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Popping My Cherry!

ChileRelleno

ChileRelleno

Popping My Cherry!
 
Starting my first fermentation with the goal of making and bottling some hot sauce.

Ready, Set, Go!

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Ghosts, Fresno and Jalapeno chiles combined with Bell peppers, White onion and Garlic.
12 Ghost
14 Fresno
5 Jalapeno
Yield about four (4) cups.

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3 Bell peppers - three (3) cups
1 White onion - two (2) cups
Garlic - half (1/2) cup

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Distilled water and pure sea salt combined for a 3.5% brine solution.

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Now I find a warm, dark spot for it to do it's thing for about the next 3-4 months.
Pray that it goes well with no yeast, mold or rot.
Hoping for the nice bubble, bubble, bubble of CO2 being generated by the process.
Wish me luck.
 
Okay people, hit me with anything ya got, good, bad, constructive or not.
Bring them suggestions and recommendations.
 
I've already had people elsewhere say to add vinegar and/or lime juice, no reasoning given.
 
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I wouldn’t add vinegar or lime juice until after fermenting. If you want either in your sauce anyway.

I’m new at this too though mind you- there is a ton of info, pinned topics. Been meaning to read up but just been winging it so far.

Good luck!
 
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boutros said:
I wouldn’t add vinegar or lime juice until after fermenting. If you want either in your sauce anyway.

I’m new at this too though mind you- there is a ton of info, pinned topics. Been meaning to read up but just been winging it so far.

Good luck!
Click to expand...
Afterwards, that is what I was thinking.
I like a vinegary sauce like Tabasco, I also like sauces with fruit, such as lime, mango and/or pineapple and straight chile sauce is good to.
I was planning on using either vinegar or lactic acid at the end if needed to get at least a minimum pH 4.0 for a shelf stable sauce.
Also have some xanthan gum to stabilize the sauce and prevent separation.
 
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The brine is 83 grams of salt added to 2366 grams of distilled water.
Not all the brine was used.
Was it a mistake not to use the combined weight of water and mash when calculating the salt?
 
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I’ve made some batches with two tablespoons, some with three tablespoons of salt to a 24oz. jar. Have only lost one batch out of a dozen that went off with something weird. I have a cheap ferment set, so just doing trial and error. The glass weights that comes in it to submerge everything are cool. The manual that came with it.... not so much.

I like that chart though, saved.
 
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ChileRelleno said:
....I've already had people elsewhere say to add vinegar and/or lime juice, no reasoning given.
Click to expand...
 
Typically, it's to lower the initial pH to move it away from a favorable environment for bad guys to grow and get it closer to the range for LAB to flourish. Personally, I haven't found the need to use this technique.
 
ChileRelleno said:
....I was planning on using either vinegar or lactic acid at the end if needed to get at least a minimum pH 4.0 for a shelf stable sauce.
Click to expand...
 
4.0 is an ok target, 3.5 is better.
 
ChileRelleno said:
...Early this morning I refilled with a 8% brine solution, and some whey to jump start it.
Click to expand...
 
Well, you've already broken the cardinal rule - DON'T OPEN IT, lol.
 
Also, don't believe everything you read. I think a 10% brine is nuckin futs. Even 8% is too high. When you process this batch, I wouldn't add any brine back in. I'm afraid you're gonna find it too salty, but time will tell.
 
Adding whey was a good idea. It helps get things rolling and as a result, gets the pH lower faster. By doing this, you REDUCE the initial salinity need. Remember, salt keeps the baddies at bay hopefully long enough for the LAB to crank up, which creates an undesirable environment for the baddies.
 
All in all, I think you're off to a good start. Keep an eye on it and remember - DON'T OPEN IT - lol.


 
 
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DownRiver said:
Typically, it's to lower the initial pH to move it away from a favorable environment for bad guys to grow and get it closer to the range for LAB to flourish. Personally, I haven't found the need to use this technique.
 

 
4.0 is an ok target, 3.5 is better.
 

 
Well, you've already broken the cardinal rule - DON'T OPEN IT, lol.
 
Also, don't believe everything you read. I think a 10% brine is nuckin futs. Even 8% is too high. When you process this batch, I wouldn't add any brine back in. I'm afraid you're gonna find it too salty, but time will tell.
 
Adding whey was a good idea. It helps get things rolling and as a result, gets the pH lower faster. By doing this, you REDUCE the initial salinity need. Remember, salt keeps the baddies at bay hopefully long enough for the LAB to crank up, which creates an undesirable environment for the baddies.
 
All in all, I think you're off to a good start. Keep an eye on it and remember - DON'T OPEN IT - lol.
Click to expand...
Yeah, "Don't Open It" but I figured at less than 24 hours there wasn't anything to harm yet.
Plus the teaspoon of whey being added was worth it.

As for salt content, I'll have to hope I can live with it.
I plan on adding some ingredients... Yes, I'm going to further adulterate it... So hopefully the volume will tone it down a bit.
 
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Got home today and took a peek, first time I've looked at since Sunday morning.
It's already clouded up and making bubbles.
 
Now what about the 2 inch layer of mash that floated up above the weight, is that a potential problem?
 
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No it should not be a problem. Dont open it to take the chunks out. Instead swirl the jar so that the brine washes over the floating chunks to keep them rinsed in the brine to inhibit growth.

An 8 percent brine is simply not needed. Remember that for next time.

All in all though, sounds pretty good!
 
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LMAO,
Swirled the mash a few times and everything went right around and up past the glass weight, now everything is free floating.
 
I'll see what happens with this batch.
Next batch will be covered and held down with cheesecloth and glass beads.
 
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Problem, cause for concern?
Two days after adding whey it was visibly active/bubbling.

But since the mash came out from under the weight and is free floating, I've not seen any more signs of co2 production, no more bubbles around the edges or in the mash when swirled to wet the top.
 
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Well shucks....
Almost eight months ago I started these, once the fermentation stopped I stuck'em in an open cupboard to age and forgot about them.
Found them again, and sadly they'd both been taken over with yeast and a black scum like mold, and the smell was just a little off.
Dumped them and will have to start over....  Major bummer, just like the rest of 2020 so far.
 
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