# Some fermented hot sauce



## xray (Nov 1, 2020)

I got to make some fermented hot sauce this year using thai chiles that I grew in planters on my deck. The first sauce I made was month ago but I ended up getting a bit more peppers so I started a second smaller batch. The second small batch just finished up so I figure I would show both. 

Here's the first batch, it came out very good. It has a nice subtle carrot taste with a hot kick. It is absolutely delicious on Chinese food.







2 organic carrots
4 cloves garlic
1/2 thumb ginger
1/2 red onion
8oz. bag of mini sweet peppers ( I wanted orange and red to keep the color of the sauce)
5 or 6 Habaneros
20 Thai chiles
3% brine (purified water and pickling salt)
Fermented for 2 weeks
White vinegar
sugar
*Xanthum gum to thicken( I didn't have this)


Roughly chop ingredients and add to a clean and sterilized mason jar. I left the onions in big pieces to tuck the rest of the ingredients below the brine. Onion is less susceptible to mold so it went in last. Weighed all ingredients down with a ziploc bag filled with brine. Airlock has vodka in it. 






2 weeks later.






Once fermented for two weeks, vegetables were strained and brine reserved. I added approx 1/2 cup of brine and 1/2 cup of white vinegar and blended everything together. I didn't strain the pulp because it didn't make a lot. I also added a Tbsp of sugar. Sauce was 3.4 on the PH scale, but I also heated to kill the fermentation process. Taste your sauce because if you want more tang, add vinegar...saltier...add brine. After the sauce was finished, I bottled it in clean 5oz woozy bottles that were also sanitized with Star San. 

Since I got a little bit more peppers, I quickly made a second batch. I just used what I had on hand, the thai chiles and garlic. I let this batch go for 3 weeks.






I decided to strain this batch. Once strained I added 1/4c. brine and 1/4c. Apple cider vinegar to the blender. I also added some raw honey, about 3T worth. 






Here's it strained with the pepper mash left behind.











Here's the finished sauce. I decided not to heat the sauce this time to kill the fermentation process. Since there was such a small amount plus added honey, I'm just going to keep the bottle in the fridge to slow the fermentation process. I want to taste the sauce and see how the flavors change and develop over time.






For only having the chiles and garlic fermenting with only honey added, I must say I really enjoyed this sauce as well. It tastes a lot better than I thought it would. I'll keep the big bottle in the fridge and refill a small woozy bottle with a drip stop cap because this sauce is much thinner than the first one I made. If I had xanthum gum on hand, I would have added it to this sauce to help with separation and thicken it a bit. But it's nothing a few shakes can't fix.

Since I didn't want to waste the leftover mash, I spread the mash out on parchment paper and threw it in the dehydrator. The mash dried for about 8 hours. 






Once it was dried, I crumbled it up into a jar. Here's the chili flakes it made. These were awesome, and they smelled absolutely great too!






Decided to take it a step further and grind the flakes up with fine kosher salt. I used a 1:1 salt ratio since these peppers aren't exactly hot to me. This fermented chili salt smells exactly like hot buffalo wings. You could still smell the tangy fermented peppers. This made 2 full McCormick salt grinders (I pull the tops off and reuse them)






Hopefully next year I can make a lot more. This was a fun and enjoyable project for me.


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## TNJAKE (Nov 1, 2020)

That's awesome joe. Something I'm gonna try soon for sure. I bet the one with habanero is delicious


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## jcam222 (Nov 1, 2020)

Thanks for posting these Joe. Both look fantastic. Passing the link along to my friend who was asking. Think I may give some a go at some point too. I eat a lot of hot sauce. My cheap store go to is any El Yucateca.


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## tag0401 (Nov 1, 2020)

Sauces look great! Fermenting is beginning to peak my interest.


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## sawhorseray (Nov 1, 2020)

I don't get to use much hot sauce Joe, wife just plain can't take it, but a big like. What you produced looks to be fantastic, and I especially like the mash dried and ground into a rub, great work! RAY


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## smokerjim (Nov 2, 2020)

Looks delicous Joe


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## SmokinVOLfan (Nov 2, 2020)

Thanks for taking the time to post this with all the detailed recipes Joe! It looks fantastic and I bet tasty as hell. Nice!


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## SmokinAl (Nov 2, 2020)

Man that looks good!
We like hot & that sure looks like our kinda sauce.
Gonna have to give it a try!
Thanks for posting the recipe!
Al


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## dr k (Nov 2, 2020)

Nice! This thread reminded me to check my Carolina Reaper 4% salt mash. It's been a year so I'll have to update my 2019 Carolina Reapers thread. Today I just made a puree with pretty much all the brine,   strained and into a condiment bottle, no vinegar to get the benefits of the probiotic lactobacillus so not room temp stable and stays in the fridge. I wanted  a thinner McIlhenny's Tabasco sauce. The year long ferment tastes great and really knocks down the heat.


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## xray (Nov 2, 2020)

TNJAKE said:


> That's awesome joe. Something I'm gonna try soon for sure. I bet the one with habanero is delicious



Thanks Jake! I'm very pleased with both the sauces, and they both have very different flavor profiles. The first sauce with the habanero isn't too hot, although some thought it had a kick. I might up the amount next time I make it.

Try making some fermented hot sauce when you get the chance. I got a late start because I had trouble locating jars and lids. The airlocks came from a homebrew store/winery close to me. I grabbed a few and made the lids.


jcam222 said:


> Thanks for posting these Joe. Both look fantastic. Passing the link along to my friend who was asking. Think I may give some a go at some point too. I eat a lot of hot sauce. My cheap store go to is any El Yucateca.



Thanks Jeff, I have a small collection in my fridge. The Yucateca is a good one. I've really been enjoying the Hot Ones Los Calientes (green one). That's quickly becoming a favorite.

It's really easy to do and a lot of fun too!



tag0401 said:


> Sauces look great! Fermenting is beginning to peak my interest.



