I was wrong about the whole 'no airlock needed' thing for my hot sauce

For years I argued that a simple cloth cover was fine for fermenting peppers, saying airlocks were just for newbies. Then my last batch in a warm kitchen corner got moldy after just four days, ruining about two pounds of habaneros. A guy at the local brew shop in Austin told me to try a basic plastic airlock, and my current ferment has been bubble-free and clean for three weeks now. Has anyone else had to eat their words on a fermentation rule they thought was just hype?

3 comments

3 Comments

margaretramirez7d ago

Ever try just using a heavier weight on the cloth?

anna4917d ago

That's the default fix for everything now, throw more material at the problem.

cameronp477d ago

Totally see that mindset everywhere now. It's like the answer to a wobbly table is just a thicker table leg, not checking if the floor is uneven. Feels like we're just adding stuff instead of fixing the actual problem.