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fermenting first ferment questions

HillBilly Jeff

HillBilly Jeff

Getting set to start my first ferment and have a couple questions.

1) how do you know if you have bad nasties in the ferment?

And

B) the airlock you fill with vodka. Why vokda and how full? I am guessing that not water because how long it sets and not so full it goes back into the ferment. But that still leaves air inside. Does it just take this me to fill up with co2 and then its clear?

First go at fermenting and making sauce and really trying not to mess it up and more importantly poison myself.
 
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Jeff,
 
Bad bacteria=you'll generally be able to tell by looking at it and/or smelling it. Black mold, fuzzy mold, on top layer. Smell, you'll know. Generally needs oxygen to thrive why most people use starters to kickstart ferment and get the CO2 barrier established as quick as possible.
 
Vodka=Treading into the brewing community, Ive heard of using it for cleaning/sanizting prior to filling with water. Some in the brewing community will use I think for two reasons cleaning being one and not clorinated in case of suck-back (could be wrong)?? Even in my brews I fill with water. I would worry about evaporation, doesnt vodka evaporate quicker than water? Anyways you can use it for sanitizing equipment but I wouldnt fill the airlock with it, pour you a shot instead..lol 
 
How full=depends on airlock type are you using S-type or 3 piece? Three piece has a line to where to fill, S type half way in each chamber. Either one if you plan on a long ferment it be a good idea to check from time to time to make sure it dont evaporate.
 
Edit: Good stuff here
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/47444-why-your-ferment-grew-mold-what-to-doand-how-to-prevent-it/?p=1003009
 
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Greetings Jeff,
Ditto on BB-81's comments regarding Vodka. Enjoy a shot or two while preparing your ferment...but its not necessary in the airlock.
I happen to use distilled water in mine, but that's probably unnecessary as well, considering the chlorine  found in tap water evaporates in a day or so anyway.
 
Here's a link to a site that does a good job explaining how the 3 part airlock operates.
http://www.pickl-it.com/faq/223/why-does-airlock-have-three-parts/
 
Also, my suggestion for a first timer to fermenting, is to try a simple recipe with just a few ingredients(peppers-carbs etc.), and "strictly" adhere to the basic fermenting  guidelines for: cleanliness, % of brine solution and/or ratio of salt to ingredients (by weight), always keeping ingredients submerged in the brine solution, and (this time of the year) optimum room temperature.
 
Here's another link that pertains to the salt ratio/brine %.(note:no additives in the salt)
http://www.pickl-it.com/blog/636/brine-recommendations/
 
 
Plus....the Fermenting 101 thread is loaded with info to help one get started, recommendations, and a bunch of pictures.
 
Fermenting is a balancing act between bacteria for dominance. The strains of the favorable "lactic acid bacteria" (LAB) and the various undesirable bacteria that result in mold and spoilage.
 
Some folks choose to augment their ferments with a "starter" to assist the LAB in getting a head start. I do so myself with longer ferments. However,the use of such starters is not required...but can offer some degree of peace of mind that the process is going in the right direction from the beginning.
 
Once you have a few successful ferments under your belt, you will realize how simple it really is "IF" you follow the rules....and will feel much more assured and confident to let your fermenting imagination take off.
Have fun....the process and the result is rewarding..
Enjoy!
CM
 
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Thanks for the responses all.  I plan on draining off some yogurt to get a kick start going.
 
Making sure it is submerged mean I should weigh it down?  What about swirling it around in the container?  I've seen lots of pics where there is no weighing down of the peppers.  And if all I have to do is swirl it around, do I do this just during the fermenting part of it, or through the entire aging process?
 
Holding back on any sauce related questions ATM as I just want to get this fermenting thing down better.  Doing = learning for me.  Main stresser is the salt ratio.  I don't do metric lol.
 
Many thanks all.
 
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HillBilly Jeff said:
Thanks for the responses all.  I plan on draining off some yogurt to get a kick start going.
 
Making sure it is submerged mean I should weigh it down?  What about swirling it around in the container?  I've seen lots of pics where there is no weighing down of the peppers.  And if all I have to do is swirl it around, do I do this just during the fermenting part of it, or through the entire aging process?
 
Holding back on any sauce related questions ATM as I just want to get this fermenting thing down better.  Doing = learning for me.  Main stresser is the salt ratio.  I don't do metric lol.
 
Many thanks all.
Click to expand...
 
I read that it should be 2%(Salt) of the total weight of your peppers.
 
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Jeff,
Correct, sumberged means all veggies under brine. Heres some good pics
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/49650-1st-time-fermenting-think-i-might-have-screwed-up/
 
Sumberged vs caped and swirl/shake--You can do either, or both. Both will offer the highest level of protection for you on your ferments. But not required. Think of it this way....whats the best way to keep oxygen from reaching my veggies. In its simplest form your two goals are to get lacto present and keep oxygen out...thats it. Submerged=everything under brine=no oxygen. Capped=no oxygen once ferment starts and CO2 is produced, the only thing to remember here is pressure will need to be released either through airlock or by "burping" the jar.
 