Thanks Adam, I've been doing a lot of reading up on fermenting since last year. I got a late start this year because I had trouble finding some stuff. I'm going to get bigger and more jars and some glass fermentation weights too.


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## xray (Nov 2, 2020)

sawhorseray said:


> I don't get to use much hot sauce Joe, wife just plain can't take it, but a big like. What you produced looks to be fantastic, and I especially like the mash dried and ground into a rub, great work! RAY



Thank You Ray! I don't cook much with hotsauce just chiles. Hot sauce I add at the table on my plate. My wife isn't the biggest into spicy food, but I'm slowly building her tolerance. She took the thinner sauce with the thai/garlic all by herself, she really likes that one.  The chili salt is pretty tasty too, smells just like fried buffalo wings!



smokerjim said:


> Looks delicous Joe



Thanks Jim!



SmokinVOLfan said:


> Thanks for taking the time to post this with all the detailed recipes Joe! It looks fantastic and I bet tasty as hell. Nice!



Thank you John, In the future I'll post everything in grams, much easier that way, especially for replicating. I actually didn't realize that my scale measured in grams until I was calculating the brine. I'm an idiot.



SmokinAl said:


> Man that looks good!
> We like hot & that sure looks like our kinda sauce.
> Gonna have to give it a try!
> Thanks for posting the recipe!
> Al



Thanks Al! It's fun to experiment making these sauces.


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## xray (Nov 2, 2020)

dr k said:


> Nice! This thread reminded me to check my Carolina Reaper 4% salt mash. It's been a year so I'll have to update my 2019 Carolina Reapers thread. Today I just made a puree with pretty much all the brine,   strained and into a condiment bottle, no vinegar to get the benefits of the probiotic lactobacillus so not room temp stable and stays in the fridge. I wanted  a thinner McIlhenny's Tabasco sauce. The year long ferment tastes great and really knocks down the heat.



That sounds awesome Dr! I noticed the ferment kicked down the heat of the habaneros. It's still there, but it's pleasant and you pick up the other flavors in the sauce nicely too. Once I get a few ferments under my belt, I'll try a longer one like you did.

The final PH on both my sauces were 3.4 but I kept them in the fridge anyway. Have you noticed a change in the taste as it sits longer in the fridge?


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## dr k (Nov 2, 2020)

xray said:


> That sounds awesome Dr! I noticed the ferment kicked down the heat of the habaneros. It's still there, but it's pleasant and you pick up the other flavors in the sauce nicely too. Once I get a few ferments under my belt, I'll try a longer one like you did.
> 
> The final PH on both my sauces were 3.4 but I kept them in the fridge anyway. Have you noticed a change in the taste as it sits longer in the fridge?


I fermented the year at room temp in a dark closet. This is my 1st time after researching here for months. I tasted the brine a couple times and it smelled and tasted like the expecred results I've been reading. The brine was transparent but darker from the extended soak. I just wanted to make sure it was ok not mold. A few specks of kahm yeast on the top but not worth opening to remove and ruin the Co2 airspace. I kept the airlock filled monthly. After it was pureed and sieved a drop on my finger had a light pleasant fermented flavor. This pic looks like dark mash but was bright red and the brine looks darker too but clear with a plastic disk and a shot glass to hold mash down. Next time Im using the food grade plastic disk cut out from a cutting mat with large glass gems in the original plastic mesh bag it come in from the Dollar Tree to keep the mash submerged. It will be much easier.


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## xray (Nov 2, 2020)

dr k said:


> I fermented the year at room temp in a dark closet. This is my 1st time after researching here for months. I tasted the brine a couple times and it smelled and tasted like the expecred results I've been reading. The brine was transparent but darker from the extended soak. I just wanted to make sure it was ok not mold. A few specks of kahm yeast on the top but not worth opening to remove and ruin the Co2 airspace. I kept the airlock filled monthly. After it was pureed and sieved a drop on my finger had a light pleasant fermented flavor. This pic looks like dark mash but was bright red and the brine looks darker too but clear with a plastic disk and a shot glass to hold mash down. Next time Im using the food grade plastic disk cut out from a cutting mat with large glass gems in the original plastic mesh bag it come in from the Dollar Tree to keep the mash submerged. It will be much easier.



The plastic disk and glass stones seem like a good idea. I used a plastic baggie filled with brine for my weight and had a few long strips of red onion tucked over the top to help keep everything down. That worked well but would rather use a glass weight or your method. Did you see the lids with the spring that pushes your ferment/weight down? They look like they would work also. 

Although I didn't have any mold or kahm yeast issues, I worried about maybe something growing in the folds of the baggie. I cleaned and sprayed my lids and airlock with star san. 

That's a nice color on your ferment. Post up some pictures of the finished product if you're able. I bet that will be a nice hue when finished.


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## pushok2018 (Nov 2, 2020)

Looks great, Joe! Thank you for posting an advice on how to use the mash... This is first time this year  I am fermenting Scotch bonnet, Thai chili and habanero each separately and as a mix. Scotch bonnet & Thai chili fermenting for two month already and I want to wait for one more month. Habanero and a mix chilies fermenting for one month so.... will stay there for two more months. I am not going to cook my souses but will leave it in the fridge for slow and extended fermentation till.... I consume all!!


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## chopsaw (Nov 2, 2020)

This is something I would like to figure out .


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## xray (Nov 3, 2020)

pushok2018 said:


> Looks great, Joe! Thank you for posting an advice on how to use the mash... This is first time this year  I am fermenting Scotch bonnet, Thai chili and habanero each separately and as a mix. Scotch bonnet & Thai chili fermenting for two month already and I want to wait for one more month. Habanero and a mix chilies fermenting for one month so.... will stay there for two more months. I am not going to cook my souses but will leave it in the fridge for slow and extended fermentation till.... I consume all!!



