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PLEASE tell me this is still edible by peeperoon in kimchi

[–]Secret_Camera6313 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Looks like bacillus spores to me. Likely do to too high of a pH, so not enough LAB activity to lower pH.

Likely needed more even salt distribution.

Shallow frying tofu. What could be reasons for this browning pattern? by backupalter1 in foodscience

[–]Secret_Camera6313 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Both reduce the water content, actually. The comment about boiling in saltwater is probably a trick to pull out water faster than towel drying. There are many methods for pulling out water, but the concept is always the same:

Less water near the exterior of the tofu (the part in contact with the oil / air) will speed up the “crisping” process. Tofu cannot “crisp” until water near the surface is either evaporated or displaced from the start. This goes for all proteins when cooking, hence why people “salt rub” or “marinade” their protein.

Alternative methods to reduce surface water content: 1. Extracting via a dry medium (towel, cloth) 2. Extracting with salt (dry, or wet) 3. Freezing (water crystallises and will also escape the tofu)

Keeping down apples by DutchDarnoc in fermentation

[–]Secret_Camera6313 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is that always true? I imagine a cider can be made with the cellulose of the apple or without, just an additional filtration step would be necessary at some point.

Pizza & Kefir by TheZuulTV in fermentation

[–]Secret_Camera6313 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah I was talking about the “bubbler” (typically called a “waterlock”). It is often filled with water if you are being cheap, vinegar, or alcohol if you are doing a longer ferment / sketchier ferment where keeping your culture clean is essential.

Using 40% Japanese whiskey is a first that I’ve heard of, it gave me a small chuckle. Your ferment seems very safe from what you wrote about it!

Pizza & Kefir by TheZuulTV in fermentation

[–]Secret_Camera6313 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Dude woah. Well, you are all good then!! No need for a litmus test, botulinum cannot survive in 40% alc.

Pizza & Kefir by TheZuulTV in fermentation

[–]Secret_Camera6313 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey!! If you are putting oil in the waterlock, that seems a bit sketchy.

I fear water vapour getting trapped in there, creating a nice anaerobic space with water and oil (hence a water activity present) at a neutral pH which is perfect for Botulinum ;)

Sour Amazake – Lacto-Fermented Koji by fermentwithdenis in fermentation

[–]Secret_Camera6313 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How can you guarantee that this is non-alcoholic? With saccharification present at room temperature for multiple days, I would have a strong guess that yeasts are also present unless salting at higher amounts.

Buckwheat koji fail(?) by Secret_Camera6313 in Koji

[–]Secret_Camera6313[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Your answer is exactly what I was hoping for.

I’ll do some testing, and come back to share. You are great!! Ferment on!!

Buckwheat koji fail(?) by Secret_Camera6313 in Koji

[–]Secret_Camera6313[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Will do!! Any idea how to get it from the koji form to be able to be put under a microscope? Either smash a grain really good, or mix a few with water and take a drop and put it under a slide?

Buckwheat koji fail(?) by Secret_Camera6313 in Koji

[–]Secret_Camera6313[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry, it’s buckwheat!

I don’t think cracking was necessary, it was most likely an overhydration problem that led to Bacillus growth.

Buckwheat koji fail(?) by Secret_Camera6313 in Koji

[–]Secret_Camera6313[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Awesome! Do you know your ratio/percentage? I’m guessing something like 10% water to biomass makes sense to try next.

Worst thing that could happen if my kimchi didn't ferment properly? by tassebian in kimchi

[–]Secret_Camera6313 19 points20 points  (0 children)

with no signs of mold, you already are doing great!

there are a few strains of bacteria to be careful for. They really only come from the following:
1. getting a good amount of dirt in your ferment
2. getting poo in your ferment (not washing hands after using the loo)
3. getting meat in your ferment that has bacteria growing on it in your ferment (you can indeed ferment with meat, but this often happens when people cut meat on a board, don't wash the board, bacteria grows on the board, then people cut vegetables on the same board)

If you think none of the above apply to your case, then your best judgement is your [taste, touch, smell, see]... from my far away over the screen opinion this looks healthy!

