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fermenting Ferment help- how to tell if something if off?

Hi guys, so its been about three weeks into my second ferment, the first went well. One of my jars in this second ferment contains peppers and garlic, while the other has star fruit added as well. Each of the jars has 7% salt to mash ratio. The pepper/garlic jar has about twice as much water to mash ratio as the one with star fruit. The pepper/garlic mash started bubbling like crazy after 2 days while the starfruit ferement took acouple more days and never really bubbled like crazy, (it did bubble though). The start fruit ferment had a keeps getting a white layer over it so i scooped it out and added about a 1/2 oz of white wine vinegar. The pepper/garlic ferment smells great but the starfruit ferment smells really sour.
 
Is this sour smell normal? how can i tell if it went bad? I feel like it has but i really dont know what something that has gone off smells like? (i dont really eat many veggies and have a shitty sense of smell)
 
recap:
 
Garlic/chilli mash:
-7% salt to mash
-lots of water
-smells great
-bubbled liked crazy, slowing down now
 
Garlic/starfruit/chilli
-7% salt to mash
-just enough water to cover the mash
-smells like sour milk (not as nasty but very sour)
-bubbling but not like crazy
-white krem?
-added abit of vinegar acouple days ago
 
Wow!! Well first white stuff sounds like Kahm yeast not harmful but may impart flavor. As far as sour smell is it like pickles sour sweet. If a ferment goes bad smells horrifying. You really need to take some pics. If you see dark mold it's ruined. Pics pics pics!! Sound like everything is working.

Fellow fermenting friends please don't open your jars!! This is a major no No!! Let them run then decide what to do.

Why did you remove the star fruit? Don't add vinegar to a working ferment. Counter productive. And if your seriously worried just toss and start again. Better safe than sorry. :) everything you did sounds ok. Remember Kahm yeast is not harmful and please people ph check your ferments at their finish.

Please post some pics so members have a visual representation of the problems. Easier to give a correct answer when we can see the problem. :)

So don't panic get some pics and keep us posted Gilthefish!! :)
 
sorry, i didnt actually remove the star fruit, just the kahm or white yeast layer. There is mold on acouple of the seeds but on the whole it looks ok. wish i could post pics but havent figured that out yet. might have to restart my photobooth account.

anyways, all is good. frements are looking ok and i started up acouple more with garlic and ginger. now the waiting game :)
 
Gilthefish said:
sorry, i didnt actually remove the star fruit, just the kahm or white yeast layer. There is mold on acouple of the seeds but on the whole it looks ok. wish i could post pics but havent figured that out yet. might have to restart my photobooth account.
anyways, all is good. frements are looking ok and i started up acouple more with garlic and ginger. now the waiting game :)
Yes photobooth or tiny pic works well. Really helps. Also invest in ph pen. :)
 
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