Thank you! Making the sauce, mixing different ingredients, straining vs. blending everything together is strictly a matter of personal preference...but if you were going to strain the sauce, I would HIGHLY recommend not throwing the mash out and drying it instead. The chili flakes smelled and tasted wonderful! But I have enough chili flakes around the house, so I grinded these to a powder and added salt.

If you’re using superhots, I would play with the ratio of salt to chili flakes. Mine was 1:1 but for something like reapers I would go 5 parts salt to 1 part reaper and adjust from there...again all personal preference.

I’m looking forward to see your final product. Don’t let me miss it.


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## xray (Nov 3, 2020)

chopsaw said:


> This is something I would like to figure out .



Rich, check out ATX hot sauces on YouTube. He doesn’t go into too much detail with exact amounts when it comes to ingredients, probably because he sells it...but the videos are a pretty good watch on how the process works.


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## 73saint (Nov 3, 2020)

X-ray this is awesome!  I am fermenting peppers as we speak.  I have multiple ferments going, and can't wait to see how it all comes out.  Thanks for sharing!!


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## xray (Nov 3, 2020)

73saint said:


> X-ray this is awesome!  I am fermenting peppers as we speak.  I have multiple ferments going, and can't wait to see how it all comes out.  Thanks for sharing!!



Sounds good! What kind of peppers are you fermenting? I’ll be interested in what you make with them. Definitely save the mash if straining!

After watching you obliterate that chip challenge, I don’t think there’s a pepper out there hot enough for you


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## 73saint (Nov 3, 2020)

I’ve got a huge ferment w a ton of reapers and other super hots I ordered on line....





















It also has raspberries, blueberries, blackberries. Strawberries, onion and garlic.  Smells stupid good. 






Then I have this simple habanero garlic ferment that I think I’ll bottle today. 
















As well as a nice reaper ferment 

I am going to smoke and dry the next batch.   And I am certainly gonna try making a powder, and maybe add some of that back to the sauce.  

So far every pepper I’ve tasted is so good, I just want to make a sauce that we can enjoy. Nothing too fancy.  The big ferment with all the peppers and fruit was just sort of an experiment to get my feet wet.


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## 73saint (Nov 3, 2020)

Also, I bought one of those mills the Cillichump uses bc I want to be able to use the leftover mash.  As much as I cold smoke, I can see that being an excellent by product.   Smoked mash dried and ground into powder...My goodness it sounds heavenly.


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## chopsaw (Oct 18, 2022)

xray
  Joe thanks for your help with this . Got my bottles today . This stuff is so good it's hard to believe . The more orange one is sweet peppers , home grown bells , onions and home grown jalapenos .
The redder ones are the same with some Reapers that I grew with the seeds from Richie 

 tropics
 .
They're both so good . I added apple cider vinegar when I blended , no strain . Picked the last of my bells and Reapers today .
My jalapenos are in an Aero garden in the laundry room . Been going strong since last Feb . It sets 6 peppers , and when I pick those it sets 6 more .
Talk about addicting ! Joe really bud . Thanks for helping with this . You made it make sense to me .


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## jcam222 (Oct 18, 2022)

Looks great Rich! I just started two half gallon pepper ferments a couple days ago. Someone gave me the end of their garden. I have one that mixed red, yellow and orange super hots and the other anything that was green. Can’t wait to blend and sample. I’ll go probably 4-6 weeks.


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## chopsaw (Oct 18, 2022)

jcam222 said:


> I just started two half gallon pepper ferments a couple days ago.


Sounds good Jeff . I remember you saying how addicting this is . No doubt about that . 
I'll be coming for kraut info soon .


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## Houndstooth (Oct 18, 2022)

Really awesome recipe! Bookmarked. Thank you so much for sharing this X-ray. I’m digging the fermentation. I have never heard of fermenting hot sauce before. Having recently joined this site this is one of many eye openers. I have plenty of fermenting equipment and would enjoy trying this out. Our scotch bonnets didn’t do as well as we’d like this year. I’m sure I can scrounge up everything I need to try out your recipe though. 
Lots going on, hopefully I can check back in with some progress soon.


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## xray (Oct 19, 2022)

chopsaw said:


> xray
> Joe thanks for your help with this . Got my bottles today . This stuff is so good it's hard to believe . The more orange one is sweet peppers , home grown bells , onions and home grown jalapenos .
> The redder ones are the same with some Reapers that I grew with the seeds from Richie
> 
> ...



It was my pleasure to Rich, I’m glad I got to help you and get you started, now you can teach me a few things. The sauce looks great, nice color and that’s a great looking photo with all your peppers hanging around! Are you going to do a green sauce with the rest of the unripened reapers?


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## chopsaw (Oct 19, 2022)

xray said:


> Are you going to do a green sauce with the rest of the unripened reapers?


They ripen on the counter so far . I'll just have to see . Not sure what it would be like . I left some on the plants . Supposed to be back it the 80's by the weekend . If nothing else I'll get the seeds from the green ones .


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## xray (Oct 19, 2022)

Houndstooth said:


> Really awesome recipe! Bookmarked. Thank you so much for sharing this X-ray. I’m digging the fermentation. I have never heard of fermenting hot sauce before. Having recently joined this site this is one of many eye openers. I have plenty of fermenting equipment and would enjoy trying this out. Our scotch bonnets didn’t do as well as we’d like this year. I’m sure I can scrounge up everything I need to try out your recipe though.
> Lots going on, hopefully I can check back in with some progress soon.



Thanks Hound, I’m sure you had fermented hot sauce, Tabasco and Sriracha are the two most common ones. 

Recipes vary greatly and there’s no limitations to methods, ingredients, it’s all done to taste as long as you have a safe fermentation.

It is quite the rabbit hole to go down for sure. If you try the recipe I posted, let me know how it goes. 

Thanks again for the compliment and like.


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## PulledPorkSandwich (Oct 19, 2022)

Great thread!  Thanks for all the ideas.

I did some pepper fermenting awhile back.  I had some good and bad results.  The bad results encouraged me to stop.

