Hey guys I am an experienced fermenter and advanced skincare fomulator. New to soapmaking. I want to make sake kasu lees soap (common to Japan). I can’t find any information about how much (% or grams amount) Kasu can be added and HOW it’s added - premixed in water or premixed in oils before Trace stage? In Japan, do they do something to the Kasu to eliminate alcohol content so that the soap doesn’t seize? No one in r/soapmaking has much experience with this so fingers crossed maybe someone in fermentation has some wisdom to share!!!

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Trying my first batch of cucumber fermented dill pickles. 4% by weight brine, fresh dill, a few lightly crushed garlic, mustard seed, 1 grape leaf, 6 small fresh bay leaves. I used a brine-filled ziplock as the fermentation weight.

It took several days for the ferment to kick off, maybe because I used store-bought over-packaged baby cukes. Temperature approx. 20 C. Just checked after a week and there was mold on top of the ziplock. I pulled it out carefully and replaced it with a new one. The test pickle was quite salty and a bit soft but decent. Planning to let it go another week before refrigeration.

Is there anything I should do differently to prevent the mold aside from maybe checking sooner?

I use one of those fermentation lids that comes with a vacuum pump so I sucked air out of the headspace when I replaced the bag and lid. A lot of carbon dioxide bubbled up so I hope the headspace will now not grow mold.

Second ferment done with orange juice, I’m quite happy with it!

Sake Kasu is the fermented mash leftover after sake has been pressed out. It’s a super common fermented food in Japan, I’m in US so harder to obtain. Typically Kasu has an alcohol content of 8-12%. Does anyone have knowledge or experience with removing the ethanol from Lees without damaging all the nutrients? Steam it? How long? Mix with water and boil - how long? Thanks so much!!

My sauerkraut bubbling away this AM! Smells incredible. Every batch is the longest wait of my life lol.

Ingredients Green cabbage Carrot Dill seed Jalapeño (just cause, that's why) Mustard seed 2 peppercorns per jar 1 dillweed sprig per jar (at the bottom)

I'm recently new to fermentation, and have been experimenting with different ways of keeping my food below the brine line. One idea I had was to make a device with a 3d printer.

One issue with 3d printed objects is that the spaces between lines are prime locations for bacteria to grow and shelter. Would this potentially interfere with LAB fermentation? If so, could I mitigate the risks with bleach or something similar?

Thank you!

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I'm new to water kefir. I followed the instructions for my grains which was 32oz room temp water, 1/4 cane sugar and 1 tbsp molasses then add grains. The next morning I noticed this film starting on the top... is it kahm yeast forming or is this typical of water kefir? Thanks! (Note there are some grains floating on the top)

Can I feed and keep this going like I do sourdough starter? Or do I just use what is here and then have to start the whole thing over? (Sorry if it's a dumb question. This is the first thing I've tried other than sourdough)

I'm not familiar with how it's being created but the results I see most says is fermented and contains probiotic. On the other hand, the first information I found using AI is that it is not really fermented but pickled which is a different process that doesn't really good bacteria.

Ive used ginger bugs in the past to make sodas, but ginger is becoming increasingly harder to find at a reasonable price in my area. Is it possible to make a pseudo-ginger bug with other plants/fruits, or is there something special about ginger that makes it good for making drinks?

I was inspired to make some by a mead recipe I found on youtube and I already have an S-airlock getting shipped, but I don't know what container to use. Do I just get a jar with a plastic lid and puncture a hole in the lid for the airlock?