Making Vinegar from Scratch (Picture Heavy)

[British Red]

QuakerBear has expressed an interest in making vinegar "from scratch" for preserving. Hopefully this post will serve as an introduction to the art

Red

[quote]My quest here was to produce high quality vinegar that was “re-producibleâ€

[eccentric_emma]

thanks for that, its just the sort of thing i've been looking for.

[Wombat]

Thank you my man! Well done!

Nev

[ina]

Brilliant instructions! Science in the kitchen... (Thats' the sort of thing they should teach the kids in school!)

[Stonehead]

..........

[British Red]

Well, I've learned something there. I wonder what purpose the pasteurisation serves? I know it will kill the acetobacteria but I wonder how they are considered to spoil the falvour long term? I'm sure it must be true because many wine makers kill yeast etc. with sulfites at the end of fermentation. I prefer the boling idea as I'm not wild on additives myself unless really necessary. Hmm may have to try a comaprison test at some point. I did one recently on home canned butter (to avoid the need for refrigeration). Learned a lot doing that.

Great links on the casks - thanks a lot Stonehead - I see I am going to learn a lot here

Red

[Stonehead]

I did have a stray bottle of home-made, unpasteurised vinegar that I found about three years after I made it. It was very, very acidic, very sour, and smelled bad. It did a good job of cleaning the bath and toilet, though.

I know some home vinegar makers used Campden tablets in their vinegar, but not me.

I got most of my vinegar tips and tricks from very old cookbooks and guides for "ye olde housewife". In fact, that's where I find a lot of very useful information that underpins a lot of what we do on the croft.

[red]

excellent guide British Red

thanks

[QuakerBear]

Brilliant, that's exactly what I had hoped for. Thank you.

Now for a couple of questions:

1. Am I correct in thinking that you can tell fermentaion has finished when you stop seeing bubbles?

2. The fly is necessary to get the aceto bacteria, right?

3. Does any fruit have the right yeast on it to work?

Thanks again. I'll let you know what my results are like.

[Annpan]

...I got most of my vinegar tips and tricks from very old cookbooks and guides for "ye olde housewife". In fact, that's where I find a lot of very useful information that underpins a lot of what we do on the croft.

Could you recommend any specifically?

[British Red]

Annpan,

I have a number same as Stonehead - none that are in print now though. One that is in print and is, in my view, excellent is "Vinegar" by Julie Townsend.

QuakerBear - I'm delighted it was want you wanted - let me know if theres anything else that you would like as I have dozens similar - from wine making to axe sharpening, helving and usage to sweet making and on and on

Fermentation completion is not really possible to detect from "visible" bubbles (although when using an airlock, a "blurp" rate of sub 1 "blurp" a minute is a pretty good guide ). For vinegar it doesn't matter to be honest, Once it has clearly fermented a good deal and is no longer forming a "head" is fine.

Yep, the fly is an initial source of bacteria. Commercial cultures are available or you can introduce some live vinegar (mother of vinegar) any of these is fine. Often people swap "mother" as US guys do with "sourdough starter". Once you have some aceto bacteria that produces a nice result, keep feeding the "mother" with juice or alcohol and you have a source forever

Not all fruit has natural yeast - grapes and apples do. At a puch bread yeast would work on those that don't or a sachet of good wine yeast. The better the juice or alcohol base, the better the vinegar of course.

Red