fermenting Ferments Won't Stop! Help!

kjwalker · Oct 20, 2016

Hey guys, first thanks so much for this forum, which set me off down the road of ferments for peppers sauces. The journey has been great!

Now I have a question...how the heck do I stop a ferment from bubbling, even when adding vinegar doesn't stop it? I assumed even a little vinegar would kill the process, but guess I'm wrong. We have a pumpkin fermented sauce that becomes a volcano if left out of the fridge for any period of time. Also we have a carrot one behaving the same way.

1. Could it be our vinegar is not up to snuff?
2. Could it be our ferments aren't allowed to go long enough? We are trying quick ones like a week to two weeks so perhaps they're too healthy to stop with some vinegar?

Anyway, the great feedback is welcome....

KJ

LocalFart · Oct 20, 2016

Now I've only had experience with alcohol fermenting...

But have you tried cooling it down?

kjwalker · Oct 20, 2016

Yea of course or else we'd lose a whole bottle to the lava effect. But once it's out of the fridge....it heats up and goes off again. Kinda hard to enjoy a sauce that's actually moving. ha ha

LocalFart · Oct 20, 2016

Ahh right, yeah just thought I'd ask

With Alcohol if you cool it down to around freezing it will stop the process.

Good luck

tctenten · Oct 20, 2016

How long did you let it ferment? Sounds like you did not let it ferment long enough to me.

Hawaiianero · Oct 20, 2016

2 weeks is still early in the fermenting stage. I'd let it go until things start slowing down.

ShowMeDaSauce · Oct 20, 2016

Pasteurize is the only way unless you allow it to eat all the sugars....Well kinda...there are preservatives like potassium sorbate combined with potassium metabisulfite that should stop it after a couple days also.

Lactobacillus can handle ph down into the 2.5ish-3.0 range. It will slow down a lot starting around 3.0

dragonsfire · Oct 20, 2016

Why do you want it to stop, If the intent is to make a ferment sace then it needs to complete, and can take Months. Other wise pasteurize it.

ShowMeDaSauce · Oct 20, 2016

If you don't care about the probiotic benefits of active bacteria, just pasteurize it, adjust ph with some vinegar or lactic acid (if needed) and bottle. My hab ferment is about 90 days old now and im debating how to proceed since i do prefer the probiotics. I will probably cook down the coarse chopped fermented mash and reserve some of the brine to add back afterwards. The only real problem is i wont be able to add any sugars to adjust taste.

A non fermentable sugar like Stevia is an option though. I know yeast cant metabolize it but im not sure about lactobacillus. I doubt it can either.

kjwalker · Oct 20, 2016

Yea probably just not long enough plus we used rice vinegar, which I read is lower in acid. I don't mind the activity, it's just that it gets going so quick once it's out of the fridge. Get's a little messy.

Probably gonna cook it.