It doesn't seem to be mold because it's growing on the surface of the liquid, but it's also not a surface film like kahm yeast. Even if I stir it, the spots come back after about three days.
It first appeared about a month ago, around three months after I started the fermentation.
Any ideas?
I made a variation of yuzu kosho using a Buddha’s Hand citron. I used the whole fruit and added 10% barley koji and 10% salt of the total weight.
Unfortunately, the result is quite bitter. Would it make sense to add sugar to encourage fermentation and potentially help balance or reduce the bitterness?
I have also heard that koji can help break down bitter compounds, but I'm not sure how long that process takes or to what extent it actually reduces bitterness. Any insights would be greatly appreciated
I started a fermentation using passion fruit peels 2 weeks ago
First, I soaked them overnight with 15% salt (relative to the weight of the peels), then added approximately 13% barley koji based on the peel weight. I'm not entirely sure how to proceed from here. I don't really have the impression that it is actively fermenting. Well, the salt concentration is too high for a lacto-fermentation, so I assume that the koji is mainly slowly acting on the small amount of starches and proteins present in the peels.
I'm now considering using the 15% salt brine—which has a fantastic aroma—as the liquid component for a shoyu made with soybeans and unroasted wheat or oat. Alternatively, I could combine it with other ingredients that lean more toward a fruity flavor profile.
I'm open to suggestions.