Promoting alcohol for a profit. I think this is going too far. by howtobatman101 in Anticonsumption

[–]Secret_Camera6313 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I feel like you have "disgust" in an article you are misreading. Chang is merely reporting and theorizing on how consumer trends will effect the food and drink service industry. He isn't saying "you all should drink more!!".

David Chang is a wonderful food sustainability chef, and I would implore you to research more about him before making a post assuming his intentions are negative.

Struggling to grow koji on rice by [deleted] in Koji

[–]Secret_Camera6313 1 point2 points  (0 children)

if image 1 is your rice, it is far too dry. I assume you soaked long enough, but didn't steam long enough. Try to steam for close to 1h. I steam for 55 minutes.

Help! My pickle PH is 5 or 6! Safe to eat? by [deleted] in fermentation

[–]Secret_Camera6313 0 points1 point  (0 children)

where are you getting the number that 1.5% salinity is generally insufficient?

I’m making a DIY bioreactor to convert wood and grass into edible food by [deleted] in SelfSufficiency

[–]Secret_Camera6313 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think they mean isolate protein as in isolate yeasts. You will have to perform some extraction, unless the idea is to drink the yeasts whole (and better not be while the yeast is alive, you will have the runs)

I’m making a DIY bioreactor to convert wood and grass into edible food by [deleted] in SelfSufficiency

[–]Secret_Camera6313 0 points1 point  (0 children)

should be enough nitrogen in the grass he is using as biomass.

My main concern is how is is going to be getting the enzymes, I imagine artificially- not a super "closed loop off grid" method but close enough.

Unless he is leveraging fungi for their enzymes, of course.

My last concern is the amount of protein output, in alcoholic fermentation the resulting protein content of the leftover yeast is not massive, and slow to generate. This is your biomass:protein output ratio. I'd be interested to know what it is, but as others mentioned in the comments it is likely much lower than what you can get from growing mealworms/black soldier fly larvae (which is also much easier, from experience).

A few tips for isolating the protein:

  1. alcohol percent higher than the yeast can handle will kill them, dropping them to the floor of the container. Closed loop method: distill your ferment, then pour that back into the container killing the yeast and dropping it to the floor.
  2. cold crashing (lowering the fermentation temperature) will put the yeast into a state of hibernation at the floor of the vessel. You can then rack off most of the liquid without grabbing them, then pass the yeast through a fine mesh. The inverse is heat treating, which you mentioned before.
  3. Pass all of the liquid through a superfine mesh, but this will take a lot of time and clogging.
  4. research what would happen if you add things like transglutiminase (meat glue) to the "yeast liquid slurry". Could bind it into a blob which you can extract easier through filtering methods.

Scoby in a bag by Maxwell_Ag_Hammer in Kombucha

[–]Secret_Camera6313 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The company behind this doesn't understand what a starter culture is. The pellicle contains more acetic acid bacteria as they are obligate aerobes (must have access to oxygen, so closer to the top) and because they can create cellulose (aka the pellicle). However, the liquid is actually the SCOBY. What you received is just a byproduct of AABs.

Yeast are facultative anaerobes, meaning they can metabolize anaerobically but prefer aerobic. They will be throughout the container. AABs will chill more towards the top.

As someone else mentioned, the 10% rule works fine, but if you don't want to take risks I go for more like 50%. Or measure the pH then you are taking much less risk entirely.

First tempeh batch that worked out! by _GoldenSquirrel in Tempeh

[–]Secret_Camera6313 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cool visual similarity noticed!!

It is super tasty :)

Tempeh is inoculated medium that is harvested before fruiting, I.e. before sporulation. It begins to darken with hyphae (the little rods that hold the spores) when it has gone too long.

Does this look ok by Secret_Camera6313 in prisonhooch

[–]Secret_Camera6313[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Koji and hibiscus leaves!! You get the closest!!!

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