stephent
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 213
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Post by stephent on Sept 30, 2014 21:03:15 GMT -5
Last MRFB I got thru USPS looked like the stepper motors had been "inspected" through a corner that doesn't normally open.. Rough handling.. thrown a bit I would think.. stomped a couple times. Shoddy re-tape job to repair it so it could continue on to me..but it did get here. Made it in good time from Oregon to Arkansas too. 3 days. I always use 3 overlapping seams of tape on the middle where the tabs meet.. 2 sidewayz across the whole mess.., (and cover the address with the clear tape too!) AND...take a picture of the wrapped and ready to go box/package before it hits the post office.. and keep the receipts. A pic is worth a 1000 words in an argument with Uncle Sam's finest. Normally I take a pic of the stuff going into the box too. Color me paranoid.
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stephent
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 213
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Post by stephent on Sept 30, 2014 20:42:29 GMT -5
My thoughts and prayers to the family.
Steve
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stephent
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 213
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Post by stephent on Sept 23, 2014 8:55:13 GMT -5
OK... I also used to hang out on this forum address below a little.. still read a bit there sometimes. I use basically the recipe in this post...but there's little reason to fight taking candy canes out of the wrappers if they are sticky.. just break them up into pieces and boil heck outa them. the papers will come up to the top of the water quite nicely to be scooped off.. You will need a hydrometer to test the S.G. (sugar level) and probably best if ya get the one made for wine/hootch making. It comes marked for A.L. (predicted alcohol levels) and S.G. And CandyCane wine is best if it's not HOT alcohol wise.. about 9%-9% seems good. It takes 1 1/2 years to age so it's decent..2 years is really nice though. I used to save those small single serving wine bottles (175ml ??) and bottle 5-6 of them with each batch of wine I made and after 3 to 6 months try one...and if not right yet let it sit for another 3 months and try another small bottle...etc...etc.. until I liked it and would pop the bigger bottles then. I've made everything from Cabs to Piesporter..and Candy Cane wine too. I hit the Dollar Store type places the day after Christmas and stock up on them for 10 cents on the dollar usually.. still have a lot of boxes of them left in closet from 3 years ago. Keep everything clean..clean..and bottle carefully.. it's good stuff for a light brisk off-dry tasting wine. It won't hardly ever ferment all the way dry..even messing with the ferment a lot and babying it.. it usually slows or stops a bit early so I just kill it (so it won't restart in the bottle and blow up) at "off-dry to semi-sweet" with sorbate and bottle. CandyCane Wine
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stephent
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 213
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Post by stephent on Sept 22, 2014 1:05:20 GMT -5
I use and eat a lot of garlic.. I guess I don't notice the bite it has.. ? But I use a lot of it..more then some of the hot stuff too. I've had 2 good batches this year that I've canned already. One without garlic.. one with...and this one just starting to bubble with a lot more garlic in it. I might have to let this one age a bit longer to see what it's capable of. But I haven't felt any urge to ferment just plain old peppers..plain Tabasco sauce is boring to me. Tabasco sauce is what I add to Chilli when I'm almost done cookin it and it ain't warm enough. But I doubt I could improve on plain Tabasco sauce...the good stuff from SE La. It's far cheaper to just buy that stuff then make it at home. Although I do wish they only used about 1/2 the vinegar they do in making it.
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stephent
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 213
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Post by stephent on Sept 21, 2014 20:46:06 GMT -5
The finer stuff will get into your pores and fingerprints and can be rubbed on the face if you aren't careful.. and it's a bear to really get rid off for several hand washings. I suggest using cheap vinyl gloves and chunking them after using. Don't let the stuff dry out inside the house after you pour out a tumble cycle cleaning.. the dust with silicon from the rocks is not good for lungs. Use reasonable caution when handling it... don't let little kids mess with it. It's "reasonably" safe if you use common sense.
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stephent
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 213
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Post by stephent on Sept 21, 2014 20:14:49 GMT -5
Chicken wing dippin sauce! Pork marinade. Anywhere you would use a hot barely sweet hot sauce. I make mine about as thick as medium oatmeal. I've used it for Chip dipping alone. The Thai hot sauce is sweet...dipping sauce..marinade sauce too.. If ya have it.. uses abound! I would **actually did already** pile some of the Mango Hot on my ham n beans. They are hot sauces.. uses for a hot sauce are myriad.
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stephent
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 213
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Post by stephent on Sept 21, 2014 19:49:09 GMT -5
I wouldn't want to make a meal of it... or breathe a pound or so of it either.. Why do you ask?