I decided to try again and I have a couple batches fermenting right now.  I used a variety of peppers available fresh at the local grocery stores -- habaneros, Thai, serranos, anaheims, fresno, jalapenos, poblanos, plus onion, garlic and a couple peach slices.  I added the peach slices thinking I might get a bit of sweetness, but now I realize I might get some "peachy" flavor but no sweetness, since the fermentation process consumes the sugars and generates lactic acid, which is sour.  So, the result of the peaches is likely to be a more sour ferment, not a sweeter one!  We'll see.  I plan to allow the mash to ferment for at least 60 days.  I have one batch where I roasted everything on the grill an another using raw ingredients.  I will smoke the next batch.

I found that processing the peppers into a mash then adding brine to Mason jar to cover the mash eliminated the need for weights or other things to hold the mash down below the brine.  It naturally sinks, and agitating the Mason jar every day or so as the mash is pushed to the surface to release the CO2 sends it back down again.  I haven't seen any mold or kahm yeast so far an it's been 3 weeks.  It smells great.

One thing I didn't see in this thread was what you use as a starter.  I bought a bottle of probiotic pills and crushed several of them into the mash.  It started bubbling in a couple days.  Next time I'm thinking of reserving some of the brine from the current ferments to use as a starter.

I'm looking forward to watching this thread.


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## xray (Oct 19, 2022)

PulledPorkSandwich said:


> Great thread!  Thanks for all the ideas.
> 
> I did some pepper fermenting awhile back.  I had some good and bad results.  The bad results encouraged me to stop.
> 
> ...



Thank you PulledPork! This thread has been buried in the past but 

 chopsaw
 Rich was nice enough to revive it after getting into making hot sauce.

I’ve seen the mash ferments but they were just salted by weight with no brine. That sounds very interesting and I’m always looking and learning new things.

Have you tried the vacuum sealed bag method? That’s one I want to try. I’m on my last 2 bottles of sauce now, so it’s been awhile for me since I fermented anything, but after talking with Chop the past few weeks, he’s given me the itch to make more.

If you have any sauces or recipes, I would create a new thread, you’ll get a lot more views and responses. And if you do, tag me so I don’t miss it. I’m not very active on here nowadays.

Thanks again!


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## PulledPorkSandwich (Oct 19, 2022)

xray said:


> Thank you PulledPork! This thread has been buried in the past but
> 
> chopsaw
> Rich was nice enough to revive it after getting into making hot sauce.
> ...


I haven't tried the vacuum sealed bag method, but I'm tempted.  As I understand it, you can get away with using less salt that way since it's very effective at keeping the nasties out.  I don't currently have a vacuum sealer, but I am looking for an excuse to get one.  I'm going to ask Santa Claus to bring either one of those or a sous vide setup this year.

In my mash ferment, I weighed all my ingredients an took 4 percent of that weight as the amount of salt to add.  I dissolved that in filtered water with the probiotic and added it to the fermentation jar with the mash.  Then I added additional water, as necessary, to leave about 1-2 inches of head space.  I stirred well and sealed up the jar and have not opened it since.

I will start a new thread once I've had a chance to sample one of my current batches.  It's good to see interest in this topic on this board.


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## jcam222 (Oct 19, 2022)

PulledPorkSandwich said:


> Great thread!  Thanks for all the ideas.
> 
> I did some pepper fermenting awhile back.  I had some good and bad results.  The bad results encouraged me to stop.
> 
> ...


From what I’ve researched you are better to add fruit post ferment when you blend your sauce.


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## kelbro (Oct 20, 2022)

We had quite a few tabascos this year. I'm 6 weeks into the ferment now. Still trying to decide whether to strain or just blend it real well. I guess that I'll just taste it in a few weeks and then decide which way to go.


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## dr k (Oct 26, 2022)

Threw away my 6 month old dehydrated chocalate habanero ferment for hot sauce. Everything was perfect under brine and smelled great no growth. I read others using glass gems or marbles in a bag vs extra brine as a weight today no lid or lock needed but I just placed the clear glass gems from the Dollar Tree directly in the brine. They may have lead, other toxic stuff.  Who knows?  I have plenty of bags of dried peppers. Better safe than sorry. Crap!

1st day in the fermenter


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## jcam222 (Oct 26, 2022)

dr k said:


> Threw away my 6 month old dehydrated chocalate habanero ferment for hot sauce. Everything was perfect under brine and smelled great no growth. I read others using glass gems or marbles in a bag vs extra brine as a weight today no lid or lock needed but I just placed the clear glass gems from the Dollar Tree directly in the brine. They may have lead, other toxic stuff.  Who knows?  I have plenty of bags of dried peppers. Better safe than sorry. Crap!
> 
> 1st day in the fermenter
> View attachment 647001


Better safe than sorry. They sell nice glass weights on Amazon that I’ve been using.


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## chopsaw (Oct 26, 2022)

jcam222 said:


> Better safe than sorry. They sell nice glass weights on Amazon that I’ve been using.


I agree . Not worth the chance . 
Glass weights came with my lids and air locks .


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## xray (Oct 26, 2022)

I agree too, better safe than sorry. The clear glass gems I always see have that rainbow/tye-dye tinge to them. Lord knows what goes into making those.


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## jcam222 (Oct 26, 2022)

Check these things out, these are awesome https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GGHR5BM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share


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## dr k (Oct 26, 2022)

jcam222 said:


> Better safe than sorry. They sell nice glass weights on Amazon that I’ve been using.


I saw those weights for the wide mouth jars. I have standard and saw how simple the bagged gems/marbles were so I made another batch. The ring, no lid is barely on just to hold the weight up were I want it and to let out CO2. I did raise the weight up higher from the pic below to the shoulders and added more brine to seal against the glass for seeds.


