lhousesoccer
Chirping
- Feb 26, 2010
- 86
- 4
- 94
OK, so my first night of trying to make FF was last night. A bit of a disaster, I think, so I'm looking for tips. I have 10 CX's that are 5 weeks old that I want to feed FF. Yesterday I got four 5-gal pails and two lids from Home Depot, and a bottle of Bragg's UP/ACV from the food co-op, and then 2 other bottles of regular ACV from the grocery store. I also had an equal sized empty ACV bottle at home.
Step 1 - I split the 2 new bottles of regular ACV into the empty one until all 3 had about the same amount, then shook the Bragg's and topped off the 3 bottles with that. That was my starting attempt at culturing pasteurized ACV into UP/ACV. We'll see how that goes.
Step 2 - I drilled 3/32" holes in one 5-gal bucket in the bottom and sides about 3/4 of the way up. I then took a 50-lb bag of Blue Seal chick & game bird grower crumble and put the crumbles in the holey bucket until it was about half full.
Step 3 - I add about 2 "glugs" (is that about right, Beckiseed
of Bragg's into a second 5-gal bucket without drilled holes, and then filled about halfway with water. I then slid the first bucket with the crumbles into it and the water seeped in over the top. Looked pretty good to me, so I stirred it up a bit and then put a lid on it, but not tight. I then put it in the bulkhead hatchway that goes from my basement to outside.
This was around 6pm last night. So I wake up around 5:30am this morning, and my bedroom windows are open and I feel it's pretty cold out. Thermometer says it's 48-F outside, and I remember Beckiseed said to ferment at warmer temperatures, so I go down into the basement and open door to the bulkhead (here's the part you need to pay attention too ---- I'm au naturelle, at this point ... it's just the way I sleep, and I planned on jumping back in bed for another hour, so I never got dressed - just ran downstairs). The double-bucket system is on the second step leading up to the outside, and so,, still has asleep, I just grab the closest bucket handle and go to yank it inside to the warm basement.
All in one motion, I grab, yank and swing it towards me, and realize my mistake right away, as I see and hear the outer bucket, the one with all the "juice" in it, slide off the inner bucket. It was one of those slow-motion moments where you know what's happening and there's nothing you can do to stop it. The outer bucket hits the basement floor with a thud, and "juice" -- lots of it -- goes everywhere. There I am, standing buck nekkid in my basement, covered in fermented feed juice. Not pretty, or impressed.
So, that's my story this morning. I've since towelled off and showered (earliest morning shower for me ever I think). But I do have a couple questions about the status of my fermented feed.
Some folks said it should take 8-12 hours to notice the fermenting process starting. It was 11 for me, but when I did open the inner bucket, it was just a solid thick gooey paste of mushy crumble. It had obviously absorbed alot of water, but I didn't smell any kind of sweet, apple cidery scent, and there definitely was no bubbling, because it was solid, thick "oatmeal" kind of mush. What did I do wrong? Too much feed? Not enough water? Not enough ACV? Too cold? There was plenty of water underneath the inner bucket. Should I not use two identical buckets, so that the inside one can better sit down inside the outer one?
Just a little lost here. Thanks everyone!
Step 1 - I split the 2 new bottles of regular ACV into the empty one until all 3 had about the same amount, then shook the Bragg's and topped off the 3 bottles with that. That was my starting attempt at culturing pasteurized ACV into UP/ACV. We'll see how that goes.
Step 2 - I drilled 3/32" holes in one 5-gal bucket in the bottom and sides about 3/4 of the way up. I then took a 50-lb bag of Blue Seal chick & game bird grower crumble and put the crumbles in the holey bucket until it was about half full.
Step 3 - I add about 2 "glugs" (is that about right, Beckiseed
of Bragg's into a second 5-gal bucket without drilled holes, and then filled about halfway with water. I then slid the first bucket with the crumbles into it and the water seeped in over the top. Looked pretty good to me, so I stirred it up a bit and then put a lid on it, but not tight. I then put it in the bulkhead hatchway that goes from my basement to outside.This was around 6pm last night. So I wake up around 5:30am this morning, and my bedroom windows are open and I feel it's pretty cold out. Thermometer says it's 48-F outside, and I remember Beckiseed said to ferment at warmer temperatures, so I go down into the basement and open door to the bulkhead (here's the part you need to pay attention too ---- I'm au naturelle, at this point ... it's just the way I sleep, and I planned on jumping back in bed for another hour, so I never got dressed - just ran downstairs). The double-bucket system is on the second step leading up to the outside, and so,, still has asleep, I just grab the closest bucket handle and go to yank it inside to the warm basement.
All in one motion, I grab, yank and swing it towards me, and realize my mistake right away, as I see and hear the outer bucket, the one with all the "juice" in it, slide off the inner bucket. It was one of those slow-motion moments where you know what's happening and there's nothing you can do to stop it. The outer bucket hits the basement floor with a thud, and "juice" -- lots of it -- goes everywhere. There I am, standing buck nekkid in my basement, covered in fermented feed juice. Not pretty, or impressed.
So, that's my story this morning. I've since towelled off and showered (earliest morning shower for me ever I think). But I do have a couple questions about the status of my fermented feed.
Some folks said it should take 8-12 hours to notice the fermenting process starting. It was 11 for me, but when I did open the inner bucket, it was just a solid thick gooey paste of mushy crumble. It had obviously absorbed alot of water, but I didn't smell any kind of sweet, apple cidery scent, and there definitely was no bubbling, because it was solid, thick "oatmeal" kind of mush. What did I do wrong? Too much feed? Not enough water? Not enough ACV? Too cold? There was plenty of water underneath the inner bucket. Should I not use two identical buckets, so that the inside one can better sit down inside the outer one?
Just a little lost here. Thanks everyone!
