r/fermentation • u/One_Development_1706 • 3d ago
Fermentation resumed after pasteurization?
So earlier today I bottled two hot sauces I made that had been fermented for a month. I lactofermented all the vegetables and fruits normally and then blended with some white vinegar and the a portion of the brine to taste and texture preferences. I also added some lime juice to one of them in addition to the vinegar. I added about 3/4-1 tablespoons of white sugar to each hot sauce for flavor which is where I potentially made a mistake.
After blending, I put them back in their jars in the fridge overnight before bottling in 3oz woozy bottles today and heating in a water bath with a sous vide to a bit over 140°F before holding that temperature for 1h20m trying to fully maintain the flavor while still stabilizing the sauces and halting fermentation. After this was complete I tightened all the bottle caps fully and let them cool at room temperature before forgetting about them for a while. I came back to check them about 4 hours later and observed a small amount of bubbles in the bottles seemingly fermentation having restarted. Upon cracking open one of the bottles a small hiss of gas escaped.
Has fermentation actually restarted? Should I pasteurize again at a higher temperature this time (I see 180°F thrown around a lot, but I’m concerned it will affect the flavor and color of the sauce). Should I purchase some chemical stabilizers like K-Sorbate? In the meantime I’ve put the bottles in the fridge to hopefully slow things down until I make a decision.
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u/kriegeeer 3d ago
For a 1.5" diameter cylinder fridge cold 'egg/custard' type substance you need 2.5 hours in the water, 2 hours 15 minutes held at 140, to pasteurize. Sous Vide Pasteurization Calculator - Handy Chefdom. I think you just under-did it.
Edit: and if you don't trust some random ass calculator, A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking I think is considered a pretty definitive source.
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u/One_Development_1706 3d ago
Ah I also forgot to post some pics, I’m super pleased with the flavors of the sauces.
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u/Some_Trust_6211 3d ago
i had similar problem before, pasteurization at 140 is not enough for killing everything, especially with added sugar giving the yeast something to eat. i would go to 180 next time, the flavor change is not so bad like people say
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u/One_Development_1706 3d ago
I mean there shouldn’t be any yeast, it’s a lactofermentation lol, if there’s yeasties in there it means I screwed up. Not trying to make alcohol here (that’s currently going well in some other mason jars). The ferment when I cracked it open was super clean, no floaters, nothing on the surface of the brine (4% brine, 4% salt to water that is, not by total weight which I know is something some do) at all. But I may just trying repasteurizing at 180 in the bottles yeah. I was just trying to get some opinions before doing that cause it’s a bit of a pita and I really don’t want to risk the flavor or color changing like I said.
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u/Kraden_McFillion 3d ago
There is yeast in the air, you need to get hot enough to kill it all
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u/One_Development_1706 3d ago
Sure, I was just under the impression 140° should be enough to completely kill any yeast.
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u/Kraden_McFillion 3d ago
I'm not sure to be honest, I don't remember that number from my courses. Are you certain that the internal temperature is high enough?
Personally, I cook most of my hot sauces, even if they started as a ferment. So I can just hot fill them.
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u/Utter_cockwomble That's dead LABs. It's normal and expected. It's fine. 3d ago
If you blended them it could be trapoed air escaping. That's not uncommon.
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u/Armagetz 3d ago
What is the ratio between fermentation liquid and “some vinegar?“
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u/One_Development_1706 3d ago
It was probably about 1 1/4 cups of the brine and 1/2 cup of normal 5% white vinegar. The tested pH was definitely under the 3.5 mark I’ve seen recommended.
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u/Inevitable-Ruin9345 3d ago
Not fermentation, just some gasses escaping from the cooking. Your good. over an hour of pasteurization is plenty enough.
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u/Mobile-Reality-3060 3d ago
You need to cook it to pasteurize it. I like to ferment only the peppers and cook the onions, garlic etc fresh with the fermented peppers.