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## dr k (Oct 26, 2022)

jcam222 said:


> Check these things out, these are awesome https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GGHR5BM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share


I did make circle inserts a couple years ago with a hole in the middle to remove it from the jar that goes in before the weight bag. It's about the inside diameter of the jar. It's thin food grade plastic from an uncolored chopping mat.


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## PulledPorkSandwich (Oct 26, 2022)

I haven't tried these, but I think I might for my next ferment.  I wonder if anyone here has tried them.

I've tried marbles and water in plastic bags, also cabbage leaves, but because I make a mash out of my peppers before starting the ferment, smaller bits can still float to the surface and could potentially become contaminated. 

For my most recent ferment, I found that using sufficient salt and starter keeps the nasties away and gets the ferment going pretty quickly.  Once the ferment gets going, the head space fills with CO2 quickly and also keeps the nasties away.  I also agitate the jar every day or so that most of the mash sinks back to the bottom.


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## dr k (Oct 26, 2022)

PulledPorkSandwich said:


> I haven't tried these, but I think I might for my next ferment.  I wonder if anyone here has tried them.
> 
> I've tried marbles and water in plastic bags, also cabbage leaves, but because I make a mash out of my peppers before starting the ferment, smaller bits can still float to the surface and could potentially become contaminated.
> 
> For my most recent ferment, I found that using sufficient salt and starter keeps the nasties away and gets the ferment going pretty quickly.  Once the ferment gets going, the head space fills with CO2 quickly and also keeps the nasties away.  I also agitate the jar every day or so that most of the mash sinks back to the bottom.


Wow! Nice fermenter with a press fit inner lid at any level and bubbler hole  just push it down till air is out from under it and brine covers it, then put on top lid. The $19.99 .9gal/3.4L is the Amazon Choice. It's 8.5×5.51x7.2. So a sheet of paper folded in half 7.2 high I guess. It's in my cart. Not sure when to buy yet.


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## chopsaw (Nov 4, 2022)

Just got this one bottled up . Ferment was garlic , reapers , lunch box sweet and onions .
Added red wine vinegar and pineapple , then strained it . Heated on the stove . Cooled and bottled . It's already getting better just since it's cooled sitting on the counter . PH was 3.3 .


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## PulledPorkSandwich (Nov 4, 2022)

I really like that color.  How long did you ferment?  Lunch box sweat?  I'm missing something!


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## jcam222 (Nov 4, 2022)

Looks great Rich! I just finished processing a couple very basic ones. I’ll post them up once I bottle. I leave them in half gallon jars for a couple days and sometimes will make adjustments on salt, vinegar, sweet and xanthan after they mellow a little. I always find that after a few days much bitterness fades.


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## chopsaw (Nov 4, 2022)

PulledPorkSandwich said:


> Lunch box sweat?


Gives it a salty tang . 

Ferment was about 20 days . This is gonna get better with time . Smells really good too .


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## chopsaw (Nov 4, 2022)

jcam222 said:


> make adjustments on salt,


I was thinking this might need some salt . Holding a few days is a great idea . I might have to un-bottle .


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## PulledPorkSandwich (Nov 4, 2022)

I've got a couple batches that have been fermenting about 30 days.  They're both real basic, with an assortment of peppers including habaneros, serranos, etc., plus onion, garlic, and a couple peach slices.  One batch made with raw ingredients, the other with roasted ingredients.  Fermentation process seems largely complete for both.  I think I'll pull one batch and run it through the mill for use with Thanksgiving munchies and leave the rest of it continue to age.

I'm anxious to try it and see what adjustments I need to make next time, both pre and post-processing.  I'm particularly interested in tasting what a fermented peach tastes like.  I like the idea of not cooking it after processing in order to preserve the beneficial pro-biotics, but I'll make sure to check the pH and make sure nothing explodes in the refrigerator if the ferment continues.


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## xray (Nov 4, 2022)

chopsaw said:


> Just got this one bottled up . Ferment was garlic , reapers , lunch box sweet and onions .
> Added red wine vinegar and pineapple , then strained it . Heated on the stove . Cooled and bottled . It's already getting better just since it's cooled sitting on the counter . PH was 3.3 .
> 
> View attachment 647782




Great looking sauce Rich! Pretty vibrant color on it too. I could tell it must be pretty hot, you had to break out the frosted mug


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## jcam222 (Nov 4, 2022)

chopsaw said:


> I was thinking this might need some salt . Holding a few days is a great idea . I might have to un-bottle .


After un-bottling a ton of bottles from a couple batches last year I’ve switched to 2-5 days in half gallon jars first haha


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## kelbro (Nov 5, 2022)

My 40 day tabasco ferment produced some pretty HOT juice. Good flavor but quite a bit hotter than commercial Tabasco.


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## bill ace 350 (Nov 5, 2022)

I need to make some. Been awhile. Looks great.


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## chopsaw (Nov 5, 2022)

Carolina Reaper -Pineapple chips . Gonna grind this up with some salt and mesquite powder and use it on some wings tomorrow .


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## dr k (Nov 5, 2022)

PulledPorkSandwich said:


> I haven't tried these, but I think I might for my next ferment.  I wonder if anyone here has tried them.
> 
> I've tried marbles and water in plastic bags, also cabbage leaves, but because I make a mash out of my peppers before starting the ferment, smaller bits can still float to the surface and could potentially become contaminated.
> 
> For my most recent ferment, I found that using sufficient salt and starter keeps the nasties away and gets the ferment going pretty quickly.  Once the ferment gets going, the head space fills with CO2 quickly and also keeps the nasties away.  I also agitate the jar every day or so that most of the mash sinks back to the bottom.


