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crookedtree
Joined: 18 May 2007
Posts: 1847
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 Posted: Apr 03, 2012 6:59 am Post subject: fermentation! |
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I went to a talk by this guy last week. Last night we chopped up a head of cabbage from the farmer's market; our first batch of sauerkraut is working its magic in a big glass jar on my counter as we speak.
Does anyone else here do veggie ferments? Or other ferments, for that matter? My partner made radish kimchi last year, but that's the extent of our experience. I'm excited to try making sour pickles later this summer.
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tinyrock
Joined: 07 Oct 2009
Posts: 1590
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| Posted: Apr 03, 2012 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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I just bought brewing equipment today! I'm making a Samoa cookie beer with a friend tomorrow.
I tried to make sauerkraut several years ago, but it caught a mold because the weather was too warm. I've been thinking lately that the fridge might be a good temp-controlled (although slooow) place to try. |
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gemma
Joined: 26 Dec 2007
Posts: 1527
Location: Ohio
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| Posted: Apr 03, 2012 6:38 pm Post subject: |
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If kefir counts as a ferment, then yes! I am really interested in making water kefir for its probiotic properties, so I've been researching that/sourcing starts of it.
Okay, so technically I haven't started, but I'm excited that this thread exists, so can I stay? ;) |
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puck
Joined: 08 Apr 2007
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Location: i'm not a hamster, but i am in washington
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| Posted: Apr 03, 2012 11:20 pm Post subject: |
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some of my friends just put up (the beginnings of) some apple cider vinegar? and boy oh boy has that gotten me more interested in fermentation than anything else ever.
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meexie
Joined: 08 Apr 2004
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| Posted: Apr 04, 2012 12:39 am Post subject: |
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I do kim chee with various veggies. I'd like to do sourdough breads and make my own vinegar, but I live with someone who finds those smells horrible, and is being really nice about dealing with my Kim chee making as it is.
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Figwit
Joined: 07 Apr 2004
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Location: Farm City
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| Posted: Apr 04, 2012 11:12 am Post subject: |
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Just sauerkraut and water kefir right now, but I used to do milk kefir and sourdough and other fermented veggies, too. Oh, and kombucha! Our house has lots of ferments :)
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Chupacabra
Joined: 03 May 2006
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Location: Astoria, New York
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| Posted: Apr 04, 2012 12:06 pm Post subject: |
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My husband is known to make apple cider in our cupboards. I'd love to do sauerkraut! Let me know how it all turns out! Maybe this summer I'll do some experimenting.
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crookedtree
Joined: 18 May 2007
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| Posted: Apr 04, 2012 5:50 pm Post subject: |
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I'm excited to hear more about apple cider vinegar and water kefir... and samoa cookie beer? Whoa! I wish I could get excited about kombucha, but it is not a taste I have acquired, alas. :)
| tinyrock wrote: |
| I tried to make sauerkraut several years ago, but it caught a mold because the weather was too warm. |
At the workshop and in his book, Sandor said to just scrape the mold off the top and the rest should be fine. I guess this depends on how much mold there is, though. I will make sure to check on it every day!
My kraut is 3 days old and I'm seeing lots of bubbles. I had to pour off some brine because the jar was about to overflow. The whole apparatus is now sitting in a bowl in case that happens while I'm away this weekend.
My sister-in-law is majorly into sourdough right now. She brought some delicious homemade sourdough English muffins last time she visited. I will have to get some of her starter and try it myself.
I also want to try sauerrueben. I got some free turnip seeds at a gardening workshop, so maybe that will be a project for next winter.
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tinyrock
Joined: 07 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Jun 24, 2012 8:13 am Post subject: |
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Bump!
I tasted the samoa cookie beer last week (we bottled about a month ago). It was flavored with baking chocolate, cocoa nibs, caramel, and shredded coconut. It tastes nothing like cookies, but I like it okay. It was sour and fruity, with some roasty notes from the cocoa nibs. The coconut was a mess to strain, and the beer is pretty cloudy. I'm planning to cellar it for a while to see how it changes. This was my first time doing an all-grain mash (i.e., no extract/malt), we filled the kitchen sink with hot water to maintain temp and got the gravity we needed. Enzymes FTW!
I want to try mead once I have a place I'll be staying for at least a year. Anybody done honey wines?
What are you fermenting? |
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puck
Joined: 08 Apr 2007
Posts: 2609
Location: i'm not a hamster, but i am in washington
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| Posted: Jun 24, 2012 11:11 am Post subject: |
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my kombucha is delicious! i have stubs of vanilla in my sugar and some accidently got into the jar... the mother has absorbed them and now my kombucha has a nice vanilla-y taste, which goes beautifully with the earl gray tea it's been eating.
last night i went to a tasting party for my friend's homebrew. i don't drink beer, but it was super popular!
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killr
Joined: 13 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Jul 06, 2012 8:13 pm Post subject: |
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| tinyrock wrote: |
I want to try mead once I have a place I'll be staying for at least a year. Anybody done honey wines?
What are you fermenting? |
We have a couple meads going at the moment. We are even planning on getting a couple honeybee hives next spring to feed the mead addiction. Mead is pretty simple, especially if you have beer brewing experience/equipment.
but I digress... I pulled up this thread because Im making sourdough. I hate throwing away the starter discards! Its worse than thinning seedlings! So far I have made pancakes (from the first discard, no fermentation at all) and just finished making english muffins. I think english muffins may replace our store bought sandwich bread, so good.
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meexie
Joined: 08 Apr 2004
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| Posted: Jul 07, 2012 8:05 pm Post subject: |
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| killr wrote: |
I hate throwing away the starter discards! Its worse than thinning seedlings! |
I've done wild yeast sourdough starters using these guidelines at Serious Eats - you start with small amounts of water and flour and don't have to throw any starter out. It worked well for me! My only problem has been that in order to use it, I have to be planning at least a day in advance and be at home to keep an eye on whatever I'm making.
Those English muffins look uh-MAZE-ing!
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killr
Joined: 13 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Jul 07, 2012 10:12 pm Post subject: |
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| I did see those directions for less waste on serious eats after I started the King Arthur directions. Im not really following KA at this point either, Ive just been feeding and its been bubbling so Im going with it. I have a second batch of english muffins on the counter overnight to make some more tomorrow. They are really fun to cook! |
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meexie
Joined: 08 Apr 2004
Posts: 5998
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| Posted: Jul 20, 2012 5:12 pm Post subject: |
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I'm thinking about doing a water kefir, as I am trying to wean myself off of soda and sparkling water, plus Dad is still having gut issues that are likely related to having had to super-bomb his system with antibiotics. Anyone here have a favored source for obtaining grains? Any tips on fermenting and storing in a hot climate?
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inky
Joined: 07 Apr 2004
Posts: 1054
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Aug 18, 2012 4:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Hey fermenters! I want to get in on this. Fridge pickles are the extent of my (intentional) experience with fermented consumables. Do you think water kefir is a good first project? Am I ok getting a culture from someone local advertising them on craigslist, or would I be better off ordering from a reputable online source? |
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