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stephent
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 213
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Post by stephent on Sept 21, 2014 19:01:02 GMT -5
@mr.mohs .. it's just another way of making "salsa" keep for a year or so. It's not a recipe based exactly on canning. It's original intent was making stuff keep when there wasn't any canning jars or ring/lids around (or even vinegar!). Kinda like the old 10+ gal Sauerkraut crocks down in the cellars. That stuff stayed in-the-crock for months and was dished out of that same crock and taken into the house to eat.. It's the same way with fermented pepper sauce. But ...now here's the important part... taste some fresh Tabasco type peppers diced real fine with 40% vinegar and let sit for 8 hours.. Then taste some good Tabasco sauce. There's an incredible difference. It adds a nice-- way different dimension to the sauce. And it's room temp stable to a big extent. It won't give ya a belly ache if ya leave it out a couple days opened and then ate. A few weeks I would hesitate to say it would be ok though.. o.O
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stephent
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 213
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Post by stephent on Sept 21, 2014 18:50:34 GMT -5
Cuz I have the patience of a hummingbird? lol... not really. Actually since these are NOT laced heavily with Acetic Acid and not made with dried out kinda peppers and special sugar(s).. ala Tabasco. The ferment is done..mostly kaput.. and since it's fresh veggies... I have no further need to let them go any farther. They will get stronger...ala Kimchi...for sure! But sour strong hot sauce isn't what I want. When the little bubbles stop for a day or two, I stick them in the fridge for a few days to put the bacillus to sleep..take them out and stick on table top for a day or so and watch the bubbles.. if it won't restart up when warmed to room temp.. they are done it's time to can 'er up... then I lightly boil them for 20 minutes and can them for hard times...or just winter eating And usually end up giving 1/2 of them away.. lol I have little need to store them in a fermented stage in such a large quantity. They will do that nicely, but I like them more "fresh" tasting...and less strong.
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stephent
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 213
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Post by stephent on Sept 21, 2014 16:21:02 GMT -5
I would say if ya don't heat it up before canning it might be a couple of hundredths of a %... it's not a sugar to alcohol type ferment. It's more like a sauerkraut ferment...or a cheese ferment (which is what that curdling is). But there is a malo-lactic family type bacteria that would love to get into the end result and make it a few percent to maybe 5-6% alcohol. Them little critters are like me though ...sloooooow working. lol
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stephent
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 213
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Post by stephent on Sept 21, 2014 15:34:23 GMT -5
That's liquid I add at the start. For wine/beer ferments I use "meta" (potassium "meta"bisulfite) ..the disinfectant for jugs/airlocks, etc. In my veggie/pepper ferments I use the same 4% salt solution that ya float on top of the "magical elixir" mix just before ya close the top up. "Meta" fumes..ie...sulphur stinkie smell..makes me nervous as to whether it will allow the ferment to start and run well...so I use the saline solution cuz the bacillus will start and run in a 5% even. But dang little else of the microscopic critters will start or live in that 4-5% salt solution! And after just a couple of weeks in low humidity you would have to actually add water to the bubbler/airlock.. or it will run dry and allow air and possibly nasty little critters inside. Not a good thing usually.
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stephent
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 213
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Post by stephent on Sept 21, 2014 14:59:36 GMT -5
This pic is a Thai Sweet Hot Sauce I canned a couple weeks ago. No ferment...just cooked and canned. It's tangy! This is almost the same as I posted in top pic above post. It fermented close to 2 weeks er so before canning. The ferment went quick cuz I used a LOT of starter from some Kimchi that was almost worked off in fridge. It is hot..and tangy. This one did not have Garlic in it....nor my "secrete" ingredient..
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stephent
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 213
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Post by stephent on Sept 21, 2014 14:23:27 GMT -5
This will be fermented a Mango-Hot Pepper-Carrot-Onion-Garlic and a few other things type sauce in 3-4 weeks.. #1 is Habanero and Jalapeño Peppers... #2 is the whizzed up peppers and garlic...#3 is whizzed up carrots, onions, and mangos and "stuff"...#4 is all the stuff in a 3 quart fermenter jar.. with a bubbler airlock on top. I like to see the bubbles bubbling...so I use S-type airlocks. It's not HOT as in ouchie!... but it is tangy..
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stephent
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 213
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Post by stephent on Sept 19, 2014 21:07:13 GMT -5
@mr.mohs .. I use a "bubbler"/airlock for any fermenting! ...either a "S" type or 3 piece. I don't like to waste my time with crud/creepy critters/or vagrant microscopic denizens getting into my ferments.. wine or pepper sauces, or vegetable (Kimchi). I have quite a few of both types of bubblers...also from quart-->1/2 gal to gallon size...and up to 7 gallon fermenting jars/jugs/carboys. Lots of various sized corks (rubber so they can be disinfected with "Meta"/Potassium Metabisulfite...which I also use in the bubbler water) with the holes for the bubblers...I also have the Cadillac of wine "hand powered" floor corkers...and an antique beer bottle capper. And many many beer/wine bottles. And I can veggies, jellies, and fruits in everything from 1/2 pints up to quarts for winter vittles.
