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I finally stopped being skeptical about using a pH meter for my hot sauce ferments
For like two years straight I was just winging it with my habanero and mango ferments, going by smell and bubble activity like some kind of hippie alchemist. A buddy at the local brew shop in Austin kept telling me to get a pH meter for consistency, but I figured it was overkill. Then last month I had a batch of ghost pepper sauce that looked fine but ended up tasting a little funky after a week in the fridge. Finally broke down and bought an Apera pH20, tested my next batch at 3.4 pH and bottled it. That clear number just made me feel way more confident, no more guessing games. Has anyone else had a batch go south and wish they had checked pH sooner?
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clairem383mo ago
That pH20 is a solid choice, I have the same one! Totally get the hippie alchemist phase, I was using test strips for way too long and they were always so hard to read. A mango habanero ferment of mine went weird once, it got this slimy film on top even though it smelled fine, so I tossed the whole thing. After that I snagged a meter and now I test everything before I blend it. It's a game changer for peace of mind, especially with fruity ferments where the sugars can throw off the bacteria balance.
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fiona7373mo ago
Honestly, I get what you're saying but I think test strips are fine if you pay attention. I've been using them for years and my ferments turn out great, you just gotta look at the color in good light. Ngl, a meter feels like overkill for something that's been working for centuries without fancy tools.
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