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It's bubbling away

Datil Patch

Datil Patch

Ok so I decided to give fermenting a try. I steam sterilized all the glass. I gave everything else a bath in vodka, then let it dry. No I didn't waste too much vodka...

I initially chopped the peppers into quarters, and added 6% pickling salt by weight and added some Jarrod-ophilous from the health food store (6 types of probiotic fermenters), and set it all to go with an airlock on top, and it was kinda fizzing around the edges.

however there was way more peppers than there was liquid, since I only quartered the things, I unscrewed the blender, and sterilized the gasket and blades, and base assembly, and treaded it onto my mason jar, and spun it up. Due to a little tightness issue with the blender assembly (not torquing it down enough to reseat the blade assembly into the screw base), I ended up adding a cup of water, plus a tablespoon of pickling salt + another Jarrod-ophilous. I blinded myself twice doing this...

The pint of mash is just bubbling along. Has been for a week now. How do I know that I am actually growing good stuff in there, short of sending it to a lab for testing. Frankly I am not really of the mind to just dip a spoon into pure scorp mash and give it a go.
I figure I can pull a sample to pH, but other than telling me the pH may be in the safe range, how do I know I am not actually culturing something wild as opposed to what I tossed in there?

Will post pics later.

referenced this site for pickling info:
http://www.pickl-it.com/blog/410/3-way%20pickled%20peppers/
 
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Vodka (alcohol) was used as a surface sterilant for parts that could not be steam or hot bath sterilized, like the lid of the ferminting jar, the airlock, the airlock-lid gasket, the rubber gasket for the blinder, the counter top...
 
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Greetings DP,
Even without any pics....from what you describe (the amount of probiotic starter...and ...that its bubbling away")combined with using an airlock...there is very little chance that anything other than the "good stuff" could survive.
The week of bubbling has created the necessary c02 to force oxygen out of the air lock.
Longer ferments continually drive down the pH levels, increase the depth of flavors and mellow the bite that often accompany's a fresh raw pepper.
Over the next few weeks, the bubbling action will slow down to a point where it may not even be noticeable, even though the fermentation action is still underway.
At that time , it can be refrigerated, and used as wanted, while an "ultra- slow" fermentation continues.
The mash will keep in the fridge for months and months (I've got two that are close to a year old)...if you can leave it alone that long.
 
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Wondertwin said:
oh ok i am sorry i thought you meant you gave the peppers a vodka bath
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That's a good thought too as long as you did it before cutting them up. It would kill off any rouge bacteria that is on the skin. I usually give peppers and toms a few minutes soak in water with peroxide for that same reason when I am making batches of salsa.
 
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Chili Monsta said:
Greetings DP,
Even without any pics....from what you describe (the amount of probiotic starter...and ...that its bubbling away")combined with using an airlock...there is very little chance that anything other than the "good stuff" could survive.
The week of bubbling has created the necessary c02 to force oxygen out of the air lock.
Longer ferments continually drive down the pH levels, increase the depth of flavors and mellow the bite that often accompany's a fresh raw pepper.
Over the next few weeks, the bubbling action will slow down to a point where it may not even be noticeable, even though the fermentation action is still underway.
At that time , it can be refrigerated, and used as wanted, while an "ultra- slow" fermentation continues.
The mash will keep in the fridge for months and months (I've got two that are close to a year old)...if you can leave it alone that long.
Click to expand...


Thanks,

I opened it on the urging of a biologist friend and it smelled tangy, Scorpy, and hot. He was devilishly advising me to taste it. But I don't want to be down for 3 days from gastric distress from the resulting indegestion or heaven forbid, food poisoning.

He offered to test a sample, by taste, by chromatograph, and with HPLC. Maybe I will take him up on that.
 
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Datil Patch said:
Thanks,

I opened it on the urging of a biologist friend and it smelled tangy, Scorpy, and hot. He was devilishly advising me to taste it. But I don't want to be down for 3 days from gastric distress from the resulting indegestion or heaven forbid, food poisoning.

He offered to test a sample, by taste, by chromatograph, and with HPLC. Maybe I will take him up on that.
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If it didn't smell funky and make you want to puke....my guess is everything is normal.
There will be absolutely no doubt if you have a batch that has gone bad....you won't want to be in the same building let alone eat it. I know several other family and friends like myself...who ferment veggies year round. I can't recall the last time(its been years) that anyone has mentioned having a ferment go bad on them. They might have not liked the resulting flavor....but nothing spoiled during the process.
Did you happen to check the pH level?
 
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Datil Patch said:
I just checked the pH. It is 3.5pH. I double calibrated the Eco pH2 tester before taking the reading.
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By my clock....its been approximately 72 hours since you started this batch...and you are already at 3.5?
That's moving right along...which is expected this time of the year. Any idea what the actual room temperature happens to be? You could probably move it to the refrigerator soon to let the aging begin.
Did your biologist friend do any lab tests?
 
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No, I am at 8 days now. I started it last Thusday, but didn't post for a few days, till I started screwing around with the blinder, and had my little accident with it. I also used 6 types of probiotic criters, not the freeze dried variety.

I tried to fit the jar and airlock into the fridge but the dang thing is too tall. I might change off the lid to a regular plastic mason jar storage lid, and then tuck it in the fridge.

I haven't had time to draw of a sample to take across town to him. Perhaps this weekend I can do it.

Apparantly whatever I have done, it is working despite my best efforts to screw it up. It smells Good and HOT!
 
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Datil Patch said:
No, I am at 8 days now. I started it last Thusday, but didn't post for a few days, till I started screwing around with the blinder, and had my little accident with it. I also used 6 types of probiotic criters, not the freeze dried variety.

I tried to fit the jar and airlock into the fridge but the dang thing is too tall. I might change off the lid to a regular plastic mason jar storage lid, and then tuck it in the fridge.

I haven't had time to draw of a sample to take across town to him. Perhaps this weekend I can do it.

Apparantly whatever I have done, it is working despite my best efforts to screw it up. It smells Good and HOT!
Click to expand...
Well...congrats, and a tip of the glass to you and your success. Now its all about patience.
(BTW...I always remove my airlock/lid when moving a batch to the fridge...I'd replace with a plastic storage lid and just make sure to keep the contents submerged.)
 
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too bad i live so far away from you. Otherwise i would try to trick my wife into tasting it. If she lives its good to go. If not try another batch. :rofl: P.S. if she sees this post i will have two black eyes :eek:
 
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