fermenting Fermented Habanero Sauce

[scrfan89]

Hey guys,
 
First time hot sauce maker here looking for guidance. 
 
I'm planning on fermenting about 1/2 lb of habaneros to make a sauce.  I have plenty of fermentation experience, so that shouldn't be a problem.
 
I was wondering if anyone could provide guidance on the ratio of other ingredients to use?  For 1/2 lb of habaneros, how does 1 mango, 1 onion, an inch or so of ginger, and probably 10 cloves of garlic sound?  Are any of those ratios off?  I'm planning on putting all of the ingredients in the mash to ferment. 
 
Also, to provide some guidance, I'm not quite into superhots and ghost chilis and what not, but I like the heat level of typical habanero hot sauces.  Any advice/guidance on the ratio of other ingredients to the 1/2 lb of habaneros would be awesome.  Thank you!

 

[SmokenFire]

Welcome scrfan89!  That ingredient list looks to be fine - the mango will provide plenty of sugars for the LAB to feed on.  No mention of salt or starter, but you're not a fermentation novice so that likely doesn't need apply.  Here is a link to a thread for a ferment that I put together not too long ago.  The recipe at the top should give you an idea of ratios.  Please do post pics of your process and results - we love stuff like that around here!  
 
Last - I heard/read somewhere that fresh ginger can inhibit fermentation.  IDK if that's horsewalla or what though.  Plenty of other incredible resources here can help - look for threads/posts by RocketMan, Chilimonsta and Beer Breath - they helped me a lot when I was starting!

 

[scrfan89]

Awesome, thanks!
 
Yep, I'm planning on a 4% salt solution with a tiny bit of sauerkraut juice as a starter.  I've done plenty of fermentations with ginger in them (even pure ginger ferments), so I don't think that should be an issue.  If those ratios sound good, I'll get started on it tonight. 

Having read this post, I'm feeling like I might be making an insanely hot sauce?  Considering he's using about 4x the other ingredients and only 5 tiny habanero pods?  Any advice?  Thanks!

 

[SmokenFire]

Awesome, thanks!
 
Yep, I'm planning on a 4% salt solution with a tiny bit of sauerkraut juice as a starter.  I've done plenty of fermentations with ginger in them (even pure ginger ferments), so I don't think that should be an issue.  If those ratios sound good, I'll get started on it tonight. 

Having read this post, I'm feeling like I might be making an insanely hot sauce?  Considering he's using about 4x the other ingredients and only 5 tiny habanero pods?  Any advice?  Thanks!

 
Heat is a matter of opinion in most cases - what's hot to me might be nothing to you but volcanic lava to Marge from accounting.  Just depends  Your recipe as written will likely yield about a pint of finished puree/sauce, and that sauce will indeed be hot.  So many variables, but I don't think it would be insane.    
 
I tend to use multiple peppers to round out flavor profiles.

 

[hoibot]

i don't think it'll be that hot. i normally use .75 to 1 lb of habs for a sauce and it's pretty hot to most, but right in my wheel house. i think .5 lbs will be nice, just start there and see what happens. to SF's comment about the ginger, i've used it in a few ferments (the same amount you're suggesting) and had no probs with fermentation. if you are going to use a brine, you don't necessarily have to mash/puree the heck out of it, i just chop the ingredients and let it fly. also, you can use a starter if you want, but with that amount of sugar from the mango, i don't really think it's necessary. if you use a filler like carrot or sweet potato, you could easily get a half gallon out of this, which yields about 7x 5 oz woozy jars in my experience.