The fermenter is awesome. The vacuum internal plate with hole and plug to keep solids below brine will rise with pressure with the plug in or out with Kimchi or Sauerkraut but will be fine for big veggies like pickles or hot sauce and stay put below brine and bubble out the hole.  Kimchi is fast 2-5 days. Sauerkraut is 3-4 weeks. After finding all the Korean ingredients in three days the CO2 pushed up the the vacuum plate that I pull the plug to push down and burp daily as the vacuum plate drops below brine level but still waiting for the sour tanginess. The top fart lid and internal vacuum plate can't keep the fermenting fish sauce, ginger, garlic smell contained. So into a 2 gal ziploc it went and it still finds it's way out. Probably 5 days to get sour, tangy,  effervescent. I did just over 2lb napa cabbage with the other add ins and will be able to get another two lbs for a total of 4lbs of Napa cabage next time , being the maiden voyage. It is stinky but has the most probiotics if that is what you're looking for. Great fermenter for $20. Pick your size this was .9 gal or 3.4 L I like the tall vs flat wide and this was Amazon's Choice. Instructions like Tallbm says on most things is written by a drunk second grader.


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## jcam222 (Nov 5, 2022)

dr k said:


> The fermenter is awesome. The vacuum internal plate with hole and plug to keep solids below brine will rise with pressure with the plug in or out with Kimchi or Sauerkraut but will be fine for big veggies like pickles or hot sauce and stay put below brine and bubble out the hole.  Kimchi is fast 2-5 days. Sauerkraut is 3-4 weeks. After finding all the Korean ingredients in three days the CO2 pushed up the the vacuum plate that I pull the plug to push down and burp daily as the vacuum plate drops below brine level but still waiting for the sour tanginess. The top fart lid and internal vacuum plate can't keep the fermenting fish sauce, ginger, garlic smell contained. So into a 2 gal ziploc it went and it still finds it's way out. Probably 5 days to get sour, tangy,  effervescent. I did just over 2lb napa cabbage with the other add ins and will be able to get another two lbs for a total of 4lbs of Napa cabage next time , being the maiden voyage. It is stinky but has the most probiotics if that is what you're looking for. Great fermenter for $20. Pick your size this was .9 gal or 3.4 L I like the tall vs flat wide and this was Amazon's Choice. Instructions like Tallbm says on most things is written by a drunk second grader.
> View attachment 647811


I’m going to get one of these to do larger batches of kraut. Want to get some done to add to the Christmas goody baskets I’ll make up.


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## chopsaw (Nov 5, 2022)

All ground up with some mesquite powder , turbinado sugar and a touch of salt . Sorry to beat this to death , but this is fun . Lol . 
Just the mash 






Finished rub .


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## PulledPorkSandwich (Nov 5, 2022)

chopsaw said:


> All ground up with some mesquite powder , turbinado sugar and a touch of salt . Sorry to beat this to death , but this is fun . Lol .
> Just the mash
> View attachment 647822
> 
> ...


Looking forward to hearing how the wings taste!


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## chopsaw (Nov 5, 2022)

PulledPorkSandwich said:


> Looking forward to hearing how the wings taste!


I couldn't wait 'til tomorrow . I was burning the pellet grill out for a brisket tomorrow . Turned it down to 400 and put 5 wings on . 
Seasoned up .





On the top shelf of the SmokeFire . I started them on foil , then moved to the grate . 





All done . Sugar at 400 took some fast color . 





Damn they're good . I had two with just the rub , then did one also covered with the sauce . That was the ticket . Man it's good . You taste the sweet kind of citrus from the pineapple . Then you get the heat . It's not extreme , but it really builds up after eating .


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## PulledPorkSandwich (Nov 5, 2022)

Wow!  Those wings look great!


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## chopsaw (Nov 5, 2022)

I got the seal of approval from my Son to boot .


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## MJB05615 (Nov 7, 2022)

That sauce and those wings look killer!  Great work.  How spicy is the Heat element?  We don't do very spicy, but mild spice works.


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## xray (Nov 8, 2022)

Rich. Those wings look awesome! I really loved being able to use the leftover mash and grinding it up into chili salt and mixing that into rubs as well. Excellent work my friend!


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## Houndstooth (Dec 16, 2022)

So I just got finished with my first go at a fermented hot sauce. I used this thread as a recipe guide. I followed your recipe as closely as I could X. I checked a couple local super markets and non them had fresh Thai chilis so I had to substitute with Serrano and extra jalapeños.






Two weeks in a dark cupboard with a glass weight to hold everything down. Even with the bigger chunks of onion I had a few pieces make they’re way above the glass weight. I was mildly worried about mold but when I removed the lid this morning everything smelled and looked good 





After blending and straining the mash the hot sauce ended up looking a lot like cholula.















The sauce has a nice tang and mild funk to it. It’s tasty and the spice seems to come on toward the back end. I didn’t heat it up so I’m interested to see how it matures in the fridge. The fancy bottles are on order and I’ll get some out to family and friends.
This has been a really fun experiment. I can tell that the hot sauce rabbit hole is rather deep. I look forward to tinkering with the pepper bill and the other adjuncts. Thanks again X-Ray!

Edit: it looks like I’ve posted this in a weird spot in the thread. I’m still getting the hang of using the forum. Maybe a MOD can place this reply at the end of the thread as I had initially intended. Either way..


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## jcam222 (Dec 16, 2022)

Houndstooth said:


> So I just got finished with my first go at a fermented hot sauce. I used this thread as a recipe guide. I followed your recipe as closely as I could X. I checked a couple local super markets and non them had fresh Thai chilis so I had to substitute with Serrano and extra jalapeños.
> View attachment 651343
> 
> Two weeks in a dark cupboard with a glass weight to hold everything down. Even with the bigger chunks of onion I had a few pieces make they’re way above the glass weight. I was mildly worried about mold but when I removed the lid this morning everything smelled and looked good
> ...


Looks tasty! Did you check PH? Sometimes I find at 2-3 weeks it’s not as low as I’d like. Around 4 weeks most are in the 3.4-3.7 range. Did you add any vinegar? Do not have too but it can help adjust PH. A little xanthan can prevent separating as well.


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## Houndstooth (Dec 16, 2022)

jcam222 said:


> Looks tasty! Did you check PH? Sometimes I find at 2-3 weeks it’s not as low as I’d like. Around 4 weeks most are in the 3.4-3.7 range. Did you add any vinegar? Do not have too but it can help adjust PH. A little xanthan can prevent separating as well.


