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fermenting Just another fermented question

Sleeper67

Sleeper67

Hello everyone,

This is only my 2nd attempt at fermentation.

First attempt was a mess to say the least but came out. No real planning or understanding

This time I mixed up a 3% brine and chopped up the peppers in reasonably sized chunks.

I have seen it releasing gas but Since I do not have a weight I have been every other day or so gently pushing the top floating peppers below the brine and then closing it back up and storing it again.

This marks 1 week marker, I plan on going for 2 more weeks for a 3 week total. Thoughts?

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Looks very colorful!  And your time frame seems fine being that it's already active.  My thought would be that accessing the ferment/opening and closing the lid is more of a risk when the activity of the fermentation is slow and it's not gassing off enough CO2 to quickly/effectively replace the protective blanket.  I'd try to find a way around that myself, especially as the fermentation slows.  May not get you every time, but it's the type of thing that's liable to catch up with you.
 
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CaneDog said:
Looks very colorful!  And your time frame seems fine being that it's already active.  My thought would be that accessing the ferment/opening and closing the lid is more of a risk when the activity of the fermentation is slow and it's not gassing off enough CO2 to quickly/effectively replace the protective blanket.  I'd try to find a way around that myself, especially as the fermentation slows.  May not get you every time, but it's the type of thing that's liable to catch up with you.
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okay will keep that in mind moving forward. I was going to get a true fermenting jar that are often used for sauerkraut or at least the proper lid for the mason jar. Right now I’m rocking double layer of paper towel with the band of the lid providing a secure hold down


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my thoughts are to stop opening it and devise a means to keep the ingredients under the brine.  I have previously used a small (4oz) jelly jar in the neck of the larger jar to good effect. others have used a sandwich bag filled with pebbles or water.  most important is to stop introducing fresh oxygen into your ferment.  there are many affordable options around that can airlock your jar to ensure a better ferment. 
 
best of luck.  :)
 
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SmokenFire said:
my thoughts are to stop opening it and devise a means to keep the ingredients under the brine.  I have previously used a small (4oz) jelly jar in the neck of the larger jar to good effect. others have used a sandwich bag filled with pebbles or water.  most important is to stop introducing fresh oxygen into your ferment.  there are many affordable options around that can airlock your jar to ensure a better ferment. 
 
best of luck.  :)
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oh nice! Yeah didn’t even think about that I’ll go fill a bag with water and place it on top to make the peppers all hang it on the bottom


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Also, don't use paper-towels.
Use the actual lid. Paper towels are going to just allow more air in, and that means nasty mold. The only thing your paper towels are doing is keeping bugs away. Bugs are hardly your biggest worry.
 
To release gases, "burp" the jar; crack the seal just enough to let CO2 out under it's own force, then quickly shut the jar. 

Better yet, use an airlock. You can get cheap, silicone airlocks online.
 
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Mason jar lids will burp if VERY lightly finger tightened. Like 2 finger tight.
 
IMO keeping the veggies under the brine line and above the brine line as clean as possible is your best bet for preventing mold. Mold aint gunna grow on salt water alone but you might get a kahm yeast film.
 
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I don't use weights or bags of water. However I used to use a bag filled with brine to keep the contents submerged.

Now I just fill up to cover the contents and leave enough headroom for it to rise. But I make sure to swirl the jar a couple times a day to get that brine around and above everything and I haven't gotten kahm or mold in a looong time.
 
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sirex said:
I don't use weights or bags of water. However I used to use a bag filled with brine to keep the contents submerged.

Now I just fill up to cover the contents and leave enough headroom for it to rise. But I make sure to swirl the jar a couple times a day to get that brine around and above everything and I haven't gotten kahm or mold in a looong time.
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this is what I was going to try before hearing about putting the bag


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Well here is the finished product it has a nice flavor and burn but not as hot as I was expecting. It was just a super hot mix fermented and then acv. I used some today with lunch, 3 week ferment.
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Today I started my next attempt at fermenting a Blend of super hots this time I will go for a minimum of 1 month to let it ferment but is there any real reason to go for a long duration ferment?
Hopefully this one actually turns out hot and not just a lip and skin burner.

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Tabasco ferments their peppers for years in oak barrels out in a barn. Been to Avery Island several times and the aroma coming from there is intoxicating ;)
I let mine go for about 6 months. I notice a difference in flavor the longer it ages. (for the better)
 
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The reason to let your ferment go longer is so that it finishes. If the fermenting is still active it can spray out of your bottles when opening and possibly break them. Aging after fermentation is complete adds nothing for flavors in a glass jar. Tabasco aging is done in Oak barrels for the oak is imparting flavor through the aging process.
 
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Crazy Monkey said:
Tabasco ferments their peppers for years in oak barrels out in a barn. Been to Avery Island several times and the aroma coming from there is intoxicating ;)
I let mine go for about 6 months. I notice a difference in flavor the longer it ages. (for the better)
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.

I guess I’ll just let this ferment ride it out then and may start another to try and refrain from opening for a year.


With this all being still new to me it’s been fun to try things out. Prior I would do a cooked style sauce and enjoyed them but always wanting to expand knowledge


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Freedom said:
The reason to let your ferment go longer is so that it finishes. If the fermenting is still active it can spray out of your bottles when opening and possibly break them. Aging after fermentation is complete adds nothing for flavors in a glass jar. Tabasco aging is done in Oak barrels for the oak is imparting flavor through the aging process.
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. How would I be able to verify when the ferment was completely finished? Solely off the lack of bubbles?


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Sleeper67 said:
... It was just a super hot mix fermented and then acv.
 
Why ACV? Flavor? What was the pH of the ferment?
 
Today I started my next attempt at fermenting a Blend of super hots this time I will go for a minimum of 1 month to let it ferment but is there any real reason to go for a long duration ferment?
 
Primary fermentation is usually complete in 2 - 4 weeks, depending on conditions. Beyond that, aging kicks in. Flavors develop and change over time as the different ingredients interact with each other.
 
If the pic of your new ferment is Day 1, I think your jar is a little full. You should fill only up to the shoulder of the jar. Be sure to put a catch tray underneath the jar to catch any overflow. Waking up or coming home to ferment juice all over the place ain't fun. Don't ask me how I know.
 
Good luck with it!
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DownRiver said:
 
 
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the ph was 3.87 roughly the acv was for flavor and prefer that over other vinegar

Yes that was right after loading the jar there peppers are below the shoulder however I placed a bag with brine on top to hold the peppers under the brine. Per someone else’s advice I used 2 fingers to tighten the lid and will check it tonight when I get home to make sure it does not require a burp


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