeah. No apologies needed. Threadjack away, guys! Now that I know how to make an airlock jar... I just need to grow more peppers. Mine are not the prodigious sons of bitches they were last summer.
As a general rule is one tablespoon of salt per cup of water good? Is there a way I can buy an easy lacto starter at the local beer store?Also. Botulism concerns. My friend keeps saying botulism grows in a sealed environment like an airlock. Any secrets to this not happening?
Other question: I've heard of using wine as a brine. What about a fruit juice for a fruit sauce?Also. Peeled potato? I don't know where that is in the Threadzilla.
Never fill your brine to brim leave about 2/3 inches to allow for expansion. I also use cabbage leaf push down throat of jar cup down to encase mash stops mash from pushing by. Tablespoon per cup of water way to much.
Local brewery supplies should get you "whitelab" lactobacillus delbrueckii WLP677" this is what I use never a problem. About 5$ then I use live cultures from existing ferments! :)

Are your friends THP MEMBERS and do they ferment? If done correctly!!!! You'll have an anaerobic environment that will only allow for the good bacteria to grow. Tell yer friends to join THP and get the facts :)
Most people have trouble due to opening the fermentation to add or check. Don't open till ready to process.
I use white zin for my brine.

Potato I used to remove salt from sauce if to salty while cooking down sauce add peeled potato and let cook with sauce potato will absorb excess salt. This I learned from RocketMan.

Hope this helps!!
 
Deschet said:
Thanks guys. The bubbles stopped today. Good smell. Hot as hell. We'll chalk this up to a good first try with frozen peppers. I'll likely cut up the rest of the peppers in the freezer and add some fresh ones and this time not open it at all.

But... question. It looks like the peppers are all starting to rise out of the water. Would you weight them down or just fill the water to the brim?

I'm going to run the batch I have through the food mill tomorrow and see what comes out. Add some vinegar and bottle.

Any other pointers would be awesome.
Yeah. No apologies needed. Threadjack away, guys! Now that I know how to make an airlock jar... I just need to grow more peppers. Mine are not the prodigious sons of bitches they were last summer.

As a general rule is one tablespoon of salt per cup of water good? Is there a way I can buy an easy lacto starter at the local beer store?
Also. Botulism concerns. My friend keeps saying botulism grows in a sealed environment like an airlock. Any secrets to this not happening?

Other question: I've heard of using wine as a brine. What about a fruit juice for a fruit sauce?
Also. Peeled potato? I don't know where that is in the Threadzilla.
 
You will normally get a 'rise and fall' with ferments; the mash/peppers will rise as the lacto expels CO2 (lifting the peppers) and then fall as the gas escapes.  It's after the settling of ingredients that you'll know your ferment is close to being finished or ready to process.
 
When ferments are finished I normally do not add any vinegar when processing - the tang/acid is already there through fermentation.  Nevertheless I understand/respect you wanting to be safe with your first attempt.   :)
 
I use salt only (no starters) by weight of blended mash since I'm not using brine like you would with slices or chunks of peppers.  Your question referred to brine though, and it is indeed correct at 1 tbsp salt per cup of brine.  <-- That's a very strong brine though and you can easily reduce the salt percentage, especially if you use starters like whey or lacto capsules to help get it started.  I refer back to this page when looking for brine concentrations.
 
Your friend is correct that botulism can grow in an anaerobic environment but also keep in mind fermentation is one of the oldest and safest food preservation techniques known to man.  Provided you are clean and safe there is little chance of you hurting yourself or others with fermented hot sauce - but remember you've got to be clean and safe.  I remember I was very skeptical and afraid trying my first few batches of fermented hot sauce - made with knowledge gleaned primarily from here - and now it's become almost second nature.  Some links of interest on botulism can be found here and here.  Mostly that is a concern of low acid foods, while fermented hot sauce is quite high in acidity.
 
re: Wine for brine - I've never done it and can't offer anything.
 
re: fruit juice - I have used fruit juice in fermenting recipes with good results, though I tend to allow them more time to ferment.  As a general rule most of my ferments run for 3-4 weeks and then go into the fridge unless I plan on bottling, at which point I will cook down and process/hot fill/hold.  Ferments with more sugars can run much longer - up to 60 days or longer.
 
re: potato - this is a cooking trick I've seen used with success before in soups and stews.  I credit Rocketman for popularizing it on THP and it does indeed work.  To wit; IF your sauce is too saltly, add a peeled potato to the sauce while it simmers.  By the time the potato is fork tender it will have leached out a good deal of salt from the sauce.  Remove the potato (make hash!) and then proceed with your processing as normal.  
 
If you've already read the fermenting 101 thread I would suggest searching and reading up on posts by Rocketman and Chili Monsta.  Both are incredibly knowledgeable and have been kind enough to share their own tips and tricks with the rest of this community.  The cabbage leaf at the top trick that Old Salty mentions above was taken from Chili Monsta and is something I use on most ferments.
 
I also made an introductory to fermenting with step by step instruction/recipe post a while back, you can find it here.  Your first foray into fermentation was ambitious indeed; 30 reapers is quite the challenge for most taste buds.   :)   Above all keep at it - fermentation is a game changer when it comes to hot sauce.  
 
SmokenFire said:
 
You will normally get a 'rise and fall' with ferments; the mash/peppers will rise as the lacto expels CO2 (lifting the peppers) and then fall as the gas escapes.  It's after the settling of ingredients that you'll know your ferment is close to being finished or ready to process.
 