I did not check the ph. And I added 1/2 cup of the brine and a 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Plus the tbsp of sugar X suggested. No xanthan and if it starts to separate I’ll just give it a shake. The Rudolph’s revenge you make looks really good jcam. My next batch I will ferment for at least 5 weeks. One question I did have was if any of you guys are washing your produce? I washed everything (except the onion and garlic) with a mild fragrance free and plant based soap before chopping them up. I thought that perhaps I had washed all the natural yeast away. There wasn’t much action in the airlock however the sauce does have that unmistakable funk of ferment to it.


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## jcam222 (Dec 16, 2022)

Houndstooth said:


> I did not check the ph. And I added 1/2 cup of the brine and a 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Plus the tbsp of sugar X suggested. No xanthan and if it starts to separate I’ll just give it a shake. The Rudolph’s revenge you’re making looks really good jcam. My next batch I will ferment for at least 5 weeks. One question I did have was if any of you guys are washing your produce? I washed everything (except the onion and garlic) with a mild fragrance free and plant based soap before chopping them up. I thought that perhaps I had washed all the natural yeast away. There wasn’t much action in the airlock however the sauce does have that unmistakable funk of ferment to it.


Thanks man! You really shouldn’t see anything in the airlock. You should see bubbling in the brine  if you pick the jar up after the first few days. In the pic your brine appears to be cloudy like it’s active. Did you notice a white film in the bottom of the jar? That’s spent lactobacillus. I do not wash my peppers at all. I will rinse if I see dirt. I didn’t wash store bought habaneros either but did use some brine from a prior ferment as a starter. Often the store bought produce has been irradiated and / or waxed killing all or many of  the good microbes. There are a couple nice options to help hold down the ferment to avoid floaters. I’ll post a link to one of them later. 

 Steve H
 is trying a new one too.


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## Houndstooth (Dec 16, 2022)

jcam222 said:


> Thanks man! You really shouldn’t see anything in the airlock. You should see bubbling in the brine  if you pick the jar up after the first few days. In the pic your brine appears to be cloudy like it’s active. Did you notice a white film in the bottom of the jar? That’s spent lactobacillus. I do not wash my peppers at all. I will rinse if I see dirt. I didn’t wash store bought habaneros either but did use some brine from a prior ferment as a starter. Often the store bought produce has been irradiated and / or waxed killing all or many of  the good microbes. There are a couple nice options to help hold down the ferment to avoid floaters. I’ll post a link to one of them later.
> 
> Steve H
> is trying a new one too.


Thank you for your help jcam. Yes there was a white film on the bottom of the jar. Almost like a “trub”. Great idea about using brine from previous ferments. I ASSume that the starter brine will stay viable for quite a while if stored in the fridge? I’ve got a lot of searching within the forum and reading to do.


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## jcam222 (Dec 16, 2022)

Houndstooth said:


> Thank you for your help jcam. Yes there was a white film on the bottom of the jar. Almost like a “trub”. Great idea about using brine from previous ferments. I ASSume that the starter brine will stay viable for quite a while if stored in the fridge? I’ve got a lot of searching within the forum and reading to do.


Yes it will. I try to only use it when I’m using store bought peppers. There are some who believe it shortcuts the process and impacts taste. Some don’t haha.


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## xray (Dec 16, 2022)

The sauce looks pretty good Hound, I’m glad you tried it and liked it. Even though I have a high tolerance for heat, I don’t like my sauces to be extremely hot. I love the subtle funk and flavor of the carrot that comes through.

Those thai chiles were from my garden, otherwise I wouldn’t have had access to them either. My options are pretty slim pickings around here unless I order online.

If a few small floaters rise to the top, you should be okay once the ferment takes hold. The lacto produce C02 which pushes the oxygen through the one way airlock, good salinity and no oxygen make it hard for mold to grow. Once you start opening the lid, you’re introducing oxygen back into the ferment, increasing your chance for mold growth. And if you’re ferment isn’t as active anymore, it will produce less C02 to fill up the headspace again.

The rabbit hole is deep my friend and don’t worry about posting here.


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## jcam222 (Dec 16, 2022)

xray said:


> The sauce looks pretty good Hound, I’m glad you tried it and liked it. Even though I have a high tolerance for heat, I don’t like my sauces to be extremely hot. I love the subtle funk and flavor of the carrot that comes through.
> 
> Those thai chiles were from my garden, otherwise I wouldn’t have had access to them either. My options are pretty slim pickings around here unless I order online.
> 
> ...


Joe as far as store sourced peppers have you done any combo of jalapeño and poblano? The one I did had a few super hots too. People just love it.  I did nothing fancy to process it. Little vinegar and salt.


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## xray (Dec 16, 2022)

jcam222 said:


> Joe as far as store sourced peppers have you done any combo of jalapeño and poblano? The one I did had a few super hots too. People just love it.  I did nothing fancy to process it. Little vinegar and salt.



I have not tried poblano peppers yet but I want to for a green sauce like you the ones you did.

My next hot sauce ferments , I want to try the vacuum bag method this time. I’m thinking jalapeños/serranos, poblanos, maybe some pear and tomatillos to keep the green theme alive!

All the ferments being shown by you guys are giving me a serious itch to do it again soon. My next project though is gonna be…fermented giardiniera!


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## jcam222 (Dec 16, 2022)

xray said:


> I have not tried poblano peppers yet but I want to for a green sauce like you the ones you did.
> 
> My next hot sauce ferments , I want to try the vacuum bag method this time. I’m thinking jalapeños/serranos, poblanos, maybe some pear and tomatillos to keep the green theme alive!
> 
> All the ferments being shown by you guys are giving me a serious itch to do it again soon. My next project though is gonna be…fermented giardiniera!


