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My first hot sauce, started 30 minutes ago! Home smoked Jalepenos/Habaneros! Need some advice.

chris5h

chris5h

So first off, I love this forum.  This is my first post after a long time of lurking and reading.
 
All told, I have about 4 - 5 punds of peppers.  About a 3 to 1 mix of my friends home grown habaneros to store bought jalepenos.
 
I decided to stem and seed all the peppers as I want this to be a nice smokey sauce, with a good bite but not too extreme, and I want to reinforce some sweet notes.
 
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As of about 9am my time (30 minutes ago) I have them smoking.  I am cold smoking them with my electric smoker as to not cook them too much (about 75 degrees-ish with lots of smoke on a cool So. Cal morning).
 
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My goal, after they have smoked for a few hours, is to buzz them with some carrot, apple, and lots of garlic into a mash.  Then I want to try ferment that.
 
For fermenting, I want to use whey.  I got some whole fat goat milk yogurt from my local grocery store and that is my first question.  How much whey do I need to start the process?
 
Also, as far as salt and vinegar, how much do I need to add first, if any?  I know I need to add salt to prevent mold but what about the vinegar?
 
Any other suggestions from the pros out there?
 
Thanks anyone!!!
 
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Don't add vinegar till ferment is done and ready to process. Vinegar is a natural antibacterial will stop fermentation process. As far as salt I use 2 tbsp per 1/2 gallon of water. Lately I've been using Riesling or white zin for brine and cabbage leaf for my weight to keep mash below brine. At that temp I smoked my peppers for 4/6 hours. What are you using for smoke I love cherry and pecan or Apple and pecan. The cabbage is great for stopping yeast development and helps kick off fermentation.
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:)
 
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Thanks oldsalty.  I thought I had to add the vinegar before, I almost ruined my recipe.
 
Here is the haul, after smoking at the above temp for about 5 hours plus.  It contains all my peppers and carrots which have been smoked, plus 4 apples and a bulb of garlic, all give a spin in the cuisinart.  A little salt, the whey, and some h2o were added as well.
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And of course here is the money shot  :D:
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After I scooped them into my glass jars I hit them with the stick blender to get a little smoother consistancy.  Now just a matter of waiting and hoping it doesnt mold.
 
Hey experts, how long until I should start seeing bubbles?  
 
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Never have used that whey before but anywhere from 2 to 10 days that's just to be safe might start by morning. Every time it could be different. How much whey did you add? Post some pictures of your jars. Did you leave a couple of inches for head space to allow mash to rise and fall? :)
 
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You're off to a good start.  Have you checked out the Fermenting 101 thread?  tons of good info there.  Using a whey starter you should see bubbles in as little as 12 hours to 3 days.
 
++ to not adding vinegar right now!  A bit of salt in the water, using cabbage leaves to hold the pulp down, good blend of chiles, ( round yellows with black seeds=rocoto.)
 
What are you using for the air-lock issue?  Some use bubblers, some burp daily....
 
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I dont have an airlock, so I am going to just burp them.  Thanks again, for the rocoto pointer.  I had never heard of them much less were able to ID them.  My friend had said they were habaneros so I just went with it. :)
 
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Here are my jars...
 
Two small Mason jars....
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And one big ole' glass jar
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Family shot
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The mash is the consistancy of about oatmeal.  Is this not enough liquid?
 
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How should I make the brine? Is it just salt ways?

**EDIT**

Just reread the first post and Read two tablespoons salt to twocups water. Should I just pour a little on top or should I mix some in?
 
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chris5h said:
How should I make the brine? Is it just salt ways?
**EDIT**
Just reread the first post and Read two tablespoons salt to twocups water. Should I just pour a little on top or should I mix some in?
Click to expand...
2tbsp salt to 1/2 gallon of water non tap or the wine I mentioned.
Is your mash doing anything I see small bubbles. How tight are those tops.
 
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I really dig the color of your mash, and looking at your process it looks like it's gonna be delicious
 
As others have mentionned you do need more liquid in there though, I would add water to soak the whole thing until the water level is over the mash
Also, judging from the thickness of your mash, it may rise a bit. I've done processed mash like this once and I didn't really see that many bubbles but the whole thing kind of just expanded, as opposed to solids in brine in which you can see the bubbles moving.
 
I'm not sure but just to be sure you may want to add another teaspoon of starter once you soaked your thing in liquid, just to be sure. Since there's apples in there there should be plenty of sugar and the fermentation shouldn't take long to start
 
 
Keep the updates posted!
 
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I think this thing is really going.  I am some bubbles for up the side, especially on the big jar since it has the "ribs" design, and when I crack the lid to relieve the pressure I get a satisfying little whoosh.  I give the mash a good tap and it frees up some bubbles that gently float to the top.  And the smokey smell is still amazing every time i crack it.
 
Now I just need to decide how I am going to finish it when it is done fermenting.  I am think a little tequila and vinegar, and some agave to add a little sweet.
 
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chris5h said:
I think this thing is really going.  I am some bubbles for up the side, especially on the big jar since it has the "ribs" design, and when I crack the lid to relieve the pressure I get a satisfying little whoosh.  I give the mash a good tap and it frees up some bubbles that gently float to the top.  And the smokey smell is still amazing every time i crack it.
 
Now I just need to decide how I am going to finish it when it is done fermenting.  I am think a little tequila and vinegar, and some agave to add a little sweet.
Click to expand...
 
Oh yeah baby!  
 
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Man this thing is really fermenting away now.  I thought I had the lids loose, but they still seal so I have to crack them open to burp them.  The little puff of smoke scent that is kicked out is magical.  I cant believe what has happened in a week.    
 
Now I find myself pouring over recipes on what to do when they are done fermenting, and for that matter how long to ferment.  
 
I want to give it out in nice woozy bottles for Xmas, so I was thinking let it ferment for 6 weeks, then add vinegar and some tequila, blend until really smooth, cook then strain, and let mellow for a but longer, before cooking again to sanitize and bottle, maybe the weekend before Xmas.
 
Any suggestions on additional ingredients?  I was thinking about adding some heavily roasted garlic and caramelized onion right before cooking to enhance sweetness.  
 
Does anyone have any suggestions on what vinegar to use?  I've seen lots of plain white used here going through the recipe section.
 
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with the color of your original ferment, I'd suggest balsamic vinegar.  It usually has a higher % acidity (which means you can use less to achieve the desired results) and has a sweeter flavor.  With some roasted garlic and caramelized onions added at the end...I think that would be a great combination!  Shouldn't need much agave or sugar component.
 
Let us know what you do and how it turns out.
 
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