fermenting My first fermented hot sauce

[griff87]

After reading a bit on here I decided to give it a shot at making a fermented hot sauce yesterday. Since I have a few beer growlers I decided to use one of the to do it in and have an air lock on top. I figured I would have better success doing this that the loose lid method on a mason jar. Plus I already had everything for it since I brew beer and wouldn't have to modify a jar lid for the air lock.
 
I went with using a whey starter from some yogurt to give me the jump start and some frozen pods I had in the freezer. 
 
My ingredients (approximate measurements)
1 qt bag moruga scorpions (~1 cup)
1 qt bag fatalii's (~ 1cup)
1 small onion
5 cloves of garlic
~ 5 cups carrots
1/2 cup whey from yogurt 
 
I don't have any pics of the process. I guess I was to focused on the task at hand and trying to keep everything sterile. But I basically mixed all the ingredients with the some 3.6% brine to help chop up in the blender (did this in two steps since the blender can't hold it all at once). Then mixed it all up in a bowl with the whey and into the growler it went. Topped it off with some more brine.
 

 
It was interesting that when I topped it off with the brine it took the color of the mixture a bit. Not sure if that is an issue. We will see how it goes!
 
 

 

[griff87]

Yikes!  I've never seen a blow off tube "on top" of an airlock.  I figured you might replace the airlock altogether with a blow off tube. 

Yeah. I didn't want to open everything up to the air. The tube is inserted into the top of the airlock and held with tape for good measure. I also don't have any tubing that fits into the stopper and my three piece, which fits tubing i have, was in use on a brew.
 

I'd  reclean that lock and hose. Put the blow off bottle on the floor beside the mash to prevent the possibility of a siphon.
The air lock is not necessary unlesthat's the only way you can connect a hose. Just make sure the exhaust end stays under water.
If it doesn't have a foul odor, probably ok.

 

It's hard to say exactly as, we'll to me, the smell of a mash is different based on the ingredients used. Primary to them all is a fresh cut up pepper element though. You have to learn what each of your mashes smell like and then in future mashes you'll know instantly if something is off by the scent. Also be aware though that running multiple mashes will cause a blending of the scents making for a different scent.

Very interesting blowoff tube. I would say that if you had run everything through some Ifophor or Star San, they're no rinse sanitizers used by home brewers, I run everything through it, then your safe to allow the brine to run back into the bottle. If not then no, just let it finish as it is. My catch phrase to everyone is "Don't open the fermentation vessel till it's done!" I've never lost a mash following this rule. The one mash I did use was one that I had forgotten to add a starter to and with the low salt I use because of high blood pressure it got a really stinky mold in it.

Hope this helps but is JMHO.

 
You guys are making my decisions difficult with the conflicting answers on the airlock situation. I'm unsure who to take direction from.   I'm staying with not opening it for now. I did sanitize everything with star san, even down to taking apart the blender, funnels. I'll wait for some more input again before doing something drastic.
Jesse, I will at least move the bottle down even with the mash.

 

[JJJessee]

My only concern is that a bacterial will set up in the hose/lock and get sucked or siphon back into the brew, or that a bacterial in the hose could do an arial bloom and migrate.
I ain't saying it will fail. I'm that counting that as a bigger risk, not a definite fail. Obviously, if you open it you want to do it in a prompt, clean manner. It might fail or succeed which ever you decided to do.

 

[griff87]

Yeah, I understand Jesse. It was one of my thoughts as well. When I was debating this, I was thinking of having another blow off set up ready to go and pulling an Indiana Jones. Being this if my first try, I'm was unsure which would be the bigger risk to an "infection". 

 

[hoibot]

this happened with one of my ferments. i just took the airlock off, washed it out and put it back on. if the mash is still fermenting, it will quickly replace any oxygen that gets in while you're cleaning the airlock with CO2, no harm, no foul. plus, any of the mash that ends up anywhere (blow off tube or whatever) doesn't stand a huge chance of getting infected if you've got a good salt level in it.