The shaking/swirl you mention, (shaking if capped, swirl if using airlock) some do but it is not required. They only reason some prefer to do this is to keep anything forming on the top layer like a kham cake. Scroll down and you see one here
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/34677-first-fermented-sauce/
perfectly normal, and signs all is good, alls you got to do is scape it off before you process. Some dont want to deal with it and shake or swirl the jars throughout the process to keep it from forming.
 
For brine recipes...metric is not nessasary. Chilimonsta nailed it here in the fermenting 101.... Ive never done my ferments by the weight method (no scale). Cover all your stuff with this formula and you good to go!
 
A strong brine(5.4%) is generally recommended for fermenting cucumbers/pickles as they are prone to mold growth.
A 3.6% brine should be used for all other vegetable lacto-fermentation recipes, such as:
peppers, carrots, garlic, mixed vegetables, sauerkraut, beets, green beans, broccoli

Brine Formulas (by volume measurements):

5.4% brine formula = 6 tablespoons salt to 8 cups water.
3.6% brine formula = 4 tablespoons salt to 8 cups water.
2.5% brine formula = 1 teaspoon salt to 1 cup water
(use 2.5% for supplementing sauerkraut & beets which are considered self -brining)
 
Hope that clears the water for you.
 
GG91,
Boiling does kill most but there are some bacteria that I believe can survive the boil. Unlikly but true. One of those safe but not absolutly safe things...kinda like your towel I mentioned in the other thread. Risk is very small but still there nontheless. Also their are some that choose to omit boiling to preserve the benificial bacteria in their sauces.
 
Good to see more fermenters joining the party! Cheers!
 
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Followup on the holding stuff down.  What is the best way to do this?  Cheesecloth filled with marbles?  I have a plastic disc that came with some pepperocini peppers that was like a small spoked frisbee.  Something like that (if it will fit) and then weighted down.  Using half gallon mason jars, so I don't want to use up half the space with weights lol.
 
Thanks again. 
 
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HillBilly Jeff said:
Followup on the holding stuff down.  What is the best way to do this?  Cheesecloth filled with marbles?  I have a plastic disc that came with some pepperocini peppers that was like a small spoked frisbee.  Something like that (if it will fit) and then weighted down.  Using half gallon mason jars, so I don't want to use up half the space with weights lol.
 
Thanks again. 
Click to expand...
Over the years I've tried most all of them ...Cabbage leaves is my answer..
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/48120-ferment-questions/?p=1022661
 
CM
 
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Yup, everyone has there own way of accomplishing. I use plastic or a plate. Plate in my 5 gallon crock. Jars ill either use something like a sour cream lid. Make a radius cut to get it into the jar then push it down. Cone up or down ive done it both ways. Or ill use a gallon ziploc filled 3/4 way with brine on chopped stuff. Not that i would recommmend, but I did see someone use a balloon once too.
 
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If I may ask, how many pounds of peppers would make up the mash for a 1/2 gallon jar? A quart? Gallon? Just peppers, not using anything else. Sorry if this is hijacking a thread.
 
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beerbreath81 said:
Vodka=Treading into the brewing community, Ive heard of using it for cleaning/sanizting prior to filling with water. Some in the brewing community will use I think for two reasons cleaning being one and not clorinated in case of suck-back (could be wrong)?? Even in my brews I fill with water. I would worry about evaporation, doesnt vodka evaporate quicker than water? Anyways you can use it for sanitizing equipment but I wouldnt fill the airlock with it, pour you a shot instead..lol 
Click to expand...
 
Vodka is actually a pretty poor sanitizer. At only 40% alcohol it doesn't do too much. Brewers usually either use Star San (my choice) or iodophor. If you are really looking to sanitize look into one of these products.
 
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Orekoc said:
If I may ask, how many pounds of peppers would make up the mash for a 1/2 gallon jar? A quart? Gallon? Just peppers, not using anything else. Sorry if this is hijacking a thread.
Click to expand...
 
A recipe I use makes enough mash to fill a 1/2 gallon jar, though there are ingredients other than peppers.  Just peppers and salt, I'd estimate around 4 1/2 to 5lbs.  
 
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SmokenFire said:
 
A recipe I use makes enough mash to fill a 1/2 gallon jar, though there are ingredients other than peppers.  Just peppers and salt, I'd estimate around 4 1/2 to 5lbs.  
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Thanks! Looks like I didn't get enough peppers at the market yesterday to try what I want to try. Hmmm. May have to pick up some more peppers at the store.
 
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