Any fermentation fans (fanatics?) here?

[FoodFreedomNow]

Oooh I've always wondered if someone had tried that! I am getting hops. I LOVE dark beer..I wondered if there is a way to make it taste like a dark beer as well?

As a beer brewer (and I prefer them dark - like porters and stouts - too), I think it would be difficult to get kombucha to taste like a dark beer. If you know how to brew beer, you could play around with ingredients, but kombucha is always going to have that distinctive tanginess, which is naturally more similar to a sour or IPA's flavor profile.

Always worth a try, though!

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I've wanted to try milk and water kefir. Now with water kefir. I read you have to put a fig and raisin in it or something. Is it possible to just do sugar water..I haven't done it before.

Dried fruit helps add minerals to keep the water kefir grains healthy - this is particularly important if you use refined, rather than raw, sugar. I just add organic raisins if I'm using white sugar.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Whey also makes a good starter for veggie ferments like sauerkraut. I save my milk kefir whey specifically for that purpose. Veggies can be fermented without whey, of course, but it will typically take longer.

 

[Sally PB]

Update; hadn't read later post. What type of dry starter do you use?

This stuff:
https://www.grocery.com/store/bulga...MI3aiTw6HR-AIVpDizAB0Q9ANvEAQYAiABEgLnavD_BwE

As I said, the first batch was kind of runny, compared to what I was expecting, but since then it's been fine.

What got me on this starter was an oops. The plain yogurt I usually buy has a blue label. Blueberry yogurt also has a blue label, and I got that by mistake one time. I thought, well, I'll just scrape the yogurt off the top and eat the blueberries. Then I read the ingredient list.

Milk, sugar, blueberries, pectin, gelatin, and preservatives. NO cultures in it at all! It isn't really even yogurt. I ate it and didn't waste my time or milk trying to make yogurt. I got some plain, read the label, and it no longer says, "contains active cultures." It did make yogurt, but I was pretty ticked off. I posted about this on the baking thread, and someone there turned me on to the Bulgarian culture.

 

[samanthaoverton]

Dried fruit helps add minerals to keep the water kefir grains healthy - this is particularly important if you use refined, rather than raw, sugar. I just add organic raisins if I'm using white sugar.

Ohh ok. Well raisins can last a while and are easy to get a hold of.

 

[samanthaoverton]

I agree..no cultures is not yogurt..I'm gonna check that link. Thank you

This stuff:
https://www.grocery.com/store/bulga...MI3aiTw6HR-AIVpDizAB0Q9ANvEAQYAiABEgLnavD_BwE

As I said, the first batch was kind of runny, compared to what I was expecting, but since then it's been fine.

What got me on this starter was an oops. The plain yogurt I usually buy has a blue label. Blueberry yogurt also has a blue label, and I got that by mistake one time. I thought, well, I'll just scrape the yogurt off the top and eat the blueberries. Then I read the ingredient list.

Milk, sugar, blueberries, pectin, gelatin, and preservatives. NO cultures in it at all! It isn't really even yogurt. I ate it and didn't waste my time or milk trying to make yogurt. I got some plain, read the label, and it no longer says, "contains active cultures." It did make yogurt, but I was pretty ticked off. I posted about this on the baking thread, and someone there turned me on to the Bulgarian culture.

 

[sasugac]

Not yet but planning on getting started. I have my jars ready to go. Just need to read more about it and maybe watch some videos.

 

[peepdaddy]

I've made a few batches of wine. Blackberry turned out the best followed by apple then grape. I drink very little but I like giving it away to family and friends.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I've made a few batches of wine. Blackberry turned out the best followed by apple then grape. I drink very little but I like giving it away to family and friends.

You have some lucky family and friends!

 

[peepdaddy]

You have some lucky family and friends!

Thanks. I don't really like any type of alcohol. It all tastes vile to me. If it tasted like Mt. Dew or Fanta I'd be in trouble! I do enjoy making it though. I find the whole process fascinating.