That will be interesting! I’ve seen a lot of folks on the Facebook fermented hot sauce group doing the vac pack method. I haven’t researched it much. Seems there is no brine though?


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## xray (Dec 16, 2022)

jcam222 said:


> That will be interesting! I’ve seen a lot of folks on the Facebook fermented hot sauce group doing the vac pack method. I haven’t researched it much. Seems there is no brine though?



No just your weighed percentage of salt.


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## Steve H (Dec 16, 2022)

jcam222 said:


> Thanks man! You really shouldn’t see anything in the airlock. You should see bubbling in the brine  if you pick the jar up after the first few days. In the pic your brine appears to be cloudy like it’s active. Did you notice a white film in the bottom of the jar? That’s spent lactobacillus. I do not wash my peppers at all. I will rinse if I see dirt. I didn’t wash store bought habaneros either but did use some brine from a prior ferment as a starter. Often the store bought produce has been irradiated and / or waxed killing all or many of  the good microbes. There are a couple nice options to help hold down the ferment to avoid floaters. I’ll post a link to one of them later.
> 
> Steve H
> is trying a new one too.


So far. I'm quite impressed with them. I just got more of them. These are the ones Jeff is referring to.


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## jcam222 (Dec 16, 2022)

Steve H said:


> So far. I'm quite impressed with them. I just got more of them. These are the ones Jeff is referring to.
> 
> View attachment 651352


I tried to order and they are out of stock on Amazon


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## jcam222 (Dec 16, 2022)

xray said:


> No just your weighed percentage of salt.


But what replaces brine in the processed sauce?


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## Steve H (Dec 16, 2022)

Here you can see that it is pretty much impossible to get floaties.


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## Steve H (Dec 16, 2022)

jcam222 said:


> I tried to order and they are out of stock on Amazon


I see that. That sucks! I ordered my second set on the 12/11. And got them today. Hopefully they'll get more in stock.


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## Steve H (Dec 16, 2022)

xray said:


> My next hot sauce ferments , I want to try the vacuum bag method this time. I’m thinking jalapeños/serranos, poblanos, maybe some pear and tomatillos to keep the green theme alive!


How does that work Joe?


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## xray (Dec 16, 2022)

jcam222 said:


> But what replaces brine in the processed sauce?





Steve H said:


> How does that work Joe?



It's new territory for me but you chop your ingredients and weigh them with your desired percentage of salt. Place everything in a vac seal bag and seal, leaving enough room for the bag to expand. When the bag looks like a pillow and on the verge of busting, you pin prick the bag, let all the C02 out and place a piece of tape over the pin hole to close it. One advantage of it is that all the oxygen is already removed out in the beginning.

Jeff, there will be some brine since the salt will draw out all the excess moisture, kind of like sauerkraut. You could blend all that and some vinegar for your desired consistency. 



 73saint
 has done this before, here's two of his threads. 






						Fermented pepper sauce projects
					

This has been a lot of fun.  Got multiple projects going, just bottled my first batch.  I’m calling it Cajun Sting (#1).  Habaneros, garlic, salt, sweet peppers, carrots, cardamom and allspice.  Fermented it 24 days, added vinegar, strained and pasteurized. It’s got a real nice heat with that...




					www.smokingmeatforums.com
				









						Home made peach reaper hot sauce
					

I fermented a bunch of my peach reapers in 3.5% salt and a little garlic.  Did this for 24 days; and also cold smoked some fresh reapers, and roasted a bunch of veggies (lemon, garlic, yellow bells, onion).  Saved the lemon juice and added it to the sauce as I was blending (to taste).  Blended...




					www.smokingmeatforums.com


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## jcam222 (Dec 16, 2022)

xray said:


> It's new territory for me but you chop your ingredients and weigh them with your desired percentage of salt. Place everything in a vac seal bag and seal, leaving enough room for the bag to expand. When the bag looks like a pillow and on the verge of busting, you pin prick the bag, let all the C02 out and place a piece of tape over the pin hole to close it. One advantage of it is that all the oxygen is already removed out in the beginning.
> 
> Jeff, there will be some brine since the salt will draw out all the excess moisture, kind of like sauerkraut. You could blend all that and some vinegar for your desired consistency.
> 
> ...


Great threads! I had stumbled on one earlier. I think we need a fermenting forum. Lots of us on here.


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## Kvgsqtii (Dec 18, 2022)

Got my own batch going. Habaneros, garlic and 3% brine. We'll see how it looks in 2-3 months. 







Have some jalapeños fermenting too, but those are just for snacking, not sauce.


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## Steve H (Dec 18, 2022)

Looks really good. I pickle jalapenos all the time to stuff with feta. Or for pizzas and such. I'll be doing a batch to ferment soon.


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## jcam222 (Dec 18, 2022)

Kvgsqtii said:


> Got my own batch going. Habaneros, garlic and 3% brine. We'll see how it looks in 2-3 months.
> View attachment 651547
> 
> 
> ...


Both look great. I’m doing green jalapeños bonnet mix now. Love the fresh taste the green peppers bring. They do make good snacks too. I recently switched to using 3.5% brine for peppers based on recent reading I’ve done


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## Houndstooth (Dec 19, 2022)

Kvgsqtii said:


> Got my own batch going. Habaneros, garlic and 3% brine. We'll see how it looks in 2-3 months.
> View attachment 651547
> 
> 
> ...


Looking really good kvg! 2-3 months?! I bet that’s going to be deliciously funky my friend. Looking forward to the updates


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## Houndstooth (Dec 19, 2022)

jcam222 said:


> Both look great. I’m doing green jalapeños bonnet mix now. Love the fresh taste the green peppers bring. They do make good snacks too. I recently switched to using 3.5% brine for peppers based on recent reading I’ve done


I just received my scotch bonnet seeds in the mail today. Hopefully these will be a little more fruitful than the last seeds I got. I’m assuming the 1/2% extra on the brine will help to keep the bad bacteria from taking hold.


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