fermenting After fermentation additions

[Fatalii_Llama]

Hello everyone, I have a great yield coming to a close soon and have been fermenting (brine method) a lot of fun concoctions to try. I have a few questions that I am still unclear on from a safety/shelf stable standpoint that i want to achieve. Please note that all my ferments so far have been solid and below 4.0 . 
 
1. Can lime juice concentrate be used for taste or instead of vinegar to bring acidity down if the ferment comes out a little higher than id like?
 
2. Can dried additives be safely added at the end of a fermentation and not cause sickness? these would be sauces left out on the counter with acidity at 4 or below upon final mixed testing.  Example: dried herbs, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper powders, etc. 
 
3. If fermentation is below the 4.0 mark, I do not technically have to add any other acidity/preservative to the sauce (vinegar etc) and will still be shelf stable correct?
 
4. Does anyone ever save any finished brine from a ferment as a starter for another ferment?
 
thank you so much for help!

 

[sirex]

1. You can add whatever you like.
2. Yes. As long as pH is low enough.
3. I believe it is actually 4.6 but most shoot for below 4 fo additional ease of mind. However, if you don't pasteurize it in time the ferment can keep fermenting even at a snail's pace and cause a time bomb situation.
4. Yes. A lot of people save brine as a starter.

 

[Fatalii_Llama]

1. You can add whatever you like.
2. Yes. As long as pH is low enough.
3. I believe it is actually 4.6 but most shoot for below 4 fo additional ease of mind. However, if you don't pasteurize it in time the ferment can keep fermenting even at a snail's pace and cause a time bomb situation.
4. Yes. A lot of people save brine as a starter.

Thanks so much for the response to my questions! I guess I never thought about the fact that it would continue to ferment. I kinda doubt any would be left within the year so I am not sure if it would matter a whole lot or not? Regardless, if I did want to pasteurize, would I just place my filled hot sauce bottles in a hot water bath for a period of time to heat the sauce up and kill the process?

 

[sirex]

No. Pasteurization is simply heating the product to, usually, less than boiling to kill pathogens. For example with milk I believe the FDA says 145f for 30 min, or 162f for 15 seconds.
 
 
So for us, a lot of people hold 180f-200f for 15 min and then hot fill. Hot filling is taking sanitized bottles filling them with hot sauce that is ~200f screwing the lid on and inverting the bottle. The bottle filled with hot sauce will heat the tiny volume of air in there and make it safe. Many heat their bottles in the oven and use the heat to sanitize as well as keep the bottle and contents hot when filling.

 

[ShowMeDaSauce]

If lacto has enough sugar to convert to acid it will hit 3.6pH without a problem. Problem is lacto bacteria can still be active down to 3.2pH or less. You either need to get to around 3pH, pasteurize or keep it refrigerated. After having a fermented bottle bomb go off i dont take chances anymore. Probiotic benefits from hot sauce are not high on my list. Easy enough to get that from other sources much cheaper/safer.
 
Adjust pH to taste and pasteurize. Hot fill bottles but after its opened it goes in the fridge.
 
IIRC fresh lime juice is around 2.4pH. It will certainly work but the flavor is very noticeable. Its quite good in many hot sauces. I normally just use a vinegar to adjust fermented sauces unless i want that flavor.
 
I keep brine from other ferments as a starter. They will last for ages in the fridge. I would just make some kraut if you really want to save something like that. The kraut just keeps getting better in the fridge and you have a ready source of a starter if needed.

 

[Fatalii_Llama]

Well..... i think in some ways I am now more confused than I was before haha. Thanks to the member that have responded so thoroughly to my questions. Let me unfortunately spit a couple more now:
 
1. Moving forward I will do the hot fill method using sterilized jars. That will make them shelf stable until I open them. After that, I will refrigerate the sauce. I assume it will last for a long time in the fridge right? 6+ months refrigerated at 4.0 PH?
 
2. Would this method be just as safe for fresh peppers and veggies that I cook down into a sauce (non fermented) and then adjust acidity with citrus or vinegar? I get confused on fermented vs standard sauce making due to freshness of items being cooked and held at temperature. 
 
3. My recent sauce I made has been out on a shelf. Its a buffalo sauce and loaded with vinegar. PH is 3.5, but I havent been refrigerating it. I use it daily almost.... is this one safe or should I just chuck it now?