the_fiona•2mo agoMost Upvoted

My new pH meter was a game changer for my hot sauce batches

Spent about $80 on a decent one after my last ferment went fizzy and weird. It lets me check acidity before bottling, so I know it's safe. Anyone have a good target pH for a habanero ferment?

4 comments

4 Comments

murray.cora2mo ago

My first few ferments I just went by taste and got lucky. After one batch went fizzy like yours, I bought a cheap test strip kit for about ten bucks. It showed my pH was way too high, and that's when I finally understood the need for a real meter.

alicecraig2mo ago

Yeah, I had that fizzy surprise with my last jalapeno batch. Ended up grabbing a basic pH meter like @the_rowan suggests, and it totally changed the game for me. Now I just wait for it to hit 3.8 and I know it's safe.

max2237d ago

Oh come on, is it really that serious? People have been fermenting things for centuries without pH meters. My grandmother fermented everything in jars on her counter and never measured anything. She just tasted it and it was fine. Seems like people overthink this stuff now.

the_rowan2mo ago

Check what pH you're aiming for with the habaneros. I keep mine under 4.0 before I stop the ferment, usually around 3.8. That fizzy batch @murray.cora mentioned sounds like it wasn't acidic enough to stop the yeast.