Hey everyone, just wondering if there’s anything out of the ordinary that I may need to know about making or using FPJ. I currently have a half and half cantaloupe and banana mix with 1:1 ratio of brown sugar and fruit.
Just got done shaking it up and capping it with more brown sugar. Stored it in the dark where it’s coolest in my house. Now just gotta wait a few weeks.
If there’s anything I missed or should know for the future please don’t hesitate to let me know!
Thanks in advance!
Might be able to help. I havent gotten into FPJ yet… might be able to try it out this winter when work slows down. Sounds like youre on the right track. Happy Growing!
You as well!
Usually done with 3+ inputs. The 1:1 ratio would work in this case as the banana doesn’t contain as much water. If using wet produce (berries, melon, etc.) you do half the weight in sugar. It’s because the amount of water sugars in them. It takes less osmotic pressure to release. Adding too much sugar will lead to a thick, syrup, end product. How much LAB did you input?
Next time using banana, mush bananas and add a pinch of sea salt. This will help them to release their water. Wait a bit for that to happen, and then proceed with adding/mushing in the sugar. Then add the cantaloupe into the banana and mush together before jarring. Sugar cap is added after the first 24-36 hrs, once the indredients start to float.
The first 24-36 hrs, I like to weigh down the ingredients with a sandwich bag filled with water. I have the glass fermenting weights, but a lot of the times they’re too heavy and fall to the bottom.
Gotcha. I was just watching a video online that explained how to do it as far as the cap.
And as far as LAB im afraid I’m not sure what that stands for.
I’m definitely saving your reply for next time.
You can’t trust YouTube. Check out Drake’s, Pure KNF site.
LABs - lactic acid bacteria -lactobacillus serum is probiotics, beneficial microbes and yeasts. It’s what ferments things.
I’m not even going to lie I wasn’t made aware that I had to add something for it to ferment. I thought it just naturally would over time.
If freshly picked with the morning dew still on it, yes. True KNF.
Grocery store items have been bleach washed. They still have microbes on it from people and atmosphere, but not gonna be all good things (fungal mostly). I’m not sure if would ferment or mold first tbh. Sugar feeds the bad and the good. The bad usually outnumber the good.
LAB would kill anything bad, and has what’s actually needed to begin a proper fermentation. It’s a key ingredient in KNF. Called, the police, by Dr Chao (KNF inventor).
Is it too late to grab it in a couple days and then add it?
It takes about 6-7 days to make LABs. Your environment will dictate the time. I suppose that you could put your container in the fridge to slow microbial/fungal activity while you wait. Put it in the back corner of your fridge where it’s the coldest. Make sure to put top on to keep out air and the bad guys.
Edit: I add 30 ml into a gallon, 10-15 ml LABs into 1/2 gal jar, 8 ml in a Qt. To kill the bad and break down and ferment the nutrients.
Poke a hole in that sugar cap and add the LAB when ready. Use something to get it down in there ie. a pipet, turkey baster, syringe with some fish tank tubing. Make sure to allow it to come to room temp
and replace sugar cap hole. Allow to ferment for 7-10 days. Looking for a weak alcohol smell once finished.
I went to put a hole in the sugar cap and found that it was completely dissolved.
Just took a quick photo to see how it’s doing.
Is this looking good or no?
@Budbrother
Bubbles from the enzymes looks good. That’s why you weigh it down first. It takes a while to form layers. You may have to add bit to the cap in the edges, but it never dissolves away.
Right on. I didn’t want to add too much of a cap when I added it. I will make sure to put more cap on after I add the yeast in tomorrow. Any specific brand you suggest or kind of yeast? And how much would you recommend?
Make LABs then add 8 ml to that.
When you make the rice wash ad leave it set, it pulls your local microbes from the air. Natural yeasts fall into it, but micro amounts. You’re mostly culturing lactobacillus 75-80% of that culture.
Now that I think of it, you could buy some plain yogurt. Then collect the whey off the top of it and dump it in. It would have what you need to ferment without making LABs
So like the top layer or the pooled up liquid off the top?
You got it. Pooled liquid layer