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stephent
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 213
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Post by stephent on Sept 19, 2014 19:53:31 GMT -5
Wow... I don't know the prices of wine making stuff out that way, but I only give a few bucks ($4.95) for 8oz of top quality toasted French or Hungarian Oak cubes here. They are approx 3/8"x3/8".. new wood...never! from used wine barrels with a distinct possibility of some weird vinegar bacteria getting into the ferment. (wheeskeey barrels are different) And ya only use a couple of oz to a 5 or 6 gallon wine ferment. So the little bag will do 2-3 ,wine ferment batches..in smaller 1/2-->1 gallon pepper ferments I would think it would last several years. I do know the *famous* Tabasco sauce folks down around New Iberia, La. use american oak...and some of their speciality sauces are fermented in used whee-skeey (used Jack and McCormick) barrels. But I would rather know the oak trim boards had never seen any sealer..be totally raw...etc. A sealed "ready to finish" toasted stick of wood may impart some peculiar taste to a ferment? And all oaks are not equal. Red Oak gives a distinct sappy bitterness to a ferment. Post oak does too, but not as bad. Only a wine or whiskey quality white oak --with NO heart-wood-- will do what it's supposed to do. Must be why I really "appreciate" a heavily oaked, buttery Chilean Chardonnay, like I am partaking of right now.. lol But I get rave reviews on my "Christmas Candy Cane Wine"... warmed slightly or cool it's perfect for sitting outside beside a warm fire socializing in the late fall/winter. It's only problem is...it takes a 2 year ageing (in bottle or bulk) to start get right.. Just like a decent Chard..or most white wines. And..I am totally out of it here. Gave it all away last Christmas. Maybe I should start another 5 gal batch while I'm thinking of it...hmmm?..
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stephent
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 213
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Post by stephent on Sept 18, 2014 2:21:29 GMT -5
question did you can that Mango Jalapeño Habanero sauce w/carrots n garlic under pressure? Thanks Ed Ummm nope Ed.. I sure didn't pressure can it. I Heated it up to simmering and used an immersion blender on it to whiz it into a thick soup.. and just hot water bath canned it. (10 minutes er so) A proper ferment pepper mix is very acidic to start with.. and gets even more so during fermentation. It has to be for the lacto ferment.. (I used some juice from a Kimchi ferment I had going for my "starter") to be done for weeks to months *safely* at room temps. Reheating and canning was for my tastes. It's actually kinda like a Kimchi ferment...it gets stronger as time goes on. I only ferment for about 3-4 weeks or so at 75-78 deg room temps. Then put it in the fridge for a week or two.. then heat/whiz/can it. And Scott... If ya go to a place that sells wine making stuff you can find "toasted" oak sawdust or cubes that is used to flavour wine ferments or for bulk ageing. I have some for using in wines I sometimes make here...speaking of which.. it's about time to make a Candy Cane wine again. (yeah...made from real Christmas candy canes..lol)
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stephent
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 213
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Post by stephent on Sept 15, 2014 21:45:33 GMT -5
I like flavored mustard sauces. I like pepper sauces too.. I hang out at this website reading sometimes. Pepper Sauce MakingLast fermented pepper sauce I made was a Mango Jalapeño Habanero sauce w/carrots n garlic too. Canned up 5 half-pints and one pint of it. Stuck um back for winter, cuz there just happened to be almost 1/2 of a small jar left over after filling the canning jars up for fresh eatin. Definitely warm. Quite good. I will certainly have to try your mustard recipe though.. And Scott... that hunk of Pepperoni looks good!
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stephent
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 213
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Post by stephent on Sept 6, 2014 11:03:50 GMT -5
It may not be the tumbler motor.. very well could be the AC converter.. "most" of those are only rated at 85va ..(for one hour max use). The converter has a fuse in it..check fuse. Check the tumbler motor amp draw (or wattage) rating and add 20% for 50 vs 60 cycle loss...2 full barrels will get ya close to the MAX for the converter rating. And the one hour max use rating will certainly get it warm! Find a continuous rated converter...and a bigger one too. OR...find a 220v window fan motor locally and adapt it (fan motors will need a small fan to get airflow thru the motor).
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stephent
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 213
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Post by stephent on Sept 5, 2014 10:01:06 GMT -5
linkIt's been done a bit.. And somewhere in the home made equip posts is a drop saw that's easy to make.. open frame. Probably a definite wet suit wearing requirement.. I haven't found it though.
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stephent
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 213
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Post by stephent on Sept 4, 2014 23:17:03 GMT -5
Tell yer hubby to just wear that hat for a few days...sweat in it!.. and then put it up to dry a few days.. After doing this for a couple of times it will fit ok.. A hatband is usually for decoration. Although an adjustable one will probably cinch a very slightly big one up a notch. A leather sweatband will shrink up and usually stay better then a cloth band. But hopefully that hat doesn't have a canvas sweatband.. o.O
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