When ferments are finished I normally do not add any vinegar when processing - the tang/acid is already there through fermentation.  Nevertheless I understand/respect you wanting to be safe with your first attempt.   :)
 
I use salt only (no starters) by weight of blended mash since I'm not using brine like you would with slices or chunks of peppers.  Your question referred to brine though, and it is indeed correct at 1 tbsp salt per cup of brine.  <-- That's a very strong brine though and you can easily reduce the salt percentage, especially if you use starters like whey or lacto capsules to help get it started.  I refer back to this page when looking for brine concentrations.
 
Your friend is correct that botulism can grow in an anaerobic environment but also keep in mind fermentation is one of the oldest and safest food preservation techniques known to man.  Provided you are clean and safe there is little chance of you hurting yourself or others with fermented hot sauce - but remember you've got to be clean and safe.  I remember I was very skeptical and afraid trying my first few batches of fermented hot sauce - made with knowledge gleaned primarily from here - and now it's become almost second nature.  Some links of interest on botulism can be found here and here.  Mostly that is a concern of low acid foods, while fermented hot sauce is quite high in acidity.
 
re: Wine for brine - I've never done it and can't offer anything.
 
re: fruit juice - I have used fruit juice in fermenting recipes with good results, though I tend to allow them more time to ferment.  As a general rule most of my ferments run for 3-4 weeks and then go into the fridge unless I plan on bottling, at which point I will cook down and process/hot fill/hold.  Ferments with more sugars can run much longer - up to 60 days or longer.
 
re: potato - this is a cooking trick I've seen used with success before in soups and stews.  I credit Rocketman for popularizing it on THP and it does indeed work.  To wit; IF your sauce is too saltly, add a peeled potato to the sauce while it simmers.  By the time the potato is fork tender it will have leached out a good deal of salt from the sauce.  Remove the potato (make hash!) and then proceed with your processing as normal.  
 
If you've already read the fermenting 101 thread I would suggest searching and reading up on posts by Rocketman and Chili Monsta.  Both are incredibly knowledgeable and have been kind enough to share their own tips and tricks with the rest of this community.  The cabbage leaf at the top trick that Old Salty mentions above was taken from Chili Monsta and is something I use on most ferments.
 
I also made an introductory to fermenting with step by step instruction/recipe post a while back, you can find it here.  Your first foray into fermentation was ambitious indeed; 30 reapers is quite the challenge for most taste buds.   :)   Above all keep at it - fermentation is a game changer when it comes to hot sauce.  
 
 
 
Awesome dude. Thanks. Question, though. If the sauce is fermented, do I actually need to boil it down? I've been wondering if this would take some of the flavor away, essentially making this a non-living sauce. My friend has been fermenting for a few years and made a Reaper sauce last year using only fermented Reapers pressed through a food mill. It was insanely good.
 
Tasting notes from the first sauce. Brutal. Just brutal. I scoured the pan, soaked it and ran it through the dishwasher and, upon making soup in it a few days later, it was still spicy. Insane! But that's Reapers for ya...
 
I had a few friends try the sauce and basically they said that, for the first 4.75 seconds, it was delicious. Then the pain hit and lasted for a bit. I offered them ice cream. I might have neglected to mention it was strawberry habanero. Heh...
 
Oh. Third link went back to botulism. I'd like to check out your method, though.
 
Link fixt.  You'll need to cook down if you plan on bottling - if you're not bottling for others then you can keep it at room temp/in the fridge - but if you're bottling for others it might go boom if they hold it for a while and then open unless it's been cooked before processing. :)
 
SmokenFire said:
Link fixt.  You'll need to cook down if you plan on bottling - if you're not bottling for others then you can keep it at room temp/in the fridge - but if you're bottling for others it might go boom if they hold it for a while and then open unless it's been cooked before processing. :)
 
 
Hmm... go boom? Interesting. I'd guess if you added white vinegar it might be a bit less likely to do that. 
 
Deschet said:
 
 
Hmm... go boom? Interesting. I'd guess if you added white vinegar it might be a bit less likely to do that. 
Go boom as in explode when they open it - thus the cooking.  I know not if adding vinegar to a live ferment will stop fermentation and thus eliminate the chances for boom.  ;)  
 
You might be OK with a little boom but if you plan on giving some to friends you should definitely cook it. You'll probably go through the sauce quicker than them.

Case in point. I just opened a jar the other day i forgot I had in the fridge. There was A LOT of pressure built up and the mason jar lid had a reeeeaaallllyyyyy decent pop. Enough to make me stop and think about it.

Botulism..... You'll know when something is awry. You'll smell it. At that point, don't even think about it. Chuck it.

I bought a SFRB at a charity. I paid 30 for it. I fermented for a couple months and didn't move to the fridge after the first two weeks. I opened it up and it smelled bad. Not that tart, sweet umami I wanted. It smelled.... Sickeningly sweet and bad. I said " eh... Let's cook down and see.." After the Cook the smell remained so I tasted it. Didn't taste right. It killed me, but I didn't hesitate to chuck 30 bucks in the trash.

See the thing is most food borne botulism cases don't kill but I can't afford to miss work for a week and not pay my rent or feed my kids.

These guys here know what they're talking about.

When I first started making sauce I was told to listen to Rocketman and Smokenfire exclusively. The more I see OldSalty the more I see he knows his shit too.

These guys will teach you how to make that bomb ass sauce!!!

Thanks guys!!

Oh yeah Deschet, that ferment looks killer!! Keep up the good work, I know its gonna taste righteous !!!!
 
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