fermenting 18 month ferment, what ingredients?

[drimnarr]

I've got a ferment of 18 months consisting of Brazilian Starfish peppers, and I need to know what ingredients I should use to maximize flavor without overpowering. I've got an award winning* recipe of garlic, lemon juice, and onion powder but it overpowers the peppers, and I feel this long ferment deserves something that will be flavorful but not overshadow the peppers.
 
My hot sauce used to taste like a hot flavorless paste if I didn't add enough ingredients, so it needs to be enough to taste good but I really want to bring out the flavor of the ferment.
 
Thanks!
 
 
 
*Has not actually won any recognized award

 

[DontPanic]

Are you adding the garlic, lemon juice, and onion powder at the beginning of the ferment, or at the end of the ferment?
 
I wouldn't want to add the lemon juice at the beginning.  The extra acidity might deter the bacteria from doing their job.
 
If you're adding all these ingredients at the end, I could see where it would impart a strong flavor.

 

[peppersproutfarm]

I make a Louisiana hot sauce out of Brazilian starfish peppers. The pepper itself gives all the flavor you need. The only ingredients are peppers vinegar salt. I also can't help but wonder if you're adding the ingredients like onion and garlic to your ferment or fresh because fresh ingredients lend a much sharper flavor versus fermented with the peppers. Pictured is my Brazilian starfish sauce. Of course I only let my ferment go for about 30 days. yours would have so much more depth of flavor because of your patience.

 

[drimnarr]

Are you adding the garlic, lemon juice, and onion powder at the beginning of the ferment, or at the end of the ferment?
 
I wouldn't want to add the lemon juice at the beginning.  The extra acidity might deter the bacteria from doing their job.
 
If you're adding all these ingredients at the end, I could see where it would impart a strong flavor.

 
I just mentioned those ingredients because that's what I usually do, and they are added after the ferment, but it's a really strong flavor that overshadows the peppers.
 

I make a Louisiana hot sauce out of Brazilian starfish peppers. The pepper itself gives all the flavor you need. The only ingredients are peppers vinegar salt. I also can't help but wonder if you're adding the ingredients like onion and garlic to your ferment or fresh because fresh ingredients lend a much sharper flavor versus fermented with the peppers. Pictured is my Brazilian starfish sauce. Of course I only let my ferment go for about 30 days. yours would have so much more depth of flavor because of your patience.

 
 
When I first started fermenting and simply added salt and vinegar, my hot sauce tasted like a hot flavorless paste. It literally did not taste like anything. I don't know what I did wrong. I need to bring out the flavor of the ferment without making a kaleidoscope of flavors that overwhelm the natural fermented flavor.

 

[peppersproutfarm]

Do you use brine in your ferment? Or are you just doing mash method by mixing salt with chopped up peppers? If you're using brine I would suggest not using any vinegar and only mixing in the brine with the peppers when you pasteurize your sauce.

 

[drimnarr]

Do you use brine in your ferment? Or are you just doing mash method by mixing salt with chopped up peppers? If you're using brine I would suggest not using any vinegar and only mixing in the brine with the peppers when you pasteurize your sauce.

 
I use the brine method. I usually only add a few tablespoons of vinegar to give it an extra twang, but I can try it without. Thank you for the suggestion!

 

[peppersproutfarm]

I use the brine method. I usually only add a few tablespoons of vinegar to give it an extra twang, but I can try it without. Thank you for the suggestion!

You can also try using a milder vinegar. Such as rice vinegar. It is very mild to the palate while still giving you a little bit of that "twang" that you want