Should he be concerned about the lack of airlock activity? Isn't CO2 a bacterial metabolic byproduct that we should expect to see assuming that all is going well? I ask because I'm in a similar spot with my first ferment. Mine is almost 2 weeks old, looks fine, smells fine but has exhibited zero airlock activity. Unfortunately I've yet to acquire a pH tester so I can't check to see whether the pH is dropping as it should.
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tutorial Fermenting Peppers 101
- Thread starter RocketMan
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Should he be concerned about the lack of airlock activity? Isn't CO2 a bacterial metabolic byproduct that we should expect to see assuming that all is going well? I ask because I'm in a similar spot with my first ferment. Mine is almost 2 weeks old, looks fine, smells fine but has exhibited zero airlock activity. Unfortunately I've yet to acquire a pH tester so I can't check to see whether the pH is dropping as it should.
Thanks, RocketMan. Unfortunately, a bit too late. Serious mold developed and I threw them out. That was a lot of work and it was disheartening to see it fail. Next year I will definitely have all my ducks in order and know exactly what to do and expect before trying again.
CM has been at this alot longer than I have and may have seen it more than I now that said, I think watching for CO2 activity is not really a good indicator of fermentation activity IN SO FAR AS fermenting peppers is concerned. When I have a batch of Beer going there is ALOT of action going in the bubbler and I think that is where we garner our expectation that the fermenting pepper are also going to bubble like mad. There are a couple of things to note in this. Beer wort has ALOT more sugars in it than the typical pepper sauce. Beer is fermented with Yeast where as peppers are fermented with Lactobacallius bacteria.
The most active fermentation I see is in my Jamaica Me Hot Sauce which has a ton of sugars in it. It is the only one that actually bubbles. What I usually see are the bubbles traped in the peppers as in this pic.
If your peppers are doing well with no signs of going bad then I'd just ler them go for your total planned period and then check it. I think you'll find your ph is good and after final processing your going to have an awesome sauce to show off and burn the mouth's of all your friends. But be ware once they get a taste for your sauce all your going to hear is; "When's teh next batch going to be ready?" JMHO.
Cheers,
RM
Edit: For a ph meter check on ebay. You can find them for around $13.00.
Thanks RM, I really appreciate the reassurance.
I was wondering after you take the hooch out, do you add more flour and water for three days, let it sit for another 3 days and put in the fridge for another six days for more hooch or do you just make a fresh batch?
What temperature is it at? You may have it in cold of a spot.
This site would disagree http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sourdough
Actually sourdough starter is both a wild yeast and bacteria. The yeast is what gives the bread it's rise and the Lactibacillus is what gives the sourdough it's wonderful sourdough flavor.
You are correct in that there is the possibility of introducing a yeast to the fermentation I your not careful when collecting the hooch, I don't think that's the real problem. If your salt ratio is high enough than the yeast is not going to be able to take control and if your mash is weighted down sonit doesn't rise above the brine then your not going to see the yeast take hold. I have seen the yeast infection in fermentations with all types of starter when I didn't make sure that these two issues were done right.
So the Lactobacillus need sugars upon which to feed. I have one mash fermenting which is nothing but bhuts, water and salt. Will there be enough sugars in there to eventually get the pH down to < 4.0?
What would happen were I to add in some sucrose or dextrose? I don't want a sweet product but with enough time all of the sugar should be consumed, right? What would be the downside? Would it affect the taste in some manner?
What would happen were I to add in some sucrose or dextrose? I don't want a sweet product but with enough time all of the sugar should be consumed, right? What would be the downside? Would it affect the taste in some manner?
CM might be better to answer this as he has done alot of pepper only mashes and I tend to add all of my ingredients to it unless I'm looking to preserve some sweetness. I would assueme that it wouldn't as peppers dont typically have alot of sugars in them or it might given enough time and peppers to do so.
I tend not to add sugars to a fermentation however if some Sweet Onion, Carrots, Sweet Peppers etc... were added then there would be adequate sugars and you've added to the flavor profile of the mash / sauce. If I were to just want to add some sugars to increase the lactic acid production I would lean more towards adding some honey or agave nectar to the mix. Again your adding some sweetness and adding something that will add to the flavor profile. Just adding sugar does nothing to improving the sauce.
Now that said, were you to just add sugar to keep it an all pepper mash and have enough sugars to bring down the Ph, I think that any sugar but Lactose would be fine. I dont really know that the lactobacillus can't handle lactose sugars but in beer making they teach us that it is not fermentable and it might carry over.
CM any thoughts here?
Cheers,
RM
RM, thanks for answering yet another of my questions. My super hot supply wasn't great this year as this was my first year growing anything other then tabascos and habaneros. This shortage has somewhat limited the hot sauce making experiments which I would have liked to undertake. I ended up doing 3 half gallon ferments. In two of them I've incorporated all of the ingredients that I thought would make for a good sauce. I couldn't decide what to do with the final ferment for the life of me. There were so many things that I wanted to try. In hindsight I should have used quart mason jars instead and tried more recipes.
Anyways, I sort of figured that a pure mash would give me the most flexibility down the line. I also liked the idea of having some pure mash for cooking purposes as well. Damn....I really am rambling. Anyways, unless CM says otherwise I'm going to add some sucrose and stay the course. Thanks again.
Anyways, I sort of figured that a pure mash would give me the most flexibility down the line. I also liked the idea of having some pure mash for cooking purposes as well. Damn....I really am rambling. Anyways, unless CM says otherwise I'm going to add some sucrose and stay the course. Thanks again.
Awesome I'm going to have to try this
It can take days some times Chris.