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I am on my second batch of lacto fermented hot sauce. I use a mason jar and add 3 tbsps of salt and sugar. Pack it full of peppers and make sure everything is submerged in the brine. I usually add a piece of store bought kimchi to give it a start too.

i make a lot of fermented foods and have made a few batches of hot sauce! No yeast required. You just need to naturally lacto ferment because the yeast is already on the skin of the peppers. So yummy and healthy!

I used Redx and found that it gives you the red color without adding any roasted flavor.

I do one with mainly Red X and then I crank up the body with some other malts. I like the slight candy sweetness of Red X, and the color is impressive and consistent. I recommend giving it a try. I am planning on doing a Red IPA with it soon to see how the color and flavor plays with a larger hop presence.

I used it as the base malt in an Irish Red I brewed for last St Patrick’s Day and I was really happy with it. Red x is an awesome malt if you let it be the star of the beer and don’t cover it up with a bunch other malts or over hop it. I definitely recommend it for an Irish Red!

Don’t be afraid to ask, Amanda! That’s how we learn! 🙂

HERMS = Heat exchanged recirculating mash system. It works by having a coil immersed in a kettle of water that is temp controlled (can be your HLT), the wort is pumped through the coil, which maintains mash temp in your mash tun.

RIMS = Recirculating infusion mash system. This one works by…[Read more]

I have always been afraid to ask – what is HIRMS and RIMS? I think it has something to do with recirculation, right?

I don’t recirculate my mash, but my cooler system holds temperatures extremely well. If I get into step mashes I’ll probably need to think about recirculation, but at that point I’ll probably be looking at upgrading my system to something a little more professional.

I have three hot sauces from Freaky Ferments and they’re all amazing! My wife has gotten more interested in fermented foods lately and I’m planning to try making some of this hot sauce soon. I’ll post pictures when I do!

Unless you’re step mashing, I don’t see a particular advantage to recirculation during the mash. Yes it will maintain temperatures more accurately. But enzymes work within ranges and you’re fine with a cooler. With the exception of some lighter beers, clear wort after the mash doesn’t make a difference in the ultimate outcome of your beer. Do you…[Read more]

Like Jim said, you are basically volaufing the entire time the wort is in the mash tun, so recirculating saves time. If you’re using a cooler it probably doesn’t help you keep a stable temperature better, but it may distribute the heat more evenly. But no vorlaufing is the big thing for sure.

I notice much clearer wort when recirculating. I like it because it saves me time. I used to vorlauf for 15 minutes or so after mashing out but now I don’t have to. At end of mash,I raise the temp on my controller, get it up to my mash out temp, hold it for 10 minutes, then start collecting wort in my kettle. No more vorlaufing has been great!