I've been posting about mold issues here from time to time and have still been battling it. I'm fermenting from mash and whether I cleaned jars with dilute bleach or StarSan or used airlocks or not, increased salt percentage, I still got %$#$%E% mold!
I live where temps are always 90° everyday. So I thought that might be why till I read in another forum (sorry admins!) this guy's post.
"My favorite part about eating hot wings is the buttery hot sauce. Using hot wings as a theme, I made a fermented mash that was turned into a sauce using my homemade chicken garum, celery, Fresno peppers, Lactobacillus brevis (a strain usually used to sour beer), and my cultured butter I made using tomato brine and villi starter. The cultured butter pics up blue cheese notes when aged and along with the celery are common condiments for hot wings. The garum adds a roasted chicken flavor. This was an open air ferment that was stirred 1-2 times a day and after several weeks it is beautiful with no mold or unwanted yeast.....as always.
This will age through the winter and spring. Early tasking has me thinking this will be a favorite."
That's right folks, OPEN AIR FERMENTING!
Here I am pulling my freakin hair out with every batch, obsessing over frakkin airlocks, sterilizing this and that 'cause a little mold starts to show up and has to be scooped out and this guys comes along with basically butter and chicken in his ferment and is doing his in open air!!!!
WTH man? My ferments are vegan!
So I asked him, WTH is going wrong with mine? Why do I always get mold?
The answer?
Stirring.
"Stirring daily exposes the surface to the acidic brine. I stir twice a day at first and maybe more if hot out. I maybe get Kahm yeast at times.
Your salt percentage is perfect. Try one that you stir several times per day for a few weeks. I think you will find open air ferments have a more complex flavor also. It’s the best method I know to combat mold but it’s more work and not an option for those who can’t visit their ferment daily . I don’t remember ever seeing a mold post from someone who stirs. Or press down if solid ferment or screw a lid on to shake it a bit or flip it."
So I pulled my ferments from the fridge and let them come to room temp, aka 85-95F, and began this ritual a couple days ago.
I have zero mold on ferments that were popping mold like crazy within 6-12hrs of being put back into room temp. Now, I'm not going with the open air open air method, and have the silicone rings on the lids of the jars shown below. Side benefit is the audible hiss every time I open the jars to stir, telling me the fermenting is a bit more active than in earlier non-stirring batches.
FINALLY I CAN RELAX!
OK I'll be relaxing about my ferments anyway
I live where temps are always 90° everyday. So I thought that might be why till I read in another forum (sorry admins!) this guy's post.
"My favorite part about eating hot wings is the buttery hot sauce. Using hot wings as a theme, I made a fermented mash that was turned into a sauce using my homemade chicken garum, celery, Fresno peppers, Lactobacillus brevis (a strain usually used to sour beer), and my cultured butter I made using tomato brine and villi starter. The cultured butter pics up blue cheese notes when aged and along with the celery are common condiments for hot wings. The garum adds a roasted chicken flavor. This was an open air ferment that was stirred 1-2 times a day and after several weeks it is beautiful with no mold or unwanted yeast.....as always.
This will age through the winter and spring. Early tasking has me thinking this will be a favorite."
That's right folks, OPEN AIR FERMENTING!
Here I am pulling my freakin hair out with every batch, obsessing over frakkin airlocks, sterilizing this and that 'cause a little mold starts to show up and has to be scooped out and this guys comes along with basically butter and chicken in his ferment and is doing his in open air!!!!
WTH man? My ferments are vegan!
So I asked him, WTH is going wrong with mine? Why do I always get mold?
The answer?
Stirring.
"Stirring daily exposes the surface to the acidic brine. I stir twice a day at first and maybe more if hot out. I maybe get Kahm yeast at times.
Your salt percentage is perfect. Try one that you stir several times per day for a few weeks. I think you will find open air ferments have a more complex flavor also. It’s the best method I know to combat mold but it’s more work and not an option for those who can’t visit their ferment daily . I don’t remember ever seeing a mold post from someone who stirs. Or press down if solid ferment or screw a lid on to shake it a bit or flip it."
So I pulled my ferments from the fridge and let them come to room temp, aka 85-95F, and began this ritual a couple days ago.
I have zero mold on ferments that were popping mold like crazy within 6-12hrs of being put back into room temp. Now, I'm not going with the open air open air method, and have the silicone rings on the lids of the jars shown below. Side benefit is the audible hiss every time I open the jars to stir, telling me the fermenting is a bit more active than in earlier non-stirring batches.
FINALLY I CAN RELAX!
OK I'll be relaxing about my ferments anyway
