The batch in the fridge looks fine. If it tastes good and is acidic, there should be no issues. The kahm yeast is common, but often doesn’t appear if there isn’t oxygen leaking in. There’s also a balance between “headspace”, the empty air above the ferment: too much space and there’s a lot of oxygen to expel; too little and the ferment may foam, rise into the airlock. Fermenting at a cooler temperature can reduce foaming and the headspace required. If the batch in the fridge is done bubbling, fermenting, I’d put it in a smaller jar with less air.
A pH meter is very useful. For longer-term stability, you’ll want to add more acid to the product. Using Essig Essenz (25% acetic acid) will result in less dilution because you can add five times LESS of it to achieve a stable pH. I’d strain the mash before adding additional acid.
Of course, you can skip a ferment and go straight to the pickling method I’m using this year, described above. Keep in mind that Sugar Rush Peach tends to fade color and yellow Scotch Bonnets turn a muddy color over time (especially in a hot sauce bottle, where air gets in).
My hot sauces mix in some yellow (Grenada Seasoning) with primarily red types, giving the sauces an appealing color. A lot of sauce makers use other ingredients to color sauces, such as carrots, beet juice Achiote/Annato seed powder. I imagine even a good paprika can be used, but it will thicken the sauce as you add more. The lack of moisture in paprika means it won’t drop the pH significantly. If you have a lot of red serranos, those might do the trick.
Overwhelmed? Don’t stress; have fun! Maybe it’ll work, maybe not. Keep notes, weigh everything and like any “recipe” it’s apt to improve over time. Next year will appear with more options to choose from.
A very good book on general ferments is “Fermented Vegetables”, by Kirsten and Christopher Shockey. My only complaint is that, like most books on the subject, the authors give salt measurements in vague terms, “teaspoons, tablespoons” etc. The brand and type of salt one uses can have a huge impact when using non-weight measurements. A teaspoon of Kosher salt can have nearly a half of the actual salt-Sodium Chloride, found in pickling salt. For reference, I made a salt cheat-sheet to help me maneuver recipes, using weights.
One Tablespoon (15 ml) by volume yielded the following results:
•Diamond Crystal Kosher salt = 8.2 grams
•Mrs. Wages fine Pickling salt=19 grams
•Non-iodized fine table salt=18.45 grams
Larger quantities, other brands…
1/2 cup (118 ml) by volume gave the following weights:
•Morton Coarse Kosher Salt= 125.45 grams
•Morton Canning & Pickling Salt= 149.45 grams
•Morton Natural Sea Salt= 142.95 grams
As mentioned above, with peppers, especially those with less moisture, I’ll go with a 2% salt, based on the pepper weight (for mash). (I’m trying to keep my sodium intake down!) With juicier peppers, like serranos, pimientos, jalapeños, etc., a 5% brine may be better, if one isn’t making a mash. Want an easy way to figure out brine? Use the metric system!
2% brine = 20 grams per liter of water
5% brine = 50 grams per liter of water.
With the above quantities, the weight of the vegetable/peppers is less critical; you just need enough brine to cover the vegetables by an inch or more. The above is not for a mash! This is best for halved peppers, You can strain out. excess brine, puree/liquify the fermented peppers, strain, then add vinegar.
I’ve got a cute, little Harsch crock and may try a brine ferment with halved peppers next. The only issue is the crock weights are an unglazed ceramic, which will hold onto the capsaicin/hotness! I may need to use bleach and repeat soaking to remedy that. These ferments generally do best at temperatures in the 64-70°F (18–21°C) range.
