fermenting Fermentation Help

[thorolygood]

Hi all. Time of the year to pop in and ask for help. I usually make lots of hot sauces and powders with great success. I have tried fermenting in the past with no success. This year I have done lots of reading here and thought I would give it a go again thinking I could do it. I have 8 jars of various sizes going at the moment. I added peppers and other ingredients like carrots, onions, garlic etc. I extracted whey from yogurt, which I added to each jar and also brine which I made with 1TBSP of non iodized sea salt to 1 cup of water. Added air locks and then regulated them to the basement. I did not see any bubbling. After  a couple weeks, to 3 of the jars, I added a package of FlorastorKids Daily Probiotic supplement powder. Again I saw no bubbling but a white crust formed on top. I believe it is kahm yeast. So questions are
1. Why no bubbling
2. Why Kahm yeast on the three with the probiotic powder
3. Suggestions to help get a successful fermentation going after a lot of years of failure
 

8 jars with airlocks
 

Kahm yeast?
 
 

Jars with cabbage on top
 
I have a lot more peppers to process and I was hoping to ferment them. I don't have a lot of jars for sauces and I am up to my neck in powders.
Thought if I fermented I could deal with down the road when I have more time.
 
Thanks for reading
 
Art with lots of peppers to ferment

 

[tctenten]

I really dont like those black spots, or what looks like black spots on your ferments.

Couple of things

Fill your jars more and try just a pepper and salt ferment to get the hang of it first.

What is the temperature in your basement?

 

[SmokenFire]

Hi thorogly good!
 
Anything dark or fuzzy is mold, not kham yeast - and it needs to get pitched.  Fine for the compost pile, not for you.  
 
Agree with tc about the head space - you've got too much of it.  Too much head space = more oxygen = issues with growth many times.  That you opened them and added the probiotic also means you let in more air, so that's what appear happened.
 
You used whey as a starter and a salt brine - which is fine - and the jars with the cabbage leaf on top look good.  
 
Pepper ferments are VERY slow acting.  Like it is rare for me to see any bubbles coming out of the airlocks, absolutely nothing like beers I've brewed in the past with near constant activity.  I'll see bubbles suspended in the mash, but not much more than that for the life of the ferment.  
 
In those bigger jars your mash should have come up like the other jars - basically all the way up to about where the glass starts to bend in towards the neck of the jar.  
 
Don't fret the slow pace, let em roll.  Except those fuzzy ones, those need to be pitched.  
 
 

 

[thorolygood]

I really dont like those black spots, or what looks like black spots on your ferments.

Couple of things

Fill your jars more and try just a pepper and salt ferment to get the hang of it first.

What is the temperature in your basement?

 
Hi tctenten. Thanks for the reply
I didn't see any black when I skimmed that stuff off. I think it was just some of the ingredients.
 
I might do that for the rest I have, just add the salt and see.
The basement is probably in the 60's

 

[thorolygood]

Hi thorogly good!
 
Anything dark or fuzzy is mold, not kham yeast - and it needs to get pitched.  Fine for the compost pile, not for you.  
 
Agree with tc about the head space - you've got too much of it.  Too much head space = more oxygen = issues with growth many times.  That you opened them and added the probiotic also means you let in more air, so that's what appear happened.
 
You used whey as a starter and a salt brine - which is fine - and the jars with the cabbage leaf on top look good.  
 
Pepper ferments are VERY slow acting.  Like it is rare for me to see any bubbles coming out of the airlocks, absolutely nothing like beers I've brewed in the past with near constant activity.  I'll see bubbles suspended in the mash, but not much more than that for the life of the ferment.  
 
In those bigger jars your mash should have come up like the other jars - basically all the way up to about where the glass starts to bend in towards the neck of the jar.  
 
Don't fret the slow pace, let em roll.  Except those fuzzy ones, those need to be pitched.  
 
 

Hi SmokenFire. Thanks for the reply.
When I opened the jars to add the probiotic, I understand I let oxygen in, but thought the ferment would push it out.
If I don't have enough peppers to fill the jar, I should get smaller jars. I have a lot of peppers left to ferment and 1 litre jars. i guess I will have to get some smaller ones.
 
Fell I am at such a loss trying to ferment.
 
Thanks again

 

[tctenten]

Also try putting them in a warmer spot to kick off fermentation. I notice it makes a big difference.

 

[thorolygood]

Also try putting them in a warmer spot to kick off fermentation. I notice it makes a big difference.

Hi again tctenten. I have them on my seed germination mat because I read they should be warm. So that I hope is alright.
 
Here is my next part. I bought new lids to try. I have 1 liter wide mouth jars. The one on the left has 700g of pepper and the one on the right has 235g of peppers. 
 

 
I have 6 other jars with varying amounts of pepper in them. I thought I would add to them to get the head space lower. It was suggested to just go with salt this time but will that be too much head space. The only way to get less head space without adding is to buy new jars which is an option. I would like to have 1 successful ferment  instead of my years of failing.  
 
Back to reading.
 
Thanks