I'm new here. I wanted to share that I've began fermenting a full pickle jar of Tabasco peppers today. I'm also overwintering 3 plants, but looking for another new chili pepper to try next year.
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fermenting Began Tabasco Fermentation
- Thread starter nicksmurf111
- Start date
dvg, thanks for the welcome. The pepper roaster is on my to-do list. I built a horizontal drum smoker this past year and wondering how/if I can put it to use. I'm thumbing through threads right now and I'm really interested to see so many "logs".
I froze the peppers till I had a jar full. Added them all together in the jar with salt. I probably should have weighted everything first to get the ratio correct. I just added a tablespoon or two of salt for every quart. I added some whey the next morning. I placed a doubled bag of water on top and also lined the metal lid with plastic. I need to find some plastic lids but forget if anyone sells them. It took about a day and a half to settle to the point where the water covered the peppers. I'm still waiting for fermentation to start, I think I added too much salt if it hasn't began after 2 days. I hope it starts up soon. Also placed the container in a paper bag since I have a window in the vicinity.
I learned that Tabasco peppers aren't fun to grow in Western PA. The growing season could be a little longer. The three plants I've taken inside, which I haven't cut back much are producing quite a bit. I'd have enough peppers to spice my cooking up every day of the week if I did the cooking. I'm thinking of cutting back some more plants all the way and letting them re-grow, but I don't necessarily want them under grow lights for months...
I also started some cider at the same time, I'm hoping that starts up well. I added yeast this morning, but when I got home today it doesn't look very lively. The fellow who sold the cider to me said it didn't have preservatives...I don't know if I trust him further than I can throw him.
I learned that Tabasco peppers aren't fun to grow in Western PA. The growing season could be a little longer. The three plants I've taken inside, which I haven't cut back much are producing quite a bit. I'd have enough peppers to spice my cooking up every day of the week if I did the cooking. I'm thinking of cutting back some more plants all the way and letting them re-grow, but I don't necessarily want them under grow lights for months...
I also started some cider at the same time, I'm hoping that starts up well. I added yeast this morning, but when I got home today it doesn't look very lively. The fellow who sold the cider to me said it didn't have preservatives...I don't know if I trust him further than I can throw him.
69 or 70F I didn't measure. I pitched Lalvin ICV D-47 straight in after it sat 1 1/2 days after 1 crushed Campden tablet. The SG when I mixed the batch came out to be about 1065. I have it in a towel-covered stainless steel pot and will be moving it into a fermentor probably after 5-7 days. It seems to be beginning to pick up, but I wonder how much of the yeast died. Next time I'll pitch the yeast in warm sugar water until it comes to life. Last time I tried using cider which I knew had preservatives, I ended up dumping it. Other times I've never had trouble with things starting out strong...like there is a party in the primary vessel.
I'm still new to this and don't know how to slow down the fermentation in order to bottle. I guess I need to catch it before it hits a SG of 1000. I've got glass bottles and caps ready to go, and would like to prime with sugar. Do I just refrigerate, or do I expect them to continue fermenting in the bottles until they are dry?
By the way, the tabasco fermentation seems to be picking up also. The liquid is almost over the weight (bag of water).
Fumigated the family today with two tabasco peppers in the frying pan...
Haha fumigating family is always fun 
I am certainly no expert when it comes to brewing but i think there is two options you have for your cider.
Leave it to fully ferment, you will not acheive an FG of 1000 because it's impossible for the yeast to ferment ALL the sugars in there. You would probably end up with about 1008 at a guess. If you leave it long enough it will ferment as much as it can then you can bottle. If you bottle too early you will be making bottle bombs (not good in glass).
Another option is to crash chill to -1 to kill off any remaining yeasties. With this method you would have to force carb your cider though and thats something i have never done.
Also you may already know this but do not rely on your airlock as an idication of fermentation progress. Sometimes you will have air leak that will bybass the airlock and you can bottle too early.
After fermentation is complete you could rack off to clear it out then gently bulk prime with sugar at about 6-8 grams per litre. Or just get some carb drops from your LHBS.
Hope that helps.
I am certainly no expert when it comes to brewing but i think there is two options you have for your cider.Leave it to fully ferment, you will not acheive an FG of 1000 because it's impossible for the yeast to ferment ALL the sugars in there. You would probably end up with about 1008 at a guess. If you leave it long enough it will ferment as much as it can then you can bottle. If you bottle too early you will be making bottle bombs (not good in glass).
Another option is to crash chill to -1 to kill off any remaining yeasties. With this method you would have to force carb your cider though and thats something i have never done.
Also you may already know this but do not rely on your airlock as an idication of fermentation progress. Sometimes you will have air leak that will bybass the airlock and you can bottle too early.
After fermentation is complete you could rack off to clear it out then gently bulk prime with sugar at about 6-8 grams per litre. Or just get some carb drops from your LHBS.
Hope that helps.
Yes, thanks. Hopefully I'll do it correctly this time.
And I'm an American, so I presume you mean -1C. Our darn education system taught us metric in kindergarten then forgot they wanted to implement it.
And I'm an American, so I presume you mean -1C. Our darn education system taught us metric in kindergarten then forgot they wanted to implement it.
Yes the point is to kill off the yeast with this kind of crash chill so as long as it is under freezing point (but not too low you do not want to freeze your cider) the alcohol will stop it freezing if it is just below freezing point.
Remember though that if you want to carbonate or "condition" your cider in the bottle you have to have some yeast left alive in there to process the priming sugar. Chilling will kill the yeast, you can still do it if you want to bottle carb but then you would have to add more yeast along with the priming sugar. Coopers brewery do it that way with their beer.
Remember though that if you want to carbonate or "condition" your cider in the bottle you have to have some yeast left alive in there to process the priming sugar. Chilling will kill the yeast, you can still do it if you want to bottle carb but then you would have to add more yeast along with the priming sugar. Coopers brewery do it that way with their beer.
I didn't know they did that with Beer. I was aware that was a possibility, but didn't consider it since I'd like to prime the bottles. Most recipes I've read call for some type of preservative to kill the yeast. Do you mean "Coopers" as in barrel makers or "Coopers" as in the name of a specific brewery?