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Barrel Aged Hot Sauce

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SimonDouglas87

Just to start off i'd like to say how awesome this forum is, i've gathered some really great information and im very impressed at how knowledgable and helpful everyone is! Hopefully in time to come I can do my bit and impart a little wisdom of my own!
 
The reason I have started this thread is to tell you a little bit about my first hot sauce, and hopefully gather a little advice on the way!
 
Ok, so the hot sauce has begun it's fermentation, I currently have Cayanne peppers and Scotch Bonnets working away in my hot room, they are batched into seperate jars so I can mix them later and get the flavour im looking for. I added brine made with pure sea salt and beautiful scottish water, which I distilled, and some whey gathered from unflavoured greek yoghurt to (hopefully) get things moving along.
 
We are only a couple of weeks in so on the fermentation front there's not much else to report. Its kind of bubbly and theres the occasional hissing noise coming from the seal of the jar which im assuming is ok?
 
The plan is to ferment for 90 days, although I do have scope to go longer as I have a couple of other non hot sauce related projects to keep me ticking along. (Thoughts?) Then id like to turn it into a smooth hot sauce (Advice here is very welcome, I have white vinegar is this ok? Ratios? to cook or not to cook? PH level required to make it 'shelf safe'?) which im going to barrel age in american oak barrels, which used to contain a multitude of caribbean rums for 6 months, or whenever I feel it has peaked.
 
I have a few photos to post but I'm either being a massive douche, not out of the question, or the forum/thread wont let me?
 
Id love to hear your thoughts, ill be keeping anyone who is interested up to date with whats going on and I have exact measurements for everything to hand if thats worth posting?
 
Kind Regards,
 
Simon
 
 
 
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Just a very quick update, I've got pics to follow, the peppers have finished their ferment, I've cooked them adding malt vinegar and strained it off to a watery liquid, I think I've actually added a bit too much vinegar but I'm hoping that will mellow out over time. My question is this, the sauce has separated and I'm looking for info on thickeners if anyone can help. I read the pinned post but it's double Dutch to me, the sauce could do with being a pinch thicker but it's not really required, it's the separation that's the biggest issue as we stand, thanks in advance.
 
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Have you done the barrel aging yet?  If not, I wouldn't worry about the vinegar flavor or separation right now.  I'd age the sauce first, then handle the fine tuning before bottling.  The vinegar will definitely mellow out over 3-4 months (not sure how long you are planning to age it).
 
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No worries about the vinegar, 30 days from now it will have mellowed a bit into the overall sauce.
 
I'd use some Xanthan Gum, not really a thickener more something that will help to hold the sauce in suspension but I'd also wait till the aging was finished and your ready to bottle it.
 
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It's not been aged yet, fermented for 6 weeks and cooked/blended and strained.
 
I've just mixed the cayenne and scotch bonnet and to be honest I'm delighted with it, sweetness on the nose and the immediately as it touches the tongue, you get a lovely sharp malty vinegar note on the mid palate followed by a deep and slow burn from the scotch bonnet, the sharp cayenne is complimented perfectly by the almost carroty flavour of the scotch bonnet. Think it will develop very nicely in the barrel!!
 
There was a little rum left over in the barrel, maybe 20ml if that which has bed sat in the hot room for about 6 months and has gone really syrupy, smells incredible and think it will add a really amazing finish to the sauce!!
Ok so I managed to sort out some pictures, heres the progress so far, its not particularly comprehensive but there are some nice images there!!
 
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Very nice!  That barrel looks pretty cool.  I bet the condensed rum is going to mix nicely with the sauce.  The sugar from the rum should also help offset the vinegar. 
 
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If you want to impart a specific oaked flavor, you can get miniature 8 inchn oak spirals that are purposely used to speed up the oak aging time. You can order them through your local homebrew store if they do not have them in stock. L.D. Carlson is the company that wholesales them, and they come from www.infusionspiral.com or www.thebarrelmill.com
 
I use them in firkins and pin kegs at our brewery all the time, with great results, and you can vary the toast just by changing what spirals you used while still maintaining your base barrel
 
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Ive dabbled a little over the last few days and I'm not going to lie, its frighteningly good!!! The barrel is just starting to give off a bit of dryness and oaky flavour in the finish and the rum residue that was in the barrel has created a very unique sweetness!!
 
Rocketman - Ill try to get hold of some Xanthan gum and let you know how I get on! I moved the barrel to the back bar for a few days and then realised every man and his dog was getting stuck into it so its gone back downstairs!! 
 
Ive got a second batch on now, I only ended up getting about 2litres from nearly 4kg of peppers so I'm going to add more water during the fermentation this time as well as add more vinegar during the cooking stage, I initially thought i had added to much vinegar but its mellowed out nicely since.
 
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I find that cooking does help it "bind".  If you don't want to cook for too long then just add some tomato:  I cook tomatoes down in their own juice, skins and seeds.  Then I use a spatula and push it thru a fine sieve and discard the seeds, skins etc.  The pure tomato paste is then added to the sauce (a tablespoon per pint) and cooked for a few minutes.  This should help the sauce "bind" without the need for xanthan.  It works for me.
 
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Tomatoes in hot sauce? Sounds like ketchup. Tomatoes, vinegar, salt, spices... w/peppers.
 
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RobStar said:
I find that cooking does help it "bind".  If you don't want to cook for too long then just add some tomato:  I cook tomatoes down in their own juice, skins and seeds.  Then I use a spatula and push it thru a fine sieve and discard the seeds, skins etc.  The pure tomato paste is then added to the sauce (a tablespoon per pint) and cooked for a few minutes.  This should help the sauce "bind" without the need for xanthan.  It works for me.
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The Hot Pepper said:
Tomatoes in hot sauce? Sounds like ketchup. Tomatoes, vinegar, salt, spices... w/peppers.
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3 words

Sun Dried Tomatoes

Don't really need many, maybe 3 to 6 ounces to a gallon, but they'll add a tremendous amount of flavor to your sauce.
 
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Nah, as I said in another thread, they have a raisiny quality I dislike.
 
The sauce looks good! Age it and don't mess with it. Keep it a pepper sauce. After all the work to get a nice aged pepper flavor, don't spoil it with other ingredients. :)
 
If anything bottle it alone but use it a base, for say, like when you want a BBQ sauce, or even hot sauces. But don't compromise the sauce itself.
 
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Totally agree with that to be honest, I want to keep it as simple as possible, if it's well balanced and the ageing adds something then I think I'll have a great hot sauce, no chance in hell an I adding tomato, carrot or anything else!
 
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They don't add flavour!  They are only there to bind it - a tablespoon per pint - jeez do you have the world's most sensitive taste buds?
 
The gel-like quality of the fresh paste binds the sauce - much like xanthan gum does.  It is not there for flavour and nor is it meant to add flavour.  It is a binding agent.  Do I really need to say that three times for it to be understood?
 
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I know what your saying RobStar but every ingredient adds flavour regardless of how little you put in, a tablespoon per pint is a fairly significant amount as far as I'm concerned. Maybe I do have the worlds most sensitive taste buds!
 
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On another note. I lost most of the sharpness from the vinegar so added more, how long will the vinegar mellow out for? And will a hot sauce ever become 'finished' or will it continue to develop in the bottle??
 
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