Questions on sauce storage.

pH is the most important thing, can't read that of an recipe. Best is to keep it under 3.8. Storage unopened is roomtemp, after that the refrigerator is recommended unless you made a sauce that good that you finish it within a couple of days. Also important, keep it away from light.

With the amount of vinegar you have, I would think your PH levels will be safe.  Just make sure to sterilize the bottles and follow the hot-fill method.  But please check the ph to be certain.   If you have any concerns, just refrigerate immediately.

That seems like a lot of vinegar in the second recipe, plus with the addition of lime juice.  I'd probably start with 3/4-1C. vinegar, and taste-test the sauce before adding more.

Would this be good for checking ph levels?
 
http://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ-Measurement-Resolution/dp/B002C0A7ZY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419796806&sr=8-1&keywords=digital+ph+meter

cayenneman said:

Would this be good for checking ph levels?
 
http://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ-Measurement-Resolution/dp/B002C0A7ZY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419796806&sr=8-1&keywords=digital+ph+meter

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Provided you test at 77 degrees (f) then that meter should be fine.  If you want temperature compensation step up to TDS-3.  As has been stated, with the amount of vinegar you have going in those recipes you should be fine for pH - it's just best to be safe is all   And good on you for reading the hot sauce thread!  Lots of great info here.

both recipes look like they have a good amount of vinegar. 
 
For storage- if the processes outlined in Making Hot Sauce 101 are followed, the bottles can be stored at room temp, keeping out of sunlight will help preserve color, and just for safety, refrigerate after opening if you are unsure or have any question about the pH levels.
 
For both of those recipes, as they are posted, they will not make much volume of sauce.  The habanero one might make 2 bottles, the jalapeno might make 3-4 bottles.  Hopefully you have enough chiles to multiply the recipe to the number of bottles you want.  Jalapenos and Habaneros should be available at local stores this time of year...even in Kentucky. 
 

 
and have fun!

SmokenFire said:

Provided you test at 77 degrees (f) then that meter should be fine.  If you want temperature compensation step up to TDS-3.

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The TDS-3 looks affordable. What do you mean by temperature compensation? You can check at any temperature or higher temps or ...? Thanks!

Roguejim said:

That seems like a lot of vinegar in the second recipe, plus with the addition of lime juice.  I'd probably start with 3/4-1C. vinegar, and taste-test the sauce before adding more.

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Thanks for the advice!

salsalady said:

 
For both of those recipes, as they are posted, they will not make much volume of sauce.  The habanero one might make 2 bottles, the jalapeno might make 3-4 bottles. 
 
and have fun!

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Thanks for the heads up. I will multiply my recipe. If I'd gone to all that effort for two bottles I'd have been pi$$ed!

I don't want to derail this conversation, nor start an argument, but the subject of pH meters came up.  The general consensus seems to be that meters are superior to test strips.  I believe salsalady has said as much.  The resident THP ex-biochemist, Dr. Carter, on the other hand, had this to say about test strips.
 
"They work fine for all aqueous solutions and we used them a great deal in the lab."  He was referring to these particular strips manufactured by Merk in Germany.
http://cookingdistrict.com/store/seac.nsf/products/6C2EC3A000D27EBF85257C8300760609?opendocument
 
I'll be using strips when my fermented sauces are ready.

Test strips are definitely better than nothing at all.  Not everyone can get a good meter and the solutions that go with it, so $9.99 for test trips is a huge step in the right direction.  My cautions are- if a sauce is in a marginal range (3.5-4.0) I would not rely on test strips to make a food safety determination.  If the sauce is reading below 3.5, that's a good range and will give the sauce maker some confidence in the safety of their sauce.  My other concern with using test strips in a sauce...the ingredients of the sauce can discolor the test strip and the strip may not show the actual color of the test.  As long as people are aware, then test strips can be an affordable and very helpful tool. 
 

cayenneman said:

The TDS-3 looks affordable. What do you mean by temperature compensation? You can check at any temperature or higher temps or ...? Thanks!

Thanks for the advice!

Thanks for the heads up. I will multiply my recipe. If I'd gone to all that effort for two bottles I'd have been pi$$ed!

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I hear you about working up a sauce and ending up with 1 cup of sauce!  That would of been a real pisser~~~
 
For the meter- some pH meters do not work on hot/heated product.  They have a temperature range, such as not over 100F or something.  So when working with a sauce and cooking it down, and you want to check the pH....you can't just scoop some boiling sauce out of the pot and do a pH test.  Some more expensive meters will work with heated sauce, but most entry level meters will not work in the heated sauce.  The sauce must be cooled before being tested. 
 
One trick is to have a small ceramic or SS cup in the freezer (think of the little cups tarter sauce, horseradish etc, gets served in at restaurants).  You can put a teaspoon of sauce into the cold cup, the sauce will cool quicky and a pH test can be done quickly without putting a bit of sauce in the refer....waiting for it to cool down enough to use a pH meter.....