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fermenting MikeUSMC's Ferments (pic heavy)

MikeUSMC

MikeUSMC

What's up, gang! Hope you don't mind, but I was kinda hoping to set up shop here, with the fermenting crew! Just officially joined THP today, but I've been lurking for quite some time, and you guys gave me enough confidence to start making/bottling my own stuff. Huge thanks in advance to all of you guys! You guys rock.

Anyway, here's a few concoctions I've been working on for the last year or so. All hobby stuff; mostly gifts for friends and family. A lot of these have been bottled up and given away already, but I thought I'd share what I've been working on so far. Here goes.....

My signature sauce ("Original Recipe"):
Douglahs, Chocolate Scotch Bonnets, pineapple, raisins, sweet onion, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, agave nectar, molasses, sea salt, Moscato wine (brine), powdered LB packets (starter)


Another few-
Red: Smoked red bells, smoked Red MoAs, smoked 7 Pot Lavas, sweet potato, roasted onion, roasted garlic, honey, sea salt, Moscato brine
Green: Blackened tomatillos, blackened Poblanos, jalapeños, and Scotch Bonnets (all green), sweet onion, roasted garlic, pineapple, cilantro, agave nectar, sea salt



Hobby labels for those ^:






My latest one (just processed about a week ago, not bottled yet):
Scotch Bonnets, golden raisins, baby carrots, red onion, fresh garlic, yellow bell pepper, yellow mustard, ginger, turbinado sugar, sea salt, ground turmeric, Pinot Grigio brine

Looked crazy, hahaha


I've got a few more ideas up my sleeve, and a freezer full of pods from last season! Thanks for looking, everybody!
 
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Speaking from experience the mustard sauce and the original are great products.  :)
 
Also Mike if you ever need manzanos I readily get them here pretty cheap and can send you a few pounds.
 
That other sauce?  Say goodbye my friend.  If you second tweak hasn't fixed it chances are high that it won't ever be fixed.  Chalk it up to learning experience and be thankful the lesson isn't too expensive.  :)
 
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SmokenFire said:
Speaking from experience the mustard sauce and the original are great products.  :)
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Dru, thanks so much! That really means a lot, coming from you, brother! I've got people like you, oldsalty, Rocketman, and others to thank for any of my successes. Everything I've learned about sauce making, I learned here :cheers:

SmokenFire said:
Also Mike if you ever need manzanos I readily get them here pretty cheap and can send you a few pounds.
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That'd be awesome, man! I have a buddy in Cali that's gotten them for me before, but he's older, with some health issues, and has to use public transportation to get them. I feel really bad asking him to do me that favor anymore. I might take you up on that offer in the future. I tried growing them myself here last year, but it was too hot. By the time they set fruit, it was already October, haha. They were GIGANTIC too. Here they are in November ;)
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I ended up overwintering them, but lost the battle to aphids in March. So close! :mad:

SmokenFire said:
That other sauce?  Say goodbye my friend.  If you second tweak hasn't fixed it chances are high that it won't ever be fixed.
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I was afraid of that. Sounds like I should just dump it. I actually flew out to San Diego on vacation, back in April, and mailed 6lbs of Manzanos back to myself the day we left :mope:
Flip side to that coin is more room in the fridge for more beer :beer:
 
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MikeUSMC said:
-Bahamian Goat pods
-pineapple
-golden raisins
-turbinado sugar
-agave nectar
-fresh ginger root
-minced garlic
-Himalayan pink salt
-4g probiotics
-Moscato wine brine
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Crispee-FL said:
That's gonna be really tasty
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MikeUSMC said:
Wait til you guys see the name and label I'm coming up with for that one... :rofl:
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Don't say a word, tctenten ;) (Jets fan, right?)

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(Yes, I know about the logos, trademarks, etc. It's just a hobby sauce; nothing more)
 
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tctenten said:
Cracked open the original. Very nice job and it packed a nice punch. Nice depth of flavors that goes well with many dishes.
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Thanks Terry. I'm glad you like it, man. I really think I nailed that recipe. I absolutely love it. The only criticisms I've gotten from that so far are:

1) It could be hotter

2) Try adding a little tamarind


I can't find tamarind in the store, for the life of me, so I don't even know what it tastes like. I'm also toying with the idea of making a hotter batch with Choc Bonnets/Choc Bhutlahs vs. (the original) Choc Bonnets/Douglahs. Maybe call it Private Stock or Special Reserve or something. Personally, I like the heat level right where it is. I'm much more of a "flavor over heat" guy. But, the people have spoken, haha

I'm still waiting for "somebody" (AHEM, cough... Boss.....cough) to let me know what they think of it too. Word on the street is that he's got a super duper fine tuned palate..... :seeya:
 
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MikeUSMC said:
Thanks Terry. I'm glad you like it, man. I really think I nailed that recipe. I absolutely love it. The only criticisms I've gotten from that so far are:

1) It could be hotter

2) Try adding a little tamarind


I can't find tamarind in the store, for the life of me, so I don't even know what it tastes like. I'm also toying with the idea of making a hotter batch with Choc Bonnets/Choc Bhutlahs vs. (the original) Choc Bonnets/Douglahs. Maybe call it Private Stock or Special Reserve or something. Personally, I like the heat level right where it is. I'm much more of a "flavor over heat" guy. But, the people have spoken, haha

I'm still waiting for "somebody" (AHEM, cough... Boss.....cough) to let me know what they think of it too. Word on the street is that he's got a super duper fine tuned palate..... :seeya:
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Yeah. Pookie uses all that flowery language and shit. I think you are in the right spot with the heat, but that is so subjective.
 
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Tamarind is a sour fruit with a different flavor than citrus or vinegar. It's what gives Worcestershire sauce its tang. If you have any Asian markets out your way, you might try them. It usually comes in jars of concentrate or dried bricks. The dried bricks have lots of fibers and seeds in them, so you'd have to cut off a piece, soften it in hot water and run it through a sieve to separate them.
Cheers!

Sent from my LGL44VL using Tapatalk
 
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For anyone who's interested, this is the way I make all of my fermented sauces. Today, I made 3 rounds of my "Original Recipe" sauce. Two 'regular' ones with Choc SB + Douglahs, and one 'special' one with Choc SB + Chocolate Bhutlahs. Here's how it all went down.....

Are YOU ready?! Are YOU ready?! LET'S GET IT ON!!!!!

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Gather up all of your ingredients.....
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Don't forget the pods, lol. We're making hot sauce, remember? ;)
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Blitz everything up in the food processor (I aim for a 1/4" chop). Dump into a big mixing bowl. This is when I add all of my sugar, agave nectar, salt, spices, etc. Then give it a good stir to get everything all coated and sticky.....
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After everything is coated, that's when I add my powdered probiotic starter. I love these single serving 1g pouches. I'll add anywhere between 3-5g worth. Give it another good mix/stir to get the powder distributed throughout the whole mash.....
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Spoon the mash into your sterilized fermenting jars to just below the 'neck'.....
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Add some cabbage leaves and top with brine (white wine, in my case) until the mash is covered by 1/2" or so, leaving a couple of inches of headspace.....
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Get your lids on and the fill airlocks up with vodka (it's more sanitary than water).....
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Up, up, and away they go! Into a dark cabinet at around 85*F (optimal). Obviously, your house temp probably isn't that high, lol, so I put the jars on my seed starting heat mat.....
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Come back in 30, 60, 90, 120 days, or ten years. Up to you. Just keep a watchful eye on those air locks! You don't want them drying out.

Blend it up, check your pH, boil it up, and BOOM! Dressed to kill :party:
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:cheers:
 
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