Does anyone here mess around with using exclusively wild yeast to ferment?
Specifically I ask because I’ve got some tepache that is almost assuredly alcoholic at this point, and was wondering if it’s OK to drink.
Generally though I also like the idea of using wild yeast for fermentation.
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I did some wild ferments few years ago. The main criteria is if it smells and tastes good.
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lactic smell and taste (like yogurt or cheese) is fine but for some too acidic
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alcohol don’t smell that strong, it is usually just a hint
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fruity and funky notes are good
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vinegar smell is bad, it means you made vinegar
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bad smell and taste like bitter, chemicals or rotting this can be dangerous, but it’s disgusting so you don’t drink it
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…
Try it and you will see.
OK, good rules of thumb. Thanks!
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I’ve been using wild yeast for various beers, wines, etc since 2012
I’ve made tepache a few times and it will go alcoholic if you leave it too long. if the abv is 2-3+% then it’s likely safe to consume (if you’re overly concerned you can also check to confirm that the pH is below 4). However there probably won’t be any residual sugar and it may not taste all that great.
OK, thank you. I figured I could back sweeten it, or will it not taste great for other reasons?
yeah, you can back sweeten it, whether it tastes bad for other reasons is really going to depend on what sort of flavors the wild yeast and bacteria produced. Good luck!